attraca, Kent ^ncb BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE JACOB H. SCHIFF ENDOWMENT FOR THE PROMOTION OF STUDIES IN HUMAN CIVILIZATION 1918 ^^^^^^fSell University Library «e«-^— F 621 T96 Illustrated history of «hesta^^^^^^^^ olin 3 1924 028 913 774 DATE DUE 0^^*«w4UB:: -m NOV 1 i) WMli^ oet^r^ *=r fP=r-w^fe^E§ PRINTED IN U.S.> Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028913774 s y © AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE STATE OF IOWA, BEINe A COMPLETE CIVIL, POLITICAL AND MILITARY HISTORY OF THE STATE, FROM ITS FIRST EXPLORATION DOWN TO 1875 ; moLUDmo A CYCLOPEDIA or LEGISLATION DITRDfG THE ADMDTISTRATION OF EACH OF THE GOVERNORS, FROM LUCAS (18S6) TO CARPENTER ; WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES OF EACH COtTNTT IN THE STATE SBPA- RATELT, EMBRACING DfTERESTUTG NARRATIVES OF PIO- NEER LIFE ; INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF THE COM- MERCIAL, AGRICULTURAL AND EDUCA- TIONAL GROWTH OF IOWA. BY PROF. CHARLES R 'JTJTTLE, Author of " History of WlBconBln," " History of Indiana." " History of Michigan," "Hlston" of Border Wars," " Centennial History of the Northwest," etc., etc., ASSISTED BY DANIEL S. DURRIE, A. M., For twenty years Librarian of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. SOLD ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION. CHICAGO: RICHARD S. PEALE AND COMPANY. 1876. F /4^7?f/4 Entered according to Act of Congress In the year eighteen hundred and seventy-six, BY CHARLES B. TUTTLE, IQ the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. s -^ Madisoit, Wis.: Stkrkottped by ATWOOD & CULVEB. TO THE FARMERS OE IOWA, BT WHOSE ACTITE nrCnSTBT, mTELLIOENCE AND PUBLIC SPIBIT, IOWA HAS BECOME The Most Pboduotive Agricultural State in the Union, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED. INTRODUCTORY. In the preparation of this volume, I have not aimed so much at literary excellence as to produce a work of usefulness. The materials for its pages were ripe in abundance, and it has been a work of no little difficulty to select, from these contemporaries, subjects most appropriate for a History of Iowa, and to group them in the order best calculated to make their presentation ac- ceptable. In the pursuit of this end, the following range of gen- eral subjects has been considered in the order designated. The opening chapters are intended to familiarize the reader with the physical and antiquarian features of the territory now embraced within the limits of the state. This is not only neces- sary to a better understanding of the events that have transpired upon it, but furnishes in itself much of interest and instruction. The early history of Iowa constitutes the second distinguishing feature. In this part, pains have been taken to present a strictly chronological narrative of all the important events in the early history of the territory, covering a period from its first exploration down to the organization of the territorial government, in 1838. The third division of the work may be designated by a cyclo- paedia of legislation during the administrations of each of the gov- ernors, from Lucas to Carpenter inclusivje. This phase of the volume includes a review of Iowa's record in the war for the union, as, also, a brief mention of the several political contests that have characterized the state and territorial governments. The history of the school system and educational advantages of Iowa occupies quite a prominent place, and the county sketches, upon which particular labor has been bestowedj will, I think, not only fairly represent the great resources and well advanced devel- 8 Tuttle's History of Iowa. opments in commerce and manufacture, but furnish interesting themes for contemplation. I invite special attention to the sketches of the counties, which are arranged in alphabetical order. Following these are presented biographical sketches of many leading citizens of Iowa. I have received much valuable assistance from Daniel S. Durrie, A. M., for the past twenty years librarian of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. I have relied upon his contributions for the materials for the legislative accounts. The History of Iowa is my sixth book and fourth state history. I regret that I was unable to bring to my assistance a long resi- dence in the state, which is so necessary to the success of such an undertaking; yet after all, scarred with errors as it may be, I fancy this work will serve a purpose of some value to the great state of which it treats, and be the means of preserving the mate- rials for a better history, which future generations will demand. CHARLES E. TUTTLE. Madison, Wis., January, 1876. CONTENTS. CHAPTBK I. GENEBAIi DESCRIPTION. Surface, Soil, Geology, Minerals — Climate — Productions' — Rivers, Lakes — Beauty of Scenery, etc., .... - 17 CHAPTER II. - DBS HOLNES VALLEY, ANTIQUITIES, ETC. The Des Moines River — Discovery of the Valley — Its Early Inhabitants — Antiquities — Mounds — Mineral Wealth and Early Mining, - 28 CHAPTER III. EABLY HI8T0BY. Chronology of Political Jurisdiction from 1763 to 1845 — Visit of Joliet and Marquette — Their Early Experiences among the Indians in Iowa — Louisiana — French Possession, - . - - - 42 CHAPTER IV. THE TWO PIK8T SETTLERS. First settlement — Julian Dubuque — His Wonderful Purchase from the In- dians — His Characteristics — Spanish Land Grants, - ■ -46 CHAPTER V. THE INDIANS OF IOWA. Sacs and Foxes — Other Tribes — Their Locations — Characteristics — Tribal Divisions, .........50 CHAPTER VI. TREATIES WITH IOWA INDIANS. Treaty on the Muskingum — Upper and Lower Louisiana — Black Hawk — History of the Early Life of this Noted Chief, . . .57 CHAPTER VII. EXPLORATION. Expedition of Gen. Pike — A Sketch of his Travels — His Interview with Dubuque — Gen. Pike effects Treaties with the Indians — Early Indian • Complications, - - - - - - - 64 10 TuTTLnfs History of Iowa. CHAPTER VIII. HALF BKEBDS— MINING — INDIAN TROUBLES. The Provision for Half Breeds -Tlie Half Breed Tract of Land- Congres- sional Act Enabling the Half Breeds to Sell their Lands— Sac and Fox Outbreaks — Conflict between Miners and Indians, - - - 70 CHAPTER IX. BLACK HAWK AND HIS WAR. He Refuses to Leave his Old Home — Militia Called Out — His Removal and Subseauent Return — The War — Bravery of Black Hawk — His Last Days, ^^ CHAPTER X. MININa — DUBUQUE. Difficulties Between Miners and the Government — Early Incidents in Du- buque— A Tragedy — Lynch Law — Indian Troubles — Early Settle- ment, 85 CHAPTER XI. EVENTS OP 1836-7. / yWisconsin Territory— Iowa a Part of Wisconsin — Banking, etc. — Fight over the Capital — Treaties with Indians, etc., - - - 93 CHAPTER XII. PIONEER INCIDENTS. Indian Reminiscences — " Squatter Sovereignty " — The Burlington Land Office — Sketch of the Land Sale Interest — Speculation — Anecdotes — TheEarly Farmers — Produce in 1838 — "Iowa," - - - 99 CHAPTER XIII. TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT. Iowa Territory Organized — Gov. Lucas' Administration — First Session of the Legisl ature — State Officers — Acts Passed — State Prison — Stormy Politics — Legislative Incidents — Vetoes — Conflict Between Lucas and the Legislature — President Van Buren Upholds Gov. Lucas, - - 110 CHAPTER XIV. EARLY COURTS. * Judges Irwin and Mason — Jail Incidents — Trial of a Justice — Curious Trials — Pioneer Administration of Justice, - . . -133 CHAPTER XV. ADMINISTRATION OF GOT. LUCAS. Second Session of the Territorial Legislature — Legislative Statistics — The Capitol, - - - - - - - - - 133 Contents. 11 CHAPTER XVI. SOXJTHBRN BOTXKDAKY DIPPIOITLTY. Bouudary Commissioners — The State Militia — Counter-Proclamations — Sul- livan's Line— Victory of Lucas, . . - . . 136 CHAPTER XVII. ADMINISTBATIGN OF GOT. CHAMBBKS. The new Capitol Building — The Legislature at Iowa City— A State Govern- ment Discussed — Scarcity of Money — Banking, - - - 144 CHAPTER XVIII. HARD TIMES. Collecting Debts by Force — Sheriffs Employed — The Sunday Law: Revis- ion of the Statute — The Legislature of 1844 — Public Debt — Constitu- tional Convention, ....... 150 CHAPTER XIX. CHIME. The Indian Girl Haxta — Her Fate — Bill Johnson — His History— Peck's Revenge — Indian Murders — Murder of Miller — Execution — Murder of Davenport, ... .... 157 CHAPTER XX. ADMUriBTBATION OF GOV. OLAKK. Events of 1845 — Boundary Difficulties- A. C. Dodge and the Boundary— The Miners' Bank of Dubuque — How it was Closed Up — The Mor- mons, ....-...- 169 CHAPTER XXI. clabe'b administratiobt. Legislation of 1845 — Move for a Constitutional Convention — Convention at Iowa City in 1846— Its Labors — Forming a State Constitution, 175 CHAPTER XXII. ADMINISTRATION QW GOV. BBIGGS. State Government — Events of 1847 — Organization of the State Legislature — Bribery — Exciting Election Contest in the Legislature — Adjournment — The United States Senators — Liquor Question — Education — Hard Times — Land Grants— Uncle Sam Appoints Judges, . -178 CHAPTER XXIII. ADMINISTRATION OP GOV. BBIGGS. Commissioners on Permanent Seat of Government — Extra Session of the Legislature — The School Laws — Railroads — School Officers Disquali- fied— The Mormon Vote— Election, .... 189 12 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. chaptee xxiv. BBIGGS' ADMINISTBATION. Election of United States Senators — Secobd Meeting of the State Legisla- ture—Aid to Railroads — Legislation— State University — Hungarian Settlement, - - 198 CHAPTEK XXV. ADMINISTBATION OF GOT. HEMPSTEAD. Statistics— Legislation— The Wet Season— Floods— Incidents and Anec- dotes of the Deluge in Iowa — Curious Remains — Wind and Rain, 204 CHAPTER XXVI. FOBTS DKS MOINES AND DODGE. Camp Des Moines — Adventures — Battles — Encounters with the Indians — Gen. Mason — Fort Dodge, ...... 313 CHAPTER XXVII. ADMINISTBATION OF GOV. HEMPSTEAD. Fourth Session of the State Legislature — Statistics — Election — Immigra- tion — Progress of Settlements, ..... 219 CHAPTER XXVIII. ADMINISTBATION OF GOT. GBIMES. Fifth Session of the State Legislature — Indian Outbreak — Governor's Mes- sages — Special Session — Its Work — Events of 1854-5, - - 225 CHAPTER XXIX. ADMINISTBATION OP GOV. GBIMES. Sixth Session of the State Legislature — Statistics — Legislation, - 231 CHAPTER XXX. ADMINISTRATION OF GOT. LOWE. Seventh Session of the State Legislature — Gov. Grimes' Last Message — State Institutions — Indian Troubles — Slavery, . . . 235 CHAPTER XXXI. DBS MOINES BITEB IMPBOTEMBNT, - . 242 CHAPTER XXXII. GOT. KIRKWOOD'B ADMINISTBATION. Gov.Lowe's Last Message — Eelection of United States Senator — Extra Ses- sion in May, 1861 — Gov. Kirkwood's Message— The Civil War— War Measures, --...... 364 Contents. 13 CHAPTER XXXIII. IOWA m TKB ■WAK. First Regiment — Regimental History — Statistics of OflBcers, etc. — Cavalry Statistics, ........ 273 CHAPTER XXXIV. IOWA IN THE WAR. Kirkwood's Administration — His Message of January, 1862 — State Institu- tions — War Measures and their Operation — Kirkwood's Reflection — The Election Contest — Legislation — Laws of the Ninth Session, 383 CHAPTER XXXV. IOWA IN THE WAB. Kirkwood's Second Term — Extra Session of the Legislature in 1868 — Laws Passed — Governor's Message — Election of 1863 — Regimental History forl863— Cavalry and Battery Sketches, . . - - 298 CHAPTER XXXVI. IOWA IN THE WAK. Regimental History — Condensed History of Iowa in the Wax for the Union, 313 CHAPTER XXXVII. GOT. STONE'S ADMINISTRATION. Last Message of Gov. Kirkwood — Summary of War Statistics — State Mat- ters — Election Canvass — Laws of the Tenth General Assembly — Elec- tion Notes, 320 CHAPTER XXXVIII. IOWA IN THE WAB. Regimental History of 1864 — Legislature of 1866 — Gov. Stone's Message of 1866 — Financial Statistics — Election Canvass — Election of Stone — Eelection of United States Senator — General Legislation, . 336 CHAPTER XXXIX. Bay. STONE'S ADMINISTRATION. The Des Moines Convention — The National Union Party — Elections, 389 CHAPTER XL. GOT. MERRILL'S ADMINISTRATION. Inauguration — Message of Gov. Merrill — Legislation — Amendment of the Constitution — United States Electors for Grant — Merrill's Second Term — Wright Elected Senator — Sketch of Legislation during Gov. Merrill's Second Term — Election in 1870 — Election of 1871, - 344 / 14 Tvttle's History of Iowa. CHAPTER XLI. GOT. cabpenteb's administbation. Last Message of Gov. Merrill — Statistics from tlie Governor's Message — Carpenter's Election — Legislation — Presidential Election — Events of 1872-3 — General Assembly of 1873 — Election of Judges, 356 CHAPTER XLII. I GOT. CAKPBNTBK'S ADMINISTBATION. Railroad Legislation — Election of 1874 — Litigation — Election of 1875, 360 CHAPTER XLIII. OFFICIAL DIRBCTOET OP lOTVA. TeiTitorial Officers — State Officers — Members of Congress from the Organ- ization of the Civil Government to the Present Time, 1875, - 374 CHAPTER XLIV. STATE INSTITUTIONS. Iowa State Capitol — State Agricultural Society — Agricultural College — The State Prison, - - - - ... - 383 CHAPTER XLV. STATE INSTITUTIONS. (continued.) The Iowa State University — Historical and Descriptive Sketch — The De- partments — Terms and Conditions — Other Institutions, - 391 CHAPTER XLVI. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Sketch of the Public School System of Iowa — Statistics — Growth in Pros- perity, 405 CHAPTER XLVIL SKETCHES OP COUNTIES. The Agricultural, Mineral, Educational and Manufacturing Resources and Developments of the State of Iowa by Counties, and Notes and Statistics of the leading cities, . . 409-666 Adair,. - 409 Bremer, 433 Adams, - - 411 Buchanan, . 436 Allamakee, - 414 Buena Vista, - 442 Appanoose, - 416 Butler, . . 444 Audubon, 418 Calhoun, 446 Benton, - - 420 Carroll, . . 447 Black Haw , 438 Cass, - 450 Boone, - 429 Cedar, . 452 Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clarke, - Clayton, Clinton, - Crawford, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, - Delaware, Des Moines, Dickinson, Dubuque, Emmett, Fayette, - Floyd, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, - Grundy, Guthrie, - Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Howard, - Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, - Jackson, - Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Kossuth, - ' i/Lee, - Linn, Louisa, Contents. 454 Lucas, 457 Lyon, - 459 Madison, 463 Mahaska, 465 Marion, - 470 Marshall, 474 Mills, 476 Mitchell, 478 Monona, - 481 Monroe, 483 Montgomery, 488 Muscatine, - 490 O'Brien, 492 Osceola, 498 Page, 499 Palo Alto, - 502 Plymouth, 507 Pocahontas, - 510 Polk, 515 Pottawattamie 519 Poweshiek, 531 Ringgold, 524 Sac, 527 Scott, - 528 Shelby, - 533 Sioux, 536 Story, - ■ 637 Tama, 539 Taylor, - 540 Union, - 541 Van Buren, 544 "Wapello, 548 Warren, - 553 Washington, - 553 Wayne, - &. 556 Webster, 558 Winnebago, 560 Winneshiek, • 561 Woodbury, 564 Worth, 567 Wright, . 15 CHAPTER XLVIII. BIOOBAFHICAL SKETCHES. Biographi"*' Sketches of the Leading Men of Iowa, of the Past and the Pres- ent, - •- 666-733 16 Tvttle's HisTosr of Iowa, Chief Justice Miller, - - 667 Hon. B. 0. Bloomer, . 668 Amelia Bloomer, . . 669 Hon. James Grant, - . 670 G-en. Jonathan Emerson Fletcher, 670 Col. Nathan Boone, - 671 Theodore 8. Parvin, 672 Serranus Clinton Hastings, - 673 Hon. Philip Viele, - 673 Gov. Robert Lucas, - 674 Gen. John Edwards, 676 Gen. James A. Williamson, - 676 Col. John A. Garrett, 677 Hon. Chas. Negus, . 677 Gov. John Chambers, 678 Prof. D. Eranklin Wells, . 679 Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood, - 680 Col. John Q. Wild, 681 Gen. Marcellus Monroe Crooke p, 681 Maj. Gen. T. J. Herron, 683 Maj. Gen. S. R. Curtis, 683 Gen. Wm. Vandever, . 683 Gen. Cyrus Bussey, - 684 Brig. Gen. James M. Tuttle, - 685 Antoine Le Claire, . 685 Geo. L. Davenport, Esq., 686 Willard Barrows, Esq., 687 Hon. Hiram Price, 687 Col. D. S. Wilson, - 687 Brig. Gen. Benj. Stone Roberts, 688 Hon. G. C. R. Mitchell, 689 Capt. Hosea B. Horn, 689 Brig. Gen. Samuel A. Rice, 690 James L. Langworthy, 690 Gen. G. M. Dodge, 691 Hon. Smiley H. Bonham, . 604 Hon. Napoleon B. Moore, 695 Geo. L. Brooks, 695 George E. Clarke, 696 Hon. Charles Henry Lewis, 696 Hon. Samuel Merrill, . 697 George W. Cleveland, 699 George B. Smyth, 701 Michael Donahue, - 704 Lauren Fletcher Ellsworth, . 705 Col. Warren S. Dungan, . 706 Rev. Stephen H. Taft, - Hon. B. F. Gue, Capt. E. Cummins, Hon. Austin Adams, Asa Horr, M. D., Hon. Joseph Barris Young, Joseph R. Standley, M. D., H. E. J. Boardman, - Isaac Mosher Preston, - Ezekiel E. Cooley, - Hon. Clabourne C. Wilson, Hon. Joseph C. Knapp, Hon Martin Luther Edwards, Hon. Edward Gee Miller, Dr. Edward H. Hazen, Theodore W. Barhydt, Roderick Rose, - Lawrence McCarty, - Prof. Geo. F. Magoun, Daniel M. Miller, A. W. Cook, Hon. Aylett R. Cotton, James Harvey Greene, Hon. Geo. W. McCrary, John J. Bell, Robt. Alex. Sankey, - Benj. B. Woodward, Dennis A. Cooley, . Presley Saunders, Wm. R. Smith, James J. Folerton, Orson Rice, - John B. Glenn, - Julius K. Grover, Peter Kiene, Hon. John A. Kasson, Hon. C. C. Cole, Hon. Caleb H. Booth, Hon. Geo. G. Wright, Hon. J. B. Grinnell, Hon. Cyrus Clay Carpenter, Gen. W. W. Belknap, Hon. Alonzo Abernethy, Hon. Caleb Baldwin, Hon. John Russell, 708 710 711 712 712 713 714 715 715 716 718 718 719 719 719 720 720 720 730 721 731 731 723 723 723 723 733 723 723 724 724 725 725 725 726 726 728 728 729 729 730 731 731 732 732 HISTORY OF IOWA. OHAPTBE I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. Surface, Soil, Gfeology, Mmerals — Climate, Productions — Rivers, Lakes — Beauty of Scenery, etc. The sukface of the state of Iowa is remarkably uniform. There are no mountains, and yet but little of the surface is level or flat. " The whole state presents a succession of gentle eleva- tions and depressions, with some bold and picturesque bluffs along the principal streams. The western portion of the state is generally more elevated than the eastern, the northwestern part being the highest Nature could not have provided a more per- fect system of drainage, and, at the same time, leave the country so completely adapted to all the purposes of agriculture." * The state is drained by two systems of streams running at right angles with each other. The rivers that flow into the Mississippi run from the northwest to the southeast, while those of the other sys- tem flow toward the southwest, and empty into the Missouri, f The former drain about three-fourths of the surface of the state ;. the latter, the remaining one-fourth. Tne water-shed dividing, the two systems of streams represents the highest portion of the state, and gradually descends as one follows its course from north- west to southeast. " Low water mark in the Missouri river at Council Bluffs is about 425 feet above low water mark in the Mississippi at Davenport. At the crossing of the summit, or water * Iowa Board of Immigration Pamphlet, t See Map furnished herewith. 2 .17) 18 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. shed, 245 miles west of Davenport, the elevation is about 960 feet- above the Mississippi The Des Moines river, at the city of Des Moines, has an elevation of 227 feet above the Mississippi at Dav- enport, and is 198 feet lower than the Missouri at Council E luffs. The elevation of the eastern border of the state at McGregor is about 624 feet above the level of the sea, while the highest eleva- tion in the northwest portion of the state is about 140 feet above the level of the sea." In addition to this grand water-shed divid- ing the two great drainage systems of this state, there are smaller or tributary ridges or elevations between the various principal streams. These are called divides, and are quite as fertile and productive as the rich valleys or bottoms along the borders of the streams. The entire eastern border of Iowa is washed by the Father of "Waters, the largest river on the continent; and during the greater part of the year this stream is navigable for a large class of steamers. The principal rivers which flow through the interior of the state, east of the dividing ridge, are the Des Moines, Skunk, Iowa, Wapsipinicon, Maquoketa, Turkey and Upper Iowa. One of the largest rivers of the state is Bed Cedar, which rises in Minnesota, and flowing in a southeasterly direction, joins its wa- ters with the Iowa river in Louisa county, only about thirty miles from its mouth, that portion below the junction retaining the name of Iowa river, although it is really the smaller stream. The Des Moines is the largest river in the interior of the state : it rises in a group or chain of lakes in the state of Minnesota, not far from the Iowa border. The head waters of this stream are in two branches, known as east and west Des Moines. These, after flow- ing about seventy miles through the northern portion of the state, converge to their junction in the southern part of Humboldt county. The Des Moines receives a number of large tributaries, among which are Raccoon and Three Rivers (north, south and middle), on the west, and Boone river on the east. The Des Moines flows from northwest to southeast, not less than three hundred miles through Iowa, and drains over ten thousand square miles of territory. At an early day steamboats, at certain sea- sons of the year, navigated this river as far up as " Raccoon Forks," and a large grant of land was made to the state by con- General Description. 19 gress for the purpose of improving its navigation. The land was subsequently diverted to the construction of the Des .Moines Val- ley Railroad. For a description of the rivers already named, which drain the eastern three-fourths of the state, we refer the reader to the map. Crossing the great water-shed we come to the Missouri and its tributaries. The Missouri river, forming a little over two-thirds of the length of the western boundary line, is navigable for large sized steamboats for a distance of nineteen hundred and fifty miles above the point (Sioux City) where it first touches the west- ern border of the state. It is, therefore, a highway of vast im- portance to the great commercial interests of western Iowa. The tributaries of the Missouri, which drain a vast extent of territory in the western part of Iowa, are important to commerce also. The Big Sioux river forms about seventy miles of the western boundary of the state, its general course being nearly north and south. It has also several important tributaries which drain the counties of Plymouth, Sioux, Lyon, Osceola and O'Brien. These counties are located in the northwestern part of the state. Among the most important of the streams flowing into the Big Sioux is the Rock river, traversing Lyon and Sioux counties. It is-a beautiful stream, bordered by a pleasant and fruitful country. Being supported by living springs, it is capable of running con- siderable machinery. The Big Sioux river itself was, at one time, regarded as a navigable stream, but in later years its use in this respect has been considered of no value. Not far below where the Big Sioux flows into the Missouri, we meet the mouth of the Floyd river. This is a small stream, but it flows through a rich, interesting tract of country. Little Sioux river is one of the ipost important streams of north- western Iowa. It rises in the vicinity of Spirit and Okoboji lakes, near the Minnesota line, and meanders through various counties a distance of nearly three hundred miles to its confluence with the Missouri, near the northwestern corner of Harrison county. With its tributaries it drains not less than five thousan d square miles. Boyer river is the next stream of considerable size below the Little Sioux. It rises in Sac county and flows south- west to the Missouri in Pottawattamie county. Its entire length 20 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. is about one hundred and fifty miles, and drains not less than two thousand square miles of territory. It is a small stream, meander- ing through a rich and lovely valley. Going down the Missouri, and passing several small streams, which have not been dig- nified with the name of rivers, we come to the Nishnabotna, which empties into the Missouri some twenty miles below the southwest corner of the state. It has three principal branches, with an aggregate length of three hundred and fifty miles. These streams drain about five thousand square miles of southwestern Iowa. They flow through valleys of unsurpassed beauty and fertility, and furnish good water power at various points, though in this respect they are not equal to the streams in the northeastern por- tion of the state. The southern portion of the state is drained by several streams that flow into the Missouri river, in the state of Missouri. The most important of these are Chariton, Grand, Platte, One Hundred and Two, and the three Nodaways — ^East, West, and Middle. All of these afford water power for machinery, and present splendid valleys of rich farming lands. These few general remarks concerning the rivers must suffice. Our space will admit only of a mention of the streams that have been designated as riVers, but there are many other streams of great importance and value to different portions of the state, drain- ing the country, furnishing mill sites, and adding to the variety and beauty of the scenery. So admirable is the natural drainage of almost the entire state, that the farmer who has not a stream of living water on his premises is an exception to the general rule. Let us next look at the lakes. In some of the northern portions of Iowa there are many small and beautiful lakes. They, for the most part, belong to that system of lakes stretching into Minnesota, and some of them present many interesting features. Among the most noted of the lakes of northern Iowa are the following : — Clear lake, in Cerro Gordo county ; Eice lake, Silver lake, and Bright's lake, in Worth county ; Crystal lake, Eagle lake, lake Edward, and Twin lakes, in Hancock county; Owl lake, in Humboldt county ; lake Gertrude, lake Cornelia, Elm lake, and Wall lake, in Wright county ; lake Caro, in Hamilton county ; General Description. 21 Twin lakes, in Oalhoun county ; Wall lake, in Sac county ; Swan lake, in Emmet county; Storm lake, in Buena Vista county; and Okoboji and Spirit lakes, in Dickinson county. Nearly all these are deep and clear, abounding in many excellent varieties of fish, which are caught abundantly by the settlers at all proper seasons of the year. The name • Wall lake,' applied to several of these bodies of water, is derived from the fact that a line or ridge of boulders extends around them, giving them some- what the appearance of having been walled. Most of them ex- hibit the same appearance in this respect to a greater or less extent. Lake Okoboji, Spirit lake. Storm lake, and Clear lake, are the largest of the northern Iowa lakes. All of them, except Storm lake, have fine bodies of timber on their borders. Lake Okoboji is about fifteen miles long, and from a quarter of a mile to two miles wide. Spirit lake, just north of it, embraces about ten square miles, the northern border extending to the Minnesota line. Storm lake is in size about three miles east and west by two north and south. Clear lake is about seven miles long by two miles wide. The dry rolling land usually extends up to the borders of the lakes, making them delightful resorts for excursion or fishing parties, and they are now attracting attention as places of resort, on account of the beauty of their natural scenery, as well as the inducements which they afford to hunting and fishing parties. The alternating patches of timber and broad prairie render Iowa distinguishable. Of course the prairies constitute most of the surface. It is said that nine-tenths of the surface is prairie. The timber is generally found in heavy bodies skirting the streams, but there are also niany isolated groves standing, like islands in the sea, far out on the prairies. The eastern half of the state con- tains a larger proportion of timber than the western. The follow- ing are the leading varieties of timber : white, black, and burr oak, black walnut, butternut, hickory, hard and soft maple, cherry, red and white elm, ash, linn, hackberry, birch, honey locust, cotton- wood, and quaking asp. A few sycamore trees are found in certain localities along the streams. Groves of red cedar also prevail, especially along Iowa and Cedar rivers, and a few isolated pine trees are scattered along the bluffs of some of the streams in the northern part of the state. Very many kinds of timber have 22 TUTTLlfs HlSTOBT OF lOWA. been found to grow rapidly when transplanted upon the prairies, , or when propagated from the planting of seeds. Prominent among the mineral interests of Iowa are her vast coal deposits. " In some unknown age of the past, long before the history of our race began, nature, by some wise process, made a bountiful provision for the time when, in the order of things, it should become necessary for civilized man to take possession of the broad, rich prairies. As an equivalent for the lack of trees, she quietly stored away beneath the soil those wonderful ' carbon- iferous treasures for the use and comfort of man at the proper time. The increased demand for coal has, in many portions of the state, led to improved methods of mining, so that in many counties, the business is becoming a lucrative and important one, especially where railroads furnish the means of transportation. The coal field of the state embraces an area of over 20,000 square miles, and coal is successfully mined in over thirty coun- ties, embracing a territory larger than the state of Massachusetts." Within the last year or two, many discoveries of new deposits have been made, and counties not previously numbered among the coal counties of the state, are now yielding rich returns to the miner. A vein of coal of excellent quality, seven feet in thick- ness, has been opened, and is now being successfully worked, about five miles southeast of Fort Dodge, in Webster county. Large quantities of coal are shipped from that point to Dubuque and the towns along the line of the Dubuque and Sioux City Eailroad. . Three or four years ago, it was barely known that some coal existed in Boone county, as indicated by exposures along the Des Moines river, but it is only within the last two years that the coal mines of Moingona have furnished the vast supplies shipped along the Chicago and Northwestern Eailroad, both east and west. The great productive coal field of Iowa is embraced chiefly within the valley of the Des Moines river and its tributa- ries, extending up the valley from Lee county nearly to the north line of Webster county. Within the coal field embraced by this valley, deep mining is nowhere necessary. The Des Moines and its larger tributaries have generally cut their channels down through all the coal measure strata. The coal of Iowa is of the class known as bituminous, and ia M TVTTLBfS HiSTOBT OF lOWA. equal in quality and value to coal of the same class in other parts of the world. The veins which have so far been worked are from ^ three to eight feet in thickness, but it is not necessary to dig from one thousand to two thousand feet to reach the coal, as miners are obliged to do in some countries. But little coal has in this state been raised from a depth greater than one hundred feet. Prof. Gustavus Hinrich of the State University, who also offici- ated as state chemist in the prosecution of the recent geological sur- vey, gives an analysis showing the comparative value of Iowa coal with that of other countries. The following is from a table prepared by him — 100 representing the combustible : NAME AKD I.OCAI.ITT. Brown coal, from Arbesan, Bohemia. . Brown coal, from Bilin, Bohemia. . . . Bituminous coal from Bentheu, Silisia Cannel coal, from Wigan, England . . . Anthracite, from Pennsylvania. . . Iowa coals — average 36 40 51 61 94 50 na 67 49 39 6 50 3 16 31 10 2 5 11 00 5 3 ^■3 114 123 126 113 104 110 81 80 87 96 90 In this table the excess of the equivalent above 100, expresses the amount of impurities (ashes and moisture), in the coaL The analysis shows that the average Iowa coals contain only ten parts of impurities for one hundred parts of combustible (carbon and bitumen), being the purest of all the samples analyzed, except the anthracite from Pennsylvania. The peat deposits have also proved to be extensive and valua- ble. These have only been known to exist for the past five or six years. In 1866, Dr. White, the state geologist, made careful observations in some of the counties, where it was supposed to exist. Other official examinations followed, and now it is esti- mated that the state contains thousands of acres of good peat lands. The depth of the beds is from four to ten feet, and the quality is but little, if any, inferior to that of Ireland. As yet, but little use has been made of it as a fuel, but when it is consid- ered that it lies wholly beyond the coal field, in a sparsely tim- bered region of the state, its prospective value is regarded as very great. Dr. White estimates that 160 acres of peat, four feet deep, will supply two hundred and thirteen families with fuel for up- General Description. 25 ward of twenty-five years. It must not be inferred that the pres- ence of these peat beds in that part of the state is in any degree prejudicial to health, for such is not the case. The dry, rolling prairie land usually comes up to the very border of the peat marsh, and the winds, or breezes, which prevail through the sum- mer season, do not allow water to become stagnant. Nature seems to have designed these peat deposits to supply the defi- ciency of other material for fuel. The penetration of this portion of the state by railroads, and the rapid growth of timber, may leave a resort to peat for fuel as a matter of choice, and not of necessity. It therefore remains to be seen of what economic value in the future the peat beds of Iowa may be. Peat has also been found in Muscatine, Linn, Olinton, and other eastern and southern counties of the state, but the fertile region of northern Iowa, least favored with other kinds of fuel, is peculiarly the peat region of the sta^;e. The lead mines have also attracted attenticm for the past forty years. From four to six million pounds of ore have been smelted annually at the Dubuque mines, yielding from 68 to 70 per cent, of lead. So far as known, the lead deposits of Iowa that may be profitably worked are confined to a belt of four or five miles in width along the Mississippi above and below the city of Dubuque. Iron, copper, and zinc have been found in limited quantities in different parts of the state — the last named metal being chiefly associated with the lead deposits. Good material for the manu- facture of quicklime is found in abundance in nearly all parts of the state. Even in the northwestern counties, where there are but few exposures of rock " in place," limestone is found among the boulders scattered over the prairies and about the lakes. So abundant is limestone suitable for the manufacture of quicklime, that it is needless to mention any particular locality as possessing superior advantages in furnishing this useful building material. At the following points parties have been engaged somewhat ex- tensively in the manufacture of lime, to wit : Fort Dodge, Web- ster county ; Springvale, Humboldt county ; Orford and Indian- town, Tama county ; Iowa Falls, Hardin county ; Mitchell, Mitch- ell county ; and at nearly all the towns along the streams north- east of Cedar river. 26 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. ■ There is no scarcity of good building stone to be found along nearly all the streams east of the Des Moines river, and along that stream from its mouth up to the north line of Humboldt county. Some of the counties west of the Des Moines, as Oass and Madi- son, as well as most of the southern counties of the state, are sup- plied with good building stone. In some places, as in Marshall and Tama counties, several species of marble are found, which are susceptible of the finest finish, and are very beautiful. One of the finest and purest deposits of gypsum known in the world exists at Fort Dodge in this state. It is confined to an area of about six by three miles on both sides of the Des Moines river, and is found to be from twenty-five to thirty feet in thickness. The main deposit is of uniform gray color, but large masses of almost pure white (resembling alabaster) have been found imbed- ded in the main deposits! The quantity of this article is practi- cally inexhaustible, and the time will certainly come when it will be a source of wealth to that part of the state. In nearly all parts of the state the material suitable for the man- ufacture of brick is found in abundance. Sand is obtained in the bluffs along the streams and in their beds. Potter's clay, and fire clay suitable for fire brick, are found in -many places. An excel- lent article of fire brick is made at Eldora, Hardin county, where there are also several extensive potteries in operation. Fire clay is usually found underlying the coal seams. There are extensive potteries in operation in the counties of Lee, Van Buren, Des Moines, Wapello, Boone, Hamilton, Hardin, and others. It is supposed that there is no where upon the globe an equal area of surface with so small a proportion of untillable land as we find in Iowa. The soil is generally a drift deposit, with a deep covering of vegetable mold, and on the highest prairies is almost equal in fertility to the alluvial valleys of the rivers in other states. The soil in the valleys of the streams is largely alluvial, producing a rapid and luxuriant growth of all kinds of vegetation. The val- leys usually vary in extent according to the size of the stream. On the Iowa side of the Missouri river, from the southwest corner of the state to Sioux City, a distance of over one hundred and fifty miles, there is a continuous belt of alluvial " bottom," or valley land, varying in width from five to twenty miles, and of surpass- General Description. 27 ing fertility. This valley is bordered by a continuous line of bluflfe, rising from one to two hundred feet, and presenting many picturesque outlines when seen at a distance. The bluffs are composed of a peculiar formation, to which has been given the name of " bluff deposit." It is of a yellow color, and is composed of a fine silicious matter, with some clay and limy concretions. This deposit in many places extends eastward entirely across the counties bordering the Missouri river, and is of great fertility, pro- moting a luxuriant growth of grain and vegetables. In Montgomery county a fine vein of clay, containing a large proportion of ochre, was several years ago discovered, and has been extensively used in that part of the state for painting barns and outhouses. It is of a dark red color, and is believed to be equal in quality, if properly manufactured, to the mineral paints imported from other states. As before stated, the surface of Iowa is generally drained by the roUing or undulating character of the country, and the numer- ous streams, large and small. This fact might lead some to sup- pose that it might be difficult to procure good spring or well water for domestic uses. Such, however, is not the case, for good pure well water is easily obtained all over the state, even on the high- est prairies. It is rarely necessary to dig more than thirty feet deep to find an abundance of that most indispensable element, good water. Along the streams are found many springs breaking out from the banks, affording a constant supply of pure water. As a rule, it is necessary to dig deeper for well water in the tim- ber portions of the state, than on the prairies. Nearly all the spring and well waters of the state contain a small proportion of lime, as they do in the eastern and middle states. CHAPTBE II.* DE8 MOINES VALLEY, ANTIQUITIES, Etc. The Des Moines River— Discovery of the Valley— Its Early Inhabitants— Antiquities — Mounds — Mineral Wealth and Early Mining. Neaely eveey state has some particular river whicb especially attracts the attention of its citizens, on which their minds delight to dwell, and upon which they bestow their praise. Iowa has the beautiful river Des Moines, on which her citizens bestow their eulogies. More has been said, done, and thought about this beau- tiful river, than all the other rivers of the state. In beauty of native scenery, in productiveness of soil, in mineral wealth, and in the many things which attract the attention, and add to the comfort of man, the valley of the Des Moines is not surpassed by any locality in the world. The banks of this great water course and the surrounding country, bear the marks of having been the home of a numerous people centuries in the past, and that this people were possessed of many of the arts of civilized life; but of what race of people they were, and of the acts and scenes which have taken place in this beautiful valley, we may imagine, but probably shall never know ; of their habits and customs they have left some marks, but still there is wrapped around these evidences of their doings, a mystery which is hard to solve. The record of this locality is of quite modern date. The first discovery of this river by Euro- peans has its romance, and the incidents attending it are apt to make a vivid impression upon the mind of a person when he first learns their history. James (Jacques) Marquette and Louis Joliet made a bold adventure into an unexplored wilderness, to find out the truth of reports made to them by the Indians, of the existence *We are indebted for the greater portion of this chapter to Hon. Chas. Negtjs, whose many valuable contributions to the historical collections of Iowa find their way, in some form, into this volume. (28) 30 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. of a great river in the west. When they had paddled their canoes up the Fox river, crossed the Portage and reached the waters of the "Wisconsin, their guides tried to dissuade them from further pursuing their journey — "telling us," says Marquette, "that we would meet nations that never spare strangers, but tomahawk them without provocation; that they were at war with each other, which would increase our danger ; that the great river was full of perils, and of frightful monsters, which swallowed men and canoes ; that it contained a demon that engulfed all who dare ap- proach ; and lastly, that the excessive heat would infallibly cause our death." Failing to dissuade them from pursuing their journey, their guides returned, and left them "alone in this unknown land, in the hands of Providence," without any one to direct their way, accompanied by only five companions. Marquette and Joliet navigated their canoes down the Wisconsin, and in seven days, " they entered happily the great river (Mississippi) with a joy that could not be expressed." They did not stop here, but pursued their journey further upon unknown waters, and as they sailed down this magnificent stream, passing the numerous sand-bars, the resort of innumerable water fowls, glided by the many islands which dotted the water, covered with dense thickets, and viewed the lofty bluffs and extensive prairies, not a sign of a human being interrupted their course or met their vision for eight days, and they began to think this mighty river was dedicated alone to wild beasts and birds. About sixty Ibagues below the mouth of the Wisconsin, on the west bank of the Mississippi, for the first time, they discovered the sign of human beings. There they found in the sand, footprints of a man. Following these tracks, they discovered a trail leading across a prairie, and Marquette and Joliet leaving their canoes in the care of their companions, by themselves alone pursued the unknown path to ascertain whose feet had made it ; after walking about six miles, they discovered an Indian village on the bank of a beautiful river, and three other villages on a slope at the dis- tance of a mile and a half from the first. This stream was what is known at this time as the crystal waters of the river Des Moines, which at that time was called by the natives Mon-in gon- Des Moines Valley. 31 e-na, or Moingona. From whence came the change of name, and what the words Des and Moines mean, have been matters of some speculation. It has been stated by a learned historian (Bancroft, voL III, p. 158) that Des Moines is a corruption of the Indian word Moingona. It has also been claimed that the meaning of the latter word is at the road. (Iowa Gazetteer, p. 18 ; Nicollett's Eeport to Congress, Feb. 16, 1841, published in 1849, pp. 22 and 23.) It is claimed by others that the name Des Moines is of French derivation ; that the word de, or des in English means of the, and the word moine means monk, and is here used in the plu- ral, and that the name as applied to this river means, the river of the monks. A monk is " a man who retires from the ordinary temporal concerns of this world, and devotes himself to religion ; monks usually live in monasteries, on entering which they take an oath to observe certain rules." It is claimed that there was once a monastery established on the banks of this beautiful stream, and from this circumstance it was called the river Des Moines, or the river of the monks. But it is believed that it will be hard to find any well authenticated history establishing the fact that a mon- astery was established in this region of country previous to this river bearing this name, or that any monks ever took up their abode in this locality. The voyage in which this river was discovered was prosecuted by two individuals of different callings, and for different purposes. It was patronized by the' French government and the Catholic church ; the former, stimulated by a desire of making discov- eries and enlarging their possessions ; the latter by a zeal to spread its religion, and convert the Indians. It is difficult to conceive any object the church would have to establish a monastery here, or that this class of individuals of the Catholic church would have, that would cause them to desire to locate themselves in this far off, lonely wilderness. From these circumstances, to satisfaqforily account why this name was given to this river, will require further investigation. In the valley, of this river, and on the banks of the Mississippi, especially about Montrose, they found, when these localities were first ex- plored, many mounds. A moand is "an artificial elevation of earth, terras used technically in the United States as synonymous 82 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. with barrow, or tumuli, designating a large class of aboriginal an- tiquities or earth-works scattered through the valley of the Miss- issippi river and its tributaries." There are to be found in the valley " a succession of earth-works extending from the lakes southward to the gulf." Some of these works appear to have been erected for military purposes, and others in connection with religious ideas and the burial of the dead. Most of these mounds are constructed of earth, but some with earth and stone. These works are of various shapes ; " some square, terraced and ascended by graded ways ; some hexagonal, octagonal, or trun- cated, and ascended by spiral paths ;" and some are of enormous size. There is a mound " on the plain of Cahokia, in Illinois, op- posite the city of St. Louis, which is 700 feet long, by 500 feet broad at the base, and is 90 feet high, covering eight acres of ground, and estimated to have 20,000,000 cubic feet of con- tents. In some of these works are found many relics of art, " dis- plaj/ing greater skill and advancement in the arts than was known to exist among the tribes found in occupation of this country, at the time of the discovery by the Europeans; such as "elaborate carvings in stone pottery, often of elegant design ; articles of use and ornament in metal, silver and copper. Things which must have come from distant localities are often found side by side in the same mound. These monuments indicate that the ancient population were numerous and wide spread ; " that their customs, habits, religion and government were similar ; and that they pursued an agricultural calling ; and were possessed, to a great extent of the arts of civilized life, and a state of society essentially different from the modern race of N"ort!l American Indians." These works bear the marks of great age. From facts gathered concerning them " we may deduce an age for most of the monuments of the Mississippi valley, of not less than two thousand years. But by whom built, and whether their authors migrated to remote lands under the combined attraction of a more fertile soil, and a more genial climate, or whether they disappeared beneath the vic- torious arms of an alien race, or were swept out of existence by some direful epidemic or universal famine, are questions probably beyond the power of human invention to answer." These mounds are numerous in Iowa, and especially in the re- Des Moines Valley. 33 gion of the river Des Moines and the lower rapids of the Missis- sippi. About six miles north of Fort Madison, on the road to Burling- ton near the brow of the bluff, is a mound about thirty feet long, and fifteen feet wide, making it elliptical in form. In the spring of 1874, a party made an examination of the interior of the mound, and there was found " a large number of separate compartments, which were each occupied by a skeleton, and articles of flint stone and ornamental bones." " The compartments were constructed as follows : There was a floor made of limestone, which was evi- dently brought from a quarry some miles distant, this being the nearest point at which limestone could be obtained. The floor was regular and smooth, the best rock only being used." The sides of these graves seemed to have had stone walls, but when examined had caved in. " The roofs were made of limestone and closely built. The contents of these compartments were a queer assortment of flint and curiously shaped stones. All the skeletons of human origin were placed in a sitting position, the knees drawn up, and the head leaned over between them." The arms were placed by the side, and sometimes dropped over the knees. "Besides human bones, there were bones belonging to large birds, also the bones of some animals, and quantities of charcoal." About half a mile above Montrose, and about five hundred yards from the river bank, on the prairie, there are five mounds, situated in a straight line, and evidently not the work of nature, but of some anterior race. Their height is about eight feet, and their circumference about one hundred, all nearly of a uni- form size. At Kilbourne, in Van Buren county, there are three mounds, on an elevated piece of ground in the back part of the town, in close proximity to each other, which, when built, must have been of a large size. On the middle one, since the country • has been settled by the whites, there has been a cabin built and a , large excavation made for a cellar, which has much changed its • natural appearance, and the other two have been plowed over till they are much flattened down from what they were originally. A little east of the town, on the brow of a high bluff, there are eight mounds in close proximity to each other. These mounds are lo- cated in a straight row, measure from thirty to forty feet across 3 34 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. their bases, and are from three to four feet high. About a quarter of a mile northeast from them there is another mound, about one hundred and fifty feet in circumference, and about five feet high. This mound has been dug into in the center to the depth of eight feet, but nothing discovered except that the earth showed that it is artificial work; for, after digging to a level with the surround-'! ing country, the earth was found ito be of a dark color, like prai- rie soil. About two miles southeast of Kilbourne, on the south side of the river, there are two mounds, about fifty yards from •each other. These mounds are about one hundred and thirty ieet in circumference, and about six feet high, both of which have been dug into and human bones discovered. About a mile from lowaville, on a^hi'gh bluflE on the northeast- quarter of section five, township seventy, range eleven, there are six mounds of nearly uniform size, each about ninety feet in circumference and about four feet in height, so close together that their bases touch. About a third of a mile, across a deep ravine, on a high hill east •of these, there is another mound, which is fifty feet across its base and about five feet high. On the prairie, within the bounds of the laid out town of lowaville, and on the prairie back of it, there are a large number of tumuli, but none of them exceed two feet in height, are not symmetrical in form or placed in rele- vant position to each other like the work of the mound-builders, ^^^ and it is not likely they were built by them. Here was once the noted village of the Iowa Indians. The prairie is level, and, in wet seasons, the water does not readily run from it. These eleva- tions of the earth were probably made by the Indians on which to build their wigwams, so that they might not be exposed to dampness. ■ In Wapello county, there is a chain of mounds, " commencing near the mouth of Sugar creek, and extending twelve miles to the northwest, at a distance between them reaching as far as two miles. , The one nearest the Des Moines is one hundred and forty feet in circumference, and is situated on an eminence — the high- est point in the vicinity. The second mound lies directly north of the first, at a distance of about one-fourth of a mile. This mound is two hundred and twenty-six feet in circumference. In May, 1874, a party made an examination of the larger mound. 36 • TuTTLBfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. and, upon digging into the center, they found ' a ledge of stones at the depth of four feet, which bore all the marks of having passed through a fire.' They also found 'a mass of charcoal, a bed of ashes and calcined human bones.' " In sections 30 and 81, in township 72 north, of range 10 west, Jefferson county, there is some romantic and picturesque scenery. Here may be seen the waters of the Cedar meandering their course along its zigzag channel ; sometimes swift and turbid, over- flowing its banks, and attaining the si?e of a large river, but most of the time quietly and gently moving along as clear as a moun- tain spring. On the south side of this stream the ground is low and level, interspersed with small prairies and groves of timber, with here and there a little pond. On the north side, the country is elevated and very Ijroken, being interspersed with high hills and deep ravines; and, at the first settlement of the country, for a long distance, it was mostly a forest of woodland. At one point, for a number of rods, a high bluff comes up to the stream on one side, and a beautiful low prairie of several acres stretches out from the bank of the creek on the other. At the first settlement of this country, the bluff on the north side, from the bank of the creek for some thirty feet or more high, was nearly perpendicular, and mostly composed of a solid sand- stone, and then, for several feet more, gently sloping back, were earth and rock. This location must have been a place of attrac- tion and visited by those who had some knowledge of the arts of civilization, long before Iowa was- permitted to be settled by the whites ; for when this place was first seen by the early settlers of the country, at a point on this bluff most difficult of access, near the top, there was discovered bedded in and firmly bolted on to the solid sand rock an iron cross, the shaft of which was about three feet, and the crossbar eighteen inches long. A short dis- tance from this place, a little northeast, on the summit of a high ridge, there is a series of mounds which give evidence of hav- ing been built by human hands many years in the past. These mounds are from twenty to fifty feet across from their bases, and from three to five feet high. Since the settlement of this country, this sand stone bluff has very much changed its appearance, and no longer presents the Des Moines Valley. 37 lofty form of earlier days. Large quantities of rook have been quarried out and taken away for building purposes ; so much so that instead of being almost perpendicular, it now presents a gradual slope, and the rock on which was fastened the iron cross ha,s been undermined and tumbled down from its elevated position, and the cross has been pried off and carried away by the seekers of curiosities.* Sac City, the county seat of Sac county, is situated on a beauti- ful site in the bend of the Eaccoon river, within the limits of this town " arranged on a general direction from northeast to southwest, but without regular order, the distanee between the ex- tremities in that direction being a little less than six hundred feet, and in the transverse direction, less than one hundred feet." Two of these mounds are elliptical in form and the others are circular. The two elliptical ones are located farthest to the northeast. One of the elliptical mounds is ninety feet in diameter east and west, and thirty feet north and'south, and two feet high ; the other, sixty by thirty feet and two feet high. The circular mounds range from sixty to eighty feet in diameter, and from two and one-half to six feet high. These have been dug into, but no hu- man bones or works of art have been discovered. These works are peculiar to the valley of the Mississippi and its tributaries, and are not found in European countries, and when the French took possession of this country, they had to designate them by some name, and called them Moines ; and from the fact that there were a great many mounds in the valley of the river Des Moines, and about the lower rapids of the Mississippi, es- {)ecially, at and near Montrose, it was reasonable to suppose that the Indian name of Moingona was abandoned, and that this river and these rapids were designated by the French as the river Des Moines, and the rapids Des Moines, which mean the river of the Mounds, and the rapids of the Mounds. Gen. Pike and other early writers in speaking of this river, and these rapids, call them the river Des Moines and the rapids Des Moines, But in the act of congress, defining the boundaries of the State of Missouri, it * A portion of this cross is now in possession of the family of Hon. Chas. Negus, the author of this sketch. It has the appearance of having heen long exposed to the weather. 38 TuTTLnfs History of Iowa. describes the line of the northera boundary as being on the " parallel of latitude which passes through the rapids of the river Des Moines." From these words, after the settlement of Iowa, the Missourians claimed the rapids referred to were in the great bend of the river near the town of Keosanqua, and set up title and claimed jurisdiction over the territory in Iowa to a line due west through that point, which was the cause of much ill feeling between the authorities and citizens of the two governments, and the means of calling into requisition the civil and military author- ities of both parties interested, and of a lengthy litigation in the United States supreme court. All of which would probably have been avoided, had the true meaning of the words been understood, or the rapids described as the rapids of the Mounds. The river Des Moines was embraced in the " Louisiana pur- chase " and came in the possession of the United States, April 30, 1803. The contracting parties at that time knew but lit- tle of the beautiful scenery and rich.soil skitting the banks of this river, and little did they calculate the vast population that was to reside, and the wealth that would be accumulated, here in this great valley. This locality must have especially attracted the at- tention of the French and Spanish Indian traders before the United States became possessed of it, for G6n. Pike in his report of the exploration of the Mississppi in 1805, gives the names of five forts and two places on his map, located on this river, but he did not tell when they were made, or by whom occupiea. Not only did this locality attract the attention of the French and Span- ish traders, but as soon as the whites were permitted to take" pos- session of Iowa soil as their own, the valley Des Moines, especially, attracted the attention of the emigrant, and of the first purchases from the Indians, this part of Iowa, for many years, had a more dense population than any other part of the territory, and Farm- ington and Keasauqua, for a long time, were the most noted towns on the Mississippi river. Within the limits of Iowa, is in part located the] most import- ant lead region in the country, excepting the Missouri lead mines. This region embraces a district of country about sixty miles in diameter, of which about one-half is in Wisconsin, and the re- mainder is equally distributed in Iowa and Illinois. The Missis- Dbs Moines Valley. 39 sippi river cuts through the southwestern portion of the region. The Dubuque district is about sixfy miles in length by seven to ten miles in width. The richest deposits are within the corporate limits of Dubuque, and they decrease in value toward the borders • of the district. The Dubuque mines were purchased of the Indi- ans in 1788, at Prairie du Chien, Wis., by Julian Dubuque, who ■ worked them successfully. An account of this individual will be found in an early part of this volume. In 1833, the Indian title was extinguished, and mining subsequently began. From the surface of the river to the top of the bluffs there are four distinct strata. On the surface, a clay soil, varying in depth from eight to twenty feet ; below the clay, shale, of which the thickness is five to twenty feet ; next, Galena limestone, the lead bearing rock and the blue or Trenton limestone. An obstacle to success has been the water, which appears to be equally diffused over the mining regions. The pumps, driven by machinery, have produced only a temporary effect on its diminution. Beyond this, they have been found to be not only costly, but useless. In a large number of instances, some of the heaviest lodes have been worked into the water at the very point where the yield has been of the most lu- crative kind. A plan ai drainage has now been commenced by means of an adit, which has been run about twelve hundred feet, and is to be extended about one mile. It is to be made in solid rock, with an average height of ten feet and a width of about four feet. It is expected to drain off the water of a section of country, of an average of between one and two miles. More than sixty mil- lions of pounds have been taken from the clay diggings by some of the parties at work in the region expected to be thus drained. The amount of lead produced from the entire region in. the three states, in 1860, was in value as follows: Illinois, $72,953 ;-Iowa, $160,500 ; Wisconsin, $325,368. The annual yield of these mines, of the Dubuque region, ranges from five to ten millions of pounds. To show the productiveness of the lead region country in early times, the following extract is taken from a memorial of inhabit- ants residing in the mining country of the territory of Michigan, made to congress in the year 1829 : " Your memoralists ask the attention of your honorable body to the following statement, show- ing the quantity of lead manufactured at the upper Mississippi 40 Tuttle's History of Iowa. lead mines from 1821 to September 30, 1828. The whole quan- tity of lead made, during thd^ period, was 18,421,772 pounds; from the 80th of September, 1827, to September 30, 1828, of that quantity, 11,805,810, was manufactured at the mines, and the probable quantity made from September 30, 1828 to 1829, will, be equal to about ten millions ; making the quantity manu- factured, the two last years, equal to 21,105,810 pounds." The memorialists prayed for the passage of an' act of congress defining the powers and duties of the officers, employed by the general government, for the government of the mines, and the passage of such laws as may be necessary, and will comport with the interest of the government and the rights of the people of the min- ing country. CHAPTER III. EAELY HISTORY. Chronology of Political Jurisdiction from 1763 to 1845— Visit of Joliet and Marquette — Their Early Experiences among the Indians in Iowa — Lou- isiana — French Possession. The eably history of what is now known as the state of Iowa, is very much the same as that of other states and territories lying in that portion of|the United States northwest of the Ohio river. The territory has experienced various changes of ownership and jurisdiction, as also all the present possessions of the government west of the river Mississippi (except the territory since obtained from Mexico and Eussia). It was claimed by France, by right of discovery and occupation, until 1763, at the close of what is known in our history as the " Old French War," and in Europe as the " Seventeen Years War," when it was ceded to Spain ; and on October 1, 1800, by the treaty at St. Idlefonzo, Spain retro- ceded it to France. By a treaty made April 30, 1803, and commonly known as the "Louisiana Purchase," all the above named territory was ceded to the United States, in consideration of the sum of $11,250,000, and the liquidation of certain claims held by citizens of the United States against France. On the 1st of October, 1804, by act of congress, what is now the state of Iowa, with other western terri- tory, was organized and placed under the Jurisdiction of the terri- torial government of Indiana, under the name of the "District of Louisiana." On the 4th of July, 1805, under an act of congress, approved March 5th, 1805, the " District of Louisiana," was re- organized under the name of the " Territory of Louisiana." In December, 1812, through an act of congress, it was again reorgan- ized under the name of the " Territory of Missouri." Through an act of congress, of June 28, 1834. it underwent another trans (42) Eably History. 43 formation, and what is now Iowa was made a part of the " Terri- tory of Michigan," and on July 3, 1836, with the addition of the present states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, was again given a new name and government by being organized into the " Territory of I Wisconsin." On July 3, 1838, another change took place ; all of Iowa, and most of what is now Minnesota, being erected into the "Territory of Iowa." In March, 1845, provision was made by congress for the admission of Iowa as a state ; the boundaries prescribed by the act not meeting the approval of the people of Iowa, the act was rejected ; various boundaries were proposed by congress and the people, and finally, the present bounds of the state were agreed upon, and on December 28, 1846, Iowa "Was admitted as the twenty-ninth of the United States, being the six- teenth admitted under the federal constitution. The first Europeans that visited the present state^as far as we have knowledge, were M. Joliet, and Father Marquette, who were sent by the French government " to discover a passage to the South Sea." The former was appointed to this work, and Mar- quette missionary. These two celebrated explorers arrived at Green Bay, June 7. 1673, and with a party of seven Freachmea and two Miami guides, passed up the Fox river to the Portage, crossed over to the Wisconsin, and slowly sailed down its current, amid its vine clad isles and countless sandbars, and after sailing seven days without seeing a human form, on the 17th of June, glided into the great river. Passing down the Mississippi, the first landing made by them was on the 21st of June, four days after they entered the river. They landed on the western bank where, says Marquette, " We discovered footprints of some fellow mortals, and a little path or trail, leading into a pleasant meadow. Following the trail a short distance, we heard the savages talking, and making our presence known by a loud cry, we were received by the Indians, and were led to the village of the Illinois, where we were treated with much kindness." Marquette farther states that as the party reached the village, an old man arose, perfectly nude, with his hands stretched out and raised toward the sun, as if he wished to screen himself from its rays, which nevertheless passed through his fingers to his face. When he came near them, he said : " How beautiful is the sun, Frenchmen, when thou 44 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. comest to visit us I All our town awaits thee, and thou shalt enter all our cabins in peace." A great feast was subsequently pre- pared for the guests, consisting of sagamity and fish, and for a third dish they produced a large dog, which was regarded as a choice dish, and prepared only for distinguished guests ; and a fourth dish consisted of a piece of wild. ox, which concluded the entertainment. The spot where the travelers landed, from the description given by them, was at the site of the present city of Davenport, and from the fact that an Indian village had been located there from time immemorial, it would seem that there the soil of Iowa was first pressed by the foot of the white man. These French explor- ers were the first to pass through the present state of Wisconsin, j and to discover an upper Mississippi, and also to land -on the ter- ritory of Iowa. Seven years after, in 1680, Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan friar and missionary, passed along the whole eastern shore of Iowa, ascending the Mississippi from the Illinois river. Two years after. La Salle entered the Mississippi by the same river and passed down to the Gulf of Mexico. On the 9th of April, 1682, he unfurled the banner of the king of France at the mouth of the great river, and in the name of his sovereign, took formal^ pos- session of the whole country watered by it, and by all streams that flow into it. In this act, he named the country Louisiana ; and thus, the mighty valley lying between the Alleghany and the summit of the Rocky mountains, embracing one-fortieth of the land surface of the globe, and constituting, in the language of De Tocqueville, " the most magnificent dwelling place pre- pared by God for man," came into the hands of France. The victory of Wolfe over Montcalm at Quebec, in September, 1759, gave the possession of Canada to Great Britain, and blotted out the name of New France, causing an entire reconstruction of the map of America. As a result of treaties, the territory now embraced in the state of Iowa, with the whole of Louisiana, lying west of the Mississippi river and the city of New Orleans, was ceded to Spain. Meanwhile, by a secret treaty (October, 1800), Louisiana was retroceded to France. Afterward, before formal possession was taken (November 30, 1803), France sold it to the Early Histost, 45 United States (April 30, 1803), for eighty million of francs, and the transfer was made at New Orleans, December 20, 1803. Thus, for one hundred and thirty years after its discovery, the territory now composing the state of Iowa remained under the dominion, first of Prance, then of Spain. During this period, the savage roamed over the prairies and the trader coursed up and down the rivers. No European institution found a foothold. No mortal eye is known to have observed, with any distinctivness, the great resources of a state now attracting the eyes of the civil- ized world, but elsewhere events were transpiring calculated to reach the hand of energy and enterprise over the broad prairies of Iowa. At only two points are any traces of the dominion of the Span- iards, viz. : at Dubuque and Montrose. OHAPTEE IV. THE TWO FIRST SETTLERS. First Sattlbmbnt.— Julian Dubuque — His "Wonderful Purchase from the Indians — His Characteristics— Spanish Land Grants. The first white person who made a residence within the present limits of the state of Iowa is helieved to have been Julien Dubuque, who, on the 22d of September, 1788, at Prairie du Chien in what is now the state of Wisconsin, purchased from the Fox Indians a large tract of land situated in what was after- wards known as the Dubuque Land District. This tract is con- tiguous to and bordering on the Mississippi, and extends from the mouth of Little Makoketa river to the mouth of the Musqua- bineque creek, now called T6te des Morts. This conveyance was signed by chiefs, Blondean Basib-Piar, Ala Austen, Quirneau, Tobaque and Antaque, and the deed issued to Julien Dubuque, called by the Indians, the "Little Night" (la petit nuit). In consideration of this grant, Dubuque delivered to the Indians certain goods in full payment. Mr. Dubuque appears to have occupied the land deeded to him, and made improvements thereon, consisting of the clearing and preparation of an extensive farm, the erection of a horse mill and houses to dwell in, and until the 22d day of October, 1796, cultivated the farm, worked the lead mines on the land, smelting the lead in a furnace he had caused to be constructed. The district of country at that time was situ- ated in the dominions subject to the king of Spain, and consti- tuted part of what was then known as the Spanish provinSe of Louisiana. On the 22d of October, 1796, at the city of New Orleans, Dubuque presented to the Baron de Garondelet, Acting Governor General of the province, a petition for a confirmation of the grant by the Spanish government of his interest in said (46) 48 Tuttle's History of Iowa. land, which, on the 10th of November, the Governor General granted. On the 20th of October, 1804, at St. Louis, Dubuque deeded to Auguste Chouteau, for the sum of $10,848.60, 72,324 arpens of land, a part of said tract. The whole number of acres, comprising the original grant by the Indians, was 148,176 arpens, forming in superficies, " about twenty-one leagues, beginning at the heights of Mesquatte Manque, being the front of the Missis- sippi seven leagues, by depth three leagues, the whole forming the tract known as the " Spanish Mines." Of this early settler of Iowa, we learn that he was also an Indian trader ; that he adopted the manners and customs of the Indians, married into their tribes and became a chief among them. He is said to have been of French and Spanish parentage, of small stature, greatly addicted to the vices incident to the com- mingling of Spanish and Indian races in America, and a great medicine man. He would take live snakes of the most veno- mous kinds on his arms and bosom, and was, consquently, regarded by the Indians with superstitious veneration. He died March 20, 1810, aged 45 years, and was buried on a high, bluff that overlooks the river near the mouth of the Catfish creek." Towards the close of the last century Lewis Fresson, alias Honore, a Canadian, came down from Prairie du Chien to the head of the lower rapids, among the Sacs and Poxes at their invitation, and established a trading post. The lieutenant governor of Upper Louisiana, Zenon Trudeau, gave him permission at Sfe Louis, March 30, 1799, to settle there with the concessions of a sufficient space "to make the establishment valuable and useful to the commerce of peltries, to watch the Indians, and keep them on the fidelity they owe to their majesty." He lived there with his family several years, surrounded his establishment with pickets and rail fences, erected buildings and a trading house, planted gardens and an orchard of a hundred trees. Falling in debt at St. Louis, the whole property was seized on the 27th of March, 1803, under the Spanish law, and offered at public sale at the door of the Par- ish church in St. Louis, at the conclusion of high mass, the people coming out in great numbers. ^ After due notice, given in a high and intelligible voice by the public crier of the town on three suc- cessive Sundays, the property was sold on the 15th of May and Tsu Two FissT Settlers. 49 brought one hundred and fifty dollars. These particulars indi- cate the manner of transacting business seventy-two years ago ; and because this grant and sale constitute the oldest legal title to land in Iowa, and are the only acts under the Spanish administra- tion and law that have afiected the disposition of any portion of the soil of the state, they are worthy of record. They were con- firmed by the United States and sustained by the supreme court against those holding other claims, in 1852. 4 CHAPTER V. THE INDIANS OF IOWA. Sacs and Foxes — Other Tribes — Their Locations — Characteristics— Tribal Divisions. Thus fab the discovery and history of what is now the state of Iowa, with incidental circumstances of two of the early settlers within its borders, have been noticed, and before referring to sub- sequent events connected with the permanent settlement of the country, it is proper to give some account of those who were its original proprietors. The relations of the aborigines are so in- timately interwoven with the pioneer history of the state, that it is proper to devote some space to those who formerly occupied, and inhabited the beautiful prairies of Iowa. At the time of the acquiring by the United States of the country west of the Mississippi river, most of the territory now embraced within the limits of Iowa was in the possession of the Sac and Fox Indians, who at one time had been a powerful nation, and were in the possession of a large tract of country. Those Indians were formerly two distinct nations, and resided on the waters of the St. Lawrence ; but for many years before they left Iowa, they lived together and were considered one people, though they kept up some customs among themselves, calculated to maintain a separate name and language. The Foxes first moved to the west and settled in the vicinity of Grreen Bay, on lake Michigan. But they had become involved in wars with the French and neighboring tribes, and were so much reduced in numbers that they were unable to sustain themselves against their hostile neighbors. The Sacs had been engaged in a war with the Iroquois, or Six Nations who occupied the country which now composes the state of New York, and had become so weak that they were forced to (S'ft) The Indians of Iowa. 51 leave their old hunting' grounds and move to the west. They found the Foxes, their old neighbors, like themselves reduced in numbers by the misfortunes of war, and from a matter of necessity, as well of sympathy, they united their fortunes together and be- came one people; and as such remained so long as they lived within the limits of Iowa, and probably will, so long as they remain a nation. The date of their emigration from the St. Law- rence is not definitely known. Father Hennepin speaks of the Fox Indians being at Green Bay in 1680, which was at that time called the Bay of Puants. After the union of the Sacs and Foxes at Green Bay, and when their nation had become powerful, they crossed over and extended their hunting . grounds west to the Mississippi, and uniting with other tribes, began to act on the defensive. All the valley from Rock river to the Ohio, on the east of the Mississippi, and on the west up to the Des Moines river, was in- habited by a numerous and warlike nation of Indians called the Minneways, signifying "men."- This great nation was divided into different bands, known by various names, such as the Illinois, Cahokins, Kaskaskins, Peorias, etc., and occupied separate parts of the valley. This nation had long been prosperous and power- ful, and feared and dreaded by other nations ; but a circumstance, happened which brought the vengeance of their neighbors upon them, and they in turn were' humbled. Pontiac, a chief very much beloved and respected by his people, had been wantpnly murdered by some of the Minneways. This act aroused the anger of the Sacs and Foxes, acfd, forming an alliance with other tribes, they commenced a. ■ fierce and bloody war^ against the different bands of the MinnewaySi- - This war was contiiiued till that great . nation was nearly destroyed, and their hunting grounds possessed by their enemies. At the" time the United States made the Lou-, isiana purchase, the Sac and Fox nations were in possession,of most of the state of Illinois, and neltrlyalltHe Country west of the Mississippi between the upper Iowa river and the JefEreon, in Missouri, west of the Missouri river. The Sacs had four large villages where most of them resided, one at the head of Des Moines rapids, near where Montrose is now located, which con- sisted of thirteen lodges; the second village was on the east shore 62 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. of the Mississippi near the mouth of the Henderson river, about half way between Burlington and Oquawkee. The third village was located on Eock river, about three miles from the Mississippi, which was their largest and principal village. The other was on the west side of the river near the mouth of the upper Iowa. The Poxes (or Eeynards) had three villages ; one on the west side of the Mississippi, six miles above the rapids of Eock river ; the second, " twelve miles in the rear of the lead mines at Du- buque ; " and the other on Turkey river. The lowas, who may be regarded as a band of the Sacs and Foxes, at this time had one village near the mouth of the lower Iowa river, and another on the north side of the Des Moines, near where is now located the town of lowaville. These Indians had their separate villages and different chiefs, but they occupied in common the same hunting grounds, were united in their Wars and alliances, and the Sacs, Foxes and lowas were generally re- garded as one nation. It appears that the lowas, at one time were identified with the Saos who lived on Eock river ; but, from some cause, at a period not generally known, there were eight families who left that village and started out as a band by them- selves, and for a long time " they recognized eight leading fami- lies" in their band. "These clans bear the title or name of the particular animal or bird from which they are supposed to have sprung," and they were known as the Eagle, the Pigeon, the Wolf, the Bear, the Elk, the Beaver, and the Snake Indians. " These families were known severally in the tribe by the pecu- liar manner in which they cut their hair. The Eagle family was marked by two locks of hair on the front part of the head and one on the back left part ; the Wolf family had scattered bunches , of hair representing islands, whence their families were supposed to have sprung ; the Bear family left one side of the hair of t^e head 1[o grow much longer than the other ; the Buffalo family left a strip of hair long from the front to the rear part of the head^ with tyo bunches on each side to represent horns." The other famili^, with their peculiar bodies, were lost or had become ex- tinct long before they left Iowa. In 1830, and for many years after, the lowas were estimated at about 1,100 souls; but in 1848, they were stated to be a fraction under 750 ; and, in 1852, the 54 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. Sacs only numbered about 1,300, aud the Foxes about 700, which indicates that this once powerful nation will soon become extinct. When the lowas left their village on the Des Moines, they "ascended the Missouri river to a point of land formed by a small stream on its east shore, called by the Indians Fish .creek, which flows in from the direction of, and not far from the Bed Pipe stone quarry, many hundred miles from their former village. The nation, composed of the Sacs, Foxes and lowas, and par- ticularly those about Book river, raised large quantities of corn, beans and melons, more than they wanted for their own use, and frequently sold large quantities to the traders, and probably cul- tivated the soil to a greater extent than any other Indians in the West. At this time, besides the Indian population, many por- tions of Iowa had been traversed by the French, who had pene- trated the wilderness, either in the pursuit of minerals or to carry on a trade with the Indians. The history of these operations is obscure and but little known. They must have carried on quite an extensive business in the valley of the Des Moines, for Gen. Pike, on his map of the Mississippi valley, published with the report of his tour in 1805, lays down four forts on the Des Moines river : Fort Crawford on the south side, a short distance below where the town of Portland has been laid out ; Fort '■ Grelaspy, nearly opposite to lowaville ; Fort St. Thomas, very near, if not on the very spot, where the town of Chillicothe is now located ; and another fort a short distance below, on the north side of the river ; and there were, long after this country was settled by the whites, many indications to be seen of settlements having been made, by other people than the Indians, along the banks of this beautiful river. North of the hunting grounds of the Sacs and Foxes, were the Sioux. In 1805, their possessions embraced a portion of the north and northwest part of Iowa, extending from the Mississippi to some distance south of the Missouri river, and north to the south side of the St. Peters river ; and they sometimes hunted on the east side of the Mississippi. The Sioux were divided into sev- eral bands, and known by different names, each band having their own chief. There were the Minowa, Bangtons (or Gens de Lac), who resided on the lower waters of the St. Peters and this The Indians of Iowa. 55 band was again divided into four subdivisions. The principal chief of this division was La Fienelle or Wabashaw, who was friendly in his intercourse with Gren. Pike. The second band were the Washpetongs (or Gens des Fienelles), who inhabited the upper waters of the Wason-qui-ani. The third band were the Sussitongs, who occupied the country on the Mississippi above the Minowa Eangtons. This band was divided into two sub- divisions, called the Cawrees and the Sussitongs proper, and each had their separate chiefs. The fourth division was called the Yanctongs of the North and the Yanctongs of the South. The fifth division were the Titongs, who were dispersed on both sides of the Missouri. They were divided into two divisions, known as the north and south bands. The Titons and Yanctongs were never stationary. The immense plains, over which they were constantly roving, rendered it impossible to point out their pre- cise place of habitation. They had a number of horses on which they traveled ; and, if seen in a certain place one day, frequently in ten days after they might be found five hundred miles from there. They moved with a rapidity hardly to be credited, and felt themselves equally at home in every place. These bands were reputed to be the most warlike and savage of all the Sioux. The sixth division were the Washpacoutes. Their hunting grounds were the head waters of the Des Moines, and they were consid- ered the most stupid and inactive of any of the Sioux nations. The Sioux have long been noted as the most warlike and power- ful nation of Indians within the limits of the United States, and have, for the most of the time, been at war with some other na- tion, though they have generally cultivated friendly feelings to- ward the whites. The Puants or Winnebagoes occupied the northern part of Illi- nois and the southern part of Wisconsin. They had seven large villages, situated so near each other that their warriors could be assembled in a few days' time. They were ferocious in their dis- position, and noted for their cruelty and treachery. The Sacs and Foxes had a fierce war with their neighbors, the Winnebagoes, and after subduing them and taking possession of their lands, they established their principal village on Eock river, near its junction with the Mississippi. This village at one time contained 66 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. upwards of sixty lodges, and was among the largest Indian vil- lages on the continent. In 1825, the secretary of war estimated their entire number at 4,600 souls; and in 1826, their warriors were supposed to number between 1,200 and 1,400. This village was situated in the immediate vicinity of the upper rapids of the Mississippi, where the beautif>il and flourishing cities of Eock Island and Davenport are located. The beautiful scenery of the island, the extensive prairies dotted over with groves, the pictur- , esque bluffs along the river banks, the rich and productive soil, producing large crops of corn, pumpkins and other vegetables, with little labor ; the abundance of wild fruit, game and fish, and almost everything calculated to make it a delightful spot for an Indian village, which was found there, had made this place a favorite resort of the Indians ; and the whole nation had become so much attached to this location, that they yielded it to the white man with a great deal of reluctance ; and their being required by the government to leave this cherished home, was the principal cause of the " Black Hawk war." CHAPTER VI. TREATIES WITH IOWA INDIANS. Treaty on the Muskingum — Upper and Lower Louisiana — Black Hawk -i' History of the Early Life of this Noted Chief. Having thus given an account of the Indian tribes that occu- pied the present state at an early day, some notice of the various treaties made with the Indians by the United States, after the latter had obtained possession of the country, will be given, and the subsequent events connected with the early history of tliis section of country. The first treaty ever held by the government' of the United States with the Indians of the northwest, was had on the Muskingum river at Fort Hamer, on the 9th of January, 1789, and was conducted by Arthur St. Clair, governor of the, . territory northwest of the Ohio river, on the part of the United States. At this treaty, the Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Chippe- wa and Pottawattamie tribes were represented by their sachems and warriors; and the territory of Iowa was also represented by two chiefs of the Sacs. The principal object of this treaty seems to have been to make peace and friendship between the several tribes, and to establish and confirm the boundary between the United States and the Indians. On the 21st of March, 1801, Spain retroceded her possession of this valley to France, and Bonaparte showing a disposition to dis- pose of the territory. President JefEerson entered into a negotia- tion for the purchase of these possessions, and on the 30th of April, 1803, a treaty was concluded by which France ceded to the United States the whole of her dominion in the Mississippi valley. This country had been known as upper and lower Lou- isiana ; New Orleans being the capital of the lower territory, and St. Louis of the upper. On the 20th of December, 1803, lower Louisiana was delivered up to the authorities of the United States, (57) 58 Tuttle's History of Iowa. and on the 9tli of March, 1804, upper Louisiana was surrendered ; and Wm. C. 0. Claiborne was appointed governor of the lower, and Amos Stoddard of the upper territory. Upper Louisiana embraced within its boundary of her territory, what now composes the state of Iowa, at that time a wilderness, the hunting ground of the Indian. Though it had been almost a century and a half since this fertile country, with its numerous navigable waters, had been known to the civilized world, as yet the advance of civilization had made slow progress in the country west of the Mississippi. The .long and tedious journey by land, or the slow and laborious work of paddling a canoe, made the settlement of this country an enterprise so difficult and hazardous, that none but the most daring would venture the undertaking. On the 26th of March, 1804, congress passed an act establishing the boundaries between upper and lower Louisiana. The lower country was called the territory of New Orleans, and the upper, the district of Louisiana. The white population of the district then embraced in that part of the territory which now includes the states of Arkansas, Missouri and Iowa, had recently been somewhat augmented from the old French settlements on the other side of the river, and by Anglo American adventurers. The whole white population did not exceed three or four thousand in the whole district, and emigration to this region was not encour- aged by the American, for thie government of the United States had conceived the idea of reserving this country for the Indians, and the President was authorized to propose to the tribes east of the Mississippi an exchange of lands for those on the west side of the river. The district of Louisiana, by the same act dividing the territory, was attached to the territory of Indiana for political and judicial purposes ; but nearly the whole country embraced in the territory of Indiana thus formed, belonged to the Indians. The United States, being anxious to purchase from the Indians a portion of their lands, took steps to accomplish their object. On the 27th of June, 1804, Wm. H. Harrison, afterwards pres- ident of the United States, then governor of Indiana territory, and by the act of the 26th of March, governor of the district of Louisiana, and superintendent of Indian affairs, was instructed by Jefferson to hold a treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, and i£ possi- 60 Tuttle's Uistoby of Iowa. ble, to obtain from them a tract of land. In pursuance with these instructions, Harrison, in the month of November, 1804, met at St. Louis, five chiefs from these Indians, and made a treaty with them, by which the said chiefs conveyed to the United States their lands east of the Mississippi, and a large tract on the west, for which they received at the time two thousand two hundred and thirty-four and one-half dollars in goods, and were to receive a yearly annuity of one thousand dollars. The United States were bound never to interrupt the Indians in the possession of land rightfully held by them, and also agreed to protect them in the quiet enjoyment of the same. There were also several other stipulations made in reference to their mutual interests. Soon after making this treaty, the United States commenced the erection of Fort Edwards, now Warsaw, 111., within the limits of the then recently acquired territory, which gave much uneasiness to the Indians. The government also erected Fort Madison on the west side of the Mississippi in the territory not ceded by the Indians, about ten miles above the Des Moines rapids. This fort was constructed by Ool. Zachary Taylor, and named in honor of President Madison. The erection of this fort at this point by any reasonable construction, was a violation of the treaty of 1804. By the eleventh article of the treaty, the United States had a right to build a fort in the vicinity of the mouth of the Wiscon- sin river ; but that would not by any fair construction, authorize them to construct a fort where this was located : and by article sixth they had bound themselves, " that if any citizens of the United States, or any other white persons, should form a settle- ment upon their lands, such intruders should forthwith be re- moved;" yet the government, notwithstanding they had made such stipulations with the Indians, built fort Madison within the limits of their reserved territory. This treaty never gave satisfaction to the Sacs and Foxes, and some of the chiefs afterwards decided that the five chiefs whn it now. I shake hands with you, and it is my wish you are my friends." Early in October, 1838, the commissioner for adjusting claims with the Sao and Fox tribe was to meet them at Rock Island, and most of the Indians were there on the first of the month. Black Hawk had been taken sick with a violent billious fever, and was unable to go with them, and on the third of October, after a sickness of only seven days, he died. His wife, who was much devoted to him, was deeply distressed during his sickness. She seemed to have a presentiment that he was about to leave her, and said, some days before he died : " He is getting old ; he must die. Monotah (God) calls him home." After he was dead, his corpse was dressed in the uniform which had been given him when at Washington, and placed upon a bier made of two poles with bark laid across them, and carried by four braves to his grave, " followed by his family and about fifty of the tribe (the chiefs all being absent), who were deeply affected at the death of their once powerful and distinguished chief. The grave was six feet deep, and of the usual length, situated upon a little emi- nence, about fifty yards from his wigwam. The body was placed in the grave in a sitting posture, upon a seat constructed for the purpose. On his left side the cane given him by Henry Clay was placed upright with his right hand resting upon it. Many of the old warrior's trophies were placed on the grave, and some Indian garments, together with bis favorite weapons." The grave was then covered with plank, and a mound of earth several feet high " sodded over with the blue grass sod " raised over the spot. At the head of the grave there was raised a flagstaff, bearing the national flag, and at the foot there was placed a post, on which were in- scribed in Indian characters, many of the warrior's heroic deeds. 6 82 TUTTLBfS HiSTOBT OF lOWA. and his age, which was supposed to be about seveney-two years; and the whole was inclosed with a picket fence about twelve feet high. But his remains were not permitted to rest in qujetude in their narrow abode to which his friends had consigned them. It was subsequently ascertained that a Dr. Turner, a resident of Lexing- ton, Van Buren county, from pecuniary motives, disinterred them and carried away the bones with the trophies and habiliments which had been deposited in the grave, with a design of taking them through the country to exhibit them for money. The whole nation, and particularly the family of Black Hawk, were very much incensed at the desecratioii of the grave of the distinguished chief, and Black Hawk's son and many of the prin- cipal Indians called on Gov. Lucas and desired him to have the wreng redressed. The governor succeeded in recovering the remains, but not in punishing the offender, and the Indians were informed that the bones were at his office, ready to be delivered to them. They expressed much gratitude for what the governor had done, but on account of some superstitious notions enter- tained by the Indians, they never took them away. The bones, clothes, and other articles which had been deposited in the grave were kept in the office of the governor at Burlington for some time, and were afterwards given in charge of the Historical So- ciety, and in a conflagration, were consumed by fire with many other valuable collections of the society. " Black Hawk," says Mr. Clemens, " was one of the noblest of Indians, and an able and patriotic chief. With the intelligence and power to plan a great project, and to execute it, he united the lofty spirit which secures the respect, and confidence of the people. He loved his people and fought for them with as true patriotism as ever animated any man's heart. He was about five feet eight inches high, with a stoop in his shoulders, an aquiline nose, a re- treating forehead, and eyes of a dark hazel color. He was always polite and pleasant, but never seemed to forget the treatment he had met with from the whites." On his return from captivity at Fort Monroe, Black Hawk was formally deposed from his authority as chief, and was informed that the President wished him to listen and conform to Keokuk's 84 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. counsels, and he also was given to understand that his band was thenceforth to be merged into that of Keokuk, whom the Presi- dent would thereafter receive and acknowledge as the principal chief of the Sac and Fox nation. This was done at Fort Arm- strong in August 1833. Black Hawk and his family deeply felt the degradation, and afterwards associated but little with other Indians. He never had but one wife, and she was the neatest and most provident woman of her tribe. He had a daughter who was very beautiful, and was engaged to be married to a merchant of Fort Madison, but the match was broken off by the influence of a relation. He had also two sons, the eldest of whom accom- panied him in his tour through the United States. CHAPTER X. MINING — DUBUQUE. Difficulties between Miners and the Government — Early Incidents in Du- buque — A Tragedy — Lynch Law — Indian Troubles — Early Settle- ments. In 1832, as soon as it was known in the mines at Helena, that the war with the Indians had closed, and they had disposed of a portion of their lands on the west side of the Mississippi, the whites again crossed over the river and commenced to work the mines which had beeiv discovered is 1830. They built houses, erected furnaces for smelting, cut hay and made every preparation for a winter's work, and before the first of January, 1833, there were over two hundred persons collected aboiit the mines, and many valuable lodes had been discovered and a large amount of lead manufactured ; but in the month of January, the United States soldiers again interposed, and forced the miners to again leave their work and recross to the east side of the river. Many of the miners thought this a great hardship, and severely censured the government authorities for driving them away after these lands had been purchased from the Indians ; but the treaty had not then been ratified by the senate of the United States, and under its stipulations the Indians had the right to occupy the lands till the first of the following June, unmolested by the whites ; and for the government to maintain good faith towards the In- dians, it was necessary to prevent the whites from occupying any of the purchase until the time it was to be given up to the whites. The duty of keeping the whites from intruding upon the rights of the Indians did not produce a good feeling between the sol- diers and the miners, and there were several of the cabins erected by the miners torn down by the soldiers stationed there, and some wagons engaged in moving mineral which had been dug, 86 Tuttle's History of Iowa. were cut to pieces by the order of .Lieut. Covington, who had command of the troops at that point, and saw fit to use his au- thority to the injury of the miners. Complaints of the conduct of Covington were made to Capt. Z. Taylor at Prairie du Chien, and he was recalled and Lieut. Gen. Wilson was sent to take his place. This gentleman proved more acceptable to the settlers, and there was no more trouble with the miners about intruding on Indian territory. On the first of June 1833, the whites were permitted to make settlements in Iowa. The miners about the mineral region had waited anxiously for the arrival of the time when they might lawfully be permitted to work the mines, and immediately a large quantity ai these lands was taken into possession ; but just as the miners had fairly become engaged in raising the mineral, they were again molested in their operations, for the CTnited States government assumed control of the mineral lands, and sent out John P. Sheldon as their agent to superintend the mines. No one could work the mines without the agent's consent. He gave permits to the miners, which authorized each one to stake off two hundred yards square of land where there was no previous claim, and hold possession of the same on condition that all the mineral which was dug should be delivered to a licensed smelter. A licensed smelter, before he could do any business, was required to give bond with condition that he should pay the government a percentage on all the lead which he manufactured. These re- strictions were, as long as imposed, very objectionable to the miners, and hard to be enforced, and they became so odious that the government was induced to change its policy, and under the provisions of an act passed on the 11th of February, 1846, regu- lating mineral lands, these lands were brought into market and sold. The immigration to the mining regions was rapid, and in the winter of 1833-4, a town was laid off at the mines, and by a vote of the citizens assembled in a public meeting, was called Du- buque, after the person of that name before mentioned, who ob- tained a grant from the Spanish government, and worked the mines as early as 1788. The new town progressed rapidly ; stores were erected, " the mines increased in richness, and as a consequence, Mining — Dubvque. 87 emigration began to increase rapidly, becoming a prosperous com- munity in the midst of this then lone — and from its reputed bar- renness — dreary wilderness." In the first settlement of the country at Dubuque, there were many exciting scenes. The people collected about these mines were not generally persons of the strictest moral character ; drink- ing, gambling and fighting were amusements of common pastime, and there being no established law, every one, to a great extent, regulated his conduct as he thought proper. A man by the name of O'Connor shot his partner dead with a rifle. This act en- raged the community to such an extent, that he was arrested without due process of the law, and the citizens immediately or- ganized a court from among their own number, impaneled a jury, assigned the prisoner counsel and put him on trial. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to be hung. After giv- ing him a reasonable time to prepare for death, and receive relig- ious consolation from a priest of his own choice, he was executed upon a mound which for a long time bore his name ; but it has dis- appeared before the hand of improvement, and substantial build- ings are erected on the site. The population of the place at that time was about 1,000, nearly the whole of which were witnesses to the final act of that dreadful tragedy. Burlington was quite a noted place before it was settled by the whites, and was known by the name of Flint Hills (or by the In- dian name of Shak-o-quon), and had been for a long time a post for carrying on trade with the Indians. At the time when the whites were first permitted to make settlements here, there were a number of old trading houses, boat houses, and a number of ; graves along the bank of the river, "and the remains of other ^ Indians deposited in canoes with their trinkets, suspended in the trees, which were fastened to the limbs with bark ropes ; among the graves was that of the noted French or half-breed, Maurice Blondeau, who previous to his death lived and had an extensive improvement near the head of the Des Moines rapids, between Montrose and Keokuk." In October, 1832, some twelve or fifteen persons crossed the Mississippi in canoes at the head of "Big Island," and made a landing about two miles below Burlington, took an excursion 88 Tvttle's Histoby of Iowa. through the surrounding country, and laid claims for future set- tlements. They built for themselves cabins, and in February, 1833, brought over their stock and commenced making fences and preparing the ground for cultivation. But to their great annoy- ance, they were driven away from their claims by the "govern- ment soldiers from Kock Island," and they recrossed the river and stopped on " Big Island," taking with them their implements of husbandry and their stock. All the labor which they had per- formed availed them nothing, for their cabins and fences were set on fire by the soldiers and burned up; but notwithstanding these molestations, they resolved to hold on to their sites selected for their homes. They held a council and " agreed to strike their tents and went to work to build a flat-boat so that they could cross over the river, and improve their claims whenever they had an opportunity." The first persons who settled within the limits of the city of Burlington were Morton M. McOarver and Simpson S. White, who moved there with their families previous to " the extinguish- ment of the Indian title, suffering all the privations and difficul- ties attending the settlement of a wilderness country, which were very great, and but a few of them." Mr. A. Doolittle purchased a one-third interest of the property, and became a citizen in 1884 The original town was drafted and surveyed by Benjamin Tucker and Wm. E. Eoss, in November and December, 1833. A. Doo- little and S. S. "White being the proprietors gave it its name. The whole town was resurveyed by G. M. Harrison under the direction of the general government in 1837. The town of Fort Madison derived its name from a fort which once had been built there and known by that name. The fort •was built in 1808, and soon after Black Hawk and his party un- dertook to destroy it but failed, an account of which has been given elsewhere. Another unsuccessful effort was made in 1812. In 1818, the Indians made another fierce attack and commenced » a regular siege. The garrison having been reduced to the great- est extremity for want of provisions, the commander resolved to • abandon the post, and to effect this to the best advantage, a trench was dug from the southeast block house to the river. There were some boats belonging to the garrison, and about that time they 90 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. succeeded in capturing one from the Indians. When the boats were prepared, and all things made ready for the departure, orders were given to set fire to the fort ; and although the Indians were encamped with a large force near by, these arrangements were made with so much precaution and secrecy, that the soldiers were out of danger, and the fort completely wrapped in flames before the enemy were aware of their departure. In 1832, after the Black Hawk purchase, Zackariah Hawkins, Benj. Jennings, Aaron White, Augustine Horton, Samuel Gooch, Danl. Thompson and Peter Williams made claims at Fort Madison. In 1833, these claims were purchased by J. H. Knapp and Nath. Knapp, upon which, in 1835, they laid out a town for the first time, and sold lots, though the towns were resurveyed and platted under the direction of the general government. Soon after the Black Hawk purchase, the tract of land at the head of the rapids of the river Des Moines, which was occupied in 1799 by Lewis Fresson was selected by the United States gov- ernment for a military post, and it was called Fort Des Moines. They erected a large, commodious house for officers, and other suitable buildings for barracks for soldiers. In 1834,'the post was in command of Lt. Ool. Stephen W. Kearney. This was retained as a military post till 1837, when the soldiers were removed to Fort Leavenworth, and the buildings were sold by the authority of the government to private individuals. At this place the pres- ent village of Montrose is situated. In the year 1838, Capt. Benjamin W. Clark, a native oE Vir- ginia, who had settled on the Illinois shore, where the town of Andalusia is now located, moved across the river and commenced settlement upon the present site of the town of Buffalo, and was probably the first settler in the county of Scott. He subse- quently kept the public ferry across the river, and in 1835, erected a public house, and a saw mill at the mouth of Duck Creek. The claim upon which Davenport now stands was first made in the spring of 1883, by E. H. Spencer and A. McCloud ; these gentlemen, having some difference, to end the dispute, sold their claim to Antoine LeOlaire for the sum of one hundred dollars. This claim comprised that portion of the city lying west of Harrison street, being outside of what was known as LeClaire's reserve. In Mining — Dubuque. 91 1835, this claim was sold to some eight persons, and the town of Davenport was laid out and surveyed. The first improvements were made by Mr. LeOlaire upon the grounds now occupied as a railroad depot. CHAPTER XL EVENTS OF 1836-7. Wisconsin Territory — Iowa a Part of Wisconsin — Banliing, etc. — Fight oTcr the Capital — Treaties with Indians, etc. On the 20th of April, 1836, congress passed an act creating the territory of Wisconsin, which territory embraced within the boundaries prescribed in the organic act, all the territory em- braced in the states of "Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota and a part of the territory of Dakota, and it was provided that after the 3d day of July of that year, it should constitute a separate territory for the purpose of a temporary government. Henry Dodge was appointed governor. The legislature of Michigan had divided this section previous to the organization of "Wisconsin territory into six counties, known as Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa, Brown, Milwaukee and Crawford ; all the territory west of the' Missis- sippi river was embraced in the counties of Des Moines and Dubuque. Gov. Dodge immediately proceeded to the discharge of his duties, and caused the census of the territory to be taken, and on the 9th of September, 1836, issued his proclamation for an election to be held on the second Monday of October ensuing, and ordered that the members of the legislature elected should convene at Belmont in Iowa county, on the 25th of October. Out of the twenty-six members of the house and thirteen members of the council, Des Moines county had seven representatives and three member of the council, and Dubuque had five representatives and three members of the council. To this legislature John Foley, Thos. McOraney and Thos. McKnight were elected to the coun- cil ; and Loren "Wheeler, Hardin Nowlin, Hosea T. Camp, Peter H. Engle and Patrick Quigley, to the house from the county of Dubuque: and Jere Smith, Jr., Jos. B. Teas, Arthur B. Ingham were elected to the council ; and Isaac Leffler, Thos. Blair, "War (92) Events of 1836-7. 93 I ren L. Jenkins, John Box, Geo. W. Teas, Eli Eeynolds and David R. Chance, members of the house from Des Moines county. The legislature was organized, Henry S. Baird of Brown county, pres- ident of the council, and Peter H Engle of Dubuque county, speaker of the house. One of the acts of the legislature was to district the territory into judicial districts, and the counties of Des Moines and Dubuque were known as the 2d district, and David Irwin was assigned as judge. At the time of the conven- ing of the legislature, there was all over the country a great mania on banks ; and the settlers of the west, thought they could furnish their own circulating medium as well as to be dependent on the banks of the east At this session, there was an act passed estab- lishing a bank at Dubuque, called the " Miners' Bank of Dubuque," which was the first bank in Iowa, and subsequently claimed con- siderable attention before the public and in the legislature. An- other act divided the county of Des Moines, and the counties of Lee, Van Buren, Henry, Louisa, Muscatine, Cook (now Scott) and Des Moines, were made in the southern part of the territory. The counties of Van Buren, Henry, Louisa, Muscatine and Cook were bounded on the west by what at that time was called the Indian country. The act creating these new counties made provisions that the new counties should assist in paying the debts (which at that time were quite large) of the old county of Des Moines, in proportion to their populations. Another and perhaps the most important bill enacted at that session was the locating of the seat of government of Wisconsin. This bill created great excite- ment. The position of the locality of the capital of the new territory was the all absorbing question. It is stated by one writer that Jas. Duane Doty, afterwards governor, who represent- ed the interests of Madison, the present capital of Wisconsin, sup- ■ plied himself with a full stock of buffalo robes and went around camping with the members and making them as comfortable as he could, until he organized a sufficient vote to make Madison the permanent capital, and Burlington the temporary capital, and car- ried the project through the legislature, much to the disgust of the people of Dubuque. It was evident that the Des Moines delega- tion in both houses favored the location at some central and con- venient point between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan, antici- 94 Tuttle's History of Iowa. pating the early division of the territory of "Wisconsin, and the organization of the terrritory of Iowa; when they apparently hoped to secure the location of the capital in their portion of Iowa territory, which they evidently accomplished. In accordance with the pledge given by the members from Des Moines county, conditional on the establishment of the temporary seat of government at Burlington, Jere. Smith built a very suita- ble building near the present mills of Mr. Sunderland. The building, at that day, cost Iowa eight or- ten thousand dollars, and was well adapted to the wants of the legislature, which met at that place on the 1st of November, 1837. At that time there were no railroads ; the entire carrying trade was by water or wagon, and both were expensive. Early in the fall of 1837, the river filled with floating ice, but it was late in the season before the ice blocked so as to stop navigation. The result was, that each thaw brought boats, up from below until late in December. At that day, steamboats wintered where| they froze up along the shore. One evening, after dark, a boat came in and, before she was made fast at the shore, some one on board gave the word that a mob at Alton bad killed the "abolitionist Lovejoy" and destroyed his press. That same night, a few hours later, the new capitol took fire and burned to the ground. There was no insur- ance on the building. Subsequently, the house of representa- tatives met over a store, and the council in a small building near by. Notwithstanding the United States had purchased from the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux the lands which were embraced in the counties of Winneshiek and Alamakee, yet, by the terms of the purchase, they wereto remain as neutral grounds, and not to be occupied by either of those nations of Indians, or by the whites. At this session of the legislature, there was a law passed cre- ating a board of county commissioners for each county, consisting of three persons, whose duty it was to take charge of all county business. During this time, the whites had been permitted to pass over the Mississippi and make settlements on the new purchase. The tide of emigration had been flowing rapidly into the new country, and many settlements had been made on the very borders of the 96 Tuttle's History of Iowa. Indian territory, and it had become quite an object with the United States to extend the boundaries of her domains. In the fall of 1837, the general government called to "Washing- ton a deputation from most of the tribes residing in the valley of the Mississippi. Prominent among others, were delegations from the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux, between whom, at the time, open hostilities existed. The ostensible object in calling these deputations to the seat of government at this time was alleged to be for the purpose of restoring peace among the hostile nations, but negotiations were held for the purchase of the lands. The council was held in a church, and the negotiations between the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux were spirited, and attracted much attention. After the council was opened by a few remarks on the part of the United States, the representatives from the Sioux spoke. Their great effort seemed to be to show that it was useless to make a peace with the Sacs and Foxes, for they were treacherous, and no confidence could be put in anything they might agree to do. "My father," said one of their orators, "you cannot make these people hear any good words, unless you bore their ears with sticks." "We have often made peace with them," said another, " but they never would observe a treaty. I would as soon make a treaty with that child (pointing to Keokuk's little boy) as with a Saukee or Musquakee." Keokuk did most of the talking on the part of the Sacs and Foxes, and by the spectators he was the observed of the occasion, and in reply to these charges of the Sioux, he said : " They tell you that our ears must be bored with sticks, but my father, you could not penetrate their thick skulls in that way; it would require hot iron. They say they would as soon make peace, with a child as with us ; they know better, for when they make war upon us, they find us men. They tell you that peace has often been made, and that we have broken it. How happens it then, that so many of their braves have been slain in our country? I will tell you, they invade us ; we never invade them ; none of our braves have been killed on their land ; we have their scalps, and can tell where we took them." At this convention peace was restored among the Indians of the northwest ; and the com- Events of 1836-7. 97 missioner, on the part of the United States, succeeded in making purchases of land from the Sacs and Foxes and other nations. By the first article of the treaty with the latter tribes, a tract of country containing one million two hundred and fifty thousand acres of land, lying west and adjoining the tract conveyed by them to the United States in the treaty of September 21, 1832 ; also, of all the right and interest in the land ceded by said con- federate tribes on the 15th of July, 1836, embracing the western slope of Iowa, which may be claimed by them under the phrase- ology of the first article of said treaty. This treaty was signed by 0. A. Harris on the part of the United States, and ratified and confirmed by the senate and proclaimed on the 21st of February, 1838. After the business of the convention was concluded, Keokuk and his party made a tour east, and visited Boston, at which place they received much attention. They were received by Gov. Everett on behalf of the state, and by the mayor on behalf of the city, by public addresses, and escorted by the military to Fanueil Hall and to other public places in the city. Keokuk, in reply to this reception, said, "Keokuk and his chiefs are very much gratified that they have had the pleasure of shaking hands with the governor of this great state, and also with the men that sur- round him. " You well say, brother, that the Great Spirit has made both of us, though your color is white, mine is red ; but he made your heart and made mine the same. The only difference I find is, he has made you to speak one language and I another. He made the same sky above our heads for both. He gave us hands to take each other by, and eyes to see each other. I wish to take all by the hand. To shake hands with all my white brothers." The Indians all received much attention, but the venerable old chief. Black Hawk, although he had been degraded, and lost his position as chief among his people, was the star of the company, and every visitor was anxious to single out the man who had made so much disturbance on the frontier. After partaking of the honors and hospitalities of the city, and receiving many valuable presents, the party made their way back to the villages 98 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. The purchase made from the Indians at this time embraced some of the best lands in the state, upon which sprung up some important towns, among which are the county se ats of Jeflfers&n, Washington, Johnson and Linn counties. CHAPTER XII. PIONEER INCIDENTS. Indian Remniscences — "Squatter Sovereignty" — The Burlington Land OflSce — Sketch, of the Land Sale — Interest — Speculation — Anecdotes — The Early Farmers — Produce in 1838— "Iowa." In the early settlement of Iowa, all lands, from the time of the departure of the Indians until they were offered for sale by the government, were under the rule of " squatter sovereignty." Any man had a right to select for himself any portion of the public domain not otherwise appropriated, for his home ; and by blazing the lines bounding his " claim " in timber, or staking it out on the prairie, he was legally possessed of title. Societies were formed in some localities who organized themselves to protect one another in their rights. The secretary kept a book in which all claims had to be recorded. A territorial law existed making contracts for claims valid, and notes given for such were collectable by law. Great speculations were carried on by pioneer " claim-makers," a class of men who no sooner than they had sold one claim to some new comer, would proceed to make another, and commence im- provements. These claims were respected and held in peace (when properly taken) untdl the sale of the lands by government, when the owners were permitted to purchase them at the mini- mum price of $1.25 per acre. Hon. Willard Barrows in his interesting history of Scott county, published in the " Annals of Iowa," gives the following incident . "During the fishing season in the spring of the year, 1836, among other neighboring tribes that often visited the Sacs and Foxes to fish in the waters of the As-sin-ne-seps (Rock river), a small band of Winnebagoes were encamped on Rock Island. As usual, the young and more profligate of the tribe were hanging around the groceries in Stephenson and Davenport, bartering such articles as 100 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. they possessed for whisky. On one occasion, two young Indians being crazed by too large potations from the whisky bottle, quar- reled, and one struck the other; an indignity seldom submitted to by an Indian, drunk or sober. The next day they met upon the little willow island just below the town of Davenport, whether by accident or common consent, it is not known ; but the quarrel was renewed, and carried to such an extent that one of them was killed. No whites were present, and various reports were made by the Indians as to the manner of his death. One account of the afiair was that the difficulty was settled by a duel, after the fashion of the white man, one of the parties using a shot gun, the other a rifle. If it was a duel, it is the first on record of having taken place among the Indians of the northwest. The shot gun hero was buried in one of the mounds then existing on the banks of the river below the city of Davenport, on the farm of Ira Cook, the site of Black Hawk's last village. There was another Indian buried in the same mound, who died at the same time, having been bitten by a rattlesnake while lying drunk one night. They were placed four feet apart, facing each other, buried in dirt as high up as the waist, holding in one hand the paint, and in the other the tomahawk. The graves were surrounded with pales or pickets some ten feet high, and set so close that no animal of any size could get to the bodies. The survivor fled to his home in the Shab-be-nah's grove on Eock river, leaving his friends here in deep distress at his misfor- tune, and the dire consequences that must unavoidably follow, according to Indian custom. The fugitive well knew his doom. There was blood upon his skirts. The relatives of the deceased demanded his return. They clamored for his blood. His own sister and some of his relatives went to him and found him in his wigwam, with blackened face, brooding in silence over his act of blood, feeling that the Great Spirit was angry with him, and that no sacrifice was too great to appease his wrath. The sister plead with him to return to Eock Island and meet his fate, and thus appease the wrathful spirit of the departed one. One bright morn- ing in May, a few days after the murder, the quiet camp of the Indians on As-sin-ne-maness (Eock Island) was awakened by the doleful chant of the death song. A few canoes came gliding around 102 TUTTLlfs HiSTOBT OF lOWA. the point of the island ; among them was that of the murderer, singing his last song this side the good hunting ground. His canoe was paddled by his own sister, whom he tenderly loved. The long protracted howl of the Indian crier, soon put in motion the whole camp on both sides of the river. From every cove and eddy along the banks of the river, there shot forth canoes filled with excited natives eager to participate in the bloody scene about to be enacted. A circle was soon formed a little above the burying ground of the old fort at the foot of the island. A shallow grave was dug, and the willing but trembling culprit was led to it by his mourn- ing sister, and kneeling upon one side of it, the nearest male rela- tive of the deceased approached, and with one blow of the toma- hawk, his death song was hushed, and then his body was cut in pieces by the surrounding Indians. Some trouble occurred this year among the claim holders. The new comers in some instances were unwilling to go very far to take claims, and considered the squatter sovereignty act too lib- eral in giving to each man three hundred and twenty acres, while none of it was improved. By the system of registration adopted, every man was fully protected in his rights. The law never did and never can protect the people in all their rights, so fully and so completely, as the early settlers of Iowa protected themselves by these organizations, doing justice to all, as well as paying the government fully for the lands occupied by them. The land officers at Burlington, Gfen. Yan Antwerp and Gen. Dodge, most heartily entered into the , spirit and interests of the settlers at the land sales in securing them their land, for which these early settlers honored Gen. Dodge, politically, as few men were ever trusted by any people. Strange as it may seem to people at the present time, the settlers on the public lands were held as squatters, without any rights to be respected by the gov- ernment or land speculators. Hawkins Taylor, Esq., of Washington, D. C, an early settler of Iowa, says : " There were thousands of settlers at the sale at Burlington in the fall of 1838 ; the officers could sell but one or two townships each day, and when the land in any one township was offered, the settlers of that township constituted the army on Pioneer Incidents. \ 103 duty for that day, and surrounded the office for their own pro- tection, with all the other settlers as a reserve force if needed.] The hotels were full of speculators of all kinds, from the mon^y | loaner, who would accommodate the settler at fifty per cent. , that is, he would enter the settler's land in his own name, and file a ' bond for a deed at the end of two years, by the settlers paying him double the amount the land cost. At these rates. Dr. Barrett i of Springfield, Illinois, and Lewis Benedict of Albany, N. Y., ; loaned out one hundred thousand dollars each, and Lyne Sterling j and others, at least, an equal amount at the same or higher rates of interest. The men who come to Iowa now cannot realize what the early settlers had to encounter. The hotels were full of this and a worse class of money sharks. There was a numerous class who wanted to rob the settlers of their lauds and improve- ments entirely, holding that the settler was a squatter and tres- passer, and should be driven from his lands. You would hear much of this sort of talk about the hotels, but none about the settlers' camps. Among the loudest talkers of this kind was a gentleman from Virginia. This person was going to invest his money as he pleased, without reference to settlers' claims. When the township of West Point was sold, it was a wet, rainy day. I was bidder and the officers let me go inside of the office. Just when I went into the office, 'Squire John Judy, who lived on section thirty-two or thirty-three, whispered to me, that he had been disappointed in getting his money at the last moment, and asked me to pass over his tract and not to bid it off. I did so, but this Virginian bid it off. I was inside and could not com- municate to any one until the sale was through ; and, as I did not bid on the tract, the outsiders supposed that it was not claimed by a settler, and the moment the bid was made, the bidder left for his hotel. As soon as I could get out, which was in a few minutes, and made known that Judy's land had been bidden off by a speculator, within five mmutes not less than fifteen hundred of as desperate and determined a set of men as ever wanted homes, started for the bold bidder. Prominent in the lead was Mr. John Gr. Kennedy of Fort Madison, who enjoyed the sport. Col. Patterson, now of Keokuk, a Virginian by birth, but a noble, true hearted friend of the settler, and who had been 104 Tvttle's History of Iowa. intimate with the Virginian, made a run across lots, and reached the hotel before Kennedy and his army. The Colonel informed the bidder of the condittion of affairs, and advised him at once to abandon his bid, which he did, or rather, he authorized the Colonel to do it for him. The Colonel went out and announced to the crowd, that the bid was withdrawn, and that the bidder had withdrawn himself. Both offers were accepted, but the latter was bitterly objected to, and only acquiesced in, when it was found that the party had escaped the back way, and could not be found. There was no other remedy. This was the last out- side bid given during that sale, and you heard no more talk about outside bidding, about the hotels. The squatter's rights were respected at that sale." Referring to the privations of the early settlers, Mr. Taylor says: "Alexander Crookshanks, a Noiwegian sailor, an honest man in all things, settled a few miles west of West Point, in Lee county, in 1835, and by hard work made himself a large farm. When the sale of his land was ordered by the government, he went to western New York and borrowed four hundred dollars of his brother to enter the land. This was when President Van Buren's specie circular was in force, and certain designated banks were made government depositories by the government Crook- shanks, to be certain that his money was "land office money' when he got home, paid a premium of three per cent, in New York to get the bills of a city bank that was a government deposit bank. His brother gave him thirty -four dollars to pay his way home ; at that time there were no railroads. Alex, walked to Pittsburgh, and there took a boat for St. Louis, but when he got to N ew Albany, Indiana, the Ohio river was so low that there was no certainty of getting to St. Louis in time to get home by the day of the selling of his land, and he had no money to spare to go by stage. So he, on foot, crossed Indiana and Illinois, reaching home the Fri- day before the sale on Monday ; and when he went to Burling- ton, he found that his New York money would not be taken by the land office, and he had to shave off his money that be had al- ready paid a premium for, to get " land office money," and pay another premium of twelve and a half per cent, reducing his four hundred to three hundred and fifty dollars. To make up this Pioneer Incidents. 105 fifty he had to sell off a part of his scanty stock at less than one- fifth of what the same kind of stock would sell for now. I recollect the day that Alex, started to New York to borrow the money to en- ter his land with, asking him what he would do if he failed ; his answer was ' I will come home and try to borrow at the sale, but if I fail, and lose my land, I will cross the Eocky Mountains, but what I will have and own my own land.' Of such material were the early settlers of Iowa." Individuals not in actual possession were also liable to have their claims jumped. Several cases of this kind occurred when the society which had been organized in March of this year inter- fered. Having tried one man named Stephens, who had jumped a claim of Major Wilson's and he refusing to vacate the premises, on application of the major, the sheriff of Dubuque county was sent for, there being then no nearer seat of justice than Dubuque. On the arrival of sheriflE Cummins, he found Mr. Stephens snugly en- sconced in the major's cabin, armed with the instruments that would terminate life if properly handled, and threatened annihi- lation to any and all who might dare to touch him. The sheriff soon summoned his ^osse, and with them came a yoke of oxen, which were soon hitched to one corner of the log cabin, and as the timbers began to show signs of parting, Mr. Stephens very willingly vacated the premises, and was shown the most feasible, as well as the quickest route to Stephenson, and never afterwards made any attempt to recover his claim this side of the river. But little produce was raised in 1838. Meat was scarce, except wild game. All seemed happy and well pleased with the coun- try. The settlers belonged to "Wisconsin territory, and lived un- der the laws of Michigan. The first steps towards civilization and improvement had been taken. The beautiful prairies in vir- gin loveliness were untouched by the rude hand of man. The wild flowers were far more numerous and variegated than now, and more fragrant in their wild untrodden state, than since reckless man has trampled under foot the floral region of our most lovely prairies. There are many incidents which transpired among the settlers of 1837 that would be interesting to narrate. The finaa- cial troubles of the east were keenly felt here. There was nib money, no credit, nor any produce to bring supplies to the infan^ 106 TuTTLsfs History of Iowa. colonies. Bat few of the immigrants brought a supply of money, and to many the approaching winter looked dark and lowering. The Indians that still remained here could not furnish a supply of wild game, but in return they asked for per-quash-i-oon (bread) and co-cosh (pork) or pin-ne-ao (potatoes.) The small stocks of merchandise were exhausted, so much so, that the first steamboats in the spring were looked for with great anxiety. Like the Pil- grim Fathers of New England looking forth from the " rock bound coast" towards the land of their nativity, and like the Israelites of old, they sighed for the " flesh pots," and remembered the " leeks and garlics" of the country left behind them. " Well do the old settlers of Iowa, remember," says Mr. Bar- rows, "the days and years from the first settlement to 1840. Those were the days of sadness and often of distress. The en- dearments of home had been broken up in another land, and all that was dear, and hallowed on earth, the home of childhood and the scenes of youth were severed, and we sat down by the gentle waters of our noble river, and often ' hung our harps upon the willows ;' but the bright prospects of the future led us on, and with hope as our sheet-anchor, we lived upon the fruits of our labor, almost an exiled race, for many years. No splendid cottage was then our home. The rude cabin was our shelter, and we were scarcely protected from the rains of summer, or the snows of winter. No luxuries crowned our board, but we rejoiced in that Providence which shaped our destinies, and led us to the shores of the Mississippi. We loved the land of our adoption. We loved her soil, her climate, and her majestic river, upon whose banks we often strayed, and mingled our tears with one another. The pio- neers of Scott county, came as the vanguard of that great army that has since flooded our land. They came to build for themselves and posterity a glorious destiny amid the wilds of Iowa. They brought no sword or battle-axe, but the plough-share and prun- ing-hook were their only weapons. They had no history to point them the way; no kind friend to bid them welcome to these shores. The legends of the Indians could only tell them of the beauty of the land they had come to possess, and instead of the smiles of welcome, they received only the frowns of the savage." Much difference of opinion exists as to the origin and meaning 108 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. of the word Iowa. The following legends respecting the name have been given by various writers on the subject, though the question is not by any means satisfactorily settled. Mr. Antoine Le Olaire, a well known citizen and formerly In- dian interpreter, says, the word "Iowa" means — "This is the place," — and the meaning is derived as follows : a tribe of the Sac and Fox Indians wandering or hunting, were in search of a home, and when they crossed the Mississippi (not the Iowa), they reached a point they admired, and finding all they wished, they exclaimed "lowa"^ — this is the pl^ce. " Hence the derivation of the word as extracted from an autograph letter from Mr. Le Olaire to Pro£ T. S. Parvin, of Iowa City. "W. H. Hildreth, Esq., of Bast Davenport, in a communication to the " Davenport Gazette," 1860, says: "It is a common thing to find words transposed and corrupted, which are transmitted merely by sound, and can be traced to no written language ; and fre^ quently is this the case with Indian words, which first becoming used by the trader, who is perhaps a Frenchman or Canadian who spells the word according to its sound, with the vowels of his own language, which is copied in turn by the tourist or traveler, who is perhaps an Englishman or American, and thus it becomes Anglicised ; and as the peculiar aspirates and gutterals of the In- dian tongue lose their force in the tvriiten word, we would scarce be able to recognize the same words spoken by a native. Corruptions from various causes are inevitable. Interpretations are sometimes adopted, as for instance Platte river instead of Ne- braska, which first term is evidently a corruption of the true meaning, viz; " Flat water," but resembling closely an English proper name "Platte, " it has finally lost its original sound and meaning. It is historical that the Omahas first gave the name of " Grey Snow " Indians to the tribe now known as the lowas ; and it is also authentic that they were an oflEshoot of Omahas. A very slight circumstance may have caused the giving of the cognomen. The Indian tradition is that they left the parent tribe in a snow storm, which presented the phenomenon of " Grey Snow " by mingling the sands of the shore with the falling snow and thereby sullying its purity." The original Omaha word "Py-ho-ja" can very Pioneer Incidents. 109 readily be corrupted by making the j silent, or by using it as a vowel as in the Grerman language. The word then becomes Py- ho-ia, which can be easily further corrupted intol-o-wa, and with all due deference to Mr. Le Claire, who is perhaps more competent than any one else to construe Sac and Fox terms, I would say that, although the word Iowa may have a place in the Sac and Fox language and doubtless he renders it correctly — it is more reasonable to look for it, or its derivation, to the tribe who speak the same language with the Iowa, and from whom they sprung. S. P. Prentiss, Esq., thinks the legend or account given by Mr. Le Claire bears a suspicious resemblance to a story long current in newspapers to the effect " that a wandering tribe of Indians searching for new hunting grounds came at length to a beautiful river, and, pleased with the general aspect of nature, exclaimed, " Alabama I Alabama,! " or " Here we rest I Here we rest 1" By a reference to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, in the vo- cabulary of Modern Geographical names, we find the following definition : Iowa, the French form of an Indian word signifying the " drowsy " or the " Sleepy Ones " ; a Sioux name of Pahoja, or " Gray Snow Tribe." CHAPTER XIII. TEBRITORIA.L GOVERNMENT. Iowa Territory Organized— Gov. Lucas' Administration — First Session of the Legislature — State Officers- Acts Passed — State Prison — Stormy Politics— Legislative Incidents — Vetoes — Conflict between Lucas and the Legislature — President Van Buren upholds Gov. Lucas. Having passed through all the events recorded in the foregoing chapters, and acquired the necessary population and commercial importance, Iowa in 1838 was ready to form a territorial govern- ment, and thus to take the first step toward a place in the Union. In 1838, the legislature of Wisconsin convened at Burlington on the first of June, and continued in session till that portion of the territory west of the Mississippi was cut off from Wisconsin, and formed a separate government. There was an act passed by con- gress on the 12th of June, 1838, by which it was provided, " that from and after the third of July next, all that part of the territory of Wisconsin that lies west of the Mississippi river, and west of a line drawn due north from the head waters or sources of the Mississippi to the territorial line, was, for temporary purposes, constituted a separate territorial government, and called Iowa " This law made provisions, that there should be " nominated and by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appointed by the president of the United States, a governor, secretary, chief justice and two associate judges, a United States attorney and marshal. The governor was appointed for three years, and the other officers for a term of four years. . The governor was required to reside in the territory, was the commander-in-chief of the militia, was required to perform the duties of superintendent of Indian affiairs, and all laws passed by the legislature were to be approved by him, before they should take effect, and he was in- vested with the power to grant pardons ; and he was " to nominate, (110) Territorial Government. Ill and with the advice and consent of the legislative council, appoint all judicial officers, justices of the peace, sheriffs and all militia officers, except those of the staff, and all civil officers not provided for by the organic act. It was further provided, that the territory should be divided into three judicial districts, and the governor had the right to define the judicial districts of the territory, and assign the judges appointed to the several districts, and appoint the time for holding courts in the several counties, till otherwise provided by the legislature ; the judges were required each to live in and hold the courts in his own district, and the three judges were required to meet at the seat of government once a year, and to- gether hold a supreme court. It was also made the duty of the governor to " declare the number of members* of the council, and house of representatives to which each of the counties was en- titled," and the first election was to be held at such time and . places, and be conducted in such manner as he might direct. Robert Lucas, who had been governor of Ohio, was appointed governor, William B. Conway, secretary, Francis Gehon (the old marsha,l of Wisconsin) marshal, Cyrus S. Jacobs,* Charles Ma- son, Jos. Williams and Thos. S. Wilson, judges. Grovernor Lucas caused the census to be taken, and apportioned the members of the legislature, and issued his proclamation for an election of delegates to congress, and members of the legisla- ture. The governor made Burlington the temporary seat of government, and convened the first legislature of Iowa territory on the 12th of November 1838, consisting of thirteen members of the council, and twenty-six members of the house of representa- tives. One of the members returned elected, Cyrus S. Jacobs of Des Moines county was killed in an unfortunate political conflict in Burlington, before the meeting of the legislature, and Greo. H. Beeler was elected to fill the vacancy. At that day national politics were little thought, of in the territory. Notwithstanding, a large majority of both branches of _ the legislature were dem- ocrats, yet G-en. Jesse B. Brown of Lee county, whig, was elected president of the council and Hon. B. F. Wallace, whig, of Henry * Jacobs, soon after he was appointed, in a political difficulty, was killed, and Isaac Van Allen appointed in his place. 112 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. county was elected speaker of the house of representatives. The session in many respects was a stormy one. At this session of the legislature, there were acts passed mak- ing provisions for organizing Linn, Jefferson and Jones counties, and the name of Slaughter county was changed to Washington ; a court of probate was established ; the territory divided into three judicial circuits ; the towns of Broomfield (now Muscatine), and Davenport were incorporated, and there were a great number of special acts of incorporation for various purposes passed, giving exclusive privileges to private individuals, some of which after- wards proved very profitable to the proprietors and onerous to the people ; and this was particularly so, in regard to ferry char- ters across the Mississippi river at some of the important points on the river. Acts were also passed providing for locating the sites of, and for building the penitentiary and capitol buildings for the territory ; commissioners were appointed who were au- thorized and instructed to select the site for the former and to erect the penetentiary buildings within one mile of the public square of Fort Madison in Lee county ; provided, the citizens of the town and county should donate ten acres of land, such as the commissioners should think suitable for a site to build upon. The question of locating the penitentiary met with but little opposition, but it was different in selecting the place for the per- manent capital of the territory, and this question called forth much feeling and a warm debate. Mr. Leffler, who was a member of the legislature, made a very able speech in favor of a perma- nent location, and his views for the most part were adopted by that body, and they passed an act locating it in Johnson county, and appointing three commissioners to select a suitable site. The act required that the commissioners should meet on the first Monday of May, 1839, at the town of Napoleon and proceed to locate the seat of government at the most suitable place in Johnson county ; that they should agree upon a plan of building, and appointed one of their number to superintend the work. Chauncey Swan, John Sonalds, and Eobert Eolston were ap- pointed commissioners, who, at the proper time proceeded to dis- charge the duties of their trust, selected the site, procured the title to six hundred and forty acres of land, and laid it off into 114 Tuttle's History of Iowa. lots, agreed upon a plan for the capitol, and from their number, selected Mr. Swan to superintend the work of erecting the build- ing. The location of the seat of government was two miles north- west of the town of Napoleon (which has ceased to be known as a town), and the looartion was designated by a stake driven in the ground with the following inscription on it : " Seat of govern- ment. City of Iowa, May 4, 1839," and signed by the three com- missioners. The patronage of the governor, at the first organization of the territory, was large, and enabled him to exert a great deal of in- fluence over the people ; but most of his power to appoint to office was taken away from him at the next session of congress, and the offices were made elective by the people. At the first session, there was a great deal of sparring between the members of that body and the governor and secretary of the territory. The council passed a resolution requiring the secretary to furnish their body with knives, stamps, folders, tin cups, etc. The secre- tary not being able to furnish those articles, addressed a commu- nication to the council upon the subject, in which they were informed that the secretary had made arrangements to procure the necessary stationery for the use of the legislature in Cincinnati, but owing to the low stage of water in the Ohio, the things ordered had not been received. The secretary in his communica- tion said : " The navigation of the Ohio was entirely suspended ; this was the act of God, whose holy name is pronounced with deep reverence, and to whose holy will it is our duty to submit. Human power cannot resist the dispensation of His providence, nor can human wisdom counteract His unfathomable designs." The secretary informed the council that he had been to St. Louis, " and returned in spite of every peril ;" that " much exertion had been made to procure knives in Burlington, but," said he, " knives of suitable finish and quality could not be procured in town, nor can sufficient knives of any quality be obtained, and the secretary cannot make knives, if he could, he would do so with expedition and pleasure ;" that "it was the earnest and anxious wish of the secretary, that all the members should have knives, and stamps, and folders, and all and singular such thing or things, device or devices whatever, as may facilitate the operation of the hands in Tersitobial Government. 115 yielding assistance to the deliberations of the heads ;" that in relation to " that part of the resolution which relates to extra ink- stands, and tin patty pans, it can and shall be promptly complied with." The communication of the secretary greatly insulted the dignity of the council, and the matter was referred to a special committee, of whom Stephen Hempstead (afterwards governor) was chairman. The committee after due deliberation, made their report, in which [ they set forth that the secretary's communication " was of such a nature as to call forth a severe animadversion upon its tone and spirit ;" that " the evident intent of the communication was not only to treat the resolution, adopted by the council, with irony and contempt, but at the same time to convey the idea that the articles asked for by the resolution were unnecessary and unim- portant." The report went on to show that the house in which they held their deliberations was not properly furnished ; that the secretary had used his influence to prevent the council from ob- taining things without his sanction, and "that the honorable secretary of the territory might rest assured that the present legis- lature will not tamely submit to the insults and derisions of any officer of the territory, and they at all times will defend to the last their honest rights and the liberty of the people whom they have the honor to represent." This report of the committee was unanimously adopted. This controversy about knives, etc., though fiercely commenced, did not last long. The secretary, through the intervention of Judge Wilson, apologized to the council and withdrew the objec- tionable paper, and the council let the insult to their dignity pass without further notice. But this matter had hardly been adjusted before another diffi- culty arose implicating the governor with the secretary. The legislature passed a joint resolution, that the secretary of the council and the chief clerk of the house should receive six dol- lars per day for their services in the assembly, and each of the additional clerks, sergeant-at-arms, doorkeepers, messengers and firemen, should receive three dollars per day, to be paid by the secretary of the territory, upon the presentation of a certificate of their services, signed by the presiding officer of the house in 116 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. which thej served, and countersigned by the secretary and clerk. The secretary, doubting whether this would be a sufficient au- thority for him to pay out money, referred the matter to the governor, and the governor gave him an opinion in writing, in which he took the ground, that the secretary ought not to dis- burse the public moneys under that authority. The secretary being sustained in his views, as to the disbursing of the public moneys by the written opinion of the governor, sent to the legis- lature a communication, informing that body, that he did not feel authorized to pay out money under such authority, and to sustain his views, sent with the communication, the written opinion of the governor. This counseling of the governor was considered by most of the members of the legislature, as interfering with their prerogative, and a matter of so great importance, that there was a ]oint con- vention of the two houses held, to devise ways and means by which to protect their rights against the supposed encroachments of the governor. This convention passed resolutions expressive of what they considered to be the rights of the legislature, and in their discussions, many of the members severely animadverted upon the part which the governor had taken in this matter. The attacks made upon the governor at the fore part of the session probably caused him to be a little prejudiced in his feelings towards the members, and less disposed to yield his opinion of what he conceived to be right, to the wishes of that body, than he would have been had there been no misunderstanding between them ; and from the time of this joint convention, instead of reconciling the strife that had been engendered between his excellency aid the legislature, the quarrel became sharper and more bitter until the adjournment. Grovernor Lucas, being a man advanced in years, and having occupied the guberntorial chair in Ohio, thought himself better versed in making laws, and what was for the best interests of the territory, than most of the members of the legislature, who were mostly young men and inexperienced as legislators, and all laws which they passed that did not entirely meet with his approbation were vetoed ; and by the provisions of the organic act of the territory, it was necessary that the governor should approve of all bills passeil by the legis- Territorial Government. 117 lature, before they could become laws, so that his veto was abso- lute and no act of that body could become a law without his consent " For the purpose of harmonizing differences, there was a joint committee appointed by both branches of the legislature to consult with the governor, and prepare a bill to regulate the intercourse between the legislative and executive parties of the territorial government After such consultation, a bill was pre- pared by the committee with such restrictions and provisions as met with his approbation ; but when it was brought before the legislature, there were some very material alterations made in the bill, which were very obnoxious to the governor, and when it was presented to him for his approval, he refused to sign it, and returned it to the house in which it originated ; and in his veto message he laid down the rules by which he would be gov- erned in relation to acts presented to him for his approval. He informed the legislature that all bills submitted to him would be carefully examined, and if approved, would be deposited in the secretary's office ; but he said, if " special objections are found, but not sufficient to induce me to withhold my assent from the bill, a special note will be indorsed with my approval. Bills that may be considered entirely objectionable, or of a doubtful policy, will be returned to the legislative assembly with my objections, at such times and in such manner as 1 may from time to time deem most advisable." This veto message fanned the flame of strife already enkiridled, and many of the members became very bitter towards the governer in their denunciations of his course. Among the many acts vetoed by him, was an act requiring him when a bill was presented to him for his approval, to inform the legislature of his approval thereof, or if he did not approve of it, to return the bill with his objec- tions ; an act authorizing the post master at Davenport to have the mail carried from that place to Dubuque twice a week in two horse post coaches : a joint resolution making the secretary of the territory a fiscal agent of the legislature, authorizing him to pay oiit money without an appropriation, to the members and officers of the legislature. The feelings of the members were so bitter towards the governor because he kept them in check by his vetoes, that there was a 118 TuTTLlEfS HlSTOBY OF lOWA. special committee appointed in the house on vetoes, of which James W. Grimes (afterwards governor and United States senator) was the chairman. The organic act provided that the governor " shall approve of all laws passed by the legislative assembly, be- fore they shall take effect." On this provision of the law, the committee made a lengthy report, in which they took the ground that the words " shall approve all laws," meant that it was his imperative duty under the organic law to approve of all acts passed by the legislature of the territory, and that the mere fact of the governor vetoing them or withholding his approval did not prevent the acts of the legislature from becoming laws, but was a neglect of duty on the part of the governor. This report was con- curred in by a vote of sixteen to six. These acts, and the abuse of the legislature, did not intimidate the governor in the right of the discharge of his duties, being ac- tuated with a desire to do what he supposed was right, and let those of the future judge of the wisdom of his course. When the members of the legislature found they could not control the governor by resolutions, reports of committees and abusive speeches, their next move was to remove him from offica A resolution was introduced in the house, in which it was set forth, that whereas, it was known to the legislature " that gov- ernor Lucas had been writing notes and explanations on sundry laws passed by the legislature," and also setting forth that these acts of his were " an unwarrantable encroachment upon the judi- cial department of the territorial government, as well as an insult and rude invasion of the rights of the legislature ; therefore, Besolved, that Eobert Lucas is unfit to be ruler of a free people, and that a select committee be appointed to prepare a report and memorial to the president * * * * praying in strong terms for his immediate removal from office." • This resolution was adopted by a vote of twelve to ten, and a committee of five was appointed. The committee, after due delib- eration, made their report, requesting the president for various reasons to remove the governor from office. There was a majority in both branches of the legislature who were opposed to the gov- ernor, and the memorial was adopted and forwarded to the presi- dent of the United States. 120 Tuttle's History of Iowa. In these proceedings, the governor was not without some friends who strongly opposed the adoption of the report, and they claimed the privilege " to forward a counter-memorial to the president on the same subject, and to spread their protest on the journal of the house;" but their request was refused, when eight of the mem- bers of the house, in their private capacity, got up a protest in which they reviewed the memorial, and denied or explained most of the charges preferred against the governor, so that from the protest, or some other cause, president Van Buren did not see fit to remove the governor from his office, and he held it till there was a change in the administration of the federal government. The difficulties which had arisen between Grov. Lucas and the legislature induced congress to make some amendments to the law organizing the territory ; and on the 3d of March 1839, they passed two acts by which it was provided that every bill passed by the council and the house of representatives should be present- ed to the governor, and if he approved of it, the same should be- come a law ; if not he should return it with his objections to the house in which it had originated for reconsideration, and if both branches of the legislature passed it by a two-thirds vote, it should then become a law without the approval of the governor. Thej also made provision for authorizing the legislature to pass laws permitting the people to elect sheriffs, judges of probate, justices of the peace and county surveyors. There was likewise a law passed authorizing the delegate, Wm. W. Chapman, who was elected at the time of the organization- of the territory as representative to congress, to hold his seat till the 11th day of October 1840, and made provisions that the next representative, after Chapman's term expired, should only hold his seat till the 4th of the next March, after which the term should be the same as other members of congress, for the period of two years. The legislature was not slow in taking advantage of these acts of congress, for at their next session, among the first measures that claimed their attention, were those making provisions authorizing the people to elect their sheriffs, judges of probate, justices of the peace and county surveyors ; and by these acts the governor was very much curtailed in his power and influence. The legislature Territobial Government. 121 closed its business and adjourned January 25, 1839. At the election in September, 1838, for members of the legislature, a del- egate to congress was also elected. There were four candidates for this office, viz : Win. W. Chapman and David Eorer, of Des Moines county ; B. R Wallace of Henry county, and Peter Hill Engle of Dubuque county. Mr. Chapman was elected by thirty- six majority over Mr. Engle. The federal appointments in the territory in addition to the governor were as follows : Chas. Mason of Burlington, Joseph Williams of Pennsylvania and Thos. S. Wilson of Dubuque, judges of supreme and district courts ; Mr. Van Allen of New York, district attorney, Francis Gehou of Dubuque, United States marshal ; Wm. B. Conway of Pittsburg, secretary of the territory ; A. C. Dodge of Burlington, register and V. P. Van Antwerp of Terre Haute, Indiana, receiver in the land office at Burlington ; Thos. McKnight receiver and , register of the land office in Dubuque. OHAPTEE XIV. EARLY COURTS. Judges Irwin and Mason — Jail Incidents — Trial of a Justice — Curious Trials — Pioneer Administration of Justice. At the organization of the territory of Wisconsin on the 4:th of July 1836, the only counties west of the Mississippi river were Dubuque and Des Moines. At the session of the legislature held at Belmont that winter, there were created out of Dubuque, the counties of Jackson, Clinton, Scott and Cedar ; out of Des Moines, the counties of Lee, Van Buren, Henry, Slaughter (Washington), Louisa and Muscatine. David Irwin, associate judge of the United States district court, was assigned to that part of the ter- ritory lying west of the river, and, in company with Charles Mason, went to Burlington in the spring of 1837, and settled at the place now occupied by Judge Mason. Judge Irwin was origin- ally from Virginia, but had been appointed a judge for the terri- tory of Michigan, and presided in that part of the territory which afterwards constituted Wisconsin. He was a man of ability, with- out the ordinary vices of that day ; he decided promptly and cor- rectly. Few, if any, better judges ever presided in that district. He was a bachelor, and when Iowa was made a territory, he re- turned to Wisconsin and remained upon the bench until 1841, when he was removed by the President, and went to Texas where he was living a short time since. In the recent war of the rebel- lion, he was a rebel of the strictest character. Hawkins Taylor, Esq., of Washington, has written a pleasant and interesting account of the early sessions of the court held in Lee county, with incidents of practice in the courts at that time. Mr. Taylor was a pioneer settler of Iowa, and what he states is from his own knowledge. " The first court in Lee county was held at Fort Madison, on (122) Early Courts. 123 the 27t]i of January, 1837. David Irwin, judge, W. W. Chap- man U. S. district attorney, Francis Gehon, marshal, Joshua Owen, sherifiE, John H. Lines, clerk of the court. The judge decided that the jury was illegally summoned and there was no grand jury at that term and little business" transacted. The second term of court was held August 28, 1837 — the same officers of court as at the March term. The grand jurors were : Samuel Eoss, Jesse Wilson, P. P. Jones, John Gregg, Campbell Gilmore, Jesse O'Neil, John Box, Wm. Tyrrell, Lorenzo BulJard, Leonard B. Parker, John G. Kennedy, A. Hundaker, Geo. Herring, Wm. Anderson, Benj. Brattain, E. D. Ayres, Henry Hawkins, J. J. Thacris, J. Stephenson, Aaron White, Jos. Skinner, J. S. Doug- las and Thos. Small, Jr. E. D. Ayres was made foreman of the grand jury and Philip Viele, prosecuting attorney. '•During the term there were about two hundred bills of indict- ment found, but they were all demurred out of court, so that no convictions followed the wholesale action of the grand jury. " Of the officials of these first courts. Chapman, after being the first delegate in congress, went to Oregon, where he now resides. Gehon, the marshal, is deceased. Douglas, one of the brightest minds in the territory, was blown up on the Moselle, on his re- turn home from the inauguration of President Harrison, in the spring of 1841. He was to have had one of the land offices at Burlington, and had he lived would, no doubt, have been one of the leading men of the territory and state. " The jail, in use at that time, was a little log house, on Elm street, near the upper square, belonging to Henry D. Davis. Da- vis was a shoemaker, and used the jail as a shop, as well as rent- ing it to the county. At that time the two hardest cases in Eort Madison were two men named Clark and Morehead, both big, rough, drunken, dangerous fellows, and all the time in some sort of a scrape, and often in jail ; in fact, to be in jail, suited them well, for it gave them board at the county's expense, and they could go in and out as they pleased. On one occasion, when Morehead was boarding at the jail, he cut up into all sorts of shapes, entirely destroying the stock of leather that Davis had on hand. The next morning, when Davis went to his jail-shop, he found his leather entirely destroyed. Morehead showed him the 124 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. pieces, as cut up, and inquired what kind of shoes he could make out of them ; but Davis had no remedy ; he could not prove that Morehead had destroyed his leather, and if he could, he had no business to use the jail as a shop. *' One day Clark came and demanded a writ of ejectment against Morehead. A few days before, Olark had been committed to jail for some offense, and a few days later Morehead had been com- mitted ; and when the constable put Morehead in, Clark went out, and demanded of the same justice that had committed them both, a writ of ejectment against the new-comer, for " jumping his claim," a squatter phrase at that day. The justice ordered Clark off, telling him to go back to jail, where he belonged, Olark went off and got from one of the justice's enemies the necessary fee for the writ, when he went back and tendered the money for the writ, when the 'squire again refused to issue the writ, and ordered Clark off, when the latter stepped outside of the door, swearing terrible oaths and threatening what he would do, then and there, if the writ was not issued at once, and for the purpose of carrying out his threat, he commenced unbuttoning his clothes, when the 'squire took up a good hickory club, well selected for defense and the enforcement of the law, and with both hands belabored Olark, until he cried "murder, murder." By the time help came, his head was completely covered with cuts, bruises and blood. The justice was arrested for assault and battery and taken five or six miles in the country for trial. The trial lasted several days and was prosecuted with much bitterness by the enemies of the justice, and defended with great earnest- ness by his friends. 'Squires Briggs and Eoss tried the case. Judge Yiele prosecuted, and Henry Eno defended. The court acquitted Gruthrie, the defendant, deciding that the statute admin- istered was not recognized by all the courts, but that its applica- tion, as administered and under the circumstances, was admissible and appropriate and well calculated to he useful. Gruthrie had no further trouble with roughs — they found out that the " Yankee " would fight, and that fully satisfied them." The third and last term of court held in Lee county, while a part of the territory of Wisconsin, was commenced in Fort Madi- son. The same judge and other officers as at previous terras. A 126 Tuttle's History of Iowa. grand jury was impaneled, of which Mr. Taylor was one. The attorneys in attendance were : J. "W. Woods, David Eorer, Henry Eno, M. D. Bendney, Jas. W. Grimes and Franklin Perrin. Isaac Van Allen, now of Peoria, was admitted a member of the bar. At the suggestion of Judge Viele, prosecuting attorney, Jas. T. Dinwid- dle was made foreman of the grand jury. The latter was a hard working blacksmith, living a few miles below town, an honest man, a Kentuckian by raising, a man of powerful will and consti- tution, a good fighter, and was able to manage a large supply of whisky and still wield the sledge-hammer ; but when the jury retired to the garret of the "Madison House" where court was held, the foreman had more than his usual supply. On a motion made by one of the jurors, that Hawkins Taylor act as secretary for the jury, the foreman took this as a direct insult, and declared that he could do "all the writing needed by the jury," and at once demanded that if any one was to be indicted " bring them in." The first case presented was the steamer Bee. The offense was the taking off the old man Kellogg, deputy sheriff, who had gone on board at Fort Madison, to serve an attachment on the boat, when the captain cut his line and backed out, and took off the officer, carrying him down to Warsaw, and theil only running near enough to the shore to let the officer jump off. When Mr. Kellogg appeared before the grand jury, the foreman took his pen and marked down the case, and then turned to the witness and with great earnestness said, " Where is the steamboat Beef" To this the witness could give no positive information, as he had not seen her since the previous fall. The foreman then remarked sharply, " If you want the steamboat Bee indicted, bring her up here 1 Bring her up here I She may be gone to the d 1, or she may be gone to Texas — if you want her indicted, bring her up here" and at once commenced to tear up the memorandum that he had made, saying, loudly, but to himself, "No bill, no bill," and then turned to the witnesss and said, "you may go," and he went, apparently, with about as much feeling of relief as when he escaped from the steamer the fall before. Several other cases were brought up and disposed of by the foreman in the same summary manner, one being a case of James Fiske for an assault with intent to kill made on George Perkins, a peaceful citizen. In this case the foreman Eablt Courts. 127 found a true bill. The next morning sentinels were placed below town to meet the foreman and get him into the jury room before he had an opportunity to take more whisky than he could man- age. The plan was successsful, and after that, there was no trouble with the foreman ; but there were many amusing incidents j that took place in the jury room. Among them H. D. Davis I who was a member of the jury tried to indict Morehead, who had, ; while in jail, out up and destroyed his leather, for breaking jail. Davis proved by Isaac Johnson, another juror, that Morehead was in the habit of crawling into the jail at night ; in fact, that he went out and in when he wanted to. There were about sixty bills found by this grand jury, mostly for gambling ; all of the bills were decided on the trial, to be defective. I believe that no single indictment found in Lee county up to the organization of Iowa territory was sustained by the court on trial, but it was about as well, as if they had been good. There was no penitentiary in the territory, and no place to keep criminals, and those indictments caused many to run off to where there were both jails and peni- tentiaries ; and in those days judge Lynch held court occasionally. In his court there was no demurring to indictments, and so seldom mistakes in his rulings, that there was a very wholesome dread among the worst class of criminals to coming into that popular court. The following sketch of a court scene in pioneer days of Lee county is taken from the " Keokuk Daily Constitution," of 1871 : " The traveler through Keokuk, as he views its elegant private and public buildings, and notices the stream of human beings who throng its streets and marts of commerce, can hardly realize the fact that thirty years ago, nearly all the ground of Keokuk was covered by a dense growth of bushes and trees, and that the most important character then of the place, financially considered, was a wood dealer ; one who had erected a log hut near the river and there kept a wood yard, selling occasionally a few cords to the few steamers which then ventured on the waters of the upper Mis- sissippi. Yet such was the fact The wood dealer referred to was a yankee by birth, who could turn his hand occasionally to any sort of business that would earn an honest penny ; and he managed by some means to become the owner of what was called 128 Tuttle's History of Iowa. in the language of those days, a " blanket claim or title " to a por- tion of the " half-breed tract." That sort of a title usually cost a blanket, paid to some drunken Indian or half-breed; and though it had merits sometimes, yet usually was good for nothing. But to return to our wood-cutter. He sold his " blanket title " to the then clerk of the district court at Eort Madison, for eight hundred dollars, and took his note therefor upon six months' time ; when pay time arrived, the clerk refused to pay the note, on the ground that the title bought was valueless, and the note was obtained by the fraud of the wood-cutter. This led to a law suit in the dis- trict court at Fort Madison, and the wood-cutter had Hon. Phillip Viele for his attorney, and the clerk had Miller and Galbraith for his attorneys. Charles Mason was judge, and the case was one of the first issues submitted to a jury. The evidence of the wit- nesses being conflicting, the trial was severely contested. The lawyers of Lee county who have come here in late years, can hardly realize with what zeal, enthusiasm and sometimes bitter- ness of debate attorneys fought over their cases thirty years ago. The country was new, the lawyers were mostly young, and the struggle was, which, among them, would be enabled to secure the best legal character. They were fighting for place and reputation. When the evidence was all in, and the case ready for argument by the attorneys, Miller whispered to his partner, that their client was beaten, unless the plaintiff's attorney (Viele) made some mis- step in his argument of the case. Galbraith took the hint, and being possessed of excellent speaking powers, especially in a case of severe criticism and review of another's conduct, he pitched into judge Viele's conduct as attorney for plaintiff with severe animadversions. Viele showed signs of excitement during the excoriations of the opposing counsel, but husbanded his wrath for the concluding speech, which belonged to him. His exordium was beautiful in language, though terrible in the denunciations of his opponent ; but he was so much excited by controversy with the lawyers against him, that his argument was more declamation than solid reasoning, and fell much below his usual standard ; for the judge was usually an able debater. The exciting character of his speech, however, filled the court house with hearers, who sev- eral times cheered the best of his periods. But we now come to Early Courts. 129 the oonclusiou of the judge's speech, which, touching in sentiment, yet as it was based in part on a mistake in fact, caused the judge to lose his case. The judge, pausing a moment, reached forward, and taking his client (who was sitting near him) by the hand, raised him up and standing him before the jury, said : " Here, gentlemen, is my client ; he is an honest man, and his face bears the impress of his honesty. He is a hard working man, and his hands show his industry and his honest means of a livelihood. He has a wife and a large family of young children at his humble home in Keokuk, dependent upon his daily sweat and toil." As the judge finished this period, his client stepped close to him and whispered that he was not married, but the judge had gone too far to retreat, and waving his hand to his client indicative of a wish for him to step back, said to him in his usual bland voice, " Yes, my friend, it is all right ; it will come out right." He then proceeded with his remarks to the jury, as follows : " Yes, gen- tlemen, while I am addressing you, demanding justice at your hands for my client, at this moment the wife and children of my client are standing at the doorway of their humble cottage home, with eyes strained up the road towards Fort Madison, looking for the return of the husband and father ; and the first words that will greet my client on his return home will be, 'husband,' 'pa,' have the court and jury at Fort Madison done you justice? " These remarks, delivered in a sympathetic tone, and with graceful ges- ticulations, were greeted with a general buzz of approbation from the audience. When the jury retired to consider of their verdict, it stood on its first vote, eleven for plaintifE and one for defendant." " The eleven demanded of the one, why he went for the defend- ant? He answered that he had intended to go for the plaintiff too, until he had heard Judge Viele's sympathetic appeal for the " wife and children," etc. " For," said he, " I know the plaintiff well, and he has no wife nor children, and keeps ' bach ' in a log cabin ; and as that statement of his lawyer was erroneous, I believe the whole claim is a fraud." This changed about one half the jury ; and they disagreed, and were discharged. Before the next term of court, the judge's client committed some act of " border warfare," somewhat common in Iowa in those days, and fled the country, and neither he nor his have since been heard of. 9 130 TvTTLlfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. " Those were grand old days of pleasantry among lawyers of Iowa. But what changes has time made upon them ! Several of the most eloquent have long since passed to the summer land; several have retired from the bar, oppressed with the weight of years ; and those who still linger on this side of the river, are whitened with the frosts of age. A little while yet, and the pio- neer lawyer of Iowa, like its old settlers in common, will belong to the history of the past ; but the many anecdotes of their gen- iality, sociability and forensic displays will survive them, and encourage those who succeed them, to rival their pleasantness, virtues and honors." CHAPTER XV. A.DMINI8TRATI0N OF GOV. LUCAS. Second Session of the Territorial Legislature — Legislative Statistics — The Capital. The second session of the territorial legislature convened at Burlington on the 4th of November and adjourned January 17, 1840 ; and an extra session was held at the same place on the 13th of July, 1840. Of the regular session, Steph. Hempstead was elected president and B. F. Wallace, secretary ; and in the house, Edward Johnson was chosen speaker and Jos. T. Pales, clerk. Soon after the meeting of the legislature, the proceedings of that body were interrupted by the death of Hon. Wm. B. Conway, secretary of the territory; and at that time there were no provisions by statute for any person to discharge the duties of that office in case of a vacancy. To meet this emer- gency, the legislature passed a joint resolution appointing Chas. Weston fiscal agent, making it his duty to take charge of the office of the secretary, and perform the duties of that office, so far as practicable, until the vacancy should be filled by appointment from the president. James Clark received the appointment to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Con- way, and immediately entered upon the duties of his office. The death of Conway and the appointment of Clark so inter- rupted the chain of business in the secretary's office, that on the adjournment of the legislature, Clark, as disbursing agent, was not able to pay the members their per diem allowance for services during the session. Before he could disburse money, Clark had to notify the president of his acceptance of the office, give bond and receive a draft to draw the money from the treasury of the United States. Many of the members had not the means to pay (132) ^ ^ Administration of Gov. Lucas. 133 their bills and get home without receiving their pay, and the secretary, whose business it was to pay them at the time of the adjournment, had not the money with which to pay them, and it was not probable he could get the necessary documents to enable him to get the money for several weeks. This, to many of the members, was a serious difficulty. To relieve the members in this emergency. Van Antwerp, who at that time held the office of receiver in the land office at Burlington, proposed to the legis- lature to furnish Clark with the requisite amount of money to meet the expenses of the legislature, if they would indemnify him against any loss by so doing. Upon this proposition, the legislature passed a joint resolution, requesting Van Antwerp to advance to the secretary of the territory, from the public moneys in his hands, a sufficient amount to pay the officers and members of that session, and pledged the faith of the territory to him for any amount he might advance to the secretary for that purpose, and instructed the governor to refund him the money so advanced out of the money he might receive for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the legislature. During the summer of 1840, the United States caused the census to be taken, and the population of the territory at that time was found to be 48,114. After the census reports were made out, the gov- ernor thought proper to convene the legislature for the purpose of making a new apportionment of its members. The legislature met on the 13th of July, 1840. Some changes were made in the number of members of the council and house of representatives from each county, though there was no change made in the number of members in the two houses; there being thirteen mem- bers of the council and twenty-six members of the house. There was but little done at this session of the legislature, ex- cept the passage of local acts. There was a law enacted authoriz- ing a vote in the territory on a proposition for taking the prepar- atory steps to form a state government. This vote was taken at the fall election of 1840, but the popular sentiment at that time was in favor of territorial government. In 1840, there was much political extitement. The democratic party had had the ascend- ency in the federal government for the twelve years previous, and public patronage had been generally bestowed upon the members 134 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. of that party ; and particularly in Iowa, the federal offices were filled with democrats Mr. Van Buren's administration had be- come unpopular with the people, and the whig politicians being anxious for place, there were great eflEorts made this year to change the policy of the administration. Van Buren was the democratic and Harrison the whig candidate for president. As is well known Gen. Harrison was elected. As soon as the result was known, there was a general scramble among the whigs for office, and neai'ly all the old officers throughout the country from secretary of state down to the smallest postmaster, were turned out and whigs appointed in their places ; and all the democrats in the territory that could be, were removed from their positions to give places for whigs, which were mostly filled by strangers from the states. Pursuant to an act of the legislative assembly, approved Janu- ary 11, 1840, Ohauncey Swan, Esq., the acting commissioner for the location of the seat of government, during the session of the legislature and in connection with that body, entered into a con- tract with the firm of Eague & Co., for the erection of the capitol at Iowa City. The above named company was the same that had built the capitol of Illinois, at Springfield. These gentlemen came on in April, 1840, with a large force of hands, and commenced clearing the grounds, and digging out for the foundation of the capitol. This work, together with the tide of emigration that now began to flx)w in, gave to the embryo city a lively and business- like appearance. Every variety of mechanical labor was now in good demand. A large number of buildings were in process of erection, displaying every variety of architecture from the most rudely constructed log cabin to the well finished two story frame building. The difficulty of procuring lumber was most severely felt. At this time the hardy lumberman had not found his way to the immense pine forests of the north. The most of the pine lumber was brought down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to Muscatine. Up to the month of June of this year (1840), the foundation of the capitol had been carried as high as the top of the basement windows, ready to receive the water table. Here the contractors, Skeaa & McDonald of the firm of Eague & Co., abandoned Administbation of Gov. Lucas. 135 their contract on account of tlie bad quality of the stone furnished by the commissioners. The work, however, was carried on by the acting commissioner, Mr. C. Swain ; but the difficulty in regard to the building material not having been obviated, it progressed but slowly. Early in the summer a quarry had been found in Cedar county, some twenty miles distant, which, being a hard sand stone, was pronounced suitable for a water table, and during the sum- mer, the rock for the sills of the ease and west entrances, and for the water table were transported over the prairies, crossing Cedar river by the ferry, the wagons being drawn by from four to six yoke of oxen. Owing to the change that had taken place in national affiairs by the election of Gen. Harrison as president, changes took place in the territorial government of Iowa. John Chambers, of Ken- tucky, was appointed governor, 0. H. StuU, of Virginia, was made secretary, James Wilson, of New Hampshire, received the appoint- ment of surveyor general, and the land offices and other federal offices were mostly filled by men not citizens of the territory. These appointments were made very soon after the new adminis- tration came in power in 1841, and the appointees, early in the season moved into the territory, and entered upon the duties of their respective offices. OHAPTEE XVI. SOUTHERN BOUNDARY DIFFICULTY. Boundary Commissioners— The State Militia ^ Counter Proclamations — Sullivan's Line — Victory of Lucas. The subject of the southern boundary of the territory of Iowa was one that created much excitement in its day, and an account of this controversy between Iowa and Missouri is an important chapter in the early history of the state. On the 18th of June, 1838, congress had passed " an act to au- thorize the president of the United States to cause the southern boundary of the territory of Iowa to be ascertained and marked." Under the provisions of this law, A. M. Lee had been appointed boundary commissioner on the part of the United States, and Gov. Lucas had appointed Dr. James David on the part of Iowa, but the state of Missouri, first through her executive, and then through' her legislature, declined to be represented on the commission, as congress had invited her ; but pending the survey, under an act of her legislature, passed in 1837, attempted to exercise jurisdic- tion north of what was known as Sullivan's or the Indian bound- ary line (surveyed and marked by Col. J. 0. Sullivan, by direc- tion of the United States surveyor general, Wm. Kector, and which had till then been recognized by all as the dividing line between Missouri and Iowa), by collecting taxes in Van Bur en county, Iowa, through the sheri£E of Clark county, Missouri The acuteness of Grov. Lucas's mind and the clearness of his judgment were well shown in this controversy.^ He promptly called the at- tention of the secretary of state to the subject, and approached. Gov. Boggs, of Missouri, with conciliatory words, desiring to ad- journ the question to congress for their settlement; but the states- men in the interest of Missouri, being impatient and short sighted, then menaced the peace of the territory with an armed force Gov"' (136) 138 Tvttle's History of Iowa. Lucas firmly planted himself on the impregnable position that the difference was not one between Missouri and Iowa, as the former would have it, and as even the Iowa legislature was willing to ac- cept it, but between Missouri and the United States ; and that he as agent and representative of the general government must hold possession, at all hazards and at any cost, of the territory of Iowa, as committed to his care, in all its integrity and completeness, and see that the people therein, citizens of the United States, were protected in their rights, and the laws of the territory, under those of congress, faithfully executed. To this end, he, without hesitation, called out the militia of the territory, to act as a posse comitatus to aid the civil authorities in the enforcement of order and the laws. An act to organize, discipline and govern militia having been passed by the legislature, in accordance with the governor's re- commendation, it was approved on January 4, 1839. This law divided the militia into three divisions, with a major general at the head of each. Jesse B. Brown, of Lee, Jonathan Fletcher, of Muscatine, and Warner Lewis, of Dubuque counties, were ap- pointed by the governor major generals, respectively of the first, second and third divisions. Each division was composed of two brigades of four regiments, with the customary officers. They were, however, destitute of arms, except such rifles and shot guns as were the private property of individuals. Gov. Lucas had asked the Hon. J. E. Poinsett, then secretary of war, to provide books of military instruction for the officers, and to deposit arms and munitions of war at some depot within reach for the rank and file, in case of Indian troubles, for the red tape of that day for- bade the distribution of arms to the militia until they were enu- merated and returned to Washington, which the Iowa militia had not yet been. Secretary Poinsett had promised to accede to the governor's request, and fifty copies of " Cooper's Tactics " were eventually furnished for the military education of the offi- cers, and Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, being the most acces- sible to the territory of the military posts in the vicinity, was designated as a depot for military supplies ; but at the breaking out of the trouble with Missouri, the books had not yet reached Iowa, nor the arms Rock Island. Southern Boundasy Difficulty. 139 By the 29th of July, 1839, matters had come to such a pass as to call for a proclamation from the governor, warning those who infringed upon the laws of the United States of the penalties to be incurred, and citing peace officers of Iowa to their duties and': privileges if overborne by force, but charging all that to the civil authorities (which he maintained to be all sufficient for the event- ual settlement of all internal misunderstandings, whether between individuals or committees), they must look for a solution of the difficulty. Soon after this the newspapers gave publicity to a proclamation from the governor of Missouri, dated the 23d of August, 1839, ostensibly a reply to that of Gov. Lucas, but evidently intended to inflame and mislead the public mind, in reference to the ques- tion at issue. This called forth, as a rejoinder, another proclama- tion on the subject from Gov. Lucas, which was dated on the 25th of September, 1839, in which he showed that it was Mis- souri, and not Iowa, that endeavored to enlarge her boundaries, at the expense of a sister commonwealth, by proving that Iowa was exercising jurisdiction only- to the line that had, from the organization of the state of Missouri till then, been acknowledged by that state as her northern boundary line, and which had been regarded by sundry acts of congress and Indian treaties as such, and to which line the territory of Wisconsin previous to her di- vision, and subsequently the territory of Iowa under the author- ity of the United States, exercised unquestioned jurisdiction. He recited the passage by congress of an act authorizing the pres- ident to have the boundary between Iowa and Missouri definitely determined ; that Missouri had declined to avail herself of her priv- ilege to be represented in the commission appointed for this pur- pose ; and that the result of that survey then awaited the action of congress, with which Iowa would be entirely satisfied ; but affirmed that until that decision should be made by congress, the territory of Iowa, acting under the authority of the United States, would acknowledge no other boundary line than the one to which the jurisdiction of the United States, through their territorial offi- cers, had ever been exercised from the time the country west of the Mississippi river and north of the state of Missouri was, by an act of congress, attached to the territory of Michigan for judicial 140 TvTTLsfs History of Iowa. purposes. He contended that Missouri never set up any claim to territory north of " Sullivan's Line," till 1837, and never attempt- ed jurisdiction in the disputed tract, till Sheriff Henry Heffleman, of Clark county, Missouri, attempted to collect taxes in Van Bu- ren county, Iowa, under an assessment required by the Missouri legislature, passed the 16th of February, 1839. " The line that has universally been known as Sullivan's or the Indian boundary line," said the governor of Iowa, firmly, "and which has been recognized by all the authorities as above cited, is the line to which the territory of Iowa, acting under the authority of the United States, has heretofore exercised uninterrupted jurisdiction, and it is the line to which she intends to exercise jurisdiction until congress declares some other line to be the boundary of the territory." In this -proclamation, he called the attention of the district attorney, and the marshal of the United States to the subject, as the ministerial officers of the laws of the United States within the territory, and directed them to arrest and bring to trial all offend- ers under the federal laws, and also directed the district prosecu- tor of the first judicial district, and the sheriff of Van Buren county, as the proper ministerial officers of the territory, to arrest all offen- ders under the territorial laws, authorizing them at the same time in case the civil authorities were insufficient, to call to their assistance a sufficient number of the malitia as a posse comitatus. Finally, he exhorted the citizens at the scene of conflict to be calm and dis- creet, reminding them that they occupied the exalted station of free and independent citizens of the United States, and that the civil authority, to which they must look in the first instance, was abundantly able to protect them, but at the same time assuring them, that should the president authorize him to repel force by force, in the event of an invading force entering the territory, as threat- ened by the governor of Missouri, it would be promptly done, re- gardless of the boasted powers and superior numbers of the Mis- souri militia. On the 3d of October, 1839, the governor wrote to the secretary of state concerning this boundary difficulty, saying, it seemed to be his misfortune to be drawn irresistibly into a controversy with the authorities of the state of Missouri, and inclosing eopie? of SouTHEBN Boundary Difficulty. 141 his own proclamations and the proclamation of Grovernor Boggs of Missouri, together with copies of acts of the Missouri legislature touching the matter, and the complaints of the county commis- sioners of Van Buren county, Iowa. In those days the mails traveled in slow and uncertain coaches, and the governor, therefore, determined to dispatch to Washington a discreet and intelligent special messenger, who, besides bearing his communications with safety and celerity, would be able to explain satisfactorily the condition of affairs to the authorities at Washington. James M. Morgan was selected for this responsible duty ; and on the 9th day December, started from Burlington for Washington with a detailed statement of the condition of affairs in writing by the governor, but Mr. Morgan was only four days on his journey, when the situation having become suddenly more threatening, the governor on the 13th of December, forwarded another communication to Washington, giving additional informa- tion, requesting instructions how to act, and inclosing the affidavit of Stephen Whitcher, Jr., a lawyer residing at Muscatine, who had just returned from a visit to the scene of difficulty, setting forth the fact that the state of Missouri had actually embodied an armed force for the invasion of Iowa. The legislature of Iowa, perhaps intending to pour oil upon ihe troubled waters, passed a preamble and resolutions of so con- <5iliatory a temper, that in effect they surrendered the point at issue to the Missouri authorities. They were entitled, " preamble and resolutions relative to the difficulty between the territory of Iowa and the state of Missouri." The governor, whose message to the legislature vetoing them was dated Decembr 6, 1839, had no further to look than to their title for a reason for withholding his signature from them ; for he said he recognized no difficulty be- tween Iowa and Missouri, but that the controversy was between that state and the United States. The governor of Missouri, nevertheless, seems to have taken advantage of their passage by the legislature by publishing them, and leaving the inference to be drawn that they embodied the sense of the territorial govern- ment of Iowa on the subject ; whereas they had no such signifi- cance without the sanction of the governor. However, the Missouri authorities, seeing the firm stand taken by Gov. Lucas, soon after began to relax their grasp, and the 142 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. result of the whole proceedings, which had kept both Iowa and Missouri in a state of turmoil for more than a year, was, that Sherriff Heffleman of Clark county, Missouri, was arrested by the sheriff of Van Buren county, Iowa, and to avoid excitement and the possibility of an attempt at rescue by the Missouri partizans, was brought to Burlington, where he had an interview with Grov. Lucas. The governor extended to him kind words, and in a con- ciliatory manner [promising, so far as he could, in his executive capacity, to shield him from the consequences of his attempt, in obedience to the mad-cap acts passed by the Missouri legislature, to discharge official duties in Iowa that should have been con- fined to Missouri. Heffleman declined to enter into recognizance, as suggested by the Iowa authorities ; but, notwithstanding this, was not imprisoned, but was nominally in the custody of the sheriff of Muscatine county. The excitement resulting from his arrest gradually subsided, and on the 3d of November, 1840, Governor Lucas had the satisfaction to formally and officially announce, that it had ceased altogether, and that the cordial and ■ fraternal feeling which should ever mark the intercourse of the citizens of the several states was fully restored between the people of Iowa and Missouri. The arrest of Heffleman was the culmination of the contro- versy. Missouri having followed bad counsels, and with much pomp and bluster precipitated a state of affairs bordering on civil war, was in the end most completely defeated, deeply humiliated and the judgment and conduct of Gov. Lucas was signally though tardily vindicated by a decision of the supreme court of the United States, rendered in December, 1848, giving to Iowa all the territory claimed for her by her first governor. The Democratic administration of Van Buren having given place to the Whig government of Harrison, on the 25th of March, 1841, John Chambers was appointed territorial governor of Iowa to succeed Gov. Lucas. The latter, after retiring from office, removed to the land adjoining Iowa City, which he had pur- chased from the government when it was first brought into market, where he spent the most of his remaining days in the management of his farm, the care of his family and the education of his children. A biographical notice of Gov. Lucas will be found in another part of this volume. OHAPTEE XVII. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. CHAMBERS. The New Capitol Building — The Legislature at Iowa City — A State Gov- ernment Discussed — Scarcity of Money — Banking. The third session of the legislature of the territory of Iowa was held at Burlington, commencing November 2, 1840, and adjourned January 15, 1841. M. Bainbridge was elected president of the senate and Thos. Cox, speaker of the assembly. One of the acts passed at this session required the next legislature to con- vene on the first Monday of December, 1841, at Iowa City, the new seat of government, provided the public buildings would be so far completed that the legislative assembly should be accomo- dated in them, or that other suitable buildings would be furnished free of rent. In either case, the governor was directed to issue, his proclamation convening the legislature and fixing the place of convening. Another act passed was that changing the law rela- tive to the capitol building commissioners, doing away with the three commissioners, and creating the office of superintendent of public buildings and territorial agent. The law which had been passed fixing the average price of lots at Iowa City at three hundred dollars was amended, and the territorial agents, in conjunction with other persons, were to value the unsold lots in the city, so as to make their average value two hundred dollars a piece. Chauncey Swan was appointed superin- tendent, at a salary of one thousand dollars, and Jesse Williams was appointed territorial agent, at a salary of seven hundred dol- lars. At the organization of the territorial government, congress made an appropriation of $20,000, for the purpose of erecting the capitol building, and subsequently gave the section of land on which the town of Iowa City was laid out. The twentv thousand (144) ^ AoMINISTBATIOif OF GOV. CHAMBERS. 145 dollars, with all the proceeds of the sale of the lots had been ex- pended, and the territorial agent had borrowed five thousand and five hundred dollars from the Dubuque bank, to assist in pushing forward the work on the capitol, but up to the time of the meet- ing of the legislature, the building had not progressed so that any part of it could be finished for use. The wall on the east side had been raised to the bottom of the cornice, it being thirty-five feet from the ground ; and it was estimated it would cost a thousand dollars to raise them to the square. The foundation of the last portico was completed, and there was material enough purchased and on hand to nearly put on the roof and inclose the building, but it was estimated that it would take thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty dollars, to complete the entire building, and fifteen thousand to finish two rooms forty-three feet long by twenty-two and a half feet wide, so that they could be used for legislative halls. Great efforts were made to so far complete the capitol building that it could be used by the legislature the com- ing winter, but as soon as it was ascertained that it could not be done, rooms were furnished at private expense, and tendered to Gov. Chambers, and on the 1st of November he ordered the fur- nitTire used at Burlington to be removed to Iowa City and issued his proclamation convening the legislature at the new capitol. Iowa City at that time was quite a small place ; there being but a few houses, and the accommodations for members of the legisla- ture, and those who had occasion to visit the capital were not as commodious or extensive as many of them had been accustomed to in their native states. Provisions were scarce and hard to be obtained and the requisites for comfortable entertainment in al- most every respect were very limited, and there were great com- plaints by those who visited the place about the fare they received and the. accommodations provided. The propriety of assuming the responsibility of a state govern- ment was discussed at an early day ; and this question was brought before the legislature, and on the sixteenth of February, 1842, a law was passed providing for a convention, and the taking of the necessary steps for the establishment of a state government. The convention was to consist of eighty-two members, and to meet on the first Monday of the next November ; but before the law was 10 146 TvTTLifs History of lotvA. to be in force it was to be submitted to the vote of the people. But it seems that the people did not at that time feel disposed to assume the responsibility of a state government, for at the next election, the proposition was voted down. In the fall of this year there was another treaty held with the Sao and Fox Indians, at their agency, and on the eleventh of October, 1842, an agree- ment was signed for the purchase of all their lands in Iowa. By the provisions of this treaty, the Indians retained the right to occupy all that part of their lands ceded, " which lies west of a line running due north and south from the Painted, or Red Eocks, on the White Breast fork of the Des Moines river, for the term of three years." In consideration of the grant of lands, the United States agreed to pay these nations, yearly, an interest of five per cent on the sum of eight hundred thousand dollars, and pay all their debts which at that time amounted to two hundred and fifty- eight thousand, five hundred and sixty -six dollars and thirty- four cents. As soon as it was known that this treaty had been made, there was a great rush of immigration to Iowa, and large numbers marked out and made temporary settlements near the boundary line of the Indian country, so as to be ready on the first day of the next May to move into the new purchase, and select choice locations for their claims. The winter of 1842-3 was noted as the cold winter. Snow about a foot deep fell on the night of the 9th of November, most of which lay on the ground till the next April. During most of the winter the snow was from two to four feet deep, and a great portion of the time, the thermometer was about twenty degrees below zero. When the legislature met at Iowa City on the 6th of December, 1841, the place had so far improved that the members and other visitors found very comfortable accommodations. There had been, during the summer, a large brick house put up on the south side of the capitol square called the "Globe House." The walls of the capitol had been carried up to the square, and all the mason work of the south gable completed. The roof was on, and the north gable boarded up with rough boards. The cupola was finished to the first contraction, and the top temporarily inclosed ; the two large rooms on the east side, and two small ones on the Administbation OF Gov. Chambers. 147 west, in the second story, were so far finished, that they were oc- cupied by the legislature and officers of the territory. At the commencement of the year 1842, there was a great crisis ) in money matters. Most of the banks through the country had suspended specie payments in the fall of 1840, and many of them at this time were afraid to make their accustomed loans ; money everywhere became scarce and property went down in value faster than it had gone up, and it was almost impossible to | sell at any price. In addition to the general crisis all over the country, early in the year 1842, all the Illinois, Wisconsin, and a great portion of the Michigan and other western banks failed. The loss sustained by the failure of banks, and the hard times occasioned by the general panic in the money market, created a great prejudice against all banks, and the sentiment prevailed, to a great extent, in favor of a strictly hard currency ; and this was made, to a certain extent, in many parts of the coun- try, and particularly in the west, a political issue. The Miners' Bank at Dubuque, which was chartered by the legislature of Wisconsin, and the only one at this time in Iowa, suspended specie payment the last of March, 1841, and refused to redeem its bills with specie till the first of July, 1842. As soon as the bank resumed specie payment the demand for specie was so great that, in about a week, it again suspended, and the result was, that the value of the notes of the bank became greatly below par. The course pursued by this bank was such, that the legislature, which met on the first Monday in December, 1842, thought proper to make an investigation of its affairs. This bank, like many others, had been started on fictitious capital. The stockholders, instead of paying their stock in money, when the bank commenced business, executed their notes, and among the number was a man by the name of St. John, who re- sided in St Louis. This person had become a stockholder to the amount of forty thousand dollars by executing his notes to the bank, and afterwards became indebted to it by borrowing money to the amount of fifty-seven thousand dollars, and before he had paid any of this indebtedness, failed and took the benefit of the bankrupt act, and the whole of his indebtedness was a loss to the bank. 148 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. Thos. Rodgers, a member from Dubuque, in the early part of the session, gave notice of his intention to introduce a bill to repeal the charter of the bank and provide for winding up the affairs of the same, which was afterwards done, and the mat- ter referred to a joint committee, which committee subsequently brought in two lengthy reports ; the majority reported in favor of repealing the charter and winding up the affairs of the bank ; the minority report recommended milder measures, and did not meet with much favor. The bill finally passed the house by a nearly unanimous vote, and was sent to the council for concur- rence. In that body, it was delayed by the friends of the bank, so that the council adjourned without taking any action on its merits ; and thus, for a while, the existence of the bank was pro- longed. CHAPTER XVIII. HARD TIMES. Collecting Debts by Force — Sheriflfs Employed— The Sunday Law: Re- vision of the Statute — The Legislature of 1844— Public Debt — Con- stitutional Convention. At the commencement of the year 1843, there was one of the hardest times in the money market that had ever been known in the west. All the Illinois, and a great portion of the other western bank notes had gone out of circulation ; land and every- thing else had gone down in value to almost nominal prices ; -corn and oats could be bought at from six to ten cents per bushel, pork at a dollar a hundred, and the best kind of horses the farmer could raise would only bring from fifty to sixty dollars. Almost everybody was in debt, and the sheriff and the constable, with a legal process, trying to collect a debt, were frequent visit- ors at every man's door, and much property was sold on execu- tion at very reduced rates. To try to alleviate the general finan- cial distress of the territory was the principal subject which occu- pied the attention of the legislature at that time. To accomplish this, there was passed what was commonly known as the " valua- tion law." This law provided that, when an execution was issued, the officer should levy upon such property as the defendant might direct. If the defendant turned out real estate, the officer . was required to call an inquest of three disinterested men, having the qualifications of jurors, who were to value the land under oath, and if the land did not sell for two- thirds of its appraised value, then the sheriff was to offer it to the plaintiff, and if he would not take it at this valuation, then there was to be no sale, and the land could not be offered again for twelve months, only at the cost of the plaintiff, unless, when offered, it should bring fl50> Habd Times. 161 more than two-thirds of its value. In relation to personal prop- erty, the officer was to select two disinterested persons who, with himself, were to appraise the property, and if it did not sell for two-thirds of its valuation, then he was to offer it to the plaintiff, and if he did not take it at two-thirds of its value, there was to be no sale, and the property could not be offered again for six months, unless at the cost of the plaintiff. This law worked a relief to the debtor, and but few debts were collected by distress of property. At this session of the legislature there was a law passed called, "an act to present certain immoral practices," which was com- monly known as the Sunday law. This act provided that, if any one should be found on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, rioting, quarreling, fishing, shouting, or at com- mon labor; or if any grocery keeper should sell any spirituous liquor on that day ; or if any person should curse, damn, or pro- fanely swear in any court of justice, or within the hearing of any religious assembly, he should be fined for the same. This law, among the early settlers of Iowa, met with a good deal of opposi- tion, and was much discussed among the people, and in some places was a political issue at the next election. This act, though it remained as the law for years, was a dead letter on the statute book, for no one thought proper to enforce it. This winter the legislature undertook a revision of the stat- utes, and got up a code of laws generally known as the "Blue Book." They made some material changes in the laws, and most of the laws provided that they should take effect from and after their passage. Mr. StuU, who was then secretary, undertook the work, but before he had completed it, was removed from office, and S. J. Barr appointed in his place. Mr. Stull being very much incensed at being deprived of his office, immediately aban- doned the superintendency of publishing and distributing the laws, and left the business in such a conditfon that it was very difficult to readily proceed with the work. On account of this interruption, the laws were not ready for distribution till late in the fall, and the people were from six to nine months with scarcely any one knowing what the laws were. This delay caused to be inserted in the constitution soon after framed, a TuTTLifs History of Iowa. clause which provided that no laws of a public nature should take effect until the same were published and circulated in the several counties by authority. The sixth general assembly met on the first Monday of Decem- ber, 1843. No bills were enacted till January, 1844. In the senate, Thos. Cox was elected president, January 11, 1844, on the forty -first ballot, and B. F. Wallace, clerk ; and in the house, Jas. P. Carleton was chosen speaker, and Joseph T. Fales, chief clerk. One of the first acts was to change the time for holding the general election from the first Monday in Augast to the first Monday of October, but there was but one election held under this law, till it was repealed. The legislature also made provis ions for taking the census of the territory in May, and for an extra session of their body on the sixteenth of June ensuing, for the purpose of making a new apportionment of the representa- tives. Acts were also passed for organizing the counties of Keo- kuk, Mahaska, Wapello and Davis, making provision that after the first of March, 1844, these counties should have all the priv- ileges of other counties of the territory. Among other measures brought before this session, was a bill to repeal the charter of the Miners' Bank of Dubuque. Numer- ous petitions were sent from all parts of the territory, some for sustaining the bank, others for repealing its charter, and this in- stitution was the great question of the session. The bill passed the house and was sent to the council ; there it was amended by striking out all after the enacting clause, and providing among other things, that the bank should resume specie payment within thirty days after the passage of the act, and should make its notes redeemable in specie at Burlington, St. Louis and New York, and the cashier was required to make out, under oath, every ninety days, a statement of the financial condition of the bank, and publish the same in some paper ; and in case the bank re- fused to comply with the .provisions of this act, or at any time refused to pay any of its liabilities in specie, at any of the places where its bills were made redeemable when demanded, then the district attorney of the third judicial district was required to sue out a writ of quo warranto and prosecute the same to final judg- ment, in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the terri- Habd Times. 153 tory. The bill as amended was passed by the council with dis- sentient votes, and sent to the house for their concurrence. The bouse refused to concur, and sent the bill back to the council, when on motion, the bill was laid upon the table until the fourth of July ensuing ; and thus ended the contest for that ses- sion of the legislature about the Miners' Bank of Dubuque. On the 12th of February, tbe legislature passed an act for the pur- pose of letting the people have another opportunity to vote on the question of becoming a state. This act made provision, that at the election to be held in April, the judges of the election should ask each qualified elector as he approached the polls, whether he was " in favor or against a convention to form a state constitution," to which the elector was to answer, "convention," or " no convention ;" and if it was found that tbere was a major- ity of all the voters in the territory in favor of a convention, then at the next August election, delegates were to be chosen. This act made provision for seventy members, but the legislature, at their extra session in June, added three more to the number, who were to be citizens of the United States, and to have resided six months in the territory previous to the election. The convention was to meet at Iowa City on the first Monday of the next October, and form a constitution which was to be sub- mitted to the vote of the people at the next April election, for them to ratify or reject. The vote at the April election was largely in favor of a convention, and a proclamation was issued for electing members at the August election. At this time the expenses of the territory had been more than the appropriations made by congress, and there was quite a large debt hanging over the territorial government, with no means to pay. At the extra session of the legislature in June, there was an act passed, making provisions that if congress would transfer the appropriations made for defraying the expenses of the legisla- ture for the ensuing year, so that it might be applied to the pay- ment of debts already accrued, and the overplus, if any, to the payment of the expenses of the convention which was to form the constitution, that the annual election for the ensuing year for members of the legislature was to be suspended ; but if congress should not transfer the appropriation, then the election for mem- 154 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. bers was to be held on the first Monday of the next April, and the legislature was to hold its annual session on the first Monday of the following May ; so that, by the provisions of this act, the legislature was not in session during the winter after the forma- tion of the first constitution. The members of the convention were elected at the August election, and convened at Iowa City at the stated time, October 7, and were organized by electing Shep- perd LeflSer, president, and Geo. S. Hampton, secretary ; and on the first of November closed their labors. This constitution fixed the boundaries of the state as " begin- ning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river opposite the mouth of Des Moines river, thence up the Des Moines river to a point where it is intersected by the old Indian boundary between Missouri and the Indian country, thence west on a paral- lel of said line to the Missouri river, thence up that river to the mouth of the Sioux river, thence on a direct line to the St. Peters river where the Watonwan intersects the same, thence down the St. Peters river to the Mississippi, thence down the Mississippi to the place of beginning." This constitution made provisions for biennial sessions of the legislature, and for the election by the people, of a governor, sec- retary of state, auditor, and superintendent of public instruction, who were to hold their offices for the term of two years. The judicial department was to consist of a supreme and district courts, and such other courts as might be established by law. The su- preme court was to consist of three judges to be elected by the legislature ; and the district court of one judge, to be elected by the voters of his district, and the judges of both courts were to hold their offices for the term of four years. The state was pro- hibited from incurring a debt over one hundred thousand dollars, unless by a vote of the people. This constitution was formed just after the people had suffered severely from worthless bank and fraudulent corporations, and a war against banks and incorporated institutions was a leading principle with the democratic party, and the democrats having a large majority in the convention, made the constitution a little more democratic than pleased the people, as was shown by their subsequent vote. The convention did not wait to see if the people 156 Tuttle's History of Iowa. would ratify their work, but immediately sent the constitution to congress to be admitted as a state. As provided by the previous legislature, in contemplation of the adoption of the constitution, there was no session of the legis- lature the winter after the convention. CHAPTEE XIX. CRIME. Tlie Indian Girl Haxta — Her Fate — Bill Johnson — His History — Peck's Kevenge — Indian Murders — Murder of Miller — Execution — Murder of Davenport. In 1838, while the Sioux occupied the northwest part of Iowa, and the Pawnees lived on the west bank of the Missouri, on the river about one hundred and fifty miles above Council Blu£Es, there happened an incident quite revolting to civilization. The Pawnees have been noted as a warlike and cruel people, and had long been at variance with the Sioux, and at that time were engaged in a fierce and sanguinary war. In the month of February of this year, the Pawnees captured a Sioux girl about fourteen years old, named Haxta. She was taken to their village where she was kept as a prisoner and treated as one of their own tribe. Her situation being known to the In- dian traders in that vicinity, they made efforts to purchase her lib- erty that she might be restored to her parents ; but these efforts proved unsuccessful, and she was kept as a prisoner, and treated kindly for several months. About the time the Indians commenqed to plant their corn, the chiefs and warriors, about eighty in number, held a council at which they determined to offer her " to the spirit of fecundity in a new corn crop which they were about to plant." At the close of the council, she was taken from her lodging and, accompanied by the whole council, was led from wigwam to wigwam through the whole village, at each of which she was presented with a gift. On the 22d of April, two days after she had been presented with these gifts, she was led to the place of her sacrifice ; and not until she arrived at this place, was she informed of the doom which awaited her. The place selected was between two trees (157) 158 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. which stood about five feet apart. Three bars of wood were fas- tened to the tree as a platform for her to stand upon. A fire was kindled under the bars and supplied with dry fuel till the flames should reach the platform. Two stout warriors then raised the girl by the arms, mounted the platform and caused her to stand directly over the flames. Two small fagots of dry wood were ignited and placed under her arm-pits. While she was thus sufEer- ing torture, the assembled population of the village stood around, at a short distance from their victim to witness the scene. After she had sufllered till exhausted nature had nearly sur- rendered life, all the warriors who were standing by with their bows and arrows, at a given signal, let fly their arrows, and every vital part of the body was pierced with these missiles. As soon as life was extinct, their arrows were pulled out from the quivering flesh, and while her body was still warm, her'flesh was out in small pieces from her bones, and placed in baskets. The baskets of flesh were taken to a newly prepared corn field ; here the principal chief first took a piece of flesh from the bas- ket, and squeezed from it a drop of blood upon the deposited grain of corn ; this example was followed by the others, till every hill had been bathed with blood, when the corn was covered with earth ; and thus closed the fate of the Sioux Indian girl Haxta. About the year 1843, there was a man in Iowa who attracted much attention, and who was known by the name of " Bill John- son." There was a man in Canada who had been prominent in the troubles that took place there a short time previous, and had taken an active part in some of the political movements then go- ing on, and had carried his measures to such an extent, that he was charged with treason, and, to elude the grasp of the civil authorities, secreted himself among the islands of the St. Law- rence. Here, with a party of his associates, for some months he managed his enterprise for political reformation, and baffled all efforts of the civil authorities to arrest him, frequently making sallies upon the shipping which went up and down the river, to obtain his supplies. This man and his exploits were subjects of many newspaper comments, and the people of the United States to a great extent sympathized with bim in his political undertakings, and he was Crime. ■ 169 commonly styled the " Canadian patriot, or the hero of a thous- and exploits." An individual, pretending to be the Canadian patriot, came into Iowa with a young girl, whom he represented to be his daughter, and settled in Clayton county, which at that time was very sparsely settled, and was attached to Dubuque county for judicial purposes. Johnson had not been in this location very long before, for some reason, he became very obnoxious to his neighbors, and some eight or ten white persons, accompanied by a party of Indians, went, one cold night, to his house, and he represented that they took him from his bed, forced him out of doors and tied him to a tree, and, after giving him about fifty lashes on his bare back, ordered him and his daughter Kate to pack up their things and leave the neighborhood within two hours, and never to return again, at the peril of their lives. Johnson and his daughter, after being thus dealt with, started in the night, and traveled a distance of twenty- Sve miles over a prairie country, when it was so cold that one of the rioters was reported to have frozen to death, another froze his feet, and sev- eral others were more or less frost bitten before they could get to their homes. When Johnson and his daughter rehearsed, in Du- buque, the treatment they had received, and the old man repre- senting himself to be the Canadian patriot, they elicited much sympathy in their behalf. The newspapers published their wrongs to the world, and the citizens of Dubuque interested themselves in bringing the offenders to justice. The rioters were arrested, and four of the number, by the names of Evans, Spencer, Par- rish and Eawley, were convicted, and one was sentenced to the penitentiary for two years, and the others fined two hundred dol- lars each. After this transaction, Johnson left Dubuque, and, coming to the southern part of the territory with his daughter, he stopped and made a claim in Mahaska county. Johnson was a large, stout man, well built, bold and resolute in his manner, knd his whole bearing of such a character as was calculated to inspire fear and dread in those who might chance to meet with his dis- pleasure. He had not been in Mahaska county long, before a young man 160 TUTTLBfs HiSTOBY OF lOWA. by the name of Peck, who had made a claim near to Johnson's, became enamored with Miss Kate, and the young twain wished to be joined as husband and wife. The old man, being informed of their wishes, became violently opposed to it, and ordered Peck to stay away from his house. But Peck, not willing to give up the object of his affections, watched an opportunity when the old man was away from home, took the girl and came to Benjamin McOlary's, a special friend of his in Jefferson county, where they were married. The old man coming home and finding his daughter gone, soon learned the cause of her absence, got on their trail and followed in hot pursuit. The young couple had been married, and had just retired to bed, when the old man arrived at McOlary's. He entered the house with a drawn pistol, ascended the ladder to the loft of the cabin, where his daughter and her spouse had retired ; made her get up and dress herself and hurry down the ladder, put heron a horse and rode away, while the husband stood by, a silent spectator, and dared not move a finger, or say a word in her behalf. Young Peck, though he showed no resistance at the time, did not, as it is presumed from the sequel, quietly brook the insult offered, or forget the injury received, in being thus deprived of his wife; for, a few evenings after Johnson returned with his daughter to his home in Mahaska county, some person, just after dark, approached his house, which was occupied by himself and daughter, pointed a rifle through a hole in the cabin, and sent a leaden bullet through his heart, and the old man fell on the floor and died without speaking a word. Peck was arrested for the murder, and lodged in the jail of Washington county, which then had judicial jurisdiction over all the territory west of it He subsequently had his trial, and was acquitted, though there was little doubt in the mind of the public that he was the murderer of this bold and daring man. These transactions made Johnson so notorious a character in Iowa, that means were taken to ascertain if the history he had given of himself was correct, and it was satisfactorily found that he was an impostor ; a man of low repute, and not the distin- guished "Bill Johnson," the Canadian patriot; and on an investi- 162 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. gation of the circumstances attending his troubles in Clayton county, it was very evident that he and Miss Kate had perjured themselves on the trial of those charged with abusing them, so much so, that the governor thought proper to pardon these con- victs; and these individuals upon being pardoned, immediate- ly took measures to arrest Miss Kate for perjury ; but the friends of Peck, at his request, interposed, and sent her oflf out of the territory, and she thus escaped a legal investigation. Thus ended the career of this man and his daughter, much to the chagrin of those who were instrumental in helping to convict those who, as they supposed, had inflicted a flagrant wrong upon " Bill Johnson," the Canadian patriot, the celebrated hero of the " thousand islands. " About this time the Winnebago Indians who lived in the northern part of Iowa, on the neutral grounds, were very trouble- some. Some unprincipled whites were in the habit of selling them whisky, and prompting them to commit depredations by stealing and robbing. While under the influence of whisky, some of the tribe murdered Messrs. Tegardner and Atwood, traders in the Indian country, and severely wounded the son of the former. These murders were committed at their trading house, which the Indians set on fire, and the house and the dead bodies were burned to ashes, Some of the Indians, supposed to have been engaged in these murders, were taken prisoners, brought to Dubuque and lodged in jail. They remained in prison a long while before they were brought to trial, and, while confined, one of them named Wah- con-chaw-kaw (big Indian) killed one of his companions, and when interrogated why he did it, the only answer was, that " so great a liar ought not to live." The others had their trial and were all acquitted ; but Wah-con-chaw-kaw was convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for life. While waiting for a trial, some of the Indians escaped, and after being absent some time, very unexpectedly to everybody, came back. The reason of their return was, probably, because their comrades would not receive them as belonging to their na- tion till they had answered to the penalties of their crime, or had been honorably discharged ; supposing, if they protected them that their nation would be held responsible for their crimes. Cbime. 163 On the 25th of April, 1845, John Miller, with his son-in-law, by the name of Liecy, with their families, emigrated from Ohio, and stopped in Lee county, where they offered to pay cash for a good farm ; and, from this circumstance, it was soon reported through the neighborhood, that he had a large amount of money in his possession. Miller, Liecy, and another man, were the only male inmates of the house. On the night of the 10th of May, the family as usual retired to bed for the night. About twelve o'clock at night, they were aroused from their slumbers by three men entering the house with a dark lantern, and demanding their money. The old man and his son-in-law, not being disposed to quietly give up the money, did not readily comply with their de- mands, but undertook to drive the robbers from the house, while the third man, being frightened, hid himself under the bed- clothes. There was a desperate struggle between the robbers and the old man and his son-in-law. Miller was stabbed in the heart and immediately breathed his last. Liecy being first shot with a pistol, and then receiving several deep gashes upon the head and back from a bowie-knife, fell, helpless, on the floor: The assas- sins, being disheartened at the bold resistance with which they had been received, and probably fearing that the disturbance which they had made might raise the neighbors, made a hasty re- treat, without securing their booty. The news of this bloody tragedy spread rapidly through the settlement, and the whole neighborhood became alarmed for their own safety. Every imaginable effort was made to discover the perpetrators, but for a long time nothing could be ascertained which threw any light on the dark transaction. A cup was found near the house, which was supposed to belong to one of the murderers, which he had probably dropped in the hurry to get away from the scene of carnage. A man, by the name of Edward Bonney, who resided at Montrose, and was well calculated for finding out dark deeds, having beard of tbe cup, undertook to ascertain the owner, and by stratagem and a system of ma- nceuvering, found that two young men by the name of William and Stephen Hodges, and a Thomas Brown, who resided at Nauvoo, must be the men who had committed the murder. Brown made his escape ; but the two Hodges were arrested and taken before 164 Tvttle's History of Iowa. Liecy, who was still living, though he died soon after from his wounds, and they were identified by him as being two of the men who entered the house. The district cOurt of Lee county, at this time, was then in ses- sion, and the Hodges were indicted and arraigned for a trial, but they succeeded in delaying their sentence for a few weeks, by taking a change of venue from that county to Des Moines county. They were tried at Burlington, found guilty, and on the 15th day of July, publicly executed ; they being the first persons who ever suffered capital punishment in the southern part of the state. On the fourth of July, 1845, on Rock Island opposite Daven- port, there was a most daring murder committed on the person of Ool. Greo. Davenport. This gentleman was an Englishman by birth and was born in 1783. In his younger days he followed the sea, and as a sailor came to New York in 1804. While his vessel lay at New York, in attempting to save a fellow-sailor from a watery grave, he broke his leg, which rendered him unfit for duty, and he was left at that city in the hospital. Soon after recovering from this accident, he entered into the United States service as a soldier, and was appointed a sergeant. In the spring of 1806, his regiment was ordered to the west, and put under the command of Gen. Wilkinson. He served as a soldier in the army of the United States for ten years. After he was discharged, he went into the employment of Col. Wm. Morrison of Kentucky, as gov- ernment contractor, as his agent for furnishing the troops with provisions. In the spring of 1816, he came up the Mississippi river with a body of United States troops under the command of Col. Lawrence. They came up to the mouth of Rock river, where they stopped and made an examination for a suitable place to build a fort, and selected the lower end of Rock Island as the most suitable point. The troops landed upon the island the 10th day of May, 1816, and as soon as their encampment was completed, Davenport " employed the soldiers to cut logs and build a store for the provisions." This was the first building ever erected on the island. The soldiers) immediately went to work to build a fortification, which was called Fort Armstrong. Soon after arriv- ing at Rock Island, Davenport commenced trading with the Indians. In the fall of 1826, he became a member of the American Fur Cbime. 165 Company and stopped trading with the Indians in a private ca- pacity. In the Black Hawk war he took an active part, and received from the governor the appointment of acting quarter- master general, with the rank of colonel. Of his further life it is only necessary to state, that he assisted Gov. Chambers in making a treaty with the Sacs and Foxes for the purchase of their lands in Iowa, retired from the fur company, and gave up the Indian trade in which he had been engaged over twenty years. As an Indian trader he had acquired wealth, and became extensively known, and highly respected in the west. On the 4th of July, 1845, there was a celebration on the Illi- nois side of the river, to which all the family had gone, and left the colonel at home to take care of the house. It was generally supposed that he kept a considerable amount of money about him, which attracted the attention of the desparadoes of the west, and a party of them laid their plans to get his money in their possession. After the family had gone, the old gentleman sat down in his parlor, and was engaged in reading a newspaper. Hearing some noise at the well, he arose to see what occasioned it. As he advanced toward the door which Jed the way to the well, it was suddenly opened and three men stood before him. Before a word was spoken the foremost one discharged a pistol at him, and the ball passed through the left thigh. As he turned to get his cane to defend himself, the three men rushed upon him, threw him upon the floor, blindfolded him, and tied his arms and legs with hickory bark, so that he was helpless. In this condition they dragged him through the hall and up stairs to a closet, where was kept an iron safe. The robbers, not know- ing how to open it themselves, compelled him to unlock it, and appropriated to their own use all the money it contained. But not getting as much money as they expected, and thinking there was more about the premises, they then put him on a bed and demanded of him to show them where his other money was kept. He pointed to a drawer in a dressing bureau. The rob- bers in their haste opened the wrong drawer, and not finding any money, renewed their assaults upon his person, and carried them to such an extent that he fainted and became senseless. They revived him by dashing cold water in his face, and as soon as he 166 Tuttle's Histort of Iowa. became sensible, they again demanded of him to tell them where his money was kept. He again pointed to the drawer ; but the robbers again opened the wrong drawer and finding no money, they renewed their assaults and choked him till he again fainted. They again attempted to revive him, and threatened if he did not tell them where his money was kept, they would set fire to the house and leave him in his helpless condition to perish in the flames. The robbers discovering that their victim was unable to answer their inquiries, now took their leave, taking with them between seven and eight hundred dollars in money, a gold watch and chain, a double barreled gun and a pistol, leaving the vener- able old pioneer tied so that he could not help himself, and near- ly exhausted from their abuse. He was first discovered in this condition by a Mr. Cole who, with two others, had been out on a fishing excursion, and return- ing home in a skiff, passed down near the island, and when oppo- site the house, they heard the cry of murder. They immediately landed and went to the house. On entering the door they found the floor besmeared with blood, and heard a cry for help coming from up stairs. O^le immediately ascended the stairs and made his way to the room from which the cry came, and here he found the old gentleman in a most perilous condition. He released him from the hickory bands, leaving him in charge of his two companions, gave an alarm, and as quickly as possible procured medical aid. The physician and his friends rendered all the assistance they could to restore his strength and alleviate his suf- ferings, and so far succeeded in restoring him that he was enabled to give a minute account of the whole transaction ; but he had received so much injury that his physical strength gave way, and he expired between nine and ten o'clock that evening. The murdering of so prominent a man as Col. Davenport caused a great deal of feeling through the whole west, and great anxiety was felt to find out the perpetrators of this bloody deed. A reward of fifteen hundred dollars was offered by the family for the arrest of the murderers, and the whole community became in- terested, and were on the look out, and trying to ferret out the assassins that they might be brought to justice i but days and weeks passed off and not the slightest information could be ob- 168 Tuttle's History of Iowa. tained of those concerned in the robbery. The success of Edward Bonney, in detecting the murderers of Miller and Lieoy in Lee county, and bringing Hodges to punishment, had given him quite a distinguished reputation for such undertakings, and the friends of Col. Davenport applied to him for aid. Bonney undertook the task, and by representing himself as a man of dark deeds, got into the confidence of the desperadoes, and after several months exer- tions in laying plans, etc., ascertained that the persons who enter- ed the house were generally known by the names of William Fox, Eobert Birch and John Long, and that another man by the name of Aaron Long was on the outside standing sentinel, while the others did the work inside the house. He also ascertained that a man by the name of John Baxter, who had been living in the family of Col. Davenport, gave the other parties the information of the money, and how to obtain it. He also learned that a man by the name of Grranville Young and several others were accessory to the robbery. These parties were arrested and lodged in prison ; Baxter repenting of his acts informed on the others. The two Longs and Young were executed ; Pox and Birch broke prison and got away ; Baxter was sentenced to be hung, but his sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life ; while some others were sent to the penitentiary for a shorter time. The arrest and conviction of some of the prominent ones of the desperadoes deterred others, so that the community were some- what relieved from the fear of further depredations. CHAPTER XX. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. CLARK. Events of 1845 — Boundary Difficulties — A. C. Dodge and tlie Boundary — The Miners' Bank of Dubuque — How it was Closed Up — The Mor- mons. About the same time that Iowa sought to become a state, Florida formed a constitution, and made application for admission to the union, and on the third of March, 1845, congress passed an act admitting Florida and Iowa into the union as sovereign states ; but the act curtailed the boundaries of Iowa, and instead of adopt- ing the boundaries as defined in her constitution, enacted that they should " begin at the mouth of St. Peters river, thence up that river to the parallel of latitude, passing through the mouth of the Wakaton or Blue Earth river, thence west, along said parallel to a point where it is intersected by a meridian line seventeen and a half degrees west of Washington, thence due south to the state of Missouri, thence to the north line of that state till it strikes the Des Moines river, thence down that stream to the Mississippi, thence up the Mississippi to the place of beginning — making the western boundary of Iowa on a line with the western boundary of Missouri, and cutting off nearly all the western slope of the state, as the boundaries were subsequently established. The opponents of the constitution offered this curtailing of the state as a reason why the people should not adopt the constitution. This argu- ment seemed to have much force, especially with the whig party ; and to counteract this opposition, brought to bear against adopt- ing the constitution, Hon. Aug. C. Dodge, who was then the del- egate oi the territory in congress, prepared a circular and had it sent all over the territory, in which he gave it as his opinion, that Iowa could never get a better boundary than the one which had -been given her by congress; but the constitution, contrary to the fl69) 170 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. expectation of most of the leading democrats, was voted down at the election, August 4, 1845 ; the vote was : for the constitution, 7,235 ; against the constitution, 7,656. The defeat of the consti- tution was attributed by those favorable to its adoption, to the act of congress curtailing the boundaries of the state. Mr. Dodge was candidate for reelection as a delegate, but his circular in reference to the boundary of the state injured his pop- ularity, as the citizens were very much opposed to the boundaries which he had given his opinion as not being likely to be changed. There being a large democratic majority in the territory, he was again returned to congress. At the April election of 1845, there was an election of members of the general assembly, which convened at Iowa City on the 5th of the following May. At this seventh session, S. C. Hastings was president of the senate, and Jas. M. Morgan, speaker of the house. One of the first things which claimed the attention of the legislature, was the defeated constitution. The leading politicians among the democrats being anxious for a state government, and claiming that the constitution had been defeated on account of the change of boundaries by congress, used every exertion in their power with the members of the legislature to have it again submitted to a vote of the people, with the boundaries as defined by the convention ; and the legislature passed a law providing that the constitution, with the boundaries as adopted by the con- vention, should, at the next August election be again submitted to the voters for their ratification or rejection. This law especially provided, if there was a majority in favor of the constitution so submitted, it was not to be considered as accepting the bounda- ries fixed by congress, and there was to be no election of state officers, and the admission was not to be deemed as complete, un- til whatever conditions might be imposed by congress should be ratified by the popular vote. This bill, from the whig portion of the legislature, met with a strenuous opposition, every whig using all his exertions to defeat the measure ; but it was carried by a strict party vote. The whig members of the house, not being sat- isfied with voting against the bill, after it had passed, probably to have effect before the people, drew up a lengthy protest, and had it entered upon the journals, which was published in all the whig Administration of Gar. Clark. 171 newspapers throughout the territory. When the bill was sub- mitted to the governor he returned it with his veto ; but the democrats having, in both branches of the legislature, a ma- jority of two-thirds, passed the bill by the requisite majority over the veto, and it became a law. Though the whig members of the legislature and the governor were not able to defeat the passage of the law, yet when the con- stitution was again submitted to the people, it was voted down by a much larger majority than at the first time of voting, so that the labors of the convention proved to be of no avail, much to the chagrin of some of the leading politicians. Owing to the probability that the territory might become a state, the election for members of the legislature was postponed from August to the first Monday of April ensuing. At this session of the legislature, acts were passed for organiz- ing the councies of Iowa, Kiskekosh (now Monroe) and Marion. The two former counties were organized on the first day of July, 1845, and the latter on the first day of August of that year, and all the country west of the organized counties was attached to them for civil and judicial purposes. The affairs of the Miners' Bank of Dubuque again came up for consideration, and the legislature, for the first time, undertook to make some arrangements for paying the debts which were due the bank from the territory; and, on the 10th of June, they passed an act requiring the territorial treasurer to sell enough of the unsold lands of Iowa City, belonging to the territory, to pay the bank debt, and apply the proceeds of the sale for that pur- pose. This was the first step taken by the legislature to pay a just debt which had been contracted more than four years previ- ous, and had been due over three years, and no part of the prin- cipal or interest had been paid ; and, during this time, the legis- lature had been carrying on a warfare against this institution for not redeeming its notes. But, before the legislature had done this act of justice, they had taken steps to give the institution its death blow, for, on the 14th of May, they passed a bill repealing its charter, and provided for winding up the business of the bank. The law made it the duty of the district court to appoint two 172 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. sell its personal and real estate, collect money and pay debts, and manage the whole business as an administrator would the assets of an insolvent estate. The bill was presented to the governor, but he did not approve it, nor return it to the legislature, doubt- less thinking, if he should veto it, that it would be passed by a two-thirds majority, and, after it had remained with him three days, it became, the law of the territory by the law of congress. The owners of the bank did not feel disposed to submit to this summary proceeding without being heard in their defense, and re- sisted the enforcement of the law. Judicial proceedings were commenced, and the right of the legislature to repeal the charter and close up the business of the bank was resisted until the ques- tion was decided by the supreme court. The act creating the bank had a provision " that if such cor- poration should fail to go into operation, or should abuse or mis- use this charter, it should be in the power of the legislature of the territory, at any time, to annul, vacate and make void this charter." The bank contended that, in thus disposing of its charter, it had not had any chance to defend itself, and that, before the charter could be taken away or repealed, it should be decided by some judicial tribunal, after due investigation, that it had abused or misused its privileges guarantied to it by the charter. But the supreme court decided the act of the legislature repealing the charter to be a valid act, and the institution was closed up. On the 5th of June, 1846, the Pottawattomie Indians who occu- pied the western slope of Iowa, sold their lands to the United States. Up to that time but little was known of the western part. The Sacs and Foxes, by the provisions of the treaty of 1842, had the right to the possession of the lands, they had sold, which lay west of Red Rock, till the first of May, 1846, and the Potta- wattomies in their sale, reserved the right to occupy the country on the western slope for a period of two years ; but by a train of circumstances, not anticipated, these lands were taken possession of by the whites, and settlements made some time before the Indians left the ceded territory. The Mormons, a religious sect who had built up a town at Nauvoo, in Illinois, numbering about twenty thousand persons, on account of some difficulties which they had had with the citi- 174 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. zens of that state, were under the necessity of leaving that place and seeking a new location for building up the " Church of Latter Day Saints." After these troubles in Illinois, many of this religious denomination crossed over the Mississippi into Iowa, and started west. They had a party whose business it was to go in advance of the main company to explore the route and make fords and bridges by which the streams could be crossed. They came up the Des Moines valley till they reached the western part of Yan Buren county ;' they then took their course through the northern part of Davis and Appanoose counties. When they arrived at this point, their company divided, a party taking the high lands on each side of Chariton river, but their trains came together again in Clark county. As soon as they got into the Indian country, selecting the most eligible spots, they, commenced establishing colonies at such distances from each other as would be likely to afford comfort, and facilitate the travel of those who might follow in their trail after them. Several families stopped at Garden Grove in Decatur county, another party made a loca- tion in Lucas county, at a place now known as Chariton ; some four or five families stopped at a point called Lost Camp. In the spring of 1849, the Mormons receiving favorable reports from their pioneers, most of those who had the means to emigrate, started west for Salt Lake to establish a colony : yet a large num- ber remained ; they built up quite a village at Kanesville. This point was the great business mart of the Morrrions (Council Bluffs), and became the principal crossing point of the Missouri for the emigration across the mountains. For several years this part of the state was occupied almost entirely by Mormons, who at that time held a prominent position in the affairs of Iowa, particularly in political matters. The business at this point became of such importance on ac- count of the overland emigration, that in 1850 several business men not of the Mormon faith, settled hfere and opened stores; but the Mormons gradually leaving for the west, and others supplying their places, this religious sect soon ceased to attract attention in Iowa. GHAPTEE XXI. CLARK'S ADMINISTRATION. Legislation of 1845 — Move for a Constitutional Convention — Convention at Iowa City in 1846 — Its Labors ; Forming a State Government. The eighth general assembly met on the first of Deoember, 1845, and adjourned January 19, 1846. Stephen Hemstead was elected president of the council, and Gr. W. McOrary, speaker of the house. It passed no act until after the first of the following February. The then recent depression in business had been felt all over the country, and thousands had been reduced from opulence to poverty and want. Many, who had married fortunes, had not only lost their own property, but the means obtained by their wives had been taken to the last cent to pay the debts of their misfortunes, and their wives and children left penniless. A great many persons of this character came tO' Iowa, for the purpose of retrieving their fortunes. Owing to these circumstances, " wo- man's rights " was a popular question, and this legislature, for the first time in Iowa, passed an act concerning the rights of mar- ried women. This act provided that if any married woman " be- came seized or possessed of any real estate in her own name, and as of her own property," unless §he obtained it through her hus- band, it " should in no case be liable for the debts of the hus- band." There was an act passed at this session, defining the boundaries of the counties of Wayne, Lucas, Warren, Polk, Marshall, Jas- per, Story, Boone, Dallas, Madison, Clarke and Decatur ; also acts making provisions for organizing the counties of Appanoose, Benton, Jasper and Polk — the last three to be organized and have all the privileges of other organized counties after the first of the March following, and the first twelve after the first of the 176 Tuttle's History of Iowa. But the most important measure of the session was a law pro- viding for a convention for the purpose of making another con-' stitution. The law provided that the convention should consist of thirty -two members — only about one-half of the number composing the first convention. The delegates to be elected at the April election, and meet at Iowa City on the first of the month of May ensuing. The constitution, when formed, was to be submitted to the vote of the people at the next August elec- tion, for their rejection or ratification ; and if ratified, it was then to be sent to congress to be admitted into the union as a sover- eign state. This constitution varied in some respects from the first constitution, particularly on banking. The delegates met at Iowa City on the fourth of May, 1846, and organized their body by electing Bnos Lowe, president, and William Thompson, secretary, and closed their labors on the sev- enteenth of the same month, having been in session a little over two weeks. The only questions which elicited much debate, or met with strong opposition, were the boundary question and that portion of the constitution in relation to corporations. The boundary, after being fully discussed, was settled by adopting the boundary of the first constitution, except north and northwest The par- allel of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes, north latitude, was made the northern boundary of the state, and instead of startiBg in the northwest from the mouth of the Sioux river, " thence in a direct line to the middle of the main channel of the St Peters river, where the Waton-wan enters the same," it ran up the main channel of the Sioux until it r^ched the parallel of the northern boundary. Certain provisions in the constitution entirely prohibited bank- ing. The provisions on corporations met with much opposition from the people, especially those on banking, and the opponents used the first and every opportunity they had to change the clause on banking, until the same was accomplished. Probably this constitution would have remained the supreme law of the state for many years, had it not been for this prohibition ; for, in- stead of producing a sound metallic circulating medium for busi- ness, as was the design of those who favored it, the paper of the Clark's Administration. I77 banks whose solvency was doubtful at home found its way to Iowa, and probably no state in the union had in circulation a more worthless and irresponsible, currency than was found hero during the time of the entire prohibition of banks. There was much opposition to the constitution, and its opponents thought it would be defeated ; but there was a strong feeling in favor of a state government; many of those who were opposed to the provis- ion on corporations, voted in favor of it, claiming that these ob- jections could easily be amended. At the August election there were polled eighteen thousand five hundred and twenty-eight votes ; of this vote 9,492 were for the constitution, and 9,036 against ; a majority of four hundred and fifly-six in favor of adopting the constitution. In the month of September, as soon as the vote was officially known, Grov. Clark issued his proclamation for an election of state officers and members of the legislature, which was held on the twenty-sixth of the following October. As the territory was about to assume a state government, there was a great struggle among the politicians to secure for themselves, the offices of the new government. Besides the officers to be elected by the people, there were two United States senators and three supreme court judges to be elected by the legislature, and it became quite an object to the politicians of both parties to se- cure the legislature. The democrats and whigs both thoroughly organized their parties, held conventions and made nominations for the several offices. The democrats nominated Ansel Briggs, of Jackson county, for governor; Elisha Cutler, of Van Buren county, for secretary ; Joseph T. Sales, of Dubuque county, for auditor ; Morgan Eeno, of Johnson county, for treasurer, and the whigs nominated Thos. McKnight, of Dubuque county, for gov- ernor; Jas. H. Coles, of Van Buren county, for secretary ; Easton Morris, of Johnson county, for auditor ; and B. T. Smith for trea- surer. This election was carried on with a great deal of spirit on both sides, but the democrats succeeded in electing all the state officers and a majority of the representatives in the senate, but were not so fortunate in electing members to the house. For governor, Ansel Briggs received 7,626 votes, and Thos. McKnight 7,379 votes. 13 CHAPTEE XXII. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. BBIGGS. State Government — Events of 1847 — Organization of the State Legislature — Bribery — Exciting Election Contest in the Legislature — Adjourn- ■ ment — No United States Senators — Liquor Question — Education — Hard Times — Land Grants — Uncle Sam appoints Judges. The fibst session of the general assembly of Iowa after the adoption of the constitution convened on the 30th of November, 1846, and adjourned January 25, 1847. The house was organized by electing Jesse B. Brown, an active whig of Lee county, speak- er, and the senate by electing Thos. Baker, a democrat of Polk county, president of the senate, and John B. Eussell, secretary. These elections indicated that the whigs in joint convention, would have two majority. Under these circumstances, there were great efforts made to secure the votes of one or two of those who acted with the whigs in organizing the legislature, to vote with the democrats in electing judges and senators, for one vote would make a tie and prevent the election, and two would enable the democrats to elect their men. Charges of bribery were made ; one member stated " that since he had presented his credentials and taken his seat as a member of the house, he had been ap- proached by several persons, and that several distinct propositions of money and other rewards had been offered him if he would vote for a certain person for United States senator." The matter was referred to a committee who subsequently made a report, consisting of the testimony taken, without any recommendation, which was laid upon the table and this ended the Whole affair. The excitement about bribing members of the legislature having subsided, the members commenced to think about having an elec- tion for senators ; both parties thinking they could manage to se- cure the election of their own candidate. After the exchanginff of (178) 180 TuTTLEfs History of Iowa. several messages between the house and senate as to the time, they finally agreed to go into joint convention on the eighteenth of December. This agreement was consummated without there hav- ing been made any arrangement between the two houses for con- ducting the business of the convention. When the senate went into the representative's hall, Baker the presiding officer of the senate, who was an unassuming man, had held several territorial offices, and had accustomed himself to be polite to everybody, walked up to the stand for the purpose of taking the chair, to pre- side over the joint convention. Brown, who had been a military man and accustomed- to give command, already being in the chair, sternly refused to give it up. It being quite an object with each par- ty to have the presiding officer, the difference in opinion as to who was the proper officer to preside over the joint convention called forth much feeling and a spirited debate. Brown having posses- sion of the chair, and being sustained by the whigs, retained his position, and he and the clerk of the house acted as the officers of the join.t convention. When this question was decided, Mr. T. H. Benton of Dabuque, and G. W. Bowie of Des Moines county, were appointed tellers and the call of the roll commenced. The hall, though crowded with spectators, was as still as death, and the most intense anxiety was depicted in the countenances of each indi- vidual. The members of the convention and those in the lobby, all being anxious to learn how each man voted, were held in breathless silence, and nothing disturbed the quiet but the calling of the roll by the clerk and the responses of the members. As soon as the vote was over, it was announced that Jona. McOarty had received twenty-nine votes, Thomas Wilson twenty-eight votes, and G. C. E. Mitchell one vote ; there was no choice, and that the convention would proceed to another ballot Immediate- ly the democrats moved an adjournment. On this motion, twenty- eight voted in the affirmative and thirty in the negative. This motion in different shapes was repeated by the democrats six times without there being any opportunity for any other business, and during these votes there was the greatest confusion and tu- mult. On the sixth ballot, two votes were added to the demo- cratic vote and an adjournment was carried until the 5th of Jan- uary, 1847. Administration of Gov. Briggs. 181 On the 19th of December, the legislature adpurned till the 5th of January. During the adjournment one member was taken sick and died, so that the whigs could now expect only one ma- jority on joint ballot On the 5th of January the house appointed a committee of two to act with a like committee on the part of the senate, to prepare rules for the government of the joint conven- tion. The senate referred this proposition of the house to a special committee, with instructions to report at some future day. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the house informed the senate that they were ready to receive them in joint conven- tion for the election of senators. The senate upon receiving this message adjourned, and the democratic members imme- diately dispersed, so that all prospects of an election on that day vanished. Subsequently there were several efforts on the part of the house, and the whigs of the senate to elect supreme court judges, but the d'emocrats of the senate voted against going into joint convention, and having a majority in that body, the legislature, after sitting until the 25th of February, adjourned without electing either judges or senators, and the state of Iowa, for the first two years after being organized as a state government, was not represented in the United States senate. The members of the legislature were so much engaged in the controversy about electing senators and supreme judges, that the real wants of the people received but little attention until the close of the session. The state auditor reported that the receipts from counties and other sources, from April 24, 1847, to March 17, 1848, were $72,216.72, and the amount of warrants paid, $41,550.22. One of the first and most important considerations to the mem- bers of the legislature was to provide the means to compensate themselves for their services. The territory had become a state, with a debt of about twenty thousand dollars hanging over it. The members of the constitutional convention had not been paid, and there was no money in the treasury with which to mieet the expenses of the present legislature. To meet these emergencies, the legislature passed an act authorizing a loan of fifty thousand dollars to be made to the state, and appointed W. F. Ooolbaugh, of Burlington, to negotiate the loan; so the first state legislaturp 182 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. imposed a debt on the state of one- half the amount to which it was limited by the constitution. About this time there were great efforts being made through- out the state for a temperance reform. Previous to this time, ever since Iowa had sustained a government, the county authorities had been authorized to grant licenses for the retailing of liquors. Petitions were sent from every part of the state, asking the legis- lature to take some steps for the suppression of intemperance, and at this session there was an act passed requiring the citizens of each county, at the April election, to give an expression of public sentiment on the question of licensing the retailers of intoxicating liquors. The law required that there should be a poll opened for the electors to vote "license," or "no license," and if a majority of the votes cast in any county were against a license, then there was to be no liquor sold in that county. The result showed that there was a majority in every county in the state, except two, op- posed to the selling of intoxicating liquors. But this law did not have the effect that was desired by its friends ; for, notwithstand- ing there was a large majority of the electors in the state who voted against a license, the law was very unpopular, and but very little regarded, and intemperance seemed to increase, rather than diminish. At this session of the legislature, the state was divided into two congressional and four judicial districts. The first congressional district embraced the counties of Lee, Van Buren, Jefferson, Wapello, Davis, Appanoose, Henry, Mahaska, Monroe, Marion, Jasper, Polk and Keokuk, and all the territory lying directly west of these counties ; and the second district embraced the bal- ance of the state. On the 24th of February, 1847, in pursuance of the provisions of the constitution, there was an act passed creating the office of superintendent of public instruction, and also of fund commission- ers of the several counties, and defining the duties of these officers, who were to be elected on the first Monday of the next April— the superintendent for three years, and the fund commissioner for two years. To the superintendent was given the general man- agement of the educational interests of the state ; and to the county fund commissioners were entrusted the selling of the Administbation of Gov. Beiggs. 183 school lands within the county for which each was elected, and the loaning and managing of the funds arising therefrom. In the same law provisions were also made for the election of all school officers, and their several duties defined. At this time the financial affairs of the country were very much embarrassed, and it was very difficult for the settlers on the public lands to procure the means to pay for the lands on which they had settled. There were many hard-working, indus- trious citizens of the new state who had made large improvements on the public domain, but had not the means to buy the govern- ment title, and were liable at any time to have their improve- ments taken away from them by land speculators. With a view to benefit the settlers, and to create a school fund at an early day, the legislature made provision for selecting the five hundred thousand acres of land given by congress to the state for school purposes, by authorizing any person capable of contracting, who had settled upon any of the public lands which, in the opinion of the fund commissioners, would be a safe and profitable selection, to signify to the fund commissioner of the county where the lands were located, his desire to have the same recognized as school lands ; and the land so designated, which was not to ex- ceed three hundred and twenty acres for one individual, should be returned by the fund commissioner to the superintendent, to be by him registered as lands selected for the state under the grant of congress. Then the superintendent was to contract with the settler for the sale of the land so selected — the pur- chaser to pay one-fifth in advance, with the privilege, if desired, of ten years' time in which to pay the remainder of the consid- eration, by paying an annual interest of ten per cent. This, at that time, was considered as a very beneficial provision for the settler, and the entire five hundred thousand acres would probably have been speedily taken up, had there been no doubt about the validity of the law regulating the selection of the land, and there would have been a large school fund immediately cre- ated. The act provided for the taking effect of the law from and after its publication, and it was published in a newspaper at Iowa City ; but there was nothing in the act providing for its publica- tion in any newspaper, although it was evidently the design of 184 TUTTLnfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. the legislature to have the law take effect immediately, and both parties, by their actions, showed that they understood that the law was in force as soon as it was published in the newspaper, for both parties brought out their candidates for the several offices to be filled at the April election. For superintendent of public in- struction, the democrats nominated Charles Mason, who had been chief justice of the territory ever since it was organized, and was considered as one of the best qualified men of the state for the position. The whigs nominated, for their candidate, James Har Ian, who was a young Methodist preacher, having just left col- lege and come to the state to take charge of a literary institution at Iowa City. Harlan was a forcible speaker, and, as soon as he received the nomination, commenced canvassing the state, mak- ing speeches wherever he could get an audience, and, belonging to the Methodist Church, many of the members of that body took a deep interest in his election. Mason, still retaining his position on the bench, owing to the failure of the legislature to elect judges, never left his judicial business, and made no effort to secure his election ; and the result was that Harlan was elected. This was very mortifying to the democrats, and, soon after it was officially known, Elisha Cutler, the secretary of state, promul- gated that the election was of no effect from the fact that the law creating the office of superintendent of public instruction and other school officers was not in force at the time of the election, because the law itself did not provide for its publication in news- papers, as required by the constitution. The objection raised by Cutler was seized hold of by the democrats ; the leaders took sides with Cutler, and most of the democrats elected as fund com- missioners refused to act, while, on the other hand, most of the whigs who had been elected undertook to discharge the duties of their several offices. The whigs charged the democrats with rais- ing this objection merely for the purpose of depriving Harlan of his office, claiming that, if Mason had been elected, there never would have been any objections to his exercising the duties of superintendent. Cutler, as secretary of state, refused to give Harlan a certificate of his election, although the returns showed when officially counted that he had a majority of all the votes cast. Harlan obtained from Cutler a certified statement of the 186 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. vote, and prepared his bonds, as required by law, and laid them before tlie governor, who approved of the bond, but refused to give him a commission on the ground that he had no authority to do so. During the summer there were writs of quo warranto issued against Harlan and some of the other school oifioers, requiring them to show by what authority they undertook to discharge the du- ties of their respective offices. In Johnson county, there was a suit brought against Asa Oalkins, who had been elected a director of school district, contesting his authority to exercise the duties of the office. The case was decided against Oalkins by the district court, and he appealed to the supreme court. He set up, as a de- fense, his election by the people at the April election, to which the plaintiff demurred, and the demurrer was sustained, on the ground that the statute under which the election was held had not been published at the time of the election, as required by the constitution, and therefore had not become a law. It was ad- mitted, on the trial, that, previous to the first of April, the law had been published in the public newspaper, -printed at Iowa City, under and by the direction of the secretary of state, who, by the laws of the state, had supervision of the publication and dis- tribution of the laws, and copies of it were sent by him into every county in the state ; and the law was received and acted upon by the people at large as being in full force. It was also admitted that the act was not, in pamphlet form, "published and circulated in the several counties of the state, by authority, until the first day of May, 1849 ; " and that the election for school directors was held on the first Tuesday of April, the day after the election of superintendent and fund commissioners. The constitution pro- vided that " no law of the general assembly of a public nature, shall take effect until the same shall be published and circulated in the several counties of the state, by authority. If the general assembly shall deem any law of immediate importance, they may provide that the same shall take effect by publication in a news- paper in the state." This law provided that it should " take effect and be in force from and after its publication," but made no pro- vision for publishing it in newspapers. And the supreme court held that inasmuch as the act itself did not provide for its publi- Administration of Gor. Bbiggs. 187 cation in the newspapers, notwithstanding the act had been pub- lished in the newspapers at Iowa City, by the direction of the secretary of state, and by him circulated in the several counties, still it was not published in the manner required by the constitu- tion, and was not in force at the time of the April election ; and, consequently, Calkins and the other officers elected at that time had no right to hold their offices. The same questions were in- volved in this case as in the superintendent's, but Harlan suc- ceeded in delaying the trial of his case until after the meeting of the legislature. There were nearly fifty thousand acres of land selected under the provisions of this law, and the first payment of ten per cent made : but the United States land officers refused to recognize the acts of the state officers as being valid, and a great portion of the lands so selected were entered at the land offices, and the claimants were deprived of their homes, and not until after much delay did they get back their money. About the time this question was settled, there was a large quantity of land warrants issued to Mexican soldiers, which were in market at low prices, and on long credit. This was a new and easy method for settlers to secure their homes ; so that, before the provisions of this law could be carried into effect, the inducement at first held out to settlers to avail themselves of the benefits of this act had ceased, and but very few felt disposed to select land under its provisions ; and the result was that this method of se- lecting the five hundred thousand acres of land was abandoned, although it was very probable that, had the law gone into effect at the time it was the intention to have it, in less than one year the whole quantity of land would have been selected, and there would have been at once created a large fund for educational purposes. During the session of the legislature, acts were passed defining the boundaries of Einggold, Taylor, Fremont, Marion, Clayton, Fayette, Allamakee, and Winneshiek counties, and organizing Dallas county : and also an act providing that all that tract of country on the Missouri river, purchased from the Pottawatomie Indians might be temporarily organized into a county to be called Pottawattomie, whenever in the opinion of the judge of the fourth judicial district, the public good should require it 188 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. The legislature having adjourned without electing United States senators and judges, the state was without representation in the senate. The old territorial judges resigned, and it became the duty of the governor to appoint others to fill their places, who were entitled to hold their offices until the adjournment of the next legislature, if others were not elected previous to that time. Joseph Williams, associate justice under the territorial govern- ment, was appointed chief justice ; and George Green, of Dubuque county, and John F. Kinney, of Lee county, associate justices. The legislature having divided the state into four judicial districts, at the April election of 184:7, Geo. W. Williams, James Grant, Cyrus Olney and J. P. Carleton were elected judges. CHAPTEE XXIII. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. BRIGGS. Commissioners on Permanent Seat of Government — Extra Session of the Legislature — The School Laws — Railroads — School Officers Disquali- fied — The Mormon Vote — Election. On the 22d of February, 1847, there was an act passed mak- ing provisions for the location of the permanent seat of govern- ment of the state ; and John Brown of Lee county, Joseph D. Hoag, of Henry county, and John Taylor, of Jones county, were appointed commissioners. The law, appointing commissioners, provided that they should meet on or before the first day of the next May, and should proceed to examine the state, or so much of it, as they might think expedident, for the purpose of deter- mining upon a judicious site for the permanent seat of govern- ment of the statCi The commissioners, when they had located the site, were to lay off a portion of the lands so selected, not exceed- ing one section, into lots, and, when laid off, they were authorized to make a sale of lots, not exceeding two lots in any one block for the first two years after the town should be laid out. Under the provisions of this law, the commissioners, after traveling over a great portion of the state, selected, as a site for the new seat of government sections, four, five, eight and nine, and the west half of sections three and ten, in township seventy-eight north, in range twenty west of the fifth principal meridian, and called it Monroe City. The commissioners then proceeded to lay off a por- tion of it into lots, and on the 8th of October of that year, had a sale, and sold, to different individuals, between three and four hundred lots, the proceeds amounting to $6,189.72, one fourth of which was paid at the time of purchase, and the balance was to be paid in two, four and six years. The money realized by the (189) 190 Tuttle'8 Histobt of Iowa. commissioners was not enough to pay the expenses of selecting the site and laying it off into lots, as most of them were sold at very low prices; some selling as low as one dollar. The commis- sioners, though they received from the proceeds but a small compen- sation for their services, supposed they had amply remunerated themselves by securing large interests in and about the proposed capital town. Monroe City, for a while, attracted considerable atten- tion and there were great efforts made to secure property in that section of the state, speculators anticipating that fortunes would be made in the future by the increase of the value of real estate ; but these anticipated fortunes soon vanished, for at the next election the changing of the seat of government became a political ques- tion, and a majority of the new members of the legislature were opposed to the contemplated change, and the act was repealed. Monroe City was vacated, and an appropriation was made, and the treasurer was directed to refund the money to all who had pur- chased lots, except the commissioners themselves. Hoag had be- come a large purchaser, and by the vacation of the town, he was left with but a very small compensation for his labors, and his pe- tition for relief was before the legislature for several years before he was remunerated for his services in locating and laying out Monroe City. The doubt concerning the right of the oflBcers elected at the April election of 1847, to discharge the duties of their offices, had in a great measure, rendered ineffectual the school law, and there seemed to be some occasion for a special session of the legislature and the governor was induced to issue his proclama- tion convening the legislature in an extra session on the 1st Mon- day, the third of January, 1848. The principal reasons assigned by the governor for convening the legislature were to remedy the defects in school laws, occasioned by the law not taking effect at the time it was designed to have it ; of this session Jesse B. Brown was speaker of assembly and J. Scott Eichman, clerk. The legis- lature passed no law which materially affected the school interest, or made the condition of things much, if any, better than they would have been, had there been no session. The whites intro- duced a bill to legalize the acts of Harlan, authorizing him to hold the office for three years, the time for which he was supposed to have been elected ; but the democrats opposed the bill and it 192 Tuttle's History of Iowa. was defeated. The real cause for convening the legislature ap- pears to have been the election of United States senators and su- preme court judges, but the whigs, with the vote of a Mr. Clifton, prevented a joint convention, and these offices were not filled. There was an act passed at this session providing for a revision of the laws of the state ; and Charles Mason, of Des Moines county Wm. G. Woodward, of Muscatine county and Stephen Hempstead, of Dubuque county, were appointed commissioners to revise and prepare a code of laws. During the winter of 1848, the propriety of taking some meas- ures for the construction of railroads in the state was agitated in the northern part of the state, and interest enough taken to have a convention called, which was held at Iowa City, and was very fully attended. The projects were conceived of building two roads — one from Davenport via Iowa City to Des Moines, and thence to some point on the Missouri river near Council Bluffs ; and another running north and south from Dubuque, via Iowa City to Keokuk. To aid in these enterprises, it was determined to ask help of the general government, and the legislature was re- quested to memorialize congress for a grant of lands, consisting of every alternate section for a distance of five miles on each side of the projected roads. Those who first moved in this matter were actuated more by the hopes of making some political capital out of it, than by any idea that it would ever amount to anything real ; but the labors of this convention attracted considerable at- tention, and the public mind soon began to regard the proposed projects as practical undertakings, and the future proved that this convention was not without beneficial results. The supreme court having decided that the school officers elected at the previous April election had no authority to dis- charge the various trusts for which they were elected, and no law authorizing them to discharge the duties of their several offices having been passed at the called session, it became necessary to have another election for superintendent and other officers. The democratic candidate, Thos. H. Benton, was elected by a majority of seventeen over his competitor, Mr. Harlan. After the adjourn- ment of the legislature, which took place January 25, 1848, the commissions of the supreme judges expired, and it became the Administration of Gov. Briggs. 193 duty of the governor to make other appointments. Judges Kin- ney and Greene were reappointed associate judges, and S. Clinton Hastings, of Muscatine, received the appointment of chief justice in place of Williams. In 1848 there were two elections — one in August, at which there were to be elected two members of congress, the state offi- cers and members of the legislature — and in November, for the first time, the electors of Iowa had an opportunity to take a part in the presedential election. Lewis Cass was the democratic, and Zachary Taylor the whig candidate ; and from the importance of the election greater exertions were made than there ever had been before in Iowa. For the August election, the democrats renomi- nated all the old state officers with the exception of Cutler, the secretary of state, who had for some reason become unpopular with the people, and Josiah Bonney, of Van Buren county, was nominated in his place. A. C. Dodge, Lincoln Clark, John Sel- mon and Joseph Williams were nominated for fjresidential elect- ors by the democrats ; and Fitz Henry Warren, Wm. H. Wallace, Jesse Bowen and Thos. J. McKean were the whig electors. The Mormons who had settled on the western slope of the state, had become so numerous that their votes were a matter of great con- sideration to both political parties. When in Illinois, they nearly all voted the same way, and generally with the democrats ; but in voting they were mostly governed by their leader, and their votes were cast for those persons who they thought would be most likely to favor the Mormon interest. Orson Hyde, who was the presiding elder over the Mormons in Iowa, and had the superin- tendence of this part of the church, visited Burlington early in the season, had a long interview with Mr. F. H. Warren, one of the presidential electors, and it was currently circulated that he had received some personal favor from him, and had pledged him- self to Warren that the Mormon vote should be cast for the whigs at the coming election, if they were permitted to vote ; at this time it was supposed there were from eight to ten thousand Mor- mons in the western part of the state, and that they would at least cast eight hundred or a thousand votes if they were all brought to the polls, a vote which would probably carry the election in the first congressional district, if not the state, and elect the whig candidates 194 TuTXufa HiSTO&r of Iowa. in the western districts to tine legislature. When it became un- derstood that the Mormons at the coming election would vote with the whigs, there was great anxiety on the part of the leading democrats to counteract the influence of this vote. Judge Carleton, whose duty it had been by law to appoint a sheriff for the pur- pose of organizing Pottawattomie county, whenever he should think the public good required it, had appointed Wm. S. Town- send, a democrat, organizing sheriff, and had ordered that an elec- tion should take place on the first Monday of April, 1848 ; but when it was ascertained that the Mormons would probably vote with the whigs, Townsend declined to act, and consequently the county was not organized, and without an organization of some kind they could not vote at the coming election. After the Mor- mons found out that Townsend was not going to organize the county, they petitioned the county commissioners of Monroe county to "grant them a township for the purpose of electing two justices of the peace and constables, as they labored under much disadvantage for the want of legal authority among them, and that the election might be held at the council house in Kanes- ville " (now Council Bluffs city). On the third of July the board of commissioners of Monroe county ordered " that that portion of the country called Pottawattomie county, which lies directly west of Monroe county (at that time it was supposed that Kanesville was due west of Monroe county) be organized into a township, and that the boundaries of said township extend east as far as East Nishnabonta ; " and they also ordered " that that portion of the country called Clarke county, lying immediately west of Lucas county, to what is called East Nishnabonta, be organized into a precinct for election and judicial purposes." The organization of these precincts became a matter of much concern to the democrats ; and the securing or defeating the Mor- mon vote was a matter of much interest to both parties. After the election was over, about the time . it was supposed the poll books would be returned to the clerk's office in Monroe county from the Kanesville precinct, quite a number of active politicians from both parties assembled at Albia, the county seat of Monroe county. The poll books were brought to Albia, when there arose quite a spirited discussion about the 9lerk's receiving those from Administration of Gov. Bbiggs. 195 Kanesville. It was contended on one side that they ought to be received and counted by the clerk, and was opposed by those on the other side. The clerk decided to refuse receiving the Kanes- ville poll book, on the ground that the county commissioners of Monroe county had no right to organize the township, and conse- quently the Mormon vote was not counted in canvassing the votes. Of the votes that were counted^, and officially returned for congressman in the first congressional district, Wm. Thomp- son, the democratic candidate, Received six thousand, four hun- dred and seventy-seven votes ; and Daniel F. Miller, the whig candidate, received six thousand and ninety-one votes. In the Kanesville precinct. Miller received four hundred and ninety- three votes, while Thompson only received thirty votes. The votes for the other candidates were about the same. If the Mor- mon vote had been counted. Miller would have received the cer- tificate of election. When the whigs ascertained how the Mormons voted at the August election, they thought if all he settlements on the west- ern slope were organized into precincts, so that all could get to the polls, that with the Mormon vote, they would be able to carry the state at the November election, and there was a great anxiety on the part of the whigs to have Pottawattomie county organized, and efforts were made to accomplish this end. The law, however, authorizing the appointment of an organizing sher- iff, required that the person appointed, before he should be quali- fied to enter upon the discharge of the duties of his office, should file his bond and oath of office in the clerk's office of the district court of Polk county, and in order to circumvent the plans of the whigs who were engaged in having the county of Pottawatto- mie organized, the democrats succeeded in getting the clerk of the district to resign, so that the appointed organizing sheriff could not qualify. In consequence of this action, the sheriff could find no qualified person to receive his bond and administer the oath of office, and by this maneuver, Pottawattomie county was not organized in time for those settlers on the western slope to vote at the presidential election. It will be seen by what has been written, that the politicians of the state of Iowa were wide awake in their endeavors to defeat 196 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. their political opponents, and will compare favorably with the politicians of the present time. The democrats seemed to have had the advantage in the early history of the state in the politi- cal contests against their whig opponents. The democrats this year were triumphant, both at the August and November elections, and elected the congressional, state and electoral ticket by a decided majority, and also had the ascend- ancy in both branches of the legislature, and on joint ballot a majority of nineteen. It was thus known that the democrats could elect United States senators and supreme judges, and those offices elicited much interest among the politicians ; and at the convening of the legislature, December 4, 1848, there were a great number of the leading democrats from all parts of the state assembled at Iowa City, each using his best exertions to get him- self or his particular friend elected United States senator or su- preme court judge. CHAPTER XXIV. BRIGGS' ADMINISTRATION. Election of United States Senators — Second Meeting of the State Legislature — Aid to Railroads — Legislation— State University — Hungarian Set- tlement. The second general assembly of the state convened on the fourth day of December, 1848. John H. Selman was elected president of the senate, and Smiley H. Bonham, speaker of the house. Soon after the organization of the legislature, the demo- crats held a caucus and nominated candidates for senators, and adjourned till the next night to nominate candidates for supreme court judges. At this caucus Augustus C. Dodge and Geo. "W. Jones were nominated for senators ; Joseph Williams, chief jus- tice ; George Greene and John F. Kinney, associate judges. The caucus having selected the candidates, the contest for places was over, and the legislature only had to go through with the form of an election to complete the work. The memorials sent to congress by the previous legislature, asking for a grant of land to aid in the building of railroads in Iowa, were referred to the appropriate committee, but the com- mittee reported against the prayer of the memorials, on the ground that the proposed routes had not been surveyed, and there were no data before the committee by which they could judge of the distance or practicability of the proposed routes. When these objections were ascertained, the friends of the Dubuque and Keo- kuk route immediately went to work to get stock taken in their proposed road, and to organize a company ; and the organizing of the company was completed in the month of December, 1848, at Iowa City. A cursory survey of the road was made, and was laid before the legislature, which was accepted and adopted by that body ; and another memorial, asking for a grant of land, was (198) Brigos' Administration. 199 passed and, with the engineer's report, sent to the senators and representatives from Iowa, for them to present to congress. There was also another memorial passed by the legislature, asking for a grant of lands to aid in constructing a road " from Davenport by Muscatine, Iowa City, and Fort Des Moines, to some suitable point near Council Bluffs on the Missouri river." These proposed routes now begun to assume a character of ^ importance, particu- larly the one from Dubuque to Keokuk, and there appeared to be a fair prospect of those roads being built at an early date. The prospect of congress making a grant of lands for railroad purposes stirred up much feeling along the proposed routes, and there arose a spirited contest between the different towns and counties about the location of the proposed roads. Davenport and Iowa City wished to have a road run on a straight line, and not towards Muscatine, and this created much ill feeling and pro- duced many harsh words between the citizens of the two places. On the Dubuque and Keokuk line, in the north, Cedar and Linn were rivals, and in the south Henry and Jefferson counties spirit- edly contended for the location of this road through their county seats. Among the bills passed at this session were : an act to create the oflSce of state printer, and define his duties : an act concerning claimants on the half-breed tract in Lee county ; to complete work on the state penitentiary ; to establish normal schools ; to estab- lish a system of common schools ; for the reorganization of the board of public works ; to provide for the instruction of the deaf, dumb and blind ; to reapportion the state into senate and repre- sentative districts ; to exempt a homestead from a forced sale ; and a large number of bills relative to state and plank roads, fer- ries, bridges, etc. Soon after the meeting of the legislature in 1850, the Dubuque and Keokuk road attracted special attention, and a large number of prominent men from along the line of this road assembled at the capital and effected a new organization, with two sets of offi- cers ; one set were to control the business south and the other north of Iowa city, and were known as the north and south divisions. In the articles of incorporation, and in the memorial passed by the legislature that winter, asking for a grant of land, 200 Tdttle's History of Iowa. the towns of Cascade, Anamosa, Marion, Cedar Eapids, Iowa City, Washington, Fairfield, Glasgow, Salem and West Point were made points on the road ; at that time this had every appear- ance of being the first road that would be built in Iowa, and if the proper efforts had been made, probably would have been. Along the line of the road, and particularly in Jefferson county, there were liberal subscriptions made and sanguine hopes were entertained of obtaining a grant of land at the next congress. At that time there had not any railroad reached the Mississippi from the east, and nearly all the trade from Iowa sought an eastern outlet by going down the river. The citizens of Keokuk who, as a matter of fact, were to be benefited the most by the under- taking, thinking they were by their location " The Gate " through which most of the trade of the back country must pass, whether the road was built or not, took very little interest in the enterprise, and without the aid of those at Keokuk, where the road was to commence, those places at the north did not feel like engaging in the undertaking, and in consequence of their unwillingness to assist in the matter, a great change in the public sentiment took place, and all those who lived in the vicinity of Fairfield, turned their whole attention to the opening up of a thoroughfare to Bur- lington. Congress refused the grant of land to this company, and all hopes of building the proposed road were given up for the time. There is every reason to think that if Keokuk had exerted herself, as she might, at the proper time, the necessary grant of land might have been obtained from the general government, and that this would have been the first road built in the state, which in all probability would have made Keokuk the largest town in the state. Sometimes, as in this case, small things are attended with great results. In January, 1849, the fifth judicial district was established, and William McKay was elected judge. The question of establishing a state university and of disposing of the two townships of land given by congress for that purpose, came up before the legislature at this session ; and acts were passed establishing the main institution at Iowa City, one branch at Dubuque, and another at Fairfield ; and also providing for normal schools at Andrew, Oskaloosa and Mount Pleasant ; and Briggs' Administration. 201 for the purpose of getting these insututions in operation at an early period, the citizens in some of these localities expended large sums of money in erecting buildings for educational pur- poses ; but the state authorities subsequently changed their pol- icy in relation to the state university, and those acts establishing the several branches were repealed, and all the funds were ap- plied to the institution at Iowa City. At this session of the legislature, laws were passed for organiz- ing the countiei of Allamakee and Lucas, which made provisions for locating their county seats. When senators Dodge and Jones took their seats in the United States senate, it became incumbent on them to be classified, and in their drawing for terms, the former fell into that class of sena- tors whose terms of ofiice expired the coming March. When this result was made known at Iowa City, the legislature immedi- ately met in joint convention, and Gen. Dodge was reelected for another term, without any opposition in his own party. Previous to 1849, there had been a civil war within the juris- diction of the Austrian government in Europe, in the province of Hungary, headed by Louis Kossuth. As is well known, Austria, with the aid of Russia, succeeded in subduing their rebellious subjects, and many of the Hungarians were compelled to flee from that country. Among the prominent refugees was Grov- Uzhzy, who, at the time of the breaking out of the rebellion, was governor of one of the provinces of Hungary. In order to save himself from the vengeance of the Austrian government, the gov- ernor fled from his country, and with a large number of his countrymen settled in Iowa, on Grand river, in the southern part of Decatur county. From the number who stopped here, it was supposed they would build up a large town at this point, and have around it an extensive settlement of Hungarians. To show the good feeling which existed towards these emigrants, who were compelled to leave their native country, the legislature passed a memorial to congress in which they instructed the senators and requested the representatives to use their influence to secure to the Hungarian settlement in Iowa, a donation of the pub- lic lands. The influence which was brought to bear in their behalf was such that the president did not have the lands on 202 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. which they were settled offered for sale at the time the other lands around them were brought into the market, and probably congress would have passed an act donating these lands to them, had they continued to occupy the locality which they first se- lected. In their native country, they had been engaged in the culture of the grape, and made preparations to engage in the same business here, but finding the winters much more severe than in their native land, they came to the conclusion that the climate would not be favorable for this business, and they aban- doned their settlement at this place and moved to Texas, and other parties entered their lands. The state auditor reported that the amount of revenue received from the several counties, from April 5, 1848, to February 22, 1849, was $26,161.89, and received for keeping United States prisoner, $34.05: total, $26,195.94; and the disbursements, by warrants paid, $22,854.62; balance on hand, $3,341.32. A't the election for presidential electors, in 1852, the whig electors received 15,856 votes, and the democratic electors, 17,762, a majority of 1,906. The latter cast their vote for Frank- lin Pierce for president. OHAPTEE XXV. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. HEMPSTEAD. Statistics — Legislation — The Wet Season — Floods- Incidents and Anec- dotes of the Deluge in Iowa— Curious Remains— Wind and Rain. The third session of the general assembly was held at Des Moines, and commenced on the second day of December, 1850, and adjourned February 5, 1851. The senate was organized by the president, Enos Lowe taking the chair, and the election of Philip B. Bradley, as secretary, and in the assembly by the election of George Temple, speaker, and 0. 0. Eockwell, chief clerk. The governor in his message says, " that notwithstanding the prevalence of a malignant disease in some parts of the state, Iowa has steadily increased in population and wealth ; her energies have been strengthened ; her resources are being constantly de- veloped ; emigration is rapidly pouring in upon and spreading over her broad and fertile domain, and the evidence of enterprise and prosperity can be seen on every hand." He gives the fol- lowing financial statement of the affairs of the state as reported by the treasurer, viz : amount on hand and received into the treasury from October 31, 1848, to November 4, 1850, $90,444.33, and the disbursements during the same period, $90,442.94, leaving a bal- ance of $1.39 in the treasury ; that the liabilities of the state on outstanding warrants on the 4th of December, 1848, amounted to $22,651.62, and from that period to November 30, 1850, the re- ceipts of the treasury as before stated, were $90,444.33, and the expenditures, $90,442.94. This latter sum embraced the interest paid on the state loan, and $11,685.75 of the liabilities on the 4th of December, 1858 ; thus decreasing the liabilities on out- standing warrants on the 30th of November, 1850, to $10,965.87. The resources to discharge these liabilities, and to meet the expenses (204) ^ Administration oe Gov. Hempstead. 205 of the coming year were $24,154.83 due from counties prior to the year 1850, and the revenue assessed in 1850, amounting to $56,- 538.33. He stated that by an act approved January 16, 1847, he was authorized to agree with the state of Missouri for the commence- ment and termination of such suit as might be necessary to pro- cure a final decision by the supreme court of the United States in regard to the southern boundary line of the state ; and that in pursuance of the authority thus granted, he, on the following February, appointed Hon. Ohas. Mason to act as counsel in behalf of the state, and a notice of such appointment was given to the governor of Missouri. The case came on for argument in Feb- ruary, 1849, and a decision made by the court determining the rights of the two states, giving the state of Iowa all the territory lying between the line run by Missouri in 1837 as her northern boundary line, from the river Des Moines, due west to the Missoui river, and the line established by the decree. The governor con- gratulated the general assembly on the settlement of this vexa- tious question concerning the southern boundary. He also called attention to perfecting the system of common school education — the formation of agricultural societies, and to the subject of normal schools, and expressed the hope that the three schools established in the state would receive the fostering care of the legislature. On the 4th of December, the legislature met in joint convention for the purpose of opening and publishing the votes given for governor at the previous general election, August 5, 1850, at which time the votes were duly canvassed and it appeared that Stephen Hempstead received 18,486 votes ; James L. Thompson, 11,403 ; Wm. P. Clark, 575, and 11 votes, scattering ; whereupon Stephen Heimpstead was declared duly elected governor. A com- mittee was appointed to inform the governor elect that the two houses were ready to receive him in joint convention, in order that he might receive the oath prescribed by the constitution, which duty having been performed by the committee, the gover- nor elect, accompanied by the governor, the judges of the supreme court and the officers of state, entered the hall of the house, and having been duly announced, the governor elect delivered his in- 206 Tvttle's History of Iowa. augural message, after which the oath was administered by the chief justice of the supreme court The following are some of the important acts passed at this session : To establish new counties and to define their boundaries (the counties formed were Adair, Union, Adams, Oass, Mont- gomery, Mills, Pottawattomie, Bremer, Butler, Grundy, Hardin, Franklin, Wright, Eisley, Yell, Greene, Guthrie, OarroU, Fox, Sac, Crawford, Shelby, Harrison, Monona, Ida, Waukau, Hum- boldt, Pocahontas, Buena Vista, Fayette, Cherokee, Plymouth, Allamakee, Chickasaw, Floyd, Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Clay, O'Brien, Sioux, Howard, Mitchell, "Worth, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Bancroft, Emmett, Dickinson, Oceola, and Buncombe) ; to provide for the seat of justice of the several counties therein named ; authorizing the governor to procure a title to certain"ground for a penitentiary ; to provide for a medi- cal department of the university of Iowa ; to provide for a loan from the school fund to pay expenses for running the boundary, line between the states of Iowa and Missouri ; to provide for the , prosecution of the Des Moines river improvement ; to reappor- tion the state into senate and assembly districts ; to provide for the completion of the penitentiary ; to appropriate $2,500 toward the completion of the state house at Iowa City ; to dispose of the saline lands belonging to the state, and a number of bills incor- porating cities, towns and villages, changing the names of towns and counties, granting the right of way to various rail and plank rOad companies ; to locate and establish state roads, and appropri- ations for the support of the government of the state. The legislature was composed of a large majority favoring stringent corporation laws, and the liability of individual stock- holders for corporate debts. This sentiment on account of the agitation of railroad enterprises then beginning, brought a large number of prominent men to the capitol. To have an effect upon the legislature, they organized a "lobby legislature," in which these questions were ably discussed. They elected as gov- ernor, Verplank Van Antwerp, who delivered to this self-consti- tuted body, a lengthy message, in which he sharply criticised the regular general assembly. Some of the members of the latter body were in the habit of making long and useless speeches, Administration of Gov. Hempstead. 207 much to the hindrance of business. To these he especially referred, charging them with speaking for " Buncombe," and recom- mended that as their lasting memorial, a county should be called by that name. This suggestion was jeadily seized upon by the legislature, and the county of " Buncombe" was created with few dissenting voices. By act of the general assembly, approved September, 11, 1862, the name was changed to " Lyon," in honor of Gren. Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed in the civil war. The year 1851 is noted as the wet season. A great portion of the country which nature designed to be arid, was, for several weeks, deep lakes of water. It commenced to be wet weather the early part of May, and the heavens were almost daily black- ened with angry clouds, '^and the rain poured down in torrents, frequently accompanied with violent winds and loud pealing thunder, till July ; and for the most of this time the public high- ways, where they crossed streams, could not be traveled by teams. In almost every ravine, there was a good sized rivulet, so that the finny tribes left their accustomed haunts, and swam up to, and had their sports on the highlands in the grassy prairies, and large numbers were found in the sink holes after the flood had subsided. In the cultivated low lands, the places where the farmer was accustomed to see the golden harvest, instead of rich fields of grain, were pools of muddy water ; but very little was raised this season, and scarcity and want were hovering around the homes of the cultivators of the soil. This great flood was most severely felt in the valley of the Des Moines. The fences which protected the growing crops were nearly all swept away by the angry flood, carried to other premises than the owners', and the material mostly imbedded in common piles of drift, so that it cost more than it was worth to restore it to its proper place. All the towns on the banks of the river from Des Moines to the Mississippi were more or less covered with water, and injured by the flood, and where had been the busy tramp of business, swam the finny fish. At Des Moines, the river at one time was twenty two and a half feet above low water mark. East Des Moines was under water to the second bank, and the citizens, instead of trav- eling the streets with carriages, paddled their way in canoes. The 208 Tuttle's History of Iowa. town of Eddyville was for many days entirely submerged in deep water, and the citizens were forced to leave their well furnished homes, and seek shelter in hastily constructed tents, made with quilts and blankets on the hillside. At Ottumba, the flood ran so high that all the bottom lands were many feet under water, and a long log about two feet in diameter was floated up into the town and lodged against a sign post on the main traveled street in the place, which prevented teams from passing till it was removed. The water rose several inches over the floor of the principal hotel, and the guests sought egress and ingress by means of boats. The commonly traveled road from Ottumba to Agency City, for several weeks was ob- structed with deep water. About the time the river overflowed its banks, the stage undertook to make its usual trips, and in attempting to pass a low place in the road, before he was aware of danger, the driver found his horses swamped in deep water, and to save them from being drowned had to cut their harness and abandon the coach, and the passengers with much difficulty saved themselves from a watery grave. The water continued to rise, till the coach was several feet under water, and the current washed over it so large a quantity of driftwood, that when the water went down, the drift settling upon the coach crushed it to pieces. At lowaville, the wide, beautiful bottom prairies were one vast sheet of water ; the flood reached from bluflE to bluff ; the river was a mile wide ; all the buildings which stood near the banks of the river were raised from their foundations and floated down the stream, and several families, when the flood abated, found them- selves without a home. The waters of the river, when they were at their highest stage, as they rushed along in their mad career, presented a most singular appearance. The surface of the river was oval ; being several feet higher in the middle of the cur- rent than at the banks ; so much so, that a person of ordinary height standing at the water's edge, could not see the bank on the opposite side. This flood surpassed anything that had ever been known in the history of the country, within the memory of the oldest inhabi- tant, or that of the native who resided here before the country 210 Tuttle's History of Iowa. was settled by the whites ; nor did any traditional account of the Indians give any evidence of a like flood in all past time, and it is to be hoped the citizens of Iowa will ne^er see the like again. After the rains had ceased to pour down their torrents, the re- mainder of the season was very hpt and dry, and the vegetation, which in the fore part of the season had been excessively moist- ened, in the latter part was parched up with heat and drouth, and the valley of the Des Moines stripped of its fencing, and covered here and there with piles of sand and debris, appeared like one vast desolated waste. Near lowaville there was a large inclosed field, which had been under cultivation many years, and while the husbandmen were tilling the soil they did not dream they were walking about and that the luxuriant harvest was waiving over the graves of the departed dead, and little did they consider that many beings of their own race had trod on those grounds many years in the past This flood disclosed mysterious information that was not known before. The waters in their mad career, being swollen out of their natural channel, rushed with force and violence over this inclosed field, and like as in other cultivated lands, the flood washed out deep excavations ; it re- moved earth which had been dug out and replaced by human hands ; it had developed the resting place of the dead, the graves of those who had lived and died at unknown times in the past ; and as the waters had subsided, in these excavations were found the remains of human beings ; bones which had been clothed with flesh in the past, skeletons of a gigantic race, trinkets and orna- ments and badges of distinction. These discoveries at the time attracted much attention and much speculation. Dr. Peter Walker, who lived near by, made a careful examination of some of these remains, and found them of an enormous size ; from the bones of one which he examined, he judged that the individual when living, must have been from eight to twelve feet high. The jaw bone, which was in a perfect state of preservation, was so large, that the doctor, though a large man himself, could easily put over his own face, and in this position the extremities ex- tended past his own ears, and some of the teeth measured an inch and a quarter across the face. There were quite a number of articles found with the bones Administration of Gov. Hempstead. 211 which had been washed up, which gave evidence that those per- sons who had been buried there were in possession of the arts of civilization. The large skeleton, which was particularly exam- ined by Dr. Walker, was probably a noted character in his time, not only for his size, but doubtless held some important station among his people, for, among other things, there were found sev- eral of what were supposed to have been badges of distinction. Around his thighs were steel bands, and on his arms silver brace- 1 lets, which were neatly wrought and nearly two inches wide. On the bluffs back of lowaville, about a mile from this burial ground, on the land of Joel F. Avery, there is a vein of coal about four feet in thickness, which crops out on the surface. In December, 187-3, Benjamin P. Bryan was employed to work this mine. In drifting an entrance into the bank, twenty-three feet from the surface, embedded in a solid vein of coal, about a foot from the bottom, he found a bone about seven inches long, and an inch in diameter, of a reddish color, which, from examination by those familiar with anatomy, was supposed to be bone from the arm of a human being. Prom the solid manner in which it was imbedded in the coal, it is evident it must have been deposited there at or before the coal formation, which would indicate that this locality had been inhabited by human beings many hundred, years in the past. This season was also noted for several severe storms of wind, one of which passed through JeflEerson county, broke down nearly all the timber within its reach, leveled the fences even with the ground, and destroyed several houses. During the fore part of the summer of this year, the terrible scourge, cholera, prevailed along the river Des Moines and in most of the thickly settled parts of the state, and large numbers were swept away by the fatal malady. The most healthy and robust persons, while feeling no symptoms of disease, would suddenly be taken with vomiting and purging, and, in a few hours, large and fleshy per- sons would be reduced to mere skeletons and the skin become loose and shriveled like that of some very old persons ; then cramping would set in which convulsed the whole body with the most excrutiating pains, till death released the sufferer. Persons, not apprehending any danger, would frequently be attacked, and 212 Tuttle's History of Iowa. in a few hours would breathe their last. When one of a family became sick, another and another would be attacked, till often whole families in a few hours would be taken away. Neighbor- hoods became alarmed, and many left their homes, and frequently it was difficult to get any one to take care of the sick or bury the dead. The flood, the failure of the crops and the sickness in Iowa, made many dissatisfied and anxious to leave the country, and those of them who could, disposed of their farms and left the state. The working of the gold mines in California increased the discontent, for some had gone from the state to California as early as 1849, and quite a large number in the spring of 1850, and the most wonderful accounts of the rapid accumulation of fortunes were constantly being sent home to the states. The prospects of rapidly accumulating great wealth west of the Rocky mountains, and almost a famine in Iowa from the wet season, had such an effect on the citizens, that the future prospects of the state were very gloomy and unpropitions. Business became stagnant, many houses and farms were tenantless, many sold their posses- sions at reduced prices, and it seemed, for a while, as if every body was bound to leave Iowa. On account of the failure of the crops and the large emigra- tion which passed through Iowa to California and Oregon, all the provisions which could be bought were consumed by the emi- grants, and much more was wanted. There was also a great de- mand for horses, mules, oxen and cows to take west to the moun- tains, and any farmer who had anything to sell found a ready market at his own door. Corn went up from ten cents to a dollar a bushel, and everything else in the same proportion, except real estate, which declined in value as fast as other things increased. CHAPTEK XXVI. FORTS DES MOINES AND DOD&E. Camp Des Moines— Adventures — Battles — Encounters with the Indians — General Mason — Fort Dodge. The teeeitoet north of Fort Des Moines, and east of the Des Moines river, was included in the treaty or purchase made by Gov. Chambers in 1842 ; also that lying on the west side of said river as far north as the correction line at a point about one mile and three-quarters above where Fort Dodge is situated. West of the Des Moines river from the correction line north, and from that point west to the Missouri river, still belonged to the Sioux In- dians when Fort Dodge was established, and up till the ratifica- tion of the last treaty made with the Sioux Indians in Minnesota, when the Indian title to all lands within the limits of the state of Iowa was extinguished. Fort Des Moines was established at the junction of Des Moines and Eaccoon rivers, as the extreme oat- post on the northern frontier in the year 1843, and garrisoned by United States dragoons commanded by Captain James Allen of the U. S. army. This post was abandoned in the year 1846. At that time the country lying north of Eaccoon Fort (or Fort Des Moines) was comparatively an unexplored region, the habitation of the wild Sioux Indians, buffalo, and elk, etc. The only ex- ploration of the country attempted previous to the establish- ment of Fort Des Moines, was by Capt. N. Boon of the U. S. dragoons, who by order of the secretary of war, marched with his company of dragoons from old camp Des Moines formerly a station of the U. S. dragoons, situated on the Mississippi river (now Montrose). His route was up the Des Moines river, to the fork or mouth of Eaccoon river ; from thence up the river of the Sioux (which was the name of the river above the junction of (213) 214 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. Eaccoon river and Des Moines), to the junction of the east and west forks of the river, twelve nailes north of Fort Dodge ; thence up the west side of the east branch (which he named " Brother river " ) to a point at or near Chain Lakes, near the present state line. There the Sioux Indians, after closely watching his move- ments all the way up, met him in force and gave battle. After a severe brush with the Indians there, he turned his course east- ward to Lake Albert Lee (which was named after Lieut. Albert Lee of his company), and from thence to Dubuque, and down the Mississippi river, back to camp Des Moines. In 1848 surveys of the lands purchased north of Raccoon forks were commenced. Mr. Marsh of Dubuque, in the employment of the government, set out with his company from Dubuque to run and establish the correction line, from a point on the Mississippi to the Missouri river. He progressed with the work without molestation until he crossed the river of the Sioux (or Des Moines), when he was met by a body of Sioux Indians headed by Sidom-i-na-do-tah, a chief. They ordered him to puc-achee (clear out, be off), pulled up his stakes and tore down his mounds, and gave him to understand they claimed the country, and refused to let him proceed further. Giving these positive orders, they left him a short distance from the west bank of the river. After some hesitation, Mr. Marsh concluded to proceed with his work. He had not proceeded more than three-fourths of a mile, to a point about half a mile south of the town plat of Port Dodge, on the bench of land at the head of a large ravine, when the Indians sur- rounded them in force, and robbed them of everything, taking their horses, breaking up their wagons and instruments and forced them back across the river to find their way home the best way they could. In the fall and winter of the same year, these Indians attacked Henry Lott, Jacob Mericle, L. Mericle, and one or two others who had ventured up to the Boon forks, and rob- bed them, and were constantly committing depredations on set- tlers who ventured up north or northwest of Fort Des Moines, becoming more bold after the troops left Fort Des Moines. The depredations and outrages committed by the Indians being repre- sented to the government, it was determined to establish a military post at some point on the northern frontier, for the purpose of 216 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. keeping these Indians in check and protecting the frontier settlers that might come into this section of country. Early in 1849, Brevet-Gen. Mason, colonel of the sixth regi- ment of United States infantry, was directed to select a site for a fort as near as practicable to the northwest corner of the neutral ground established by treaty between the Sac, Fox and Pottawat- tomie and the Sioux Indians, a strip of country reaching from the Des Moines river to the Mississippi. The north line of this ground is marked about three miles above Fort Dodge, where the post stands marking the northwest corner on the east bank of the Des Moines river. The site where Fort Dodge now stands was selected on the east bank of the river, a short distance below the mouth of the Lizard river, which empties into the Des Moines on the west side. At the same time great excitement prevailed among the citizens of Iowa, Tama and Benton counties, owing to a large body of Sac and Fox Indians, seven or eight hundred in number, under the lead of the chiefs, Powseschiek, Shamonie and Petacotah, having returned from the lands allotted to them west of the Missouri river and taken possession of the country lying north of Marengo, on the Iowa river, their chief village being at at what is since called Indian Town. Three companies of troops, as follows : Company B, United States dragoons, were ordered from Fort Snelling to remove these Indians and deliver them to the commanding officer at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After at- tending to that duty, company B, 2d dragoons, commanded by Lieut. Gardner, and company C, Lieut. Johnson, returned to Fort Snelling, and company E, U. S. 6th infantry, were ordered, under command of Brevet-Maj. Samuel Woods, to march to the Des Moines, to build and garrison the fort on the site selected by Gen. Mason. They took up the line of march from Camp Buck- ner, on the Iowa river, on the last day of July, 1850. Most of the officers and men of the detachment had served in Florida and Mexico ; and when they started for the Des Moines, all believed, from the character given of the country they were ordered to, that they were again to be stationed in a country similar to Flori- da — a country destitute of timber and covered with lakes, ponds and swamps, but they were very agreeably disappointed. After a tedious march, having to bridge streams and sloughs and pass a Forts Des Moines and Dodge. 217 heavily-loaded train of wagons through an uninhabited country, they arrived at the Des Moines, at the point designated, on the evening of the 23d of August, 1850, and encamped on the ground now lying between the public square and Walnut street, and be- tween Fourth and Fifth streets in Fort Dodge. Upon their arrival, all the Indians fled from the east to the west side of the Des Moines, and something like nine months elapsed before any of them ventured to come near them or to communicate with them. A commencement was made immediately to prepare the neces- sary materials for building and preparing for winter quarters. In the latter part of November, the buildings were up, and generally so far finished as to enable troops to move into them, when they struck their tents and took possession of them. In honor of Gen. Clarke, then colonel of the 6th regiment, U. S. infantry, to which the troops belonged, the post was name " Fort Clarke." In the fall of 1851, by order of the secretary of war, the name of the fort was changed to that of Fort Dodge, in honor of Gen. Henry Dodge, of Wisconsin, then U. S. senator from that state. The change of name was made in consequence of a por- tion of the 6th regiment having built a fort further west, and also named it Fort Clarke, which caused confusion in mail matters and in forwarding supplies. The military reservation intended for Fort Dodge was four miles south and four miles north of the fort, along the Des Moines river, and two miles on each side of said river, making a strip of land eight miles long by four miles wide, but before it was distinctly surveyed and laid out, the de- cision was made that the Des Moines river grant extended above Eaccoon fork to the source of the Des Moines river, giving every odd section to the state of Iowa, for the improvement of the river up to the Eaccoon fork. This decision interfered with the United States making such reservation, and when the lands were section- ized, it was found that the buildings and improvements were erected on a river section, viz.: Section number 19, township 89, range 28 west. At this post, during the time they were stationed here, the troops were kept very busy in checking the Indians, and preventing them from committing depredations on frontier set- tlers. They had in charge all the north, northeastern and north- western frontiers, from the eastern part of the state to the Mis- 218 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. souri river. An outfit of thirty men, mounted, was constantly kept in readiness, to pursue the savages, when an alarm was given, and a great part of the time kept men on the scout to watch their movements. In 1853 the troops stationed at Fort Dodge were ordered to move one hundred and fifty miles north in Minnesota, to build a new fort on the north line of the then new purchase made from the Sioux Indians which has been built and named Fort Ridge- ley. In the latter part of September, 1853, the last division of the troops left, when the fort was abandoned. Maj. Wm. Wil- liams quit the service with the view of purchasing the post site and adjoining lands. On the 27th of March 1854, the first town plat was surveyed on the premises known as the fort site, the property, having become the property of Maj. Williams, who made the purchase in January, 1854; a post office was estab- lished the same year and a government land office located and the lands in the vicinity were soon taken up. Of the further history of the town it is unnecessary to speak. OHAPTEE XXVII. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. HEMPSTEAD. Fourth Session of the State Legislature — Statistics — Election — Immigra- tion — Progress of Settlements. The fourth session of the general assembly convened at Iowa City on the 6th day of December 1852, and adjourned Jan- nary 24, 1853. The senate was organized by the election of Hon. James Grant as president and J. Smith Hooton as secretary, and in the assembly by the election of W. E. Leffingwell as speaker, and T. B. Cuming as chief clerk. On the day following, Gov. S. Hempstead sent to each house a copy of his message which was read by the secretary of the senate and chief clerk of the assembly. The governor refers at the beginning of the mes- sage, to the death of Hons. John C. Calhoun, Levi Woodbury and Daniel Webster, and to the loss sustained by the decease of these eminent statesmen. He states that at the organization of the state government, the number of inhabitants amounted to seventy- eight thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight. By the census taken by the United States in 1850, the state has a population of one hundred and ninety -two thousand two hundred and fourteen, and by the returns of the state census, for the present year, an in- crease of thirty-seven thousand seven hundred and eighty-six. Of the financial afiairs of the state, he says, the report of the state treasurer shows that there has been received into the treasury from the second day of December, 1850, to the thirty-first day of October, 1852, the sum of $139,681.69; balance received from former treasurer, one dollar and thirty-nine cents, making an ag- gregate of $139,683.08. The disbursements for the same period are $131,631.49, leaving a balance in the treasury at the latter date of $8,051.59. The auditor of state states the funded debt of the state amounts to $81,795.75, of which amount $26,795.75, (219) 220 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. are payable at the option of the state. The estimated expenses for the two years to come, amount to $103,918.90. The estimated resources for the same period with the balance in the treasury, amount to $149,119.47, an amount which after deducting ten per cent, for delinquencies and assessments as unavailable, will leave a balance of receipts over expenditures fully sufficient to extin- guish all that part of the funded debt of the state which is paya- ble at its option ; and the governor recommends that provision be made to pay the same as rapidly as any surplus means may come into the treasury. The governor recommended the establishing of the office of at- torney general, and also a state land office for the supervision and sale of lands which have been or may hereafter be granted to the state. He reports that of the $10,000 appropriated by the last general assembly for the state penitentiury, $8,736.56, have been expended upon the building, and freehold improvements. The attention of the legislature is directed to the importance of proper organization of the militia laws of the state, also to the afEairs of the Des Moines river improvement, and recommended decisive action in relation to the same. He gives his views at length on the subject of banking and is decidedly opposed to any movement toward amending the constitution of the state author- izing the establishment of banks or banking corporations in the state. In conclusion he says : " The state of Iowa is in a prosper- ous condition — rapidly increasing in population — owing, perhaps, the smallest public debt of any state in the union ; all industrial ■ employments finding encouragement under the regular adminis- tration of the laws, and warm in her attachment to the union, and to the just rights of each state composing it." On the 21st of December the general assembly in joint conven- tion elected George "W. Jones United States senator for the state of Iowa for six years from the fourth of March ensuing. The following are some of the important acts passed at this session : to dispose of the swamp and overflowed lands in the state, granted by act of congress ; to establish an asylum for the blind ; to regulate the interest on money ; fixing the boundaries of the judicial circuits of the state; to reapportion the state into senate and assembly districts ; to dispose of the saline lands of the 222 Tuttle's HisTORr of Iowa. state ; to provide for work on the state capitol at Iowa City ; and a number of acts organizing new counties, granting the right of way to rail and plank roads, and to secure the vig- orous prosecution of the improvements at Des Moines, and to provide for the election of an attorney general and defining his duties. At the general election held August 7, 1854, Jas. W. Grimes received 23,312 votes for governor, and Ourtiss Bates 21,192 votes ; the former was elected; and at the presidential election held in November, the whig electors received 45,196 votes, and the dem- ocratic electors received 37,668. The whig candidates, who were elected, at a meeting of the electoral college, cast the vote of the state for John C. Fremont for president. In the years 1854 and 1855, the stream of emigration began to pour into Iowa from the eastern states to an extent that was aston- ishing and unprecedented. For miles and miles, day after day, the prairies of Illinois were lined with cattle and wagons, pushing on towards Iowa. At Peoria, one gentleman says that during a single month, seventeen hundred and forty-three wagons had passed through that place, and all for Iowa. Allowing five persons to a wagon, which is a fair average, we have 8,715 souls added to the population. The Chicago Press says : " Most of the passenger trains came in last week with two locomotives, and the reason of this great increase of power will be understood when it is known that twelve thousand passengers arrived from the east by the Mich- igan Southern Eailroad during the last week." The Burlington Telegraph says : " Twenty thousand emigrants have passed through the city within the last thirty days, and they are still crossing the Mississippi at the rate of six and seven hundred a day." These figures were f urnirhed by the ferryman, who keeps a sort of run- ning calendar ; and the editor of the Dubuque Reporter writes : " Never before in the history of this northwestern region has there been a mor'e gratifying spectacle than that now presented to those who take an interest in its progress and welfare. Viewing the almost countless throng of immigrants that crowd our streets, and learning that a similar scene is visible at every other point along the Mississippi border of Iowa, the spectator is naturally led to infer that a general exodus is taking place in the eastern states of Administration of Gov. Hempstead. 223 the Union, as well as in those that, a few years ago, were denom- inated the west. " Day by day the endless procession moves on — a mighty army of invasion, which, were its objects other than peace, and a frater- nal, cordial league with its predecessors, their joint aim to con- quer this fair and alluring domain from the wild dominion of nature, would strike terror in the boldest hearts. They come by hundreds and thousands from the hills and valleys of New En- gland, bringing with them that same untiring, indomitable energy and perseverance that have made their native states the admira- tion of the world, and whose influence is felt wherever enterprise has a votary, or commerce spreads a sail ; with intellects sharp- ened to the keenest edge, and brawny arms to exeoute the firm resolves of their iron will, and gathering fresh accessions as they swept across the intermediate country from the no less thrifty and hardy population of New York, Ohio, and Indiana. Tarrying no longer among us than to select their future homes, away they hie to the capacious and inviting plains, that spread themselves inter-, minably, ready to yield, almost without preparation, their rich, latent treasures. " In reply to the question that may be asked, to what is the high tide setting into Iowa to be ascribed ? we take it on our- selves to answer, that the unanimous consent of those who have investigated her claims accords her a climate of unequaled salu- brity, a soil of the most generous fertility and a geographical position unsurpassed by that of any other western state ; in a word, that naturally she contains within her limits all the ele- ments, which properly availed of by man, will secure his highest temporal prosperity and happiness. "Whilst the contiguous states, and many of those more remote, have yielded harvests diminished by drought in the ratio of from a fourth to a half, hers has been, at least, equal to an average one. She is thus able to supply not only her producers, but likewise all who have since come, and yet to arrive this year. When we take into account the central position of Iowa in the confederacy, and the fact of the rapid development of her resources, we can easily believe that she is destined to become, at no distant day, all that the most sanguine hope for. Her salubrious climate, and abundance of water, and 224 Tvttle's History of Iowa. the favorable distribution of timber, and mineral resources, all contribute to give Iowa preeminence among the western states in the minds of those who are exchanging a residence in the east, for one in the west. " Such are the inducements Iowa holds out to the agriculturist, coupled with a promise to return him for immeasurably less labor than would be required at the east, an unsurpassable abundance of any and every article which the zone we live in is capable of producing. " CHAPTEE XXVIIl. ADMINISTRATIOlSr OF GOV. GRIMES Fifth Session of the State Legislature — Indian Outbreak — Governor'a Mes- sages—Special Session — Its Work — Events of 1854-5. The fifth general assembly of the state of Iowa met at Iowa City and commenced its regular session on the fourth day of December, 1854, and was organized in the senate by the election of S. Gr. McAchran, president pro tempore, and Philip B. Bradley, secretary pro tempore. On the seventh of January, Maturin L. Fisher was, on the seventeenth ballot, elected president, and on the eighth, P. B. Eankin was elected secretary on the twenty- first ballot. In the house of representatives, P. Gad Bryan was elected speaker, and P. B. Bradley, chief clerk. On the eighth Grov. Hempstead sent to the general assembly his annual message, from which the following information is derived relating to the administration of the government for the two preceding years : The funded debt of the state, for which bonds have been issued, amounts to the sum of $79,795.75 ; of this amount the sum of $16,442.05 became due on the first day of May, 1854, and the others will be payable in 1856, 1857 and 1859. The treasurer's report shows, that from the first day of November, 1852, up to the thirty-first day of October, 1854, there has been received into the treasury, $125,462.57, of which sum $10,515.70 was received on the sale of the saline lands. During that time there has been paid out on auditor's warrants, $118,542.90. The amount of money in the treasury, on the thirty-first day of October last, was $15,522.22, including the sum of $8,602.88; which was in the treasury on the first day of November, 1852. A change in the manner of the assessment of taxes is recom- mended so as to require the election of a county assessor for each county. The school laws of the state, the governor regards 15 (325) 226 TUTTLlfS HiSTOBT OF lOWA. as too complicated, and recommends that the duties then per- formed by the school fund commissioners be transferred and discharged by the county treasurer. The establishment and endowment of an asylum for lunatics, he recommended to the favorable consideration of the general assembly. Reference is made to the improvement of the Des Moines river, and it is stated, that under the provisions of law, a contract has been made with Henry O'Eeilley and others for the completion of the improve- ment — a portion of the old debts have been paid, and the im- provement is said to be progressing. He calls attention to the militia laws of the state, and recommends a militia organization such as will enable the state, in case of emergency, to defend itself and protect the citizens from depredation of the Indians. He further states, that he received information in July, 1854, from certain counties in the west and northwest portions of the state, that a large body of Indians, well armed and equipped, had made demonstrations of hostility by fortifying themselves in various places, killing stock and plundering houses, and that many of the inhabitants had entirely forsaken their homes and left a large portion of their property at the mercy of the enemy ; and praying that a military force be sent to protect them and their settlements. Upon the receipt of this information an order was immediately issued to Gen. J. G. Shields, directing him to call out the City Guards of Dubuque, and such other force as might be necessary, not exceeding two companies, to remove the Indians from the state. This order was promptly obeyed, and "the company were ready for service, when information was re- ceived that the Indians had dispersed, that the citizens were returning to their homes and quiet had been restored. Authority was also given to Maj. Williams of Fort Dodge, to raise a volun- teer company, should it be necessary to remove any Indians who should be found disturbing any of the inhabitants of the county of Franklin or the adjoining counties. The appointment of a commissioner of emigration for the state of Iowa, to reside in the city of New York, whose duty it should be to give immigrants the necessary information as to soil, climate and the branches of business to be pursued with advantage in the state, is strongly urged. He recommended that a memorial 228 TvTTL^s History of Iowa. be passed, urging apon'congress the justice of making a grant of lands for railroad purposes to the state, and that such application be concentrated .upon one road, to run from the Mississippi to the Missouri river through the central portion of the state ; and, in conclusion, reiterates his views, expressed in previous communi- cations, on the subject of banking, of state indebtedness, and of exclusive privileges, and is decidedly opposed to any amendment of the constitution that will authorize their introduction in the state. On the 9th of December, the two houses met in joint conven- tion for the purpose of canvassing the vote cast at the last general election. The speaker of the assembly then proceeded to open the official returns in the presence of both houses, and, after can- vassing, announced that James W. Grimes had received 23,312, Curtis Bates, 21,192, and 10 votes scattering; whereupon the president of the convention announced that James W. Grrimes, having received a majority of the votes cast for governor, was de- clared elected for the ensuing gubernatorial term. A committee was then appointed to wait upon the governor elect to inform him that the general assembly was ready to receive him in joint con- vention, and to administer the oath of office prescribed by law. The governor soon after appeared with the other state officers, and delivered his inaugural address. In his address, he recom- mends that the public schools of the state should be supported by taxation of property, and that the present rate system should be abolished, and suggests the propriety of establishing in every school district a school library. He recommends a state constitu- tional convention, and that the question be submitted to a vote of the people at an early day. He refers at some length to the ac- tion of congress on the repeal of the Missouri compromise, and takes strong grounds against this action, and to the extension of slavery into the territories. On the 13th of December, the general assembly again met m joint convention for the purpose of electing a United States senator and judges of the supreme court, on which no choice was made by the convention, and no definite result had. On the 5th of January, 1855, Hon. George G. Wright was elected chief justice of the supreme court; William G-. Woodward, associate Administration of Gov. Grimes. 229 judge ; and, on the 6th, Norman W. Isbell was elected an associ- ate judge of the supreme court, and Hon. James Harlan was elected United States senator on the ninth ballot. The general assembly adjourned January 26, 1855. On |the 3d of June, 1856, Gov. Grrimes issued his procla- mation convening the general assembly in special session, on the the 2d day of July, 1856, on which day the two houses convened at the capitol. Hon. M. L. Fisher, president of the senate, and | P. B. Bradley, secretary. The governor sent to the general as- sembly his message, from which the following informsition is taken : He states that, by an act of congress, approved May 15, 1856, there was "granted to the state, for the purpose of aiding in the construction of railroads from Burlington, on the Missis- sippi, to a point on the Missouri river near the mouth of the Platte river ; from the city of Davenport via Iowa City and Fort des Moines to Council Bluffs ; from Lyons City, northwesterly to a point of intersection with the main line, running as near as practicable to the 42d parallel, across the said state, to the Mis- souri river, near Sioux City, with a branch from the mouth of the Tete des Morts to the nearest point on said road, to be com- pleted as soon as the main road is completed to that point, every alternate section of land ' designated by odd numbers, for six sec- tions in width on each side o£ said roads." The governor states that he had convened the general assembly at that time so that the following points should be determined upon : 1st. Whether or not the state shall accept the grant made under the act of 15th of May last ; and, if so, 2d. Whether the lands shall be trans- ferred to any specific companies ; and, if so, to what companies they shall be transferred ; and 3d. Upon what terms shall the transfer be made, and expresses the hope that, whatever^ action may be had, " the protection of the people against the sometimes oppressive monopolizing tendencies of powerful corporations,'' will not be lost sight of. The governor refers to the destruction, by fire, of the work shops attached to the state penitentiary, and recommends the en- largement of the building for the increased wants of that institu- tion. The exrtra session adjourned, July 16, 1856. The following are a few of the important laws enacted at the two 230 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. sessions of the general assembly : an act for the observance of the Sabbath; for the suppression of intemperance; to relocate the seat of government; to amend the law in relation to divorce; to provide for the revision or amendment of the constitution of the state ; to provide for the prosecution of the geological survey of the state; to establish a state institution for the deaf and dumb; to establish a state insane asylum ; to apportion the state into senate and assembly districts; to establish a state land office; to accept of the grant and carry into execution the trust conferred upon the state by act of congress granting lands in alternate sec- tions to aid in the construction of railroads in the state, and a large number of acts locating state roads, incorporating and amending acts of incorporation of towns, villages and cities, and joint resolutions and memorials asking congress for grants of land for railroad purposes. The act which was passed at the regular session for a revision or amendment to the constitution of the state, provided for an election on the first Monday in August, in the year 1856, for taking a vote of the people for or against a constitution. The election resulted in a majority of 18,628 in favor of holding the convention, and in carrying out the law. An election for delegates was held in November. 1856, and the con- vention met at Iowa City on the 19th of January, 1857, and elected Francis Springer, president, and Thos. J. Saunders, secretary. The convention ' struck out the clause in the old constitution limiting the state indebtedness, and also the one prohibiting bank- ing. A state board of education was created, the office of lieu- tenant governor and a grant of the privileges of banking to cor- porations. The constitution was subsequently submitted to the voice of the people at an election held on the third day of August, 1857, at which election there were 40,311 votes cast for the con- stitution, and 38,681 votes against it, and the same was adopted and took effect by proclamation of the governor on the third of September, 1857. CHAPTEE XXIX. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. GRIMES. Sixth Session of the State Legislature — Statistics — Legislation. The sixth general assembly of the state convened at Iowa City, on the first day of December, 1856, and was organized in the senate by the election of W. W. Hamilton as president, and C. 0. Nourse, secretary ; and in the house by the election of Sumuel McFarland, speaker, and J. W. Logan, chief clerk. The general assembly adjourned on the 29th of January, 1857. On the 3d of December, the governor sent to each house his biennial message, which was read by the secretary and chief clerk of the senate and house of representatives. A synopsis of this document will be given as affording the best condensed account of the affairs of the state at that time. The progress of the state is reported during the past two years to have been extraordinary, and in many respects unexampled; "in population, in produc- tive power, in educational facilities, the advance has been such as to astound the doubtful and to surprise the most sanguine." An enumeration of the inhabitants of the state, and her pro- ductive resources, was taken in June, 1856. The reports show that the state has increased in population from June, 1854, to June, 1856, from 326,014, to 503,625. The vote polled on the 4th of November last, reached 92,644, showing that the population at the present date is not far from 600,000. The assessed value of property is reported at $164,194,413 ; number of acres of im- proved land, 2,343,958, unimproved, 6,443,871. " The amount in the treasury on the 31st of October, 1854, was $10,106.86 ; paid into the treasury from the first date to October 31, 1856, $250,399.45; amount paid out upon auditor's warrants during the same period, $249,149.85, leaving a balance in the (231) 232 TuTTLJifs History of Iowa. treasury, October 31, 1856, of $11,156.46. The total available revenue is $246,380.21, of which there will be due taxes from the several counties on January 1, 1857, $205,243.02 ; from counties in arrears, $30,880.73, and $11,256.46, now in the treasury. There is also in the treasury of the United States as the proceeds of the sales of the public lands within the limits of the state, from Janu- ary 1, to December 31, 1855, $185,785:32. The governor recom- mends the passage of a registry law, and an investigation into the affairs of the Des Moines Improvement Company." On the 17th of January, 1857, the two houses in joint conven- tion elected Hon. James Harlan United States senator for the un- expired term, ending from and after the 4th day of March, 1855. The following are some of the important acts passed at this session : to provide for the payment of the state bonds due on the first day of January, 1857 ($57,500) ; transferring the school fund of the state from the hands of the superintendent of public instruc- tion to the state treasurer ; providing for improvements in the Iowa penitentiary, and $20,000 appropriated ; appropriating $10,000 for the further prosecution of the state geological survey ; to amend the law in relation to the assessment of property ; an act in relation to insurance companies doing business in the state ; appropriating $40,000 for the further completion of the state in- sane asylum at Mount Pleasant ; for the suppression of intemper- ance ; to authorize the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad to construct a bridge across the Mississippi river at Burlington ; to provide for the distribution of the five per cent, fund ; to provide for an annual appropriation for the state historical society and $250 appropriated ; to license and regulate the sale of malt, spirit-, uous and vinous liquors in the state ; providing for the education of the blind and for the institution for the deaf and dumb, and a large number of bills incorporating counties, towns and cities ; for the change of name of towns and counties, and various local meas- ures. By an act of the legislature approved January 25, 1855, com- missioners were appointed to relocate the state capitol, "within two miles of the junction of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers in Polk county," and the provisions of the subsequent law fixing the seat of government at Des Moines were incorporated into the new 234 Tuttle's History of Iowa. constitution of 1857. In the fall of this jear,'the furniture and effects of the capitol at Iowa City were removed to Des Moines, the point selected by the commissioners. The removal of the seat of government, as was reasonably expected, produced some feeling at Iowa City. No doubt existed in the mind of any one, that at some future time the public interest would require a relocation of the seat of government ; but that this step was called for by any considerable portion of the inhabitants of the state at that time was denied ; and with the exception of those in the immediate vi- cinity of the new capitol and a few speculators, the movement was looked upon by many as premature and entirely uncalled for ; and although the proceeding was strongly opposed by the citizens of Johnson county and adjoining counties, yet subsequent events have demonstrated that by exchanging the seat of government for the "state university," that section of the country has been vastly and permanently benefited, proving that those things the most far seeing looked upon as evils, often result in our greatest good. CHAPTER XXX. ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. LOWE. Seventh Session of the State Legislature — Gov. Grimes' Last Message— State Institutions — Indian Troubles — Slavery. The seventh regular session of the general assembly of the state convened at Des Moines on the 11th day of January, 1868, and was organized in the senate by the election of Daniel Ander- son of Monroe county as president pro tem., and Greo. E. Spencer as permanent secretary ; and in the house by the election of Stephen B. Shelledy as speaker, and' Benj. F. Jones as chief clerk ; and adjourned March 23, 1858. The message of Grov. Grimes to the legislature was read in "each house by the chief clerk and secretary on the 12th. He congratQlates the legisla- ture on the continued prosperity of the state, and says they are convened under the provisions of a new organic law, and expected to provide proper methods for carrying the same into effect. He refers to the subject of special legislation, and recommends that the laws on this subject shall be full and specific. He recom- mends a -registry law ; a revision of the revenue law ; the taking of the census of 1859 by persons appointed by the census board instead of by county assessors. He calls attention to the revision of the school laws as prepared and submitted by Messrs. Horace Mann and Amos Dean, and recommends that the same be enacted into a law. He states that the capitol building at Iowa City has been surrendered to the trustees of the state university ; that the building is out of repair, and requires considerable change in its internal arrangements, to adapt it to the purposes for which it is to be used, and recommends the general assembly to appropriate a sum sufficient to put it in complete order for the uses for which it is now designed. (235) 236 TuTTLlfS HlSTOBT OF JOWA. The deaf aad dumb and blind asylums are in a prosperous condition, and the former only lacks the proper accommodations to answer all the reasonable desires of the friends of the institu- tion, and of the children in charge, and recommends that this in- stitution be permanently established at some point in the state, and that steps be taken to erect a proper asylum building. The pupils at the blind asylum are so few that, in his opinion, it does not seem necessary to maintain an institution for their instruc- tion, and they can be educated by the state in similar institutions elsewhere, at less expense than is now annually appropriated for this purpose. The hospital for the insane, at Mount Pleasant, he says, has advanced rapidly towards completion, and can be made ready for occupancy during the present year. The amount already expended, including labor, materials of various descrip- tions on hand, glass, sash and window frames for the entire build- ing, stock, etc., is $138,648.01. The estimates of amount that may be necessary to complete the building, out-buildings, etc., are referred to in the reports of the commissioners herewith sent to the legislature. He also states that he has caused the report of the geological survey of the state to be printed under the supervision of Prof. Jas. Hall, LL. D., of Albany, N. Y. The governor recommends a military organization of the state, as there is no law under which companies can be organized, or that would strictly author- ize the executive authority to call them into the field, in cases requiring their services. He gives the following summary of the financial condition of the state : A.mount in the treasury Oct. 31, 1866 |11 254 91 Paid into the treasury during the fiscal year 231 234 42 Making a total of |242,489 33 Disbursements from the treasury 228 806 23 Leaving a balance in the treasury of « J3 683~10 There is in arrears from county treasurers 62 401 94 Due from counties upon the assessment of 1857 4ig' ^gg gg The auditor of the state estimates the taxes for the year 1858 at $500,000, and for 1859 at $575,000. Administration of Gov. Lowe. 237 The total resources of the state to January, 1860, when the next general assembly convenes |1, 569,794 63 The auditor estimates the expenses of the state during the same period $523 ,412 90 Outstanding auditor's warrants 155 ,003 56 678,416 46 '5 ) Leaving an excess of resources $891 ,378 17 The expenses of the state. during the past two years have been greatly increased by the extra session of the general assembly in July, 1855, rendered necessary by the grant of land to the state for railroad purposes, by the recent constitutional convention, and by the erection of a hospital for the insane. The amount expended for these three last purposes exceeds the sum of two hundred thousand dollars. The governor recommends the borrowing, upon the bonds of the state, the amount allowed by the constitution. By so doing, the present liabilities of the state can be immediately discharged, the charitable institutions can be carried forward to completion, and the rate of taxation for the years 1858 and 1859 can be re- duced at least one-third. Eeferring to the Des Moines river im- provement, he says: "It is reported that the company have en- gaged in practices calculated to deceive and defraud innocent and unsuspecting persons, both at home and abroad," and sug- gests that " the attorney general be directed to institute proceed- ings to vacate the charter of said company, and thus prevent it from perpetrating any further wrongs under the authority of the state." He also refers to the act of congress admitting Iowa into the union, where it is declared " that five per cent, of the net proceeds of sales of all public lands lying within the state, which have been or shall be sold by congress shall (after deducting neces- sary expenses) be appropriated for making public roads and canals within the state, as the legislature may direct;" and also "to appropriate the five per cent, of the net proceeds of lands which have been or shall he sold by congress from and after the admis- sion of said state, to the support of common schools." He com- plains that immense quantities of land have been entered by mil- itary land warrants, and the government receives a consideration 238 TUTTLSfs HiSTOBY OF lOWA. for the lana thus entered, and that it is unjust to the state for the government to destroy the fund which it holds in trust for the state. Between private persons the same state of facts would justify a recovery in a court of law. and it seems to him that the same principle should prevail between the two governments. The military land warrants located in Iowa up to the 30th of June, 1856, covered 10,929,692.30 acres. The percentage due to the state thereon is $682,980.20, and probably the aggregate percentage to June 30, 1857, approaches very near $1,000,000. He recommends that congress be memorialized on this subject, and that suit be authorized to be instituted against the United States for the recovery of the amount due, in the court of claims. He also states that during the past three years his attention had been frequently called to the probability of a collision be- tween the Indians and the settlers in the west and northwestern counties of the state, and that he had addressed the president of the United States, the secretary of war, and the commissioner of Indian affairs on the subject. Fearing that some exigency might arise that would require prompt and energetic action, he had in January, 1855, requested Maj . Wm. Williams, of Fort Dodge, to assume a general charge of this subject, and authorized him as far as he (the governor) had power to do so, to act in his behalf in any contingency that might arise in connection with the Indians. In February last, 1857, Ink-pa-du-tah's band of Sioux Indians made a hostile incursion into the state, and perpetrated most hor- rible atrocities in Dickinson county. "When intelligence of this event reached Fort Dodge, Maj. Williams at once enrolled three companies of men under Capts. Eichards and Duncorab and pro- ceeded to the scene of difficulty. These heroic men left their homes in the most inclement season of the year, and endured almost unheard of sufferings and privations ; crossing swollen streams flooded with ice, and traversing uninhabited prairies in the most tempestuous weather, that they might save their fellow creatures from a savage butchery, or rescue them from a captivity worse than death. Two o£ their number, Gapt. J. 0. Johnson, of Hamilton county, and William Burkholder, of Webster county, perished on the march, others returned frozen and maimed. The expedition did not overtake the Indians ; but they reached the 240 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. scene of their barbarities, gave to the dead a Christian burial, and brought back with them two children, the sole survivors of the slaughtered settlement. The men who thus gallantly and hu- manely perilled their lives, have received no compensation for the time employed in the expedition, or for their outfit. The federal government is in equity bound for their compensation, and the governor recommended that a memorial be addressed to the con gress of the United States, and that the state assume the payment and reserve the same from any appropriation that may be made. The expenses of the state prison he reports for the past year as $9,448.95. The governor gives his views at length on the subject of slavery, and says : " I trust that as the representatives of the freedom lov- ing citizens of Iowa, you will explicitly declare that you will never consent that this state shall become an integral part of a great slave republic by assenting to the abhorrent doctrines con- tained in the Dred Scott decision, let the consequences of dissent be what they may;" and closes by saying, "the liberties of the people can only be preserved by maintaining the integrity of the state governments against the corrupting influence of federal patronage and power." On the 14th of January, 1858, the two houses of the legislature met in joint convention for the purpose of hearing the result of the votes for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, the president of the senate acting as president of the joint convention. The tellers announced, after duly canvassing the said votes, it appeared that there had been cast at the election in October, 1857, for the office of governor, 75,592 votes, of which number Ealph P. Lowe had received 38,498 ; Benj. M. Samuels 36,088, and T. F. Henry, 1,006, whereupon Ralph P. Lowe having received a majority of all the votes cast for said office, was declared duly elected governor of Iowa for the ensuing gubernatorial term. The tellers further announced that there had been cast at said election for the office of lieutenant governor, 74,958 votes, of which num- ber Oran Faville, had received 37,638 ; George Gillaspy 35,310, and Easton Morris 1,010 votes ; whereupon it appearing that Mr. Faville had received a majority of all the votes cast at the elec- tion of October, 1857, for the office of lieutenant governor, was Administration of Gov. Lowe. 241 declared elected to that office for the term of two years, or until his successor is elected and qualified. At a later hour of the day the joint convention reassembled, when the governor and lieutenant governor appeared before them. The oath of office was then administered by Chief Justice Wright, of the supreme court, after which the governor elect delivered his inaugural address, after which the joint convention adjourned sine die. Ex-Grov. Jas. W. Grimes, was elected United States senator for six years, from March 4, 1859. The legislature adjourned on the 23d of March. The follow- ing are some of the most important bills passed at this session : To provide for issuing state bonds, and procuring a loan for the state ($200,000) ; to authorize the governor to arm and equip a company for the defense of the frontier ; providing for the public instruction of the state an elaborate school code of ninety-six sec- tions ; to reapportion the state into senate and assembly districts; to incorporate the State Bank of Iowa ; to provide for the estab- lishment of an agricultural college ; to authorize the business of banking ; for the government of the Iowa insane hospital at Mt Pleasant ; for the management of the school fund, and the school lands of the state ; for a revision of the laws of the state, and for a code of civil and criminal procedure ; disposing of the land grant made by congress to the Des Moines Valley Eailroad ; to provide for the erection of an institution for the education of the blind at the town of Vinton, Benton county ; to provide for taking the state census ; for the government of the Iowa insane hospital. 16 CHAPTER XXXI. DE8 MOINES RIVER IMPROVEMENT. In the preceding chapters reference has been made to the Des Moines river, its improvement and the grant of lands bestowed bj congress upon the state, to aid in making the river a navigable stream. The record of this river improvement is prominent in Iowa history. For many years it entered largely into politics, and called forth much legislation. The late Hon. Charles Negus, in 1873, prepared a valuable paper on this subject, which was published in the "Annals of Iowa," a periodical issued by the state historical society. From this paper we have compiled the following account of the subject : On the first settlement of Iowa, the building of railroads had just commenced, and but few in the west knew anything about this mode of conveyance for travel and commerce. At that time steamboats for these purposes were the great absorbing idea. The Des Moines river, in high stages of water, was thought to be sus- ceptible of steamboat navigation far into the interior of the state, and those who first settled in the vicinity of this river eagerly looked forward to the day when steamboats would move up and down these waters in large numbers, and for long distances from its banks, travel and commerce would seek a conveyance through this channel. These expectations were apparently well founded. In 1836 the Sacs and Foxes, having disposed of their reservation on the Iowa river, where they had their villages, moved west, and settled in the valley of the river Des Moines, in what is now called Wapello county, and as a natural .consequence, trading posts were established in this vicinity, which had to be supplied with goods, and in the fall of 1837, the few settlers along the banks of this river were, for the first time, gladdened with the sound of the whistle of a steamboat making its wav up the river (242) -^ ^ Des Moines Bivejs Improvement. 243 with supplies for these trading posts. This boat was the " Sci- ence," commanded by Capt Clark, which, by forcing her way against the swift current, passed safely over the concealed sand bars and hidden rocks, demonstrated that the waters of this river at high stages were navigable, much to the joy and satisfaction of those who lived in the vicinity, and afforded a theme of pleasant conversation for days and months. By the treaty of 1842 by which the Sacs and Foxes sold all their lands in Iowa, they were permitted to retain possession of that portion which lay west of Eed Eock for three years, and the Indians moved up the river, and located themselves near the Eac- coon Fork, and the government thought proper to locate a body of troops at this point ; and for the conveyance of soldiers and their equipages to that place, the little steamer lone was employed and laden with stores, and a detachment of troops landed upon the site where is now the city of Des Moines, on the 9th of May, 1843. This was the first steamboat that ever ventured to disturb the waters of this river so far from its mouth. The lone having made a successful trip, added greatly to the expectation of the estimated importance and value of this thoroughfare — which was brought to the attention of congress — and on the 8th of August, 1846, congress enacted a law giving to Iowa, for the purpose of aiding to improve the navigation of the Des Moines from its mouth to the Eaccoon Fork, an equal moiety in alternate sections of the public lands remaining unsold, on a strip five miles wide on each side of the river, to be selected within the territory of Iowa by an agent or agents, to be appointed by the governor of the territory, subject to the approval of the secretary of the United States treas- ury. When this grant was first made, it was not supposed by any one that it extended above Eaccoon Fork, and Gov. Clarke, in communicating the intelligence to the legislature, estimated the grant to amount to about three hundred thousand acres. This part of the governor's message was referred to a select committee for them to take into consideration whether it was advisable for the state to accept the grant, and if so, to devise the method of disposing of the lands, and the mode of improving the river. The committee, after having the matter under consideration several weeks, through their chairman, Dr. Jas. Davis, of Wapello 244 Tvttle's History of Iowa. county, made a lengthy report, in which they took the ground that the grant was not limited to lands below the Eaccoon fork, but extended to every alternate section for five miles on each side of the river to the northern boundary of the state, if not to the source of the river ; and they estimated the grant to contain four hundred thousand acres below the Eaccoon fork, and five hun- dred and sixty-thousand above, making nine hundred and sixty thousand acres of land. The report of the committee at first was looked upon as visionary, and but very little calculation was made on getting any land above the fork of the river ; but a matter of this much importance was not passed over without ex- amination and full discussion. From this time on, for several years, the improvement of the river Des Moines entered largely into the politics of the state. Politicians became interested in it ; the construction pat upon the grant by the committee was the popular side and found many ad- vocates, and scarcely any one opposed it. The committee re- ported in favor of receiving the grant, with provisos, and a bill for creating a board of public works. On this report, the legis- lature passed an act accepting the grant, with the proviso, that it was not to form a part of the five hundred thousand acres which the state was entitled to by an act of congress of 1841, giving to each new state that amount of land for internal improvements. This was conceded by the general government, and it also per- mitted the state to divert the five hundred thousand acres from works of internal improvement to the purposes of education. The legislature, on the 5th of February, 1847, also passed an act creating a board of public works, and providing for the improve- ment of the river. The board consisted of a president, secretary and treasurer, who were to be elected by the qualified electors of the state, on the first Monday of the following August. The president was to be the active agent of the work, and was re- quired to make monthly reports of his doings and of the progress of the work to the board. The secretary was to record the pro- ceedings of the board and sell the lands. The treasurer was to receive and disburse the moneys. The officers were required to commence the work on the Mississippi, near Keokuk, at the mouth of the Dead Slough, or of the Nassaw Slough, and then 246 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. up the slough to the river ; and subsequently the work was com- menced by undertaking to dig a canal from the mouth of Nas- saw Slough to St. Francisville, the first place on the river, where it was thought practicable to build a dam. About one hundred and fifty thousand dollars were expended in the effort, but the attempt proved to be an impracticable un- dertaking, and, after expending this amount of money, the work of digging a canal was abandoned. At the August election, Hugh W. Sample, of Jefferson county, was elected president; Charles Gorckery, of Dubuque county, secretary, and Paul Bra- ton, of Van Buren county, treasurer. The oificers elected were qualified, and at first opened their offices at Fairfield. Samuel Ourtiss, from Ohio, was selected by the board as chief engineer; but there was very little done this season towards improving the river, further than to make surveys. The necessary surveys hav- ing been completed, early in the spring of 1848 the work was commenced, the canal and three dams were put under contract, and about five hundred hands were put upon the work. On the 21st of August, the building of ten more dams was contracted for, and there seemed to be a fair prospect for the speedy comple- tion of the entire improvement. There was, at this time, but very little known of the resources of the upper valley of the river Des Moines. This year, by au- thority of the government, provisions were made for a geological survey in Iowa, and a party was sent up the river, who explored it to its source. The report made by this exploring party was very flattering. They reported that " coal was found for two hun- dred miles on the river, and, from indications, heavy deposits of iron ore are supposed to exist." That "gypsum in abundance, forming cliffs for miles, was encountered," and "limestone, that makes a superior hydraulic lime, exists in abundance ; " " lime- stone suitable for lime, clay suitable for brick, rock suitable for polishing, for grindstones, whetstones, and for building purposes (some of superior quality) are found in abundance along the Des Moines," and Col. Curtiss, in speculating upon the future, in his report to the legislature, led the people to anticipate great results from this improvement. He said " no country can afford like accommodations to manufacturers; no country can produce 1)es Moines Rives Improvement. 24'} more agricultural wealth than that within sixty miles on either side of the river. That, taking all things into consideration, the matter is mathematically certain (except in times of high water in the Missouri) the trade of Council Bluffs will incline to follow the improvement. But it is not this point alone that is reached ; we enter the great valley of Nebraska and the upper branches of the Missouri, and offer to the commerce of these valleys the cheapest and most expeditious route for their products. A coun- try, of a thousand miles extent, capable of furnishing vast and unknown agricultural and mineral products, may, by wise and discreet energy in the prosecution of this work, become tributary to the improvement now in progress on the Des Moines." These glowing reports of the country, and of the advantages to be derived from the improvement of the river, excited the public mind to the highest expectations, and the people became very anxious to secure as much of the public lands as possible, that this great undertaking might be speedily completed. And, to ascertain the construction put upon the grant by the general gov- ernment, application was made to the land department for a de- cision. Richard M. Young, the commissioner of the general land office, on the 23d day of February, 1848, in a letter addressed to the board of public works, gave it as his opinion, that the state was " entitled to the alternate sections within five miles of the Des Moines river, through the whole extent of Iowa." This de- cision gave assurances that the amount of land claimed would be secured. The board of improvement made great preparations for rapidly pushing on the work, and the public mind was exhilarated with the greatest hope of speedily realizing the vast advantages represented to be derived from the undertaking. But as it is the lot of man to meet with disappointment, such seems to have been the result in this case ; for it was found that lands could not be sold fast enough to meet the expenses of so extensive a work as had been undertaken. To remedy this diffi- culty, the board of public works, recommended to the legislature " that bonds, bearing the sanction of the supreme power of the state should be issued by the board and pledging the proceeds of the sales of lands, as well as the tolls of the improvement for their re- demption." But this policy did not meet with the sanction of 248 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. , some of the leading democrats of the state, who regarded such a measure as not being in accordance with democratic principles, among whom was Verplank Van Antwerp. This gentlemen hav- ing held the office of receiver in the first land office established in southern Iowa, and then holding the same office at Fairfield, and also for a while editor of a paper, was extensively known, and at that time exerted much influence among the people, and he took a very active part against the proposition recommended by the board. He claimed that the measure was not only anti-demo- cratic, but impolitic, and went to Iowa city as a lobby member, and made himself very busy with the members to defeat it ; and the opposition with which it met from Van Antwerp and other private individuals had its effect with the members of the legisla- ture, and the measure was defeated, much to the discomfiture of Sample. This interference of Van Antwerp, with the recommendations of the board, created a coolness between these two persons, which caused some singular results in the future political matters of the state. During the summer of 1848, a portion of the lands above the Eaccoon Fork was brought into the market and offered for sale at the land office at Iowa City, and some of the lands, which it was supposed were embraced within the river grant, were sold by the general government. The failure of the board to obtain the con- sent of the legislature to authorize them to issue bonds, and the selling of these lands by the general government, greatly frustra- ted the plans of the board, and put a damper on the public ex- pectation. For the purpose of securing the full amount of land claimed, the legislature passed a memorial, asking congress to en- act an explanatory law, confirming to the state the quantity of land claimed ; but congress did not feel disposed to do this, and the extent of the grant was a disputed question for several years. At the August election in 1849, the officers of the board of public works and the old officers were desirous of holding on to their offices, and Sample made great efforts to have the old of- ficers renominated by the state convention for candidates before the people. Those who were in favor of issuing bonds for the speedy completion of the work, were in favor of reelectino- the old Des Moines River Improvement. 249 board, and those who were opposed to the measure were opposed to them. Among those who took an an active part against the old board was Van Antwerp, and his opposition was particularly made against Sample, which produced much ill-feeling between them. The former, to accomplish his ends, before the convening of the convention, prepared a stricture on Sample's political acts, which showed him up in no enviable light. Van Antwerp went to Iowa City, where the convention was to be held, a short time before it convened, and had his strictures printed in handbill form, and on the morning of the convention, circulated copies all over the city, so that a copy of it found its way into the hands of every delegate. This had the eflEect to defeat Sample and the other of- ficers of the old board, and William Patterson, of Lee county, was nominated for president, Jesse Williams, of Johnson county, for secretary, and George Grillasby, of Wapello, for treasurer. These individuals were all elected, entered upon the duties of their trust, and with energy undertook to complete all the work which had been put under contract ; but they soon found they could not sell lands fast enough to meet their expenditures, and had to suspend a portion of the work ; but they did not do this till they had contracted a large amount of debts, which they had not means to pay. The new board on making settlements with the contractors, not having the money to pay them, issued bonds or certificates of indebtedness, pledging the lands for their pay- ment, and binding the board to redeem them as soon as they had the means to do it. So the new board, without the sanction of law, did what the old board had tried to get the legislature to authorize them to do by law, and for which policy they were turned out of office and others put in their place. Those con- tractors who were stopped from going on with their work claimed damages, legal proceedings were had, and some of them recovered large amounts. The course pursued by the new board met with much censure from the public, and the newspapers, particularly the whig press, were very severe in their strictures. The course which had been pursued by the board of public works made the improvement of the river Des Moines a prominent matter before the legislature which convened in December 1850. The issuing of bonds did not meet 260 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. with the approval of that body, and a law was passed abolish- ing the offices of president, secretary and treasurer, and the offices of " commissioner and register of the Des Moines river improve- ment," were created, which, instead of being elected by the peo- ple, were to be appointed by the governor, by and with the ad- vice and consent of the senate. As soon as the law abolishing the board of public works went into effect, the governor appointed Verplauk Yan Antwerp com- missioner and George Grillaspy register of the improvement, who, on the 9th of June 1851, entered into a contract with Bangs Brothers & Co., of New York, in which they stipulated to com- plete the whole work, from the mouth of the river to Eaccoon Fork in four years, from the time, when for the improvement of the river, a confirmation should be secured of the extension of the grant of land above that point. When the contract was closed. Bangs Bros. & Co., and officers of the improvement went to work and succeeded in getting the land department of the general government to reconsider the de- cision in which it had been held that the grant of land only extended to the Eaccoon Fork, and obtained a decision that it extended to the northern boundary of the state, which gave hopes that the river would soon be made navigable. On the first recep- tion of this news, there was much rejoicing, but when the details of the contract with Bangs Bros. & Co., were made public, it was found that the contract provided that the lands below the Fork were not to be sold for less than two dollars per acre, and those above for not less than five. This caused much dissatisfac- tion, for a great portion of these lands were occupied by claimants who expected to buy their claims at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, as others had done, who had settled upon govern- ment land. This provision stirred up much ill feeling among the settlers ; public meetings were held, and this part of the contract was condemned in the strongest terms ; and such were the feelings that there were apprehensions of serious difficulties if this part of the contract should be enforced. But when these excitements were at their highest, news came that Bangs Bros. & Co. had failed, and probably the contract would be annulled, and this allayed the public feeling. Bangs & Co. did not comply with 252 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa, their contract in furnishing means, and the work on the river did not go on, and the public expectation of a speedy completion of the proposed improvement vanished. The officers of the im- provement were appointed for only two years, and, at the expira- tion of their term of office, Van Antwerp was reappointed com- missioner, and Paul C. Jeffries was appointed register ; but these last appointed officers held their trust but a short time, for during the past two years the work on the river had progressed slowly ; the contract with Bangs Bros. & Go. had been declared for- feited, and it was understood that other sources were to be looked to for going on with the work. The officers appointed by the governor not being successful in their undertaking, the legislature, on the first of January, 1853, repealed the law authorizing the governor to appoint, and made these officers again to be elected by the people, and on the first Monday of the following April, Josiah Bonney, of Yan Buren county, was elected commissioner, and Greorge Gillaspy, register ; and lor the purpose of aiding the commissioner in conducting and concluding any contract on the subject of improving the river, the legislature appointed Geo. G. "Wright, of Van Buren county, and Uriah Briggs, of "Wapello, his assistants, " with equal power of the commissioner in making and determining such contract." From past experience, it was not deemed advisable to parcel out the work to many individuals, and consequently these officers were required by the legislature not to make any contract, unless such contract stipulated for at least "thirteen hundred thousand dollars to be faithfully expended in the payment of the debts and liabilities of the improvement, and its completion to the greatest extent possible." To this end, if it was thought necessary, they were authorized " to sell and dispose of all and any lands " which had been, or there- after might be granted by congress for the improvement of the river, and if it was necessary to effect a contract, they were authorized to convey the right to tolls and water rents arising from the' improvement, for the length of time, and upon such terms as they might deem expedient; but in disposing of the lands they were not to contract them for less than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre ; and if no contract of this character Des Moines River Improvement. 253 should be made before the first of September, 1853, then the pay of all the officers connected with the work, except the register and and one engineer, was to cease, and all operations connected with the work, except such parts as were under contract, were to be suspended until further action by the legislature. The register was required to put all unfinished work then under contract in such a condition as to prevent it from injury, and to see that all property of the state, connected with the work, was carefully pre- served. If the " register at any time subsequent, should receive propositions which he deemed sufficient for consideration, he was to submit the same to the commissioner, and should a contract be made on the terms required by the legislature, then the pay of the officers should commence, and the work go on as though it had not been suspended." The new commissioner, being consci- entious about the expending of money, immediately after taking charge of the work, dismissed all the engineers except (Juy Wells, the chief engineer, " and employed no officer or other person ex- cept where the necessity of the work imperatively demanded it." There were in several places in the river, snags and boulders which much obstructed the navigation, and had become a source of much inconvenience and complaint, but during the official term of Bonney, the river was " cleared of snags, boulders and other obstructions to such an extent as to make the navigation of the river at proper stages of the water, safe." The commissioner and his associates, after assuming the duties of their trust " entered into correspondence with such persons and companies as were thought likely to embark in such an enter- prise," and by this means they succeeded in eliciting the attention of capitalists to such an extent that a number of persons came to the state for the purpose of investigation. These persons, by an examination of the valley of the Des Moines personally, and mak- ing themselves familiar with the resources of the country, on their return east, imparted to others the undeveloped wealth and ad- vantages of the valley, which was the means of bringing many good and enterprising citizens to the state. Among others who visited Iowa for the purpose of investigation, was Henry O'Reilly, a man who had acquired some considerable notoriety as a con- tractor, in putting up telegraph wires, and he proposed to under- 254 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. take the work. Such was the well known reputation of Mr. O'- Eeilly as a contractor, that the commissioner and his associates commenced the negotiation of a contract : and on the 17th of De- cember, that gentleman entered into a contract with the commis- sioners, in which, for the consideration of the unsold land belong- ing to the improvement, and tolls and water-rent, and other profits arising from the work, for the term of forty years, agreed to com- plete the entire work, within a period of four years from the first day of July, 1854, according to the original survey, and the speci- fications made by the engineers. Immediately upon entering into this contract, O'Reilly returned east and organized a company under the laws of Iowa, to be called the "Des Moines Navigation and Rail Road Company," to which company he assigned his contract, himself being one of the officers of the company. On the 9th of June, 1854, by the consent and request of O'Reilly, and with the approbation of the officers of river improvement, the contract with O'Reilly was canceled, and another contract was made with the newly organized company. In this contract the company agreed to pay all outstanding debts against the improvement within ninety days from the date of said contract ; to settle and pay all damages against the state of Iowa, on account of the prosecution of said work to mill owners, or others who have, or might thereafter, sustain damages on account of the same; to pay the salaries and expenses of the officers and engineers in charge of the work ; to complete the improvement from the mouth of the Des Moines river to Fort Des Moines, in accordance with the original plans and specifications of the chief engineer, by the first day of July, 1858 ; and to construct the whole work in such man- ner as to assure the navigation of the same for the longest period each year practicable, and to complete at least one fourth of the work each and every year, commencing on the 1st day of July, 1854. In consideration of this undertaking, the commissioners agreed to convey to the company all the unsold lands belonging to the improvement, the use of the work, the tolls and the water-rents, for a term of forty-one years ; and afterwards in consideration of the company enlarging the works and making some other im- provements in the navigation of the river, and also on account of Des Moines Biver Improvement. 255 there not being as large a quantity of land undisposed of below Fort Dodge, as was understood to be by the commissioners and the company at the time of making the contract, a majority of the commissioners — Bonney and Briggs — entered into an article of agreement with the company, in which they promised to ex- tend the time of the company's use and control of the work to seventy-five years. Under this contract the public expected that the work would be immediately commenced by the new con- tractors and speedily completed. The great expectations which had been raised by the contractors under the name of the Des Moines navigation and railroad corhpany, soon after they under- took the work, began to diminish, for there soon arose misunder- standings and disagreements among themselves. This company had been organized under the general incorporation laws of the state of Iowa, and consequently was subject to the laws of Iowa. At the called session of the general assembly, in 1856, Donald Mann, a stockholder of the company memorialized that body to correct the " manifold abuses," of which he charged the directors of the company to have been guilty. In this memorial he charged that the mangers of the company had in various ways " corruptly and for corrupt purposes," violated the laws of the state, " greatly to the injury of the people thereof, and to the great loss and damage of the stockholders," and showed in detail wherein they had acted corruptly and violated the laws under which the company was incorporated ; and, among other things, he stated, that for " the purpose of deceiving the people and in- dividuals in relation to their means," they had represented to the public and individuals that there had been paid into the treasury " enormous sums of money on account of stock sold, for much larger amounts than had been received." And the better to ac- complish and maintain such deceptions, the managers (or a major- ity of them) caused to be issued certificates of stock to the amount, nominally, of six hundred and thirty thousand dollars, or six thousand three hundred shares of one hundred dollars, for cash, of which shares they represented to the public and individ- uals, that the holder had paid the sum of one hundred dollars, amounting to six hundred and thirty thousand dollars, when, as a matter of fact, there was only five per cent, paid on the share, 256 Tuttle's History of Iowa. by which means the public and many individuals were deceived." Henry O'Eeilly, the individual with whom the contract was first made, a stockholder and one of the directors, also memorial- ized the legislature for an investigation of the afiEairs of the com- pany, in which he reasserted the charges made by Mann, and stated, " that he held himself ready, if the legislature would order an investigation of the doings of the company, to prove from the records of the company and other evidence, that there was scarcely an important provision in the code of Iowa (applicable to corporations) ; scarcely an important point in the Des Moines improvement laws ; scarcely an important provision in the con- tract which the company agreed to fulfill ; scarcely an essential provision in its by-laws, or even in the charter which gave it legal existence — which had not been violated, with a reckless- ness that will form a memorable feature in the history X)f Iowa." A joint committee was appointed from both houses of the legis- lature at the called session, to investigate the alleged abuses, but owing to the short time in which they had to act, it was impossi- ble for them to make the necessary investigation. An attempt was made to create a committee for this purpose, to act after the legislature adjourned, but it failed, so that the alleged abuses passed by without an examination at that time. These memorials to the legislature, and the discussion of these matters by the newspapers, greatly prejudiced the public mind against the company ; and while these discussions were going on, W. 0. Johnson, the president of the company, requested the gov- ernor to examine into the affairs of the company, in person or by a committee, and proposed to pay the expenses of such an exam^ ination. The governor did not feel disposed to comply with this request, but referred the matter to the legislature which convened in the following December, and recommended " that a committee should be appointed, with power to administer oaths and to send for persons and papers, with instruction to inquire into the trans- actions of the former commissioners and registers of the improve- ment." This part of the governor's message was referred to a commit- tee of twelve, consisting of members of both branches of the legislature, who immediately proceeded to the discharge of their 258 TUTTLlfS HiSTOBY OF lOWA. duties. After a careful and thorough examination, this commit- tee reported that they did not consider the contract made by the commissioners with the company a valid contract on behalf of the state, for the law which authorized the cominissioner and register to make contracts, required that any contract made by them, to be valid, must be approved by the governor, and that the subsequent law which created two assistant commissioners did not do away with the provision requiring the governor to approve of such contracts ; and as the contract made with the company had never been approved by the governor, they did not regard it as binding upon the state. The committee also reported that the company had acted in bad faith, and violated their char- ter in many ways ; and among other things, they found " that over one million of dollars of full paid stock had been issued by the company, upon which had been received but one hundred and sixty-seven thousand dollars, leaving a deficit of eight hun- dred and thirty-three thousand dollars, for which certificates of full paid stock had been issued, for which not a farthing had been received by the company, which had been sold to innocent purchasers for a valuable consideration, who had purchased, be- lieving that its full value had been paid into the treasury of the company. The company had come far short of completing the amount of work that they were required to do under their con- tract, and their acts gave strong indications that their object was to expend money enough to get possession of all the available lands, and then abandon the work ; for more than one-half of the time which was given for completing the entire contract had ex- pired, and on a work which was estimated to cost about two mil- lions of dollars, they had only expended about one hundred and eighty-five thousand, nine hundred and fifty-seven dollars and forty-four cents, for an actual construction of the work, while the company claimed that they had expended one hundred and four thousand, one hundred and eighty dollars and seventy-four cents for incidental expenses, the most part of which did not in any manner benefit the improvement ; but the company claimed that they were entitled to land at one dollar and a quarter per acre in payment for the whole amount. On the second of April, 1855, Wm. McKay, of Polk county. Des Moines River Impbovement. 259 was elected commissioner, and John C. Lockwood, of Louisa county, register ; but in November, 1856, McKay resigned and Edward Manning, of Van Buren county, was appointed by the governor to fill his place. Manning bore the name of a good busi- ness man and close financier, and he was not willing to audit the claims for incidental expenses as one for which the company were entitled to receive land. This became a matter of dispute between the company and the commissioner, and, in order to have the matter adjusted, the president proposed to make an abatement of seventy-two thousand dollars, but Manning did not feel disposed to settle the matter himself, and referred the whole claim to the legislature. Manning, in his report to the legislature, showed that there had been sold by the state, through the board of public works, during the six years the state prosecuted the work, about four hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars worth, of land, and for this sum, only " three stone masonry locks and two dams had been completed ; " and there had been certified to the Des Moines navigation and railroad company, by Bonney and Grillaspy, eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and fifty-three and nineteen- hundredths acres of land, and by McKay and Lockwood, one hundred and sixteen thousand six hundred and thirty-six and four-hundredths acres, at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, making two hundred and fifty-six thousand eight hundred and sixty-one dollars and fifty-three cents worth of land which had been disposed of to the present company, or part of which amount was for old debtsjwhich they had paid. The report of the committee and commissioner having been made to the legislature, that body, acting upon the premises that the contract which had been made by the commissioners with the company was not binding upon the state, on the 29th of Jan- uary, 1857, passed an act by which there was to be a commis- sioner appointed by the governor, who, with the regular com- missioner, were authorized to contract for speedy prosecution of the work, and it was made their duty to ascertain and pay off all just claims against the improvement, and they were authorized to contract with any company for the sale of all lands, tolls and water rents who would give satisfactory evidence and security 260 Tuttle's Ristory of iowa. for the completion of the improvemeut ; but they were not to bind the state by any contract further than the appropriation of lands and the income of the improvement, and no contract made by the commissioners was to be valid until approved by the gov- ernor ; and by this act the office of register and the office of assistant commissioners were abolished, and the register was required to deliver over to the state land office all books and papers in his office, and the register of the state land office was required to perform all the duties which the register of the improvement had done ; and by thus doing the legislature gave the Des Moines navigation and railroad company to understand, that they did not regard the contract made with them by the commissioner as binding upon the state, though by this act, they made arrangements for auditing their claims and paying them their just dues. About this time the question was again brought up in the land department at Washington, as to the extent of this grant of land, and the opinion was made public, that the original intention of congress was to only give the state the lands below Eaccoon Fork ; but a disposition was manifested to compromise, by the department recoguizing as being in the grant, all lands adjacent to the river within the state ; but assumptions had heretofore met with success, and now those interested in the land grant claimed and contended that this grant embraced all the lands to the source of the river. This difficulty about the extent o£ the land grant, together with the action of the legislature nearly suspended all operations on the river, and much was said by the company, about enforcing their claims by law. The commissioners appointed to audit and pay the claims against the improvement did not succeed in adjusting the claims of the company, and the matter was again referred to the legisla- ture ; and on the 22d of March, 1858, there was a joint resolution passed by the legislature, defining the basis on which the state would settle, and the company were given sixty days to consider whether they would accept and ratify this proposition, and if they did not, within that time, then it was made the duty of the governor to enjoin them from further proceeding with the. work Des Moines River iMPRoyjmEHT. 261 of the improvement ; and on the same day of adopting this reso- lution, there was an act passed giving all the lands which re- mained, after settling with the company " and also all the stone, timber and other materials turned over to the state by the com- pany to the Keokuk, Fort Des Moines, and Minnesota Railroad Company" for the purpose of constructing a railroad from Keokuk up the Des Moines valley to the northern line of the state, except the material which might be necessary to use for the completion of the locks and dams at Oroton, Plymouth, Bentonsport and Keosauga, which the railroad company were to complete ; and also all debts which grew out of the improvement, which at that time remained unsatisfied, or in some manner provided for, but in this grant there was a provision made that it should not in any manner conflict with the lands which had, previous to that time been given to the state by congress for railroad purposes, which on the 15th of July 1856, had been given by the legislature to the companies formed to build the four roads designated in the grant. But it was understood that these lands having been do- nated by congress for the improvement of the navigation of the river Des Moines, could not be diverted to the building of a rail- road without the consent of congress, and measures were imme- diately taken to get congress to sanction the diversion ; but this attempt failed, so that the action of the Iowa legislature did not avail the railroad company anything that session. The railroad company determined to make another effort at the next session of congress ; but before the time for this effort another, difficulty arose in the way of obtaining the lands for the Keokuk, Fort Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad Company. In settling up the claims that the grants for improving the river Des Moines extended above the Raccoon Fork, the citizens of Iowa were united until after the grant of lands by congress for railroad purposes was made. After this, the railroad companies became interested in the lands claimed for the river improvement, and claimed that the grant did not embrace any lands above the Raccoon Fork, on which the citizens of the state were now di- vided, and both sides of the question were represented. Upon this phase of the case, the officer of the land department at Washington had but very little hesitation in deciding against 262 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. the claims of the river improvement. After this decision was made, the legal tribunals were resorted to, and a case was taken to the supreme court of the United States, where the same decis- ion was given as in the land office. On the 3d of March, 1860, an act was passed abolishing the office of commissioner of the Des Moines river improvement, and George G. Wright, Edward Johnson and Christian W. Slagle were appointed a board of commissioners for the purpose of as- certaining all the liabilities against the river improvement, and against the state of Iowa growing out of the improvement. They were required to meet at Keosauqua, and were clothed with power, similar to the district court, to hear and determine all claims growing out of the river improvement, and were author- ized to sell all the interest of the state and all dams and improve- ments, and the lands appertaining thereto. These commissioners proceeded with their duties, and, with their labors, closed all official acts, so far as the state was con- cerned, in applying jthe proceeds of this land grant towards the improvement of the navigation of the river. This was a most magnificent grant, embracing some of the best lands in the state ; and, if the proceeds had been properly and judiciously expended, would have made a great thoroughfare for steamboats, besides affording an immense water power for driving machinery ; but through incompetency in the management of the means, and the intrigues of designing men, the whole of the' lands below the Eaccoon fork, and a large quantity above were disposed of, and but very little practical good accomplished towards im- proving the navigation of the river. OHAPTEE XXXII. GOV. KIRKWOOD'S ADMINISTRATION. Gov. Lowe's Last Message — Election of United States Senator— Extra ■ Session in May 1861 — Gov. Kirkwood's Message — Tiie Civil War- War Measures. The eighth session of the general assembly of Iowa convened at Des Moines on the 9th day of January, 1860, and was organ- ized in the senate by Lieut. Gov. Orin Faville taking the chair, and the election of J. H. Sanders as secretary ; and in the house, by the election of John Edwards, speaker, and Charles Aldrich, chief clerk. On the succeeding day. Gov. Lowe sent to both houses his biennial message respecting the affairs of the state for the previous two years. From this document, which is lengthy, the following abstract is made. He commences by saying " that the period that .has elapsed since the last biennial session has been one of great disturbing causes, and of anxious solicitude to all classes of our fellow citi- zens. The first year of this period was visited with heavy and continuous rains which reduced the measure of our field crops below one half the usual product, whilst the financial revulsions which commenced upon the Atlantic in the fall of 1857, did not reach its climax for evil in our borders until the year just past. Of the disastrous efifects produced by these two causes upon the hopes and condition of our people you need not be informed, and you may reasonably expect that strong appeals will be made to you for remedial legislation ; and I doubt not the pecuniary con- dition of the people will prompt yoa to put forth, in your sover- eign capacity, such powers as you possess to secure to them in- demnity against unreasonable and unjust sacrifices, in a manner that shall guard and protect the rights of all parties interested." He referred at length to the claim of the state against the fed- (264) Administbation of Gov. Kiekwood. 265 eral government, and said that he had appealed in vain to the secretary of the interior for the payment of the five per cent upon the military land warrants that the state is justly entitled to, which then approximated to a million of dollars. The pay- ment of this fund, he says, " is not a mere favor which is asked of the general government, but a subsisting right which could be enforced in a court of justice, was there a tribunal 6i this kind clothed with the requisite jurisdiction." The subject of the Des Moines River Grant received from the governor special attention, and he gave a histor}'^ of the operations of the state authorities in reference to obtaining the residue of the lands to which the state was entitled, and other information as to the progress of the work. He also remarked '' that under the act authorizing the governor to raise a company of mounted men for defense and protection of our frontier, approved February 9th, 1858, a company of thirty such men, known as the Frontier Guards, armed and equipped as required were organized and mus- tered into service under the command of Capt. Henry B. Martin, of Webster City, about the first of March then following, and were divided into two companies, one stationed on the Little Sioux river, the other at Spirit Lake. Their presence afforded security and gave quiet to the settlements in that region, and after a ser- vice of four months, they were duly disbanded. " Late in the fall of the same year, however, great alarm and consternation was again felt in the region of Spirit Lake and Sioux Eiver settlements, produced, by the appearance of large numbers of Indians on the border, whose bearing was insolent and menacing, and who were charged with clandestinely running off the stock of the settlers. The most urgent appeals came from these settlers, invoking again the protection of the state. From the representations made of the imminence of their danger, and the losses already sustained, the governor summoned into the field once more the frontier guards. After a service of four of five months they were again discharged, and paid in the manner pre- scribed in the act under which they were called out. " It is believed that this company afforded the needed protection, and saved, it may be, our hardy border settlements from another inhuman butchery." 266 Tuttle's Histobt of Iow'a. On the 11th of January, 1860, the two houses of the legislature met in joint convention for the purpose of canvassing the votes for governor and lieutenant governor, at the election in October, 1859. After the canvass it was announced that the whole num- ber oC votes cast for the office of governor was 110,047, of which S. J. Kirkwood received 56,505 votes, and A. 0. Dodge 53,342 votes; and for lieutenant governor, JST. J. Eusch received 55,142 votes ; L. W. Babbitt, 52,874 ; N. P. Rusch, 307 ; S. W. Babbitt, 114, and 109 votes scattering. Whereupon the president an- nounced that S. J. Kirkwood and K J. Eusch were duly elected governor and lieutenant governor of the state for the term of two years. The governor and lieutenant governor elect, accompanied by the other state officers, soon after appeared before the conven- tion and the governor read his inaugural message, after which the oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Wright of the supreme court. A joint convention of the two houses was also held, on the 14th of January, for the election of a United States senator, at which time James Harlan received 73 votes, and Augustus 0. Dodge received 52 votes. Mr. Harlan was declared duly elected senator for six years from and after the fourth day of March, 1861. The legislature adjourned April 3, 1860. The following special acts were passed at this session. The general laws passed were printed in the revised statutes : Appropriating money for furniture and improvements in the capitol building; same for the deaf and dumb, the blind, and the insane institutions, and the state peni- tentiary ; accepting and carrying into execution the .trust con- ferred by congress for railroads in the state ; to reapportion the state into senate and assembly districts ; to provide for the estab- lishment of a commissioner of immigration ; to submit to a vote of the people an amendment to the banking law ; and a number of acts incorporating and amending the charters of towns, villages and cities ; the appointment of commissioners to locate county seats ; disposition of swamp and saline lands, and the lands of the Des Moines improvement ; the change of names of towns, and other measures of local interest. At the general election in 1860, for president, the republican electoral ticket received 70,302 votes, and the democratic electors, Administbation of Gov. Kibkwood. 267 55,069, and the electors favorable to John Bell, 1,763. The repub- lican ticket was elected, and at a meeting of the electoral college, they cast their votes, for the state of Iowa, for Abraham Lincoln for president, and H. Hamlin for Vice President. Pursuant to a proclamation of the governor, the general assem- bly convened at Des Moines, on the 15th of May, 1861, in extra session. In the senate the lieutenant governor declined to take the chair as speaker, as he had been appointed to the office of commissioner of emigration, and J. P. Wilson was ap- pointed temporary president and J. H. Sanders secretary. In the house, Hon. John Edwards assumed the chair and Cbas. Aldrich was elected chief clerk pro tern. The latter gentlemen declining the position, Wm. Thompson was elected to that position. On the following day. Gov. Kirkwood sent to each house, his annual message, from which liberal extracts have been taken. He com- mences by saying : " The constitution requires that I shall state to you the purpose for which you have been convened in extraordinary session. " When a little more than a year ago your regular session clos- ed, the whole country was in the enjoyment of peace, and pros- perity. At home, life, liberty, and property were secure, and abroad the title of an American citizen was claimed with pride, and a full assurance that it was a sure guaranty of respect and protectiou to all who could make good the claim. To-day civil war is upon us, and a wide-spread conspiracy against the general government, which we now know has been maturing for years, has been developed, and the whole country is filled with the din of arms. On the one hand, and from one section of the country men who should be loyal citizens, if benefits conferre d by a gov- ernment should make men loyal to it, are mustering in armed bands with the intent to dissolve the union, and destroy our gov- ernment, and on the other hand partially from the same section, and as one man from the other, our loyal people are rallying around our union and our government, and pledging for their maintenance, what our fathers so freely periled to secure for them, life, fortune and honor. "In this emergency Iowa must not and does not occupy a doubtful position. For the union as our fathers formed it, and 268 Tuttle's History of Iowa. for the government they founded ^so wisely, and so well, the peo- ple of Iowa are ready to pledge every fighting man in the state and every dollar of her money and credit : and I have called you together in extraordinary session, for the purpose of enabling . them to make that pledge formal and effective. " On the 15th day of April last, the President issued his proc- lamation, calling on the loyal states for aid to enforce the laws. On the 25th day of the same month, I received from the socretary of war a requisition on this state dated on the 15th, calling for one regiment of troops. Having been before advised by tele- graph that such requisition had been issued, I felt well assured that I would only be carrying out your will and the will of the people of the state, in responding to the call as promptly as possible. I therefore did not wait the receipt of the formal requisition, but proceeded at once to take such steps as seemed to[me best adapted to speedily effect that object. I was met at the outset by two difficulties. There were not any funds under my control to meet the necessary expenses, nor was there any effcient military law under which to operate. Your action only could furnish these aids in a legal way, and yet to await your action would involve great, perhaps dangerous, delay. " The first difficulty was obviated by the patriotic action of the chartered banks, and citizens of the state, who promptly placed at my disposal all the money I might need, and I determined, although without authority of law, to accept their offer, trusting that you would legalize my acts. One difficulty thus avoided, I trusted, and as the result shows, safely, to the patriotism cf the people for the removal of the other, and on the 17th day of April issued my proclamation calling for the requisite number of troops. " The telegraphic dispatch of the secretary of war informed me that it would be sufficient if the troops required of this state were in rendezvous at Keokuk, by the 20th inst. The prompt and patriotic action of the people enabled me to place them there in uniform on the 8th, twelve days in advance of the time fixed, and they would have been there a week sooner had not the action of the mob at Baltimore cut off all communication with the seat of government, and left me without any instructions for two weeks. 270 TuTTLsfs History of Iowa. I recommend that you make suitable appropriations covering ex- penses thus incurred. " Tenders of troops were made altogether beyond the amount required, and learning from the newspapers and other sources, that another requisition would probably be made on this state, I took the responsibility of ordering into quarters, in the respective counties where raised, enough companies to form a second regi- ment in anticipation of such requisition, that they might acquire the necessary discipline and drill. The second requisition has not yet reached me, but I am expecting it daily, and am prepared to respond to it promptly when made. " The officers and men composing the first regiment were in quarters for sometime before being mustered into the service of the United States and those called out in anticipation of a second requisition will have been in quarters a considerable time before they will be called into service, if at all. It is but just that pro- vision be made for payment of the men who have thus promptly and patriotically stepped forth in the defense of the country, for the time lost by them before being actually received by the United States, and I recommend that you make the necessary ap- propriations for that purpose. " In addition to the two regiments thus accepted by me, I have already received tenders of companies enough to make up five regiments more, and I have been "Strongly urged by them, and by many other good citizens, to accept the whole, and place them in quarters at the expense of the state. In view of the facts that all I had done was without authority of law, and the further fact that you, the law making power of the state, were so soon to assemble, I did not feel justified in so doing, but have recommended in all cases that all such companies should, if possible, keep up their organization, and should devote as much of their time as possible to the drill, without interfering materially with their ordinary business, thus keeping in reserve a large organized and partially drilled force to meet emergencies. " It will be necessary that you enact a military law, authoriz- ing, among other things, the formation of a military staff under which I can have the assistance and advice of such officers as compose it, in raising, arming, equipping and supporting such Administration of Gov. Kirkwood. 271 further troops as you may direct to be i-aised for the use of the state, or as may be required by the United States. "It will also be necessary to use the credit of the state to raise means to meet the extraordinary expenses incurred, and to be in- curred. You have the power to do this under that provision of the constitution which authorizes without a vote of the people the contracting of a debt ' to repel invasion ' or to ' defend the state in war.' " In most or all of the counties in which companies have thus far been accepted, the board of supervisors or public and spirited citizens have raised means for the support of the families of vol- unteers who have left families dependent on them for support This action is eminently praiseworthy, and yet its operation is partial and unequal. It is scarcely to be presumed that compa- nies will be received from all the counties of the state, or equally from those counties from which they may be received, and it seems to me much more equitable and just that the expense be borne by the state, and the burden thus equally distributed among our people. " The procuring of a liberal supply of arms for the use of the state is a matter that I earnestly recommend to your early and serious consideration. The last four weeks have taught us a les- son which I trust we may never forget, that peace is the proper time in which to prepare for war. " I feel assured the state can readily raise the means necessary to place her in a position consistent alike with her honor and her safety. Her territory of great extent and unsurpassed fertility, inviting and constantly receiving a desirable emigration, her pop- ulation of near three quarters of a million of intelligent, industri- ous, energetic and liberty loving people, her rapid past and pros- pective growth, her present financial condition, having a debt of only about one quarter of a million of dollars, unite to make her bonds among the most desirable investments that our country af- fords. " The people of Iowa, your constituents and mine, remember- ing that money is the sinews of war, will consider alike criminal a mistaken parsimony which stops short of doing whatever is necessary for the honor and safety of the state and a wild extrav- 272 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. agance which would unnecessarily squander the public trea- sure." The business of the session was confined mainly to acts con- nected with the war and for the benefit of volunteers. The fol- lowing enactments were of this character : an act to legalize the acts of certain boards of supervisors and municipal corporations, by which any appropriations heretofore made by these corpora- tions for procuring equipments, munitions of war, or maintaining the families of enlisted persons, are legalized and confirmed ; an act requiring and authorizing the governor to purchase arms, powder, clothing, etc., and providing the means of payment ; for the relief of the volunteer soldiers of the state, by which in all actions now pending or that may be hereafter in any of the courts of the state, if the defendant is absent from home in actual military service, it shall be a sufficient cause for a continuance of such suits until such soldier is discharged or mustered out ; providing for auditing all accounts and disbursements arising under a call for volunteers, and the appointment of a board of commissioners to audit such accounts ; an act for the relief of volunteers, provid- ing that officers and privates shall be paid out of the war and defense fund, for the time between the date such volunteers were or may be ordered into quarters by the governor, to the time they may have been or may be mustured into the United States army ; to provide for the issue and sale of state bonds to procure a loan of money for the state to repel invasion and defend itself in war (not exceeding the sum of $800,000) ; to amend the militia law of the state ; to appropriate money to pay expenses incurred by the state in calling out, organizing, uniforming, subsisting and equiping the militia of the state, and purchasing arms and muni- tions of war ; same for the militia men of the state for the better protection of the exposed borders of the state, and to resist maraud- ing parties of Indians and other hostile persons, etc., empowering the board of supervisors to make appropriations for the support of the families of volunteers. CHAPTER XXXIIL IOWA IN THE WAR. First Regiment — Regimental History — Statistics of OflBcers, etc. — Cavalry Statistics. The progebss of the last chapter brings us fairly into the wai record of Iowa. We have seen how promptly the legislature pro- vided the ways and means to place Iowa in the front rank of loyal states in the great contest. We may now observe the oper- ations of the plans adopted. The record made during the remaining part of the year 1861 is given in the adjutant general's report for that year. We are informed through this report that up to Dec. 31, 1861, sixteen regiments had been organized under various requisitions from the president and orders from''the war department. There were three cavalry regiments in the field, and a fourth at Mount Pleas- ant. There were three batteries of light artillery ; making an ag- gregate of 19,105 men furnished by the state for the U. S. mili- tary service. In addition, there was also a company known as the Sioux City mounted rifles, that did excellent service on the northwestern frontier, and there had been also organized and mustered into, the United States service an efficient corps called the Sioux City cavalry, designed for frontier service. One regi- ment was organized under the order of the governor, of the volunteer militia of the state, known as the first regiment of the western division of the Iowa volunteer militia, which was com- manded by Col. John R. Morledge of Page county. The first regiment of volunteer infantry was composed of companies en- rolled from the counties of Muscatine, Johnson, Des Moines, Hen- ry, Dubuque and Linn. The total number of enlisted men in this department including field and staff officers was 959. These 18 ^2731 TuTTLtfa History of Iowa. men were mustered into the service of the United States at Keo- kuk, May 14, 1861, under the proclamation of the president, bear- ing date April 15, 1861, and ordered into quarters on the 18th of April. This regiment was officered as follows : John P. Bates, colonel; Wm. H. Merritt, lieutenant colonel ; Asbury B. Porter, major; Wm. H. White, surgeon; H. Reichenbach, assistant sur- geon ; Greo. W. Waldron, adjutant ; Theo. Guelich, quartermas- ter ; I. Q. Fuller, chaplain. This regiment took an active part at the battle of Wilson's Creek near Springfield, Mo., on the 10th of August, 1861, with considerable loss in killed and wounded. The second regiment was composed of companies from the counties of Lee, Scott, Polk, Jefferson, Van Buren, Davis, Wash- ington, Clinton and Wapello. The total number of enlisted men in the regiment in "l861 was 992. The following men were the original officers : Sam'l R Curtis, colonel ; James M. Tuttle, lieutenant colonel ; M. M. Crocker, major ; N". P. Chipman, ad- jutant ; W. R. Wells, surgeon, and W. W. Nassau, assistant sur- geon. There were a number of changes caused by the promotion of Col. Curtiss to be a brigadier general. This regiment after leaving the state were stationed at Bird's Point and vicinity, and subsequently at Benton Barracks, at St* Louis, under the com- mand of Col. Tuttle. They had suffered from diseases incident to the climate. They had not been in any general engagements, but had seen several skirmishes. Since they entered the service they had been engaged in guardingjbridges and railroads, and made some laborious marches. The third regiment was made up of companies from the coun- ties of Dubuque, Marion, Clayton, Winneshiek, Story, Fayette, Warren, Mahaska and Black Hawk. Most of the companies were ordered into quarters by the governor, in May and June, 1861, and mustered intq the service of the United States by Lieut. Chambers, U. S. A., at Keokuk, in the early part of June. The original number of men was 960. The officers of the regiment at its organization were : N. G. Williams, colonel ; John Scott, lieutenant colonel ; Wm. M. Stone, major ; Geo. W. Clark, quar termaster; Fitzroy Sessions, adjutant ; T. 0. Edwards, surgeon : D. M. Cool, assistant surgeon; P. H. Jacob, chaplain. 276 Tvttle's History of Iowa. The regiment leaving the state proceeded to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, and were stationed in Missouri during the year. They took part in the battle at Blue Mills Landing, on September 17, 1861, and suffered severely in killed and wounded. The fourth regimeat was composed of companies from the counties of Mills, Pottawattomie, Guthrie, Decatur, Polk, Madi- son, Einggold, Union, Wayne, and Page. Attached to and a part of the regiment was Dodge's battery of light artillery. They were mustered into the service of the United States by Lieut. Merrill, in the month of April, 1861. The number of the volun teers at that time was 903. The regiment was officered as fol- lows : Grrenville M. Dodge, colonel ; John Gallagan, lieutenant col- onel; Wm. R. English, major ; J. A Williamson, adjutant; M. W. Bobbins, surgeon ; W. S. Grrimes, assistant surgeon ; T. M. Grood- fellow, chaplain. The regiment was stationed at Rolla, Mis- souri, in November 1865. The regiment received no clothing until September. The fifth rigiment was made up of companies organized in the counties ot Oedar, Jasper, Louisa, Marsh all, Buchanan, Keo- kuk, Benton, Van Buren, Jackson, Alamakee. Number of origi- nal enlisted men 903. The companies were organized in June 1861, and were mustered into the service of the United States on and near the 15th of July by Lieut. Alex. Chambers, U. S. A, at Burlington. The following were the original officers : Wm. H. Worthington, colonel ; Ohas. L. Matthias, lieutenant colonel ; Wm. S. Robertson, major; J. P. Foley, adjutant; Chas. Rawson, surgeon ; P. A. Carpenter, assistant surgeon ; A D. Madeira, chap- lain. The regiment was stationed at Springfield, Missouri, in the fall of 1861. The sixth regiment was composed of companies from the coun- ties of Linn, Monroe, Henry, Lucas, Clarke, Harden, Johnson, Appanoose, Lee, and Des Moines, and were mustered into the United States service at Burlington the middle of July, 1861, by Lieut Alex. Chambers, U. S. A. The original number of en- listed men, 855. The field and staff officers when organized were : John A. McDowell, colonel ; Markoe Cummins, lieutenant Colonel; John M. Corse, major; W. H. Harlan, adjutant; A. T. Shaw, surgeon ; J. E. Lake, assistant surgeon ; John Ufford, Iowa in the War. 277 chaplain ; J. Brunaugh, quartermaster. The regiment on leav ing the state proceeded to St. Louis, and was stationed at Spring- field, Missouri, during the fall oi 1861. The seventh regiment was formed of companies organized in the counties of Muscatine, Chickasaw, Mahaska, Lee, Wapello, Iowa and Washington. The whole number of men was 884. The companies were sworn into the United States service at Bur- lington by Lieut. Chambers, with the follo;Aring field and staff offi- cers. Jacob G. Lauman, colonel ; Aug. Wentz, lieutenant colonel (killed at the battle of Belmont) ; Elliot W. Rice, major ; Daniel F. Bowler, adjutant ; Amos Witter, surgeon ; Asa Morgan, assistant surgeon ; J. Harvey Clark, chaplain, and S. E. Forsha, quar- termaster. This regiment left for St. Louis, and from thence to a position three miles above Belmont, and participated in the battle at Bel- mont, November 7, 1861, in which engagement the regiment had killed, 51 ; died of wounds, 3 ; missing, 10 ; prisoners, 39 ; wounded, 124 ; total, 227. Lieut. Colonel Wentz was killed, and the colonel and major were severely wounded. On the 16th of November, the regiment removed to St. Louis and encamped at Benton Bar- racks. The eighth regiment was composed of companies organized in the counties of Clinton, Scott, \Vashington, Benton, Marion, Keo- kuk, Iowa, Mahaska, Monroe and Louisa, and were mustered into the government service at Davenport by Lieut. Chambers in September 1861, and consisted of 922 enlisted men at the organ- ization of the regiment. The following were the field and staff offi- cers : Frederic Steele, colonel ; Jas. L. Greddes, lieutenant colonel ; J. C. Fergerson, major ; Geo. H. McLaughlin, adjutant ; W. M. McCollough, quartermater ; Jas^ Irwin, surgeon ; G. H. Noyes, assistant surgeon, and C. G. Vandeveer, chaplain. The regiment removed from the state to St. Louis, and was stationed at Spring- field until tbe 16th of November, 1861. The ninth regiment was formed of companies recruited in the counties of Jackson, Jones, Dubuque, Clayton, Fayette, Black Hawk, Winnesheik and Linn, and were mustered into service at Dubuque, in the month of September, 1861, by Capt. C. Wash- ington, U. S. A., having at that time 937 enlisted men. It was 278 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. officered as follows : Wm. Vandever, colonel ; Frank G. Herron, lieutenant colonel ; Wra. H. Ooyle, major; Wm. Scott, adjutant; Benj. McOlure, surgeon; H. W. Hart, assistant surgeon, and A. B. Kendig, chaplain. The regiment were employed in Mis- souri. Five companies were stationed at Pacific, Mo., at the RoUa branch of the Pacific Eailroad ; the remainder of the regi- ment were in the vicinity in detachments, and engaged guarding railroad bridges. The Dubuque battery of light artillery, which formed a part of the regiment, was detached Oct. 10, 1861, and stationed at Benton Barracks, St. Louis. The tenth regiment was made up of companies formed in various parts of the state, particularly of the counties of Polk, "Warren, Tama, Boone, Washington, Powesheik, Green, Johnson, Jackson, Madison and Polk, and were mustered into the United States service in the month of September, 1861, at Iowa City, by Capt. Alex. Chambers, U. S. A., and had 868 men on the roll when organized. The following were the field and staff officers : Nich- olas Perczel, colonel ; Wm. E. Small, lieutenant colonel ; John 0. Bennett, major; Thos. W. Jackson, adjutant; Wm. P. Davis^, surgeon ; Andrew J. Willey, assistant surgeon ; D. W. Tolford, chaplain ; Mahlon Head, quartermaster. The regiment removed to Missouri, and was stationed in November at Cape Girardeau, engaged in working on the fortifications in and around that plac& On the 14th of November, they removed to Bird's Point and were stationed there. The eleventh regiment was made up of companies formed in the counties of Muscatine, Hardin, Marshall, Jones, Louisa, Cedar, Washington, Henry, Clinton and Linn. The regiment was composed of 905 enlisted men. The men were mustered into the United States service at Davenport, in the month of October, 1861. The officers of the regiment were Abram M. Hare, colo- nel ; Wm. Hall, lieutenant colonel ; John C. Abercrombie, major ; Cornelius Cadle, quartermaster; Wm. Watson, surgeon; Fred. Lloyd, assistant surgeon ; J. S. Whittlesey, chaplain. The regi- ment left the state for St. Louis, and was at Jefferson City in December, 1861. The twelfth regiment was composed of companies enlisted in the counties of Harden, Alamakee, Fayette, Linn, Black Hawk, Iowa in thu War. 279 Delaware, Winneshiek, Dabuque and Jackson, and were mus- tered into the United States service at Dubuque, by Capt. C. Washington, in the month of October, 1861, and contained at the time of the organization of the regiment 914 men, at which time the following officers were in command : Jackson J. Wood, colo- nel ; J. P. Coulter, lieutenant colonel; S. D. Brodtbeek, major; N. E. Duncan, adjutant ; Jos. B. Dorr, quartermaster ; 0. C. Par- ker, surgeon; W. H. Finley, assistant surgeon; A. Gr. Eber- hardt, chaplain. The regiment proceeded to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, at which place they were stationed to the close of the year 1861. The thirteenth regiment was composed of companies enlisted in the counties of Linn, Lucas, Scott, Story, Benton, Jasper, Keo- kuk, Polk, Marshall and Washington, and were sworn into the government service at Davenport, by Capt. A. Chambers, U. S. A., in the month of September, 1861, the number of enlisted men being at that time, 920. The field and staff officers were : M. M. Crocker, colonel ; M. M. Price, lieutenant colonel ; John Shane, major; Wm. T. Clark, adjutant; H. G. Barnes, quarter- master; Jos. McKee, surgeon, and J. H. Boucher, assistant sur- geon. The regiment left the state for St. Louis and was at Jefferson City at the close of the year, 1871. The fourteenth regiment was formed of companies organized in the counties of Johnson, Jones, Des Monies, Tama, Cerro Gordo, Henry and Jasper, and mustered into the government service at Iowa City and Davenport in the months of October and Nov- ember, 1861. The strength of the regiment at that time was 878 men. The field and staff officers were, Wm. T. Shaw, colonel ; Edward W. Lucas, lieutenant colonel; H. Leonard, major; Noah H. Tyner, adjutant ; C. C. Buell, quartermaster ; G. M. Staples, surgeon ; S. N. Pierce, assistant surgeon, and S. A. Ben- ton, chaplain. The regiment moved from the state to Benton barracks, St. Louis, and were stationed there to the close of the year 1861. The fifteenth regiment was organized at Keokuk, and was com- posed of companies from the counties of Clinton, Polk, Mahaska, Wepello, Lee, Mills, Fremont, Marion, Warren, Pottawatomie, 280 TuTTLs/s History of Iowa. Harrison, Clarke and Van Buren, and were ipustered into the United States service by Capt. 0. 0. Smith, at Keokuk, in the month of November, 1861. The of3ficers of the regiment when organized were, Hugh T. Eeid, colonel ; Wm. Dewey, lieutenant colonel; W. W. Belknap, major; Geo. Pomutz, adjutant; J. M. Hedrick, quartermaster ; Wm. H. Barnham, surgeon ; Wm. H. Gibbon, assistant surgeon, and Wm. W. Eastabrook, chaplain. The regiment was at Keokuk until the close of the year 1861. The sixteenth regiment was organized and enrolled in the coun- ties of Clinton, Scott, Muscatine, Boone, Dubuque, Linn, Benton, and Polk. A portion of the regiment were mustered into the gov- ernment service at- Davenport, Keokuk and St. Louis, in the month of December, 1861 and January, 1862. The field and staff officers were, Alex. Chambers, colonel ; Addison H. Sanders, lieutenant colonel ; Wm. Purcell, major; Josiah L. Phillips, assists ant surgeon; Geo. E. MoCosh, acting adjutant, and 0. E. Fracker, acting quartermaster. The regiment proceeded to Benton bar- racks, and were at that place in January, 1862. The first cavalry regiment was formed of companies enrolled in the counties of Lee, Clinton, Des Moines, Warren, Madison, Henry, Johnson, Wash- ington, Dubuque, Harden, Black Hawk, Jones, Delaware, Mon- roe, Wapello, Keokuk, Clayton, Jackson. The companies were mustered into the United States service at Burlington in July and August, 1861. The regiment numbered 1043 when organized. The following is a list of field and staff officers : Fitz Henry War- ren, colonel ; Ohas. B. Moss, lieutenant colonel ; E. W. Chamber- lain, Jas. 0. Gower and W. M. G. Torrence, 1st, 2d and 3d major . J. C. Stone, adjutant; M. L. Morris, quartermaster; M. B. Coachran, surgeon ; D. B. Allen, assistant surgeon ; J. W. Latham, chaplain ; D. E. Kerr, J. M. Bryan and H. K. Eob- inson, 2d lieutenants and adjutants, 1st, 2d and 3d battalions;' J. Lundes, C. A. Case and W. A. Muzzy, quartermasters 1st, 2d and 3d battalions. The regiment was ordered to St. Louis about the first of October, 1861, and on the 15th the whole regiment was encamped at Benton barracks, St. Louis. Eight companies were ordered into the interior of the state, a portion being retained at Jefferson City, and the remainder going further west to operate against the guerrilla bands, which then infested that region. 282 TuTTLE^s HisTosr of Iowa. The second cavalry regiment was enrolled in the counties of Muscatine, Marshall, Scott, Polk, Hamilton, Harrison, Wright, Johnson, Delaware, Linn, Dubuque, Jones, Lee, Des Moines, and Jackson, and was ordered into quarters by the governor in the month of August, 1861, and mustered into the United States ser- vice in September. The number of enlisted men at the organiza- tion was 1035. The list of staff and field officers is as follows: Washington L. Elliott, colonel ; Edward Hatch, lieutenant colonel; Wm. P. Hepburn, Datus E. Ooon, and Hiram W. Love, majors ; W. B. Blaney, quartermaster ; Chas. F. Marden, adjutant ; Geo. Eeeder, surgeon ; George H. Noyes, assistant surgeon, and G. G. Truesdell, chaplain. The regiment proceeded to St. Louis and encamped at Benton barracks until the beginning of the year, 1862. The third cavalry was organized from companies formed in the counties of Davis, Yan Buren, Lee, Decatur, Jefferson, Appa- noose and Marion, and was composed of 1088 men. The field and staff ofiicers were as follows : Cyrus Bussey, colonel ; Henry H. Trimble, lieutenant colonel ; 0. H. Perry, H. G. Caldwell, and W. C. Drake, majors; J. W. Noble, adjutant; D. L. McGugin, surgeon ; 0. 0. Biser, assistant surgeon ; P. P. Ingalls, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the United States service at Keokuk the latter part of October and November, 1861, by Capt. A. Chambers, and proceeded to St. Louis and was there to the close of the year 1861. The fourth cavalry was formed from companies enlisted in the counties of Fremont, Delaware, Henry, Madison, Chickasaw, Lee, Wapello, Poweshiek and Des Moines. Its numeral force, when organized, was 1010. The regiment was mustered into the government service at Mt. Pleasant, in November, 1861, by Capt. , A. Chambers. The officers were, Asbury B. Porter, colonel ; Thos. Drummond, lieutenant colonel ; Simeon Swan, Jos. E. Jew- ett, and Geo. A. Stone, majors; Geo. W. Waldron, adjutant; T. P. Lauffer, quartermaster ; A. W. McClure, surgeon ; Wellington Bird, assistant surgeon, and A. J. Kirkpatrick, chaplain. OHAPTEK XXXIV. IOWA IN THE WAR Kirkwood's Administration — His Message of January, 1863 — State Institu- tions — War Measures and tlieir Operation — Kirkwood's Keelection — Tlie Election Contest — Legislation — Laws of the Ninth Session. The ninth general assembly of Iowa convened at Des Moines on the 13th of January, 1862. The senate was called to order by Lieut. G-ov. Rusch, president, and W. P. Davis, elected permanent secretary ; and the house of representatives was permanently or- ganized by the election of Hon. Eush Clark, speaker, and Charles Aldrich, chief clerk. Gov. Kirkwood soon after sent to each branch of the general assembly, his annual message. This docu- ment gives a full account of the business of the state government for the previous two years, including the part taken by the au- thorities in furnishing troops and sending them on to the seat of war to put down the rebellion during 1861. I take extensive extracts from this valuable state document. He said: " The expenditures of the two last years for all state purposes have been about $300,000, for each year. This includes both ordinary and extraordinary expenditures ; the amounts ex- pended for the insane asylum, the penitentiary, the blind asylum at Vinton, the printing of the revised statutes, and other extraor- dinary objects, as well as the amounts expended in carrying on the ordinary operations of the state government. The expendi- ture has not in any case been permitted to exceed the appropria- tion, and is materially less both for the penitentiary and insane asylum, and has in all cases that have come under my observa- tion been carefully and economically made. In my judgment, there is not another state in the Union in which the protection of government is extended to as large a population, so widely scat- (283) 284 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. tered, more ecouomically than in our own. But while this is true, it is equally true that our finances are not in a healthy condition. The report of the auditor of state discloses the somewhat startling fact that of the state tax for 1860, and preceding years, there was at the date of his report (the 4th day of November, 1861), delin- quent and unpaid the large sum of about $400,000 — a sum more than sufl&cient to cover the entire expenses of our state govern- ment for one year. This large delinquency has occurred mainly within the last four years, and the same report shows there were at the same date warrants drawn on the treasury to the amount of $103,645, which were uapaid for want of funds, most of which were drawing interest at the rate of eight per cent, per annum. "From these facts the following conclusions are inevitable: 1. That during the last four years there has been levied a state tax larger by about $300,000, than the necessities of the state required. 2. That this was rendered necessary by the fact that only a por- tion of our people paid the tax due the state. 3. That the state has been compelled yearly to pay large sums by way of interest on warrants which need not have been paid had the taxes been collected promptly and the treasury kept supplied with funds to meet all demand's upon it. 4. That the state, being compelled to purchase its supplies with warrants, has had to pay higher prices than if it had had the cash to pay. 5. That the tax-pay- ing portion of our people have thus been compelled to pay not only their proper share of the public burthens, but also the share of those who did not pay their taxes, increased by interest and high prices. These things should not be so. They reflect dis- ■ credit not only on those of our citizens who seek to avoid their just share of those burthens which are imposed upon all for the benefit of all, but also upon the laws which permit them to do so with impunity. I therefore very earnestly recommend to your attention a careful examination of our revenue laws for the pur- pose of ascertaining if they can be made more effective in enforc- ing the prompt payment of taxes. " In some particulars, the expenses of the state may be materi- ally less for the next than for the last two years. The appropria- tion of $19,500 for the revised statutes was temporary, and will not be again required. The amount appropriated for past in- Iowa in the Wah. 285 debtedness of the penitentiary, $38,500, has nearly paid that in- debtedness, and but a nominal sum will be needed for that pur- pose. The amount appropriated for the general support of the . prison has been so well managed that the amount thereof unex- I perided is deemed by the warden sufficient for the next two years, I so that the amount of $35,000, appropriated at the last regular , session for that purpose, need not be renewed in whole or in part. Of the amount of $75,000, appropriated at the last session for I finishing and furnishing the center and east wing of the insane asylum, about $18,000 remain unexpended, which balance, with $20,000 now. asked for, is deemed sufficient to complete the whole building. So that the appropriation needed for construction ac- count in that institution may be $55,000 less than at the last ses- sion. The Blind Asylum at Vinton is now under cover and not liable to injury from the weather, and if you should deem it ad- visable not to make any appropriation for its present completion, $10,000 may be deducted from the amount of the appropriation of the present session as compared with that of the last. There has been paid, during the past two years, to agricultural societies the sum of about $18,000. If you think it advisable to with- hold any appropriation for this purpose for the next two years, this sura may be saved. The foregoing sums, amounting in the aggregate to $176,000, are the expenditures for the objects named for two years, and, if withheld, will be a savitig of $88,000 per annum from the amount of state taxes. This amount, I doubt not, may be increased by a careful examination of our state ex- penditures and strict economy, to $100,000, and if a proportion- ate reduction of county and township expenses can be made, the entire amount of the tax required by the general government can be raised without increasing our present taxation. I commend the matter to your most earnest and careful examination. " The report of the adjutant general, herewith submitted, shows the number and description of troops raised in this state for United States service to be sixteen regiments of infantry, four of cavalry, three batteries of artillery, and one independent company of cavalry for frontier service. Of these, the fifteenth and six- teenth regiments of infantry are not' fully organized. In addition, Go.l Koch and Ool. Eankin are engaged in raising regiments of 286 Tuttle's Histort of Iowa. infantry, which, if completed, will make the seventeeth and eighteenth regiments of that arm of the service. " It is a matter of much gratification to me that our state has thus promptly responded to the demands made upon it by the United States for aid in this perilous crisis of our country's his- tory, and it is also a matter of great pride to me that the troops of our state, whether tried in the exhausting service of the camp, the march, or in the fiery ordeal of the battle-field, have never been found wanting, but have, by their cheerful endurance of unaccus- tomed hardship and their indomitable valor, won for themselves and our state a name which may well cause us to feel an honest pride in claiming, in any part of our broad land, that our homes are in Iowa. " At the extra session of 1861, what was supposed ample pro- vision was made to furnish the necessary funds for raising, cloth- ing and equipping the volunteers that might be required from this state, by authorizing the issue and sale of our state bonds. Im- mediately after the close of that session, the necessary steps were taken to put our bonds in market, but, before they could be of- fered in New York, the faith and credit of our state were most wantonly and unjustly attacked by certain papers in that city, so that when, under the law, the bonds were offered for sale, it was found entirely impossible to effect sales at the prices fixed by the bofird of commissioners appointed for that purpose, or which would not have been ruinous to the state. No sales were there- fore made in New York, and an appeal was made to our own people to take the bonds and furnish the means necessary to meet the large expenses consequent upon raising the troops called for from this state. The report of the loan agents, herewith submit- ted, will show you the amount of bonds sold by them in the state, and the amount of money received therefor. It will be seen that much the larger proportion of the bonds was taken by persons to whom the state was indebted, and that but a small share was sold for cash. The result was that the ofi&cers charged with the duty of raising troops as required by the general gov- ernment were much, embarrassed for want of means, being com- pelled to operate wholly upon credit, consequently to great disad- vantage. Whatever could be furnished by our people was 288 TUTTLUfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. promptly furnished on the credit of the state, but without means, it was impossible to procure arms, clothing, and such othei* arti- cles as our own people did not produce. After providing clothing for the 1st, 2d and 3d regiments, I found it utterly impossible to provide for those subsequently raised, and was compelled to rely upon the general' government for that purpose, and although it was a matter of much mortification to me to be compelled to al- low our troops to leave our state ununiformed and unarmqd, yet I am induced to believe the result has been "^as well for the troops and for the government. The troops who 'left our state without • uniform, left at a season of the year when but little clothing was needed for comfort, and they were provided with uniforms in Missouri as speedily and more cheaply than I could have provided for them. The regiments which have left the state more recently have been furnished with good clothing by the general govern- ment before leaving. I have not purchased for the state the arms contemplated by the law passed at the extra session, for the rea- son that arms could be had only for money, and I had not the money wherewith to pay. Some arms have been furnished by the general government, but not sufficient for the security of the state, and I recommend the subject to your careful consideration. " On several occasions during the past season, when the rebels had or appeared likely to get control in Northern Miss'S^uri, much uneasiness existed along our southern border lest they 'should at- tempt an invasion of our state, which, for want of arms, our peo pie were not properly prepared to resist. Immediately after the close of the extra session of the general assembly, I appointed Col. John Edwards and Col. Cyrus Bussey my aids, with large discretionary powers, to act for the preservation of tranquillity in the southern border counties. I was well satisfied the peace of our state would be more easily preserved by preventing invasion than by repelling it, and therefore while I could not order our state troops beyond our state line, instructed Cols. Edwards and Bussey, and through them the troops under their command, that if at any time the loyal^,iiinen of Northern Missouri were in peril and called upon them for assistance, they had as full authority as I could give them, to lead their men into Missouri to the aid of the loyal men there, and my promise upon their return that my Iowa in the War. 289 power should be used to the utmost extent to protect them if called in question for so doing. Under these circumstances, and in some cases at the instance of the officers of the United States, Ools. Edwards and Bussey, and Col. Morledge, of Page county, at different times led bodies of Iowa troops into Missouri and kept them in service there until their presence was no longer needed, and I am well assured their services were highly valua- ble, not only in preserving the peace of our border and protecting our own people, but in supporting and strengthening the union men of Missouri. The expenses incurred in these expeditions are, in my judgment, properly chargeable to the general govern- ment, and I am now seeking their reimbursement. " Great uneasiness also existed on our western and northern border lest the Indians in Dacotah and Minnesota might be led by designing men to take advantage of the troubled state of pub- lic affairs, and commit depredations on our people in that region. The great distance of that part of the state from the place where my other duties compel me to keep my headquarters, and the want of the means of speedy communication therewith, either by railroad or telegraph, rendered it, in my judgment, absolutely necessary that I should confer on suitable persons the power to act for me -oromptly in case of emergency, as fully as if I were p^resent to ^ vin person. I accordingly conferred such authority on jSbn. jdaleb Baldwin, of Council Bluffs, and Hon. A. W. Hub- bam,. of ifeiobx City. Under this authority, bodies of mounted men W^e called into service at different times for short periods, and"! am happy to be able to state the tranquillity of that portion of our state has been preserved. Vi' I cannot permit this occasion to pass without thanking Messrs. Edwards, Bussey, Morledge, Baldwin and Hubbard, for their efficient and valuable services. " At my request the secretary of wa'?~authorized the enlistment of a company of cavalry in the service of the United States, espefcially for the protection of the northwestern border. This company has been recruited and mustered in, and I hope will be sufficient for the protection of that portion of our state. " The state university is now in successful operation, although much embarrassed for want of means arising from the nonpay- 290 TvTTLtfs History of Iowa. ment of interest due on loans of its pemanent fund. The enact- ment of laws requiring the more prompt payment of interest, and for the safety and better investment of the permanent fund as above suggested, will enable the trustees and faculty to extend the usefulness of the institution. I am decidedly of opinion that not only the interest of the institution, but also the interest of the state require, that, you should provide a military department of the university, and should establish a military professorship therein The sad experience of the last few months has shown us the necessity of military knowledge among our people. By giving to the young men who may attend the university, military instruction and training, we will not only greatly benefit them, but will also have made provision for what our present experience shows may at any moment become a necessity to our people. The board of education at their recent session directed the trustees of the university to make provision for a military department therein as soon as the general assembly should make the necessa- ry appropriations therefor, and I earnestly recommend the subject to your favorable consideration. " The affairs of the penitentiary have been well conducted du- ring the last two years. Its present faithful and efficient officers, . although laboring under many difficulties, have, by their careful and skillful management, maintained excellent discipline, pre- served, in a remarkable degree, the health of the convicts, and have so economized its expenses, that of the sum appropriated at the last regular session for the general support of the prison, there remains unexpended an amount so large, that, in the opinion of the warden, no appropriation for that purpose will be needed at the present session. These officers, however, as well as those in charge of the insane asylum, the asylums for the deaf and dumb, and the blind, and all others who have been charged with the duty of procuring for the state either labor, materials, or mer- chandise of any kind for ordinary state purposes, have been con- tinually embarrassed for the want of money, and have been com- pelled to carry on their operations, and make their purchases at great disadvantage with warrants on the treasury. Of course they have been compelled to pay higher prices in warrants than they would have had to pay in cash. As soon as these warrants Iowa m the Wab. 291 are delivered, they are presented at the treasury, and indorsed unpaid for want of funds, and from that time draw eight per cent, interest, so that the excess of price and interest are so much clear loss to the state that might be saved if our taxes were promptly paid. Neither states nor individuals can manage their affairs in this manner without serious present embarrassment and great ul- timate loss, and in my judgment it is clearly your duty, as guard- ians of the public welfare, to see to it that this state of affairs shall not continue. The reports of the officers of the peniten- tiary show the sums, which, in their opinion, should be appropri- ated by you, and the objects for which they are needed. Whilst I am satisfied that all these objects are legitimate and that the accomplishment of them would add much to the safety and com- pleteness of the prison, I cannot in the present condition of our finances recommend appropriations for all. The completion of the third tier of cells, additional accommodations for the hospital, additional shop-room, and a new cistern, are perhaps indispensa- ble, and should be provided for. " The reports of the proper officers of the deaf and dumb and blind asylums are herewith submitted. These institutions appeal so strongly to our better feelings, and the necessities of those for whose benefit they are intended are so peculiar and so urgent that I cannot withhold my recommendation that the usual appropria- tions be made for their support. The appropriation made at the last regular session for the new building for the blind, at Yin ton, has been expended in the manner required by law. The build- ing is now inclosed, and is not, as I understand, liable to injury by exposure to the weather, and I submit whether it is not advis- able, in our present financial condition, to withhold the appropri- ation necessary to complete it until the next session of the general assembly. From the reports of the officers of the insane asylum, you will learn that the institution is now in successful operation. The appropriation made at the last regular session for finishing and furnishing the centre and east wing of the building, has proved to be more than sufficient for that purpose, and there is a considerable balance unexpended. The number of patients now in the institution is nearly or quite sufficient to fill all the finished portion of the building, and much inconvenience arises from the 292 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. fact that patients of both sexes are confined in the same wing. This fact, with the additional one that before the next session, a large portion of the now unfinished part of the building will in all probability be needed for the reception of patients, induces me to recommend, as I earnestly do, that an appropriation be now made, which, with the unexpended balance of the last appropria- tion, will be sufficient to finish and furnish the west wing. Every one who has witnessed the misery and degradation and knows the hopelessness of the cure of those poor unfortunates when confined in the cells of our county jails, and has also witnessed their com- parative happiness and comfort, and knows the prospect for their restoration in the asylum, will insist that the most terrible diseases shall no longer be treated as a crime, and that the state shall do her duty by providing and caring for these, the most helpless and most unfortunate of her people. An abundant and unfailing sup- ply of water is absolutely essential to the successful operation of an institution of this kind. A reliance for such supply upon cis- terns and common wells would be uncertain and unsafe, and as these were the only resources heretofore provided, the trustees and commissioners, in order to remove the diflBculty, have undertaken the digging of an artesian well. The details of the work for this purpose thus far will be found in the reports, and I recommend that a sufficient appropriation be made to complete it or to show . its impracticability. I also recommend that the law requiring the several counties of the state to pay for the support of their own pauper insane, be so changed as to require such payment to be made in advance. In this way only will such payment be prompt and reliable, and the state be relieved practically from the burthen of supporting the institution. I cannot perceive the necessity for the two boards of trustees and commissioners. Either of the boards can easily perform in addition to its present duties, the duties of the other board, and by the consolidation, possible con- flicts of authority would be avoided, as well as considerable ex- pense. " The report of the register of the state land office shows the condition of the various grants of land made by the congress of the United States to this state. " Yery serious and embarrassing questions have arisen from the 294 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. conflicting interests and claims of some of the land grant railroad companies and the Des Moines Navigation and Eailroad Company. There has been much vacillation and conflict of opinion and ac- tion among the heads of the department of the interior in regard to the extent of the Des Moines river land grant. That grant has been held by one secretary to extend only to the forks of the river at Des Moines city ; by another to extend to the sources of the river in Minnesota, and by another to extend only to the nortb boundary of our state. One or more of the secretaries cer- tified to the state as part of this grant large bodies of land lying above the forks of the river within the limits of the state, and the state subsequently sold and conveyed many of these lands to in- dividuals. Afterward the state contracted with the Des Moines Navigation and Eailroad Company to prosecute the work of im- proving the Des Moines river, agreeing to convey to said company the title of the state to portions of the lands so certified to the state for that purpose, as rapidly as the work progressed. Under this arrangement the title of the state to many of these lands was conveyed to the Des Moines Navigation and Eailroad Company. Subsequently by settlement with the Des Moines Navigation and Eailroad Company the state conveyed to said company the title of the state to the remainder of the lands which had been certified to the state by the secretary of the interior, and at the same time conveyed to the Keokuk, Ft. Des Moines and Minnesota Eailroad Company its title to all the lands of said grant which had not been certified to the state by the secretary ;ef the interior, except fifty thousand acres reserved for certain purposes. The Des Moines Navigation and Eailroad Company have conveyed to in- dividuals large bodies of the lands thus conveyed to them. The lines of three of the land grant railroads (the Dubuque & Sioux City, the Cedar Eapids & Missouri, and the Mississippi & Missou- ri) cross the Des Moines river above its forks, and hence arises a conflict between these companies and the companies and their grantees, and the grantees of the state who hold portions of those lands as part of the original Des Moines river grant. These rail ■ road companies claim that the Des Moines river grant never really extended above the forks of the river at Des Moines, and that consequently all conveyances made by the state of lands above Iowa in the War. 295 that point, as Des Moines river grant lands are invalid, and that by virtue of the railroad land grant they acquired a title to all such lands lying within the limits of their respective grants. " The state having only conveyed what title it had to these lands may not be legally liable to make good any loss that may result to others from a failure of that title, but certainly is morally bound, at the least, to do what may be reasonably and fairly done to protect the rights and interests of those threatened with such loss. When the state granted to the railroad companies the lands granted to the state by congress for railroad purposes, it was not contemplated by the parties, certainly it was not contemplated by the state, that it was granting to these companies lands previ- ously conveyed by the state to others, amd if since the making of these grants the companies who are to receive the benefit of them have discovered that by strict legal construction they are entitled to more than was contemplated, either by themselves or by the state, and are disposed to enforce strictly these legal rights, to the injury of innocent purchasers from the state ; the state may, and I think should, hold these companies in all things to a strict com- pliance with the terms of the grants made to them. If these com- panies are now in default, and ask the indulgence and clemency of the state, it seems to me the state may very properly, before extending such indulgence and clemency, inquire and know what indulgence and clemency these companies will extend to the unfortunate holders of these lands, and make for the one with the other such terms and conditions as may be equitable and just to all." The governor concludes his message by saying : " The year ■ which has just closed, has brought to our people a new experi- ence, new trials, new responsibilities, and new duties. Let us continue to meet them as we have thus far met them, with neither an overweening confidence in, and reliance upon our own strength, nor an unmanly and craven fear for ourselves, or of the hardships we may endure before we win by deserving, success, but with patience, calmness, unflinching courage, and an abiding faith in God." On the 15th of January, 1862, the two houses met in joint con- vention to canvass the votes for governor and lieutenant governor, 296 TuTTLifs His TOBY of Iowa. agreeably to the provisions of law. The canvass was concluded with the following result : Whole number of votes cast for governor 105, 594 Of which Samuel J. Kirkwood received 60, 252 W. H. Merritt 40,187 S. M. Samuels ■*' 551 Henry Clay Dean 462 Scattering 1^ Whole number of votes cast for lieutenant governor was 102,978 Of which John R. Needham received.. 60, 145 Lauren Dewey 38, 617 Jesse Williams .• 4,123 Scattering 88 Whereupon the president announced Samuel J. Kirkwood elected governor of the state for the term of two years, and that John E. Needham was duly elected lieutenant governor for the term of two years, they having received a majority of all the votes cast at the election in October, 1861. After the announcement of the result of the canvass, a com- mittee was appointed to inform the governor and lieutenant gov- ernor of their election, and to inform the governor that they were in readiness to hear his inaugural message. Gov. Kirkwood soon after appeared and read his inaugural address. This document gave an account of the struggle then pending, of the causes of the rebellion, the action of the Iowa troops in the service at Blue Mills and Belmont, and highly commending their bravery, when called upon to meet the enemy. The general assembly adjourned sine die on the 8th of April, 1862. The following are some of the important acts passed by the ninth general assembly at the regular session : To assume the col- lection and payment of the quota apportioned to the state of the direct tax annually laid upon the United States by act of con- gress, approved August 5, 1861 ; to appropriate money ($3,000) for the relief of sick and wounded soldiers among the Iowa volun- teers ; to provide for the payment of taxes and the interest and principal of the school fund on treasury demand notes, issued by Iowa m the Was. 297 the state bank of Iowa and the several branches ; for the assess- ment, levy, and collection of the quota of the state of the tax laid on the United States by act of congress, and the payment of audit- or's warrants ; for the completing of the blind asylum at Vinton, and appropriating ten thousand dollars for that purpose ; to authorize the governor to procure passes over railroad and steam- boat routes for sick and wounded soldiers ; to provide for the ap- pointment and pay of additional surgeons, and for the employ- ment of nurses in the Iowa regiments in the government service ; to provide a uniform standard of weights and measures, and cre- ating the office of state superintendent of weights and measures ; relating to the suppression of intemperance ; to make a further appropriation ($10,000) for finishing and furnishing of the hospi- tal for the insane at Mt. Pleasant ; to exempt the property of Iowa volunteers in the military service from levy or sale ; making appropriations for the payment of state and judicial officers, inter- est on state bonds and loans, etc. ; for the better protection of the school fund ; to provide for the support of the deaf and dumb and blind asylums ; to remove the blind asylum from Iowa City to Vinton, Benton county ; to amend and consolidate the school laws of the state. CHAPTEE XXXV. IOWA IN THE WAR. Kirkwood's Second Term — Extra Session of the Legislature in 1862 — Laws Passed — Govvernor's Message— Election of 1863— Regimental Hfttory for 1863 — Cavalry and Battery Sketches. Agreeably to a proclamation of the governor, calling for an extra session of the legislature, the general assembly convened at Des Monies on the third day of September, 1862. Gov. Kirkwood in his message says : " When you closed your last regular session, the belief prevailed very generally that the strength of the rebellion had been broken ; the lapse of time has shown that belief to be erroneous and a change of legislation upon some questions of public interest has become necessary, and you have been convened in extraordinary session to consider matters vitally affecting the public welfare, which require, in my judgement, your immediate action." The governor recommended such increase of the contingent fund, for extraordinary expenses, as they may deem necessary; he remarked, that the state had nearly 50,000 men in the field, and recommended an increase in the force of the adjutant general's office for the necessary trans- action of the business now connected with that department. He also recommended that a camp of instruction be established, and that the several counties of the state be required to furnish their equitable proportion of men to place in camp under instruction ; that when men should be needed to fill the ranks of any of the regiments, requisitions be made for the proper number. He fur- ther recommends, that the laws of the state be so modified, that all members of Iowa regiments, who would be entitled to vote, if at home, on the day of election, be allowed to vote wherever they may be stationed in the United States, and that provision be made for receiving and canvassing their votes ; also, that those (298) 300 TuTTLsfs History of Iowa. persons entertaining peculiar views upon the subject of bearing arms, and whose religious opinions conscientiously entertained preclude their so doing, be exempted therefrom in case of draft, upon the payment of a fixed sum of money to be paid to the state. The governor stated, that since the adjournment of the legisla- ture, congress had passed a law donating public lands to the several states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts ; and that, under this law, the state of Iowa was entitled to a donation of two hundred and forty thousand acres of land. He recommended suitable legislation on this subject. The following are the principal laws passed at this extra ses- sion : to provide for the protection of the northwestern frontier of Iowa from hostile Indians ; to appropriate money to meet the expenses of the executive department, and to provide for the sick and wounded soldiers in the service ($30,000) ; for the better protection of the southern border of the state ; to provide for the acknowledgment of instruments by the soldiers in the military service, and for the administration of oaths ; to accept of the grant and carry into execution the trust conferred upon the state by an act of congress for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts ; to amend the law of 1860, and enable the quali- fied electors of the state, in the military service, to vote at certain elections ; to legalize appropriations made by the boards of super- visors for the payment of bounties and for the support of the families of volunteers; to provide for the appointment of- sani- tary agents and to define their duties ; to create the office of assistant adjutant general, and an act to provide for the selection of lands granted to the state by act of congress, approved July 13, 1862, confirming a land claim in the state of Iowa, and for other purposes. The state election for members of congress, and half of the senate and members of the assembly, took place on the second Tuesday of November, 1862. At this election the platform of the republican party was similar in ite general prin- ciples to that adopted by the same party in Illinois ; and that of the democratic party was similar to that adopted by the same party in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The offices to be Iowa in the War. 301 filled were, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer, attorney general, and register of the land office, and six members of con- gress. The vote of the citizens was as follows : for the republican candidate for secretary state, 66,014 ; for the democratic candidate for the same office, 50,899 ; majority for the former, 15,115. The soldiers in the several regiments, which had gone from the state, were also allowed to vote, with the following result : for the republican candidate for secretary of state, 14,874 ; for the dem- ocratic candidate, 4,115 ; republican majority 10,759. The votes for the other state officers, including citizens and soldiers' votes, gave the republican candidates a majority of a little over 15,000. The candidates of the republican party for congress were all chosen. At the election for governor the preceding year (1861), the republican majority was 16,608 ; the same, at the presidential election in 1860, 15,298. At the election for members of gen- eral assembly, in 1861, the result was as follows : In the senate, republicans, 82 ; democrats 14 ; and in the house, republicans 59, and democrats 33. At the election held in November, 1863, the candidates for governor were William M. Stone, administration, and J. M. Tat- tle, opposition. The opposition convention, which assembled on the 8th of July, nominated Maturin L. Fisher as their candidate for governor. He subsequently declined, and Gren. Tuttle was nominated by the state central committee of that party. Both candidates were in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war, and of sustaining the government in all measures for that object, and of making peace only on the unconditional submission of the enemy. The election resulted in the choice of Mr. Stone for governor. The vote of the soldiers was. Stone, 16,791; Tuttle, 2,904; total, 19,695. The whole number of votes cast for governor, including the army vote, was 142,314, of which Stone received 86,107, and Tuttle, 56 132 ; scattering, 75. The majority for Col. Stone was 29,975. The legislature was divided — Senate: administration, 42 ; opposition, 2. House : administration, 87 ; opposition, 5. An act had been passed by the legislature granting to soldiers the privilege of voting at their encampments for state officers. For the purpose of taking their vote, the governor appointed a 302 Tuttle's History of Iowa. number of commissioners to proceed to the different camps and hold the election. This measure induced the opposition central committee to address letters to Gens. Grant, Rosekrans and Schofield, in command of the western armies, inquiring whether the soldiers would be permitted to hold an untrammelled election under the laws, and whether a member of the central committee or anj competent agent would be furnished with the same con- duct and facilities which may be granted to the governor's " com- missioners," for the purpose of distributing ballots to the officers and men, and exercising the legal right of challenge as to any vote offered which may be supposed to be illegal. The reply of Gen. Grant was to the effect, that loyal citizens of northern states will be allowed to visit the troops at any time ; but electioneer- ing, or any course calculated to arouse discordant feeling will be prohibited, and that volunteer soldiers will be allowed to hold an election, if the law gives them the right to vote. A case, involving the constitutionality of this act of the legis- lature, was brought before the eighth judicial district court of the state. Judge Isbell, who decided that the clause of the state con- stitution, that " any person entitled to vote shall cast his vote in the county of his residence," was binding ; and held that such votes as were cast outside were illegal, and should be rejected. From this decision an appeal was taken to the supreme court, which court decided that it was competent for the legislature to pre- scribe the qualifications of electors and the time, place and man- ner cf exercising the elective franchise, and that the provisions of the act approved September 11, 1862, are not inconsistent with the section of the state constitution referred to, and reversed the decision of the lower court. The following regiments were organized during the year 1862, the first sixteen regiments having been recruited and sent to the field in 1861 : The seventeenth regiment was composed of companies raised in the counties of Decatur, Lee, Polk, Jefferson, Van Bureo, Des Moines, Washington, Wapello, Louisa, Appanoose, Henry, Marion, Monroe, Pottawattomie, Jones and Warren. The following were the fielci officers: John W. Rankin, colonel; David B. Hills, lieu- tenant colonel ; Sam'l M. Wise, major ; Southwick Guthrie, ad- Iowa in the War. 303 jutant; Edwin J. Aldrich, quartermaster; Nathan Udell, surgeon ; E. J. McGorrisk, assistant surgeon, and W. M. Wilson, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the government service, at Keo- kuk, in March and April, 1862, by Lieut. C. J. Ball. This regi- ment was engaged in many severe battles, and will be noticed hereafter. The eighteenth regiment was made up of companies organized in the counties of Linn, Clarke, Wapello, Lucas, Appanoose, Keokuk, Iowa, Polk, Mahaska, Washington, Marion, Fayette, Benton and Muscatine, with the following field officers: John Edwards, colonel ; Thos. F. Cook, lieutenant colonel ; H. J. Campbell, major; 0. E. Braudlich, adjutant; S. S. Smith, quar- termaster ; J. H. Allen, surgeon ; Jas. Harvey, assistant surgeon ; D. E". Smith, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the United States service, at Clinton, by Capt. H. B. Hendershott, August 7, 1862, and removed to Missouri. The nineteenth regiment was formed from companies organized in the counties of Lee, Jefferson, Washington, Louisa, Van Buren and Henry, with the following officers : Banjamin Crabb, colonel ; Sam. McFarland, lieutenant colonel ; Daniel Kent, major ; Gr. Gr- Bennett, adjutant; J. H. Downing, quartermaster; P. Harvey, sur- geon ; L. M Sloanaker, assistant surgeon, and D. Murphy, chap- lain. The regiment was mustered into the government service by lieutenant C. J. Ball, at Keokuk, on the 17th of August, 1862. The twentieth regiment was composed mainly of companies or- ganized in the counties of Linn and Scott, with the following field and staff officers : W. McE. Dye, colonel ; Jos. B. Leake, lieutenant colonel ; W. Gr. Thompson, major ; J. H. Rice, quartermaster ; H. Restine, surgeon ; A. 0. Blanding, assistant surgeon, and U. Eber- hart, chaplain ; and was mustered into the government service by Capt. H. B. Hendershott, at Clinton, on the 25th of August, 1862. The twenty-first regiment was formed from companies organized in the counties of Mitchell, Clayton, Dubuque and Delaware, with the following field officers: Samuel Merrill, colonel; W. W. Dunlap, lieutenant colonel ; S. G. Van Anda, major ; H. M. Poole, adjutant ; Chas. E. Moore, quartermaster ; Wm. A. Hyde, surgeon ; Lucius Benham, assistant surgeon, and S. P. Sloan, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the government service at Clinton, 304 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. June, 1862, and a part at Dubuque in August, by Oapt. H. B. Hendershott, U. S. A. The twenty-second regiment was made up of companies enlist- ed in the counties of Johnson, Jasper, Monroe and Wapello, and was mustered into the government service at Iowa City, Septem- ber 10, 1862. The following were the field officers : Wm. M. Stone, colonel ; John A. Garrett, lieutenant colonel ; Harvey Grah'am, major; Jos. B. Atherton, adjutant ; 0. F. Lovelace, quar- termaster ; Wm. H. White, surgeon ; A. B. Lee, assistant surgeon, and R. B. Allender, chaplain. The twenty-third regiment was organized from companies formed in the counties of Story, Polk, Dallas, Wayne, Pottawat- tomie and Marshall, and mustered into the government service at Des Monies in the month of September, 1862, by Lieut. 0. J. Ball, U. S. A., and was officered as follows : Wm. Dewey, colonel ; W. H. Kingman, lieutenant colonel ; S. L. Glasgow, major ; C. 0. Dewey, adjutant ; R. W. Cross, quartermaster ; A H. East, surgeon ; S. V. Campbell, assistant surgeon, and A. J. Barton, chaplain. The twenty-fourth regiment was formed from companies organ- ized in the counties of Jackson, Clinton, Adair and Linn, and was mugjered in the government service by Capt. H. B. Hender- shott, at Muscatine in September, 1862. The following were the field officers : Eber C. Byam, colonel ; J. Q. Wilds, lieutenant colonel; Ed. Wright, major; Chas. L. Byam, adjutant; L. Bald- win, Jr., quartermaster; J. F. Ely, surgeon ; H. M. Lyons, assist- ant surgeon ; F. W. Vinton, chaplain. The twenty-fifth regiment was organized from companies enlisted in Washington, Henry, Des Monies and Louisa, and was mus- tered into the government service at Mount Pleasant in Septem- ber, 1862, by Capt. Geo. S. Pierce. The field officers were, Geo. A. Stone, colonel; Fabian Brydolf, lieutenant colonel; Calvin Taylor, major; S. Kirkwood Clark, adjutant ; Fred. J. Clark, •[uartermaster ; W. S. Marsh, surgeon ; Jas. D. Gray, assistant surgeon, and Thos. E. Corkhill, chaplain. The twenty-sixth regiment was made up of enlisted men from the county of Clinton, and was mustered into the government service September and October, 1862, by Capt. H. B. Hender- 306 Tvttlk's Histoby of Iowa. shott, at Clinton. The officers of the regiment, were, Milo Smith, colonel ; Samuel G. Magill, lieutenant colonel ; Samuel Clark, major; Thos. G. Ferreby, adjutant; Thos. H. Flint, quartermaster; A. T. Hudson, surgeon; W. McQuigg, assistant surgeon, and John McLeish, Jr., chaplain. The twenty-seventh regiment was raised by companies organ- ized in the counties of Alamakee, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Floyd, Chickasaw and Mitchell, and was mustered into the gov- ernment service at Dubuque, in October, 1862, by Capt. G. S. Pierce. The commanding officers were, James I. Gilbert, colonel ; Jed. Lake, lieutenant colonel ; Geo. W. Howard, major; Chas A. Oomstock, adjutant ; 0. P. Shiras, quartermaster; J. E. Sanborn, surgeon ; D. 0. Hasting, assistant surgeon, and D. N. Bordwell, chaplain. The twenty-eighth regiment was formed of companies enlisted in the counties of Iowa, Benton, Johnson, Jasper, Poweshiek and Tama, and was mustered into the United States service at Iowa City, in October, 1862, by Capt. H. B. Hendershott The follow- ing were the field officers : Wm. E. Miller, colonel ; John Con- nell, lieutenant colonel ; H. B. Lynch, major ; J. E. Pritchard, adjutant ; Thos. Hughes, quartermaster ; J. W. H. Vest, surgeon, and W. P. Lathrop, assistant surgeon. The twenty-ninth regiment was made up of companies organ- ized in the counties of Pottawattomie, Mills, Harrison, Adams, Adair, Fremont, Taylor, Einggold, Union and Guthrie. The regiment was mustered into the government service at Council Bluffs in December, 1862, by Lieut. Horace Brown. The field officers were : Thos. H. Benton Jr., colonel ; Eobert F. Patterson, lieutenant colonel ; Chas. B. Shoemaker, major ; Jos. Lyman, ad- jutant ; W. W. Wilson, quartermaster ; W. S. Grimes, surgeon ; W. L. Nicholson, assistant surgeon, and J. M. Conrad, chap- lain. The thirtieth regiment was organized by recruits from the counties of Lee, Davis, Des Moines, Washington, Van Buren and Jefl'erson, and mustered into the United States service at Keokuk, in September, 1862, by Lieut. C. J. Ball. The field officers were: Chas. H. Abbott, colonel ; W. M. G. Torrence, lieutenant colonel ; Lauren Dewey, major ; Edwin Reiner, adjutant ; Samuel Lock- Iowa in the Was. 307 wood, quartermaster ; J. "W. Bond, surgeon ; Peter Walker, assis- tant surgeon, and John Burgess, chaplain. The thirty-first regiment was composed of companies organized in the counties of Linn, Black Hawk, Jones and Jackson, and was enrolled or mustered into the government service at Keo- kuk and Davenport, in the months of September and October, 1862, by Capt H. B. Hendershott, and Lieut. H. 0, Freeman. The commissioned officers were : Wm. Smith, colonel ; Jeremiah W. Jenkins, lieutenant colonel; Ezekiel Cutter, major; E. 0. Blackman, adjutant; A. J. Twogood, quartermaster; G. L. Car- hart, surgeon ; Lucius French, assistant surgeon, and D. S. Starr, chaplain. The thirty-second regiment was made up of recrui1;s from a large number of counties in the state, more particularly from Harden, Hamilton, Wright, Cerro Gordo, Boone, Butler, Frank- lin, Webster, Story and Marshall. The following were the com- missioned officers : John Scott, colonel ; Edward H. Mix, lieuten- ant colonel; G. A. Eberhart, major; Chas. Aldrich, adjutant; T. C. McCall, quartermaster ; S. B. Olney, surgeon ; Jesse Was- son, assistant surgeon, and L. F. Coffin, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the government service at Dubuque, in Oc- tober, 1862, by Capt. G. S. Pierce. The thirty -third regiment was organized by companies organized in Marion, Keokuk and Mahaska counties, and was mustered into the United States service at Oskaloosa, in October, 1862, by Lieut. 0. J. Ball. The regimental officers were : Samuel A. Eice, colonel ; C. H. Mackey, lieutenant colonel ; H. D. Gibson, major ; F. F. E. Burlock, adjutant; H. B. Myers, quartermaster; Arad Parks, surgeon; J. Y. Hopkins, assistant surgeon, and E. A. McAyeal, chaplain. The thirty-fourth regiment was organized from companies formed from the counties of Decatur, Warren, Lucas and Wayne, and was mustered into the government service at Burl ington, October, 1862, by Lieut. 0. J. Ball. The commanding officers were : Geo. W. Clark,colonel ; W. S. Dungan, lieutenant colonel ; E. D. Kellogg, major; J. D. Sarrer, quartermaster; 0. W. Davis, surgeon; H. W. Jay, assistant surgeon, and U. P. GoUiday, chaplain. 308 Tuttle's History of Iowa. The thirty-fifth regiment was formed by companies from Mus- catine, Louisa and Cedar counties, and was mustered into the gov- ernment service by Oapt. H. B. Hendershott, at Muscatine, in the month of September, 1862, with the following field officers : Sylvester G. Hill, colonel ; Jas. H. Eathrock, lieutenant colonel ; R O'Connor, major; F. L. Dayton, adjutant; L. Heiskell, quartermaster ; C. L. Chambers, surgeon ; S. M. Cobb, assistant surgeon, and F. W. Evans, chaplain. The thirty-sixth regiment was formed of companies enlisted in the counties of Monroe, Wapello. Appanoose and Wayne, and was officered as follows : Chas. W. Kittridge, colonel ; F. M. Drake, lieutenant colonel ; T. 0. Woodward, major ; A. G. Ham- ilton, adjutant ; S. W. Merrill, quartermaster ; M. Cousins, sur- geon ; C. G-. Strong, assistant surgeon, and M. H Hare, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the United States service by Lieut. C. J. Ball, at Keokuk, in October, 1862. The thirty-seventh regiment was made up from twenty or more counties of the state, mainly from Black Hawk, Linn, Lee, Mus- catine, Van Buren, Johnson, Iowa, Wapello, Mahaska, Dubuque, Appanoose, Henry, Washington, Jasper, Jones, Scott, Fayette, Clinton and Monroe, and was mustered into the government ser- vice at Muscatine, in the month of December, 1862, by Capt H. B. Hendershott. The field and stafE officers were as follows : Geo. W. Kincaid, colonel ; Geo. E. West, lieutenant colonel ; Lyman Allen, major ; D. H. Goodno, adjutant ; Prentis Eansom, quarter- master ; J. N. Finley, surgeon ; G. S. Dewitt, assistant surgeon, and J. H. White, chaplain. The thirty-eighth regiment was organized in the counties of Fayette, Bremer, Chickasaw, Winnesheik and Howard, and was mustered into the government service at Dubuque, the 4th of No- vember, 1862, by Lieut. C. J. Ball. The field officers were : D. H. Hughes, colonel ; Jas. 0. Hudnutt, lieutenant colonel ; 0. Chadwiok, major; H. W. Pettitt, adjutant; M. E. Lyons, quarter- master ; H. W. Hart, surgeon ; E. A Duncan, assistant surgeon, and John Webb, chaplain. The thirty-ninth regiment was organized in the counties of Madison, Polk, Dallas, Clarke, Greene, Des Moines and Decatur, and was mustered into the United States service by Capt. H. B. Iowa in the Was. 309 Hendershott, at Davenport, in November, 1862. The commis- sioned officers were : H. J. B. Oummings, colonel ; Jas. Rediield, lieutenant colonel; Jos. M. Grriffiths, major; Geo. 0. Tichenor, adjutant; Fred. Mott, quartermaster ; P. K Woods, surgeon ; W. L. Leonard, assistant surgeon, and Thos. J. Taylor, chaplain. The fortieth regiment was formed in the counties of Marion, Poweshiek, Mahaska, Jasper, Keokuk and Benton, with the fol- lowing commissioned officers: John A. Garrett, colonel; S. F. Cooper, lieutenant colonel; Sherman G. Smith, major; L. A. Duncan, adjutant ; A. B. Miller, quartermaster ; D. W. Robinson, surgeon ; A S. Elwood, assistant surgeon, and S. Hestwood, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the United States service by Oapt. H. B. Hendershott, at Iowa City, in November, 1862. The forty-first regiment was organized in the counties of John- son, Black Hawk, Butler, Clinton, Jones, Des Moines and Cerro Gordo, and was mustered into the United States service by Oapt Alex. Chambers, at Iowa City, in October, 1862. The only com- missioned officer at that time was John Pattee, major. The above comprises all the infantry regiments prepared for the field in the year. A notice of the first four cavalry regiments organized in the year 1861, has been already made. Two additional regiments were organized in 1862. The fifth cavalry was organized with the fol- lowing field officers : W. W. Lowe, colonel ; M. T. Patrick, lieu- tenant colonel ; C. S. de Bernstein, H. Baird, W. Kelsey and J. M. Young, majors ; Wm. Aston, adjutant ; E. Lowe, surgeon ; B. T. "Wise, assistant surgeon. The regiment was mustered in the service by companies, a portion at Dubuque, and a part at St. Louis. One company was enrolled in Douglas, Nebraska, two companies in Minnesota, and one in Missouri. The sixth cavalry was made up of companies organized in the counties of Scott, Clinton, Dubuque, Delaware, Chickasaw, Fay- ette, Winnesheik, Pottawattomie, Harrison, Montgomery, Wood- bury, Alamakee, Linn, Clayton, Johnson and Tama, and mus- tered into the government service at Davenport, in January, 1863, by Capt H. B. Hendershott. The commanding officers were : D. S. Wilson, colonel; S. L. Pollock, lieutenant colonel; T. H. 310 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. Shephard, E. P. Ten Broeck and A. E. House, majors; E. L. Miller, adjutant; A. Williams, quartermaster; G. W. Trumbull, surgeon ; J. H. Camburn, assistant surgeon, and D. H. Mitchell, chaplain. In addition to the above there were three batteries of light ar- tillery organized in 1861 and 1862. The first battery was en- rolled in the counties of Wapello, Des Moines, Dubuque, Jeffer- son, Black Hawk and others, and mustered into the United States service by Capt. Alex. Chambers, at Burlington, August 17, 1861. Of this battery Chas. H. Fletcher was the first captain. The second battery was enrolled in the counties of Dallas, Polk, Harrison, Fremont and Pottawattomie, and mustered into the government service by Lieut. Lewis Merrill, at Coucil Bluffs and St. Louis, August 8 and 31, 1861 ; of which battery, Nelson T. Spoor was captain. The third battery was enrolled in the counties of Dubuque, Black Hawk, Butler and Floyd, and mustered into the govern- ment service by Capt. C. Washington, at Dubuque ; of this bat- tery, Mortimer M. Hayden was captain. The northern border brigade was composed of companies A to E, inclusive, of which James A. Sawyer was lieutenant colonel, and Lewis H. Smith, quartermaster. The southern border brigade, first battalion, was composed of two companies, of which Wm. Sale was captain of one, and Jos. Dickey of the other. The second battalion, two companies, Ho- sea B. Horn and Elisha D. Skinner, captains. The third battal- ion, three companies, Jas. H. Summers, E. F. Esteb and Nathan Miller, captains. The fourth battalion, three companies, Wash- ington Hoyt, John Flick and John Whitcomb, captains. CHAPTER XXXVI. IOWA IN THE WAR. Regimental History — Condensed History of Iowa in the War for the Union. The following regiments were organized and placed in the field in the year 1863, in addition to those raised in the years 1861 and 1862. The seventh Iowa cavalry was formed from companies organ- ized in the counties of Wapello, Keokuk, Mahaska, Appanoose, Davis, Polk, Dubuque, Black Hawk, Jasper, Fayette, Clayton, Webster, Winnesheik, Jefferson, Scott, Woodbury and Johnson. The field officers were Samuel W. Summers, colonel ; John Pat- tee, lieutenant colonel ; H. H. Heath, Geo. W. O'Brien and John S. Wood, majors ; A. J. Willey, surgeon ; J. W. La Force, as- sistant surgeon ; E. S. Sheffield, adjutant ; W. H. Northrop, quar- termaster. The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States by Lt. Col. W. K Grier, at Davenport, in April, June and July, 1863. A portion of the regiment were taken from other regiments, the Sioux City cavalry being also attached to this regiment. The eighth cavalry was organized from companies enlisted in the counties of Page, Wapello, Van Buren, Einggold, Des Moines, Clarke, Wayne, Lucas, Henry, Lee, Appanoose, Jackson, Mar- shall, Cedar, Muscatine and Polk, with the following field officers : Joseph B. Dorr, colonel ; Horatio G. Barnes, lieutenant colonel ; John J. Brown, Jas. D. Thompson and A. J. Price, majors ; J. H. Isett, adjutant ; J. Q. A. Dawson, quartermaster ; J. E. Pritch- ard, commissary ; W. H. Finlay, surgeon ; A. S. Carnahan, as- sistant surgeon ; Thomas C. Clark, chaplain. The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States by Lieut. Col. W. N. Grier, at Davenport, September 30, 1863. (312) Iowa in the Was. 313 The ninth cavalry was organized in the counties of Muscatine, Taylor, Linn, Scott, Decatur, Davis, Wapello, Benton, Washing- ton, Fayette, Alamakee, Clayton, Winnesheik, Floyd, Harden, Lee, Cedar, Hamilton, Clarke, Dallas, Jefferson, Keokuk, Jasper, and Shelby, land was mustered into the United States service by Lieut Col. W. N. Grier, at Davenport, in November, 1863. The fourth battery of light artillery was organized by enlist- ments from the counties of Mahaska, Mills, Fremont, Henry, etc., of which battery Philip H. Goode was captain ; the total number, rank and file, being 152 men, and was mustered into the govern- ment service by Col. W. N. Q-rier, at Davenport, November 23, 1863. The first infantry (African descent) was organized under special authority from the war department, under date July 27, 1863 ; was ordered into quarters by Col. Wm. A. Pile, superintendent colored enlistments, August 16, 1863, and mustered into the ser- vice of the United States, by Lieut. Col. W. N. Grier, at Keokuk, October 11, 1868. Of this regiment, John G. Hudson was colo- nel ; Milton F. Collins, lieutenant colonel ; John L. Murphy, ma- jor ; Theo. W. Pratt, adjutant; Wm. McQueen, quartermaster; Freeman Knowles, surgeon ; Jas. H. Pile, chaplain. At the general election of October 13, 1863, Wm. M. Stone re- ceived for the office of governor, 86,122, and Jas. T. Tuttle, 57,948 votes. The limits of this volume will not admit of a detailed state- ment of the movements of the different regiments that left the state during the war. The following account will show some of the important engagements and battles in which each regiment took a part. Some of these engagements^were fought with great bravery on the part of the Iowa troops, and with great loss of life. No state sent into the field a better class of citizen soldiery who performed their duty with greater credit to their state and the government. The first infantry was mustered out of service Aug. 25, 1861, at the expiration of their three months' enlistment, at St. Louis. The only engagement this regiment was in was at Wilson Creek, Aug. 10, 1861. The second regiment was engaged at Fort Donelson, 1861 ; 314 TvTTLlfs HlSTOBY OF lOWA. Corinth, October, 1862 ; Shiloh, in the Atlanta campaign, at De- catur, Ohickamauga, Liberty Church, Jackson, Dallas and Jones- borough. During the war, the second and third regiments were consolidated and made a battery of six companies, and the regi- ment of veteran volunteers mustered out July 12, 1865. The third regiment fought at Blue Mills, Mo., 1861 ; Shiloh, April, 1862 ; Hatchie, in the siege of Vicksburg, 1863 ; in the Meridian campaign, at Jackson and Atlanta, and was mustered out in June, July and November, 1864.' The fourth regiment was engaged -at Pea Eidge, Council Bluffs and on the western frontier ; at the siege of Vicksburg, Chatta- nooga, Resaca, Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta and Chickasaw Bayou, and was mustered out July 24, 1865. The fifth regiment took part in the operations at New Madrid, Island No. 10, luka, siege of Vicksburg, Corinth, Mission Ridge, Jackson and Champion Hills, and was disbanded in August, 1864. The veterans and recruits of the regiment were transferred to the fifth Iowa cavalry. The sixth regiment was actively engaged at Pittsburg Landing, Jackson, Miss. ; Mission Ridge, Altoona, Shiloh, Big Shanty and Kenesaw Mountain, and was mustered out of government service, at Louisville, July 21, 1865. The seventh regiment was engaged in the battles of Belmont, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, luka, Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, and in the Carolina campaigns, and was mustered out at Louisville, July 12, 1865. The eighth regiment was engaged at Shiloh, Yicksburg,' Win- chester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Memphis, Spanish Fort, Bayou de Glaize and Old River Lake, and was mustered out, April 20, 1866, at Selma, Ala. The ninth regiment was engaged at Pea Ridge, Kenesaw Mountain, Dallas, Resaca, Vicksburg and Atlanta, and was mus- tered out July 18, 1865, at Louisville. The tenth regiment was in the engagements at Corinth, siege of Vicksburg, Champion Hills, New Madrid, Island No. 10, luka. Port Gibson, Jackson, Mission Ridge, and was in the march from Atlanta to Savannah. The regiment was mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 15, 1865. Iowa in the Was. 315 The eleventh regiment was in the battles of Pittsburg Land- ing, Shiloh, Kenesaw Mountain, Niok-a-jack Greek, and was mus- tered out of service, July 15, 1865, at Louisville, Ky. The twelfth regiment was engaged in the battles of Shiloh, Pittsburg Landing, Fort Donelson, Jackson, siege of Vicksburg, Brandon, mouth of White river, Tupelo, Nashville, Brentwood Hills, Spanish Fort, Little Rock, Brownsville, Goose Creek, and was mustered out of service, at Memphis, Tena, Jan. 20, 1866. The thirteenth regiment served at Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Atlanta, CoUiersville, Shiloh, and was mustered out of service, July 21, 1865, at Louisville, Ky. The fourteenth regiment was engaged in service at Fort Donel- son, Shiloh, Fort de Russey, Pleasant Hill, Bayou de Glaize, Tu- pelo and Town Creek. The regiment, except veterans and re- cruits, was mustered out of service, at Davenport, Nov. 16, 1864; the latter were consolidated into two companies, called the "Residuary Battalion of the fourteenth infantry," and were mus- tered out, Aug. 8, 1865. The fifteenth regiment served at the battles of Pittsburg Land- ing, siege of Corinth, Vicksburg, Atlanta, Kenesaw Mountain, Canton, Ezra's Church, luka and Jackson. It was mustered out of service, at Louisville, July 24, 1865. The sixteenth regiment was engaged at Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Vicksburg, Atlanta, luka, Kenesaw Mountain, Big Shanty, and Nick-a-jack Creek, and was mustered out of service July 19, 1865, at Louisville, Ky. The seventeenth regiment was engaged at luka, Corinth, Cham- pion Hills, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Tilton, Mission Ridge, and Jackson, and was mustered out of service at Louisville, July 25, 1865. The eighteenth regiment was engaged at Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Springfield, Mo., Prairie D'Anne, and Poison Springs, and mustered out of service at Little Rock, July 20, 1865. The nineteenth regiment was engaged at Prairie Grove, siege of Vicksburg, Brownsville, Spanish Fort, Atchafaylaya, Pascagou- la, Sterling's Farm, and was mustered out of service at Mobile, Ala., July 10, 1865. The twentieth regiment served at Prairie Grove, siege of Vicks- 316 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. burg, Fort Morgan, Atohafaylaya, Matagorda Bay, and was mus- tered out of service at Mobile, Ala., July 8, 1865. The twenty-first regiment was engaged at the siege of Vicks- burg, "Wood's Fork, Hartsville, Mo., Winchester, Jackson, Port Gibson, Black River Bridge, Fort Blakely, and was mustered out of service at Baton Rouge, La,, July 15, 1865. The twenty-second regiment was engaged in the battles of Port Gibson, Cedar Creek, Thompson's Hill, Black River Bridge, Ope- quan or Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and at the siege of Vicksburg, and the Red River expedition, and mustered out at Savannah, July 25, 1865. The twenty -third regiment was engaged in the battles at Port Gibson, Champion Hills, siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Sabine Cross Roads, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek, and was mustered out of service at Harrisburg, Texas, July 26, 1865. The twenty-fourth regiment was engaged in the battles at Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Vicksburg, Jackson, Sabine Cross Roads, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek, and was mustered out of service at Savannah, Ga., July 17, 1865. The twenty-fifth regiment was engaged at Arkansas Post, Vicks- burg, Lookout Mountain, Missouri Ridge, Ringgold, Resaca, At- lanta, and Bentonville, and was mustered out at Washington, D. C, June 6, 1865. The twenty-sixth regiment was engaged in battle at Arkansas Post, Black River Bridge, Jackson, Ala., Resaca, and was mus- tered out of the government service at Washington, D. C, June 6-, 1865. The twenty-seventh regiment was engaged at Nashville, Pleas- ant Hill, Jackson, Old Oaks, La Grange, Ft. Blakeley, Black River Bridge, Yellow Bayou, Old Town Creek, and Mansura, and mustered out of service August 8, 1865, at Clinton. The twenty-eighth regiment was engaged in the battles and en- gagements at Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Vicksburg, JacksoUj, Sabine Cross Roads, Cane River, Middle Bayou, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Mansura, Yellow Bayou, and was mustered out at Savannah, Ga., July 31, 1865. The twenty-ninth regiment was engaged at Parker's Cross Roads, Spanish Fort, Helena, Mobile, Brownsville, Terrensir, Prairie 318 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. d'Annie, Liberty, and Jenkins' Ferry. The regiment was mus- tered out of service at New Orleans, August 10, 1865. The thirtieth regiment was engaged at Haines Bluff, Arkansas Post, Einggold, Atlanta, Jonesboro', Vicksburg, Eesaca, Kene- saw Mountain, Dallas, Mission Eidge, Cherokee Nation, and Ezra Church, and was mustered out of service at Washington, D. C, June 5, 1865. The thirty-first regiment was in service at Eaymond, Vicksburg, luka, Mission Eidge, Walnut Hills, Big Shanty, Lookout Mount- ain, Arkansas Post, Jonesboro', and Atlanta, and was mustered out of service at Louisville, June 27, 1865. The thirty-second regiment was engaged at Pleasant Hill, La., Tupelo, Lake Chicot, Yellow Bayou, Old Town Creek, Ft De Eussey, and in the Eed Eiver expedition. The regiment was mustered out of service at Clinton, August 24, 1865. The thirty-third regiment was engaged in battle at Jenkins' Ferry, Ark., Helena, Saline Eiver, Memphis and Princeton, and mustered out at New Orleans, July 17, 1865. The thirty-fourth regiment was engaged at Arkansas Post, , Chickasaw BlufE, Vicksburg, Yazoo City, Fort Esperanza and ■ Blakely. The regiment was consolidated with the 38th regiment, and was mustered out at Houston, Texas, August 15, 1865. Five companies of this regiment were consolidated into a battalion November 12, 1S64, and on the 1st of January, 1865, were con- solidated with the 88th infantry and known as the 34th infantry consolidated. The thirty-fifth regiment was engaged at Jackson, Pleasant Hill, Bayou de Glaize, Mansura, Tupelo, Old Eiver Lake, Nashville, Bayou Eapids, Lake Chicot, and was mustered out of service at Davenport, August 10, 1865. The thirty-six regiment was engaged at Helena, Vicksburg, Mark's Mills, Prairie D'Annie, Elkins Ford and in the Ya- zoo expedition, and was mustered out of service Auaust 24 1865. ^ The thirty-seventh and thirty- eighth regiments are not record- ed as having been engaged in any important battles. The first was mustered out of service at Daveuport; the latter was consol- idated with the 34th regiment, December 31, 1864, forming five Iowa in the Was. 319 companies of the reorganized regiment, which retained the name oi the 34th infantry. The thirty-ninth regiment was engaged at Parker's Cross Eoads, Tenn., Altoona and at Shady Grrove, where the regiment was taken by the enemy, and was subsequently mustered out of service at Washington, D. C, June 5, 1865. The fortieth regiment was not called into open battle with the enemy except at Jenkins' Ferry, Ark., in 1864, and was mustered out of service at Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, August 2, 1865. The other infantry regiments of the state were not called to meet the enemy in force during their enlistment. The forty-first battalion, of three companies, became three companies of the 7th Iowa cavalry. The forty-fourth regiment was mustered out at Davenport, September 15, 1864 ; the forty-fifth (hundred days men) was mustered out at Keokuk, September 16, 1864; the forty-sixth, the same, was mustered out at Davenport, September 28, 1864 ; the forty- seventh, not reported ; the forty.eighth was mustered out at Rock Island, Octobor 21, 1864 ; the first or six- tieth United States volunteers was mustejed out at Duvall's Bluff, October 15, 1865. Of the cavalry regiments of the state it is impossible to give a' particular notice, owing to the nature of their work. The move- ments of the regiments were rapid, and they were engaged in the field as regiments, by battalions and companies. A particular account of their operations and also of the batteries of light artil- lery may be found in the reports of the adjutant general for the years 1861 to 1865 inclusive. CHAPTEE XXXVII. GOV. STONE'S ADMINISTRATION. Last Message of Gov. Kirkwood — Summary of War Statistics — State Mat- ters — Election Canvass — Laws of the Tenth General Assembly — Elec- tion Notes. The tenth general assembly of the state of Iowa convened at Des Moines, on the 11th day of January, 1864, and was organ- ized permanently in the senate, by Lieut. Gov. Needham taking his seat as president, and the election of W. F. Davis, as secretary ; and in the house by the election of Jacob Butler, as speaker, and Jacob Rich, chief clerk. The message of Gov. Kirkwood was sent to each branch of the general assembly, from which the following statistics are taken, and also his views and recommendations on matters of public in- terest : " The finances of the state are reported as being in a healthy condition. The entire state debt is only $622,295.75, consisting of loans from the school fund, $122,295.75 ; loan of 1858, $200,000, and war loan of 1861, $300,000. Of the $800,000 of war bonds authorized to be sold, $500,000 remain on hand — none have been offered since the $300,000 were sold ; and it is believed no fur- ther sales will be necessary. The report of the state auditor shows that the moneys now in the state treasury, the delinquent taxes, the amount estimated to be due from the United States, and the taxes for 1863 and 1864, are sufficient to pay the esti- mated expenditures for the next two years, leaving a balance in the treasury of $200,000. There is also due the state from the United States, for expenses incurred by the state in raising and equipping troops ' and sending them to the field, and for other purposes growing out of the rebellion, the estimated amount of $300,000. There is much difficulty in procuring an adiustment (320) •" Administbation of Got. Stone. 321 of this claim at Washington. These moneys were expended by the state when there was no law of congress or regulation of the federal government |presoribing the form in which proof of the expenditures should be taken. Upon presenting the vouchers and proofs, as provided for by the general assembly of the state, to the .proper department at Washington they are found not to comply in form with regulations since adopted by that depart- ment, and it is doubtful whether these accounts will be allowed without some legislation by congress. Reference is made to the various grants of land to the state for school, university, railroad and other purposes of which it is not necessary to give particu- lars. The management of these funds and lands is reported as satisfactory. "The state university is in a flourishing condition, and has over three hundred and fifty students in attendance. It is recom- mended to the favorable consideration of the general assembly. At the commencement of the ninth general assembly, 1862, the state had organized and sent to the field fourteen regiments of infantry, three regiments of cavalry and three batteries of artil- lery ; and had in progress of organization two regiments of in- fantry and one of cavalry. Of these regiments, the first infantry was enlisted for three months, and had then been mustered out of service. All the others were enlisted for three years. Since the commencement of that session the two regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, then incomplete, have been organized, and in addition thereto, twenty-four regiments of infantry, five regiments of cavalry and one battery have been enlisted ; and all for three years. Besides these complete organizations, a large number of men have been enlisted for regiments in the field. I have not been able as yet to ascertain whether the quota of this state, under the last call of the president for volunteers to fill the ranks of our veteran regiments has been filled ; if it has not, the defi- ciency cannot be large, if the proper credit has been given by the provost marshal general for our excess bver all quotas previously called for, and can be easily and promptly filled by draft. " Besides the troops thus furnished to the army of the union, there were organized, as required by the acts of the extra session of 1862, five companies of mounted men for the protection of the 21 322 Tuttle's History of I0W4. northwestern frontier against the Indians, and ten companies of mounted men on the southern border, to protect the persons and property of the people on that line against the depredations of organized bands of guerillas from Missouri. The companies on the northwestern frontier have all been disbanded, and their place supplied by troops of the United States." The message closes with his views on national affairs, slavery and kindred matters. On the 13th of January, the two houses met in joint conven- tion to canvass the votes for governor and lieutenant governor. The canvass was concluded with the following result : The whole number of votes cast for governor was - - - 142,814 Of which William M. Stone received - - - - 86, 107 James M. Tuttle received - - - - 56,132 Scattering, ...... 75 The whole number of votes cast for lieutenant governor was . 141, 605 Of which Enoch W. Eastman received - - - 87,285 John F. Buncombe received .... 54,304 Scattering, ...... 16 Whereupon the president announced that William M. Stone was duly elected governor of the state for the term of two years, and that Enoch W. Eastman was duly elected lieutenant governor for the term of two years, they having received a majority o^ all the votes cast at the election in October last. On the day follow- ing, the governor elect delivered his inaugural address. The two houses met again in joint convention, at which time Hon. James W. Grimes was elected United States senator for the term of six years, from the ith of March, 1865 ; E. A. Layton, warden of the state penitentiary ; E. F. Edgerton, Reuben Noble and L. T. Sherman, directors of the State Bank of Iowa; Wil- liam Beckford, Thos. A. Graham and E. S. Griffith, bank com- missioners for the term of two years. The general assembly ad- journed sine die, March 29, 1864. The following acts were passed at the regular session of the tenth general assembly, in 1864: To increase the number of judges of the supreme court to four; for the encouragement of public libraries ; to encourage lead mining in the state ; to abol- 324 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. ish the board of education, and for the election of a superintend- ent of public instruction, and prescribing his duties ; to appro- priate the sum of $20,000 to aid in the erection of a permanent building for an agricultural college ; also, a further appropriation for the hospital for the insane ; to provide for the erection of an arsenal building; for the improvement of the state penitentiary; to appropriate the sum of $20,000 for an additional building for the state university for an astronomical observatory ; to provide for the payment of the just claims of certain officers and soldiers of Iowa regiments ; to organize and discipline the militia; to fa- cilitate the construction and operation of railroads in the state ; for the relief of the families of soldiers and marines in the ser- vice of the United States; and various appropriations for the Buppor|; of the benevolent and charitable institutions of the state not before referred to. The state census, taken January, 1863, shows 354,661 males; 846,181 females; 1,320 colored ; total, 702,162, of which number, 135,068 were entitled to vote. At the presidential election in November, 1864, the vote of the state was as follows : Home vote for Abraham Lincoln, .... 71,575 Soldiers' vote for Abraham Lincoln, - . . 17,810 Total, - - 89,575 Home vote for G. B. McClellan, . . . . 47,675 Soldiers' vote for G. B. McClellan, - . . - 1, 921 Total . . .: 49,596 Majority for Lincoln, --..... 39,979 A secretary of state and members of congress were chosen at the same time. The vote for secretary of state was : Home vote for republican candidate (Ed. Wright), 72,517; soldiers' vote, 17,254 ; total, 89,771. Home vote for democratic candidate (Hen- dershott), 48,056 ; soldiers' vote, I860 ; total, 49,910 ; majority for republican candidate, 39,861. The entire list of members of con- gress on the republican ticket were elected. To the general as- sembly the democrats elected less than fifteen members. The election of a governor and legislature in the year of 1865 gave rise to an animated political canvass, during the summer and autumn, the main question involved in which was the extension Administration of Got. Stone. 325 of the elective franchise to the colored population of the state. In August a soldier's convention, which was largely attended, met at Des Moines and nominated a state ticket, composed of offi- cers recently in the national service, and headed by the name of Gen. Thomas H. Benton for governor. As the convention was ostensibly called and controlled by the opponents of colored suf- frage, it passed strong resolutions against the adoption of such measure, and issued an address to the soldiers of Iowa who were opposed to negro suffrage, urging them to support the candidates nominated by it. The democratic convention which assembled at the same time and place as the above made no nomination, but indorsed the candidates and resolutions of the soldiers' conven- tion. In a letter accepting the nomination, Gen. Benton avowed himself a republican and an opponent of negro suffrage, on the ground that the period had not arrived for so radical a change in the political organization of the state, and that such a change would prove, under existing circumstances, detrimental, rather than beneficial to the colored race. The republican convention renominated Gov. Wm. M. Stone for office, and among other resolutions, adopted one in favor of making the elective franchise conditional only upon loyalty to the constitution and the union, and recognized the equality of all men before the law. An additional resolution recommending an amendment to the constitution of the state, so as to give the elec- tive franchise to colored men, was adopted by a large majority. The election took place on the second Monday of October, 1865, and resulted in the return of Wm. M. Stone by a majority of about 16,500 over Gen. Benton. The remaining candidates on the repubiican ticket received majorities of 20,000 and upwards. Gov. Stone received a smaller majority than his associates on the republican ticket, from the fact, that he was more strongly com- mitted than they in favor of negro suffrage. The legislature (elected for 1866) stood, senate, 43 republicans and 5 democrats ; house, 83 republicans and 16 democrats. CHAPTER XXXVIIL IOWA IN THE WAR. Regimental History for 1864 — Legislature of 186G — Gov. Stone's Message of 1866 — Financial Statistics — Election Canvass — Election of Stone — Election of United States Senator — General Legislation. The following regiments were enlisted for tiie government service in the year 1864. The forty-fourth Iowa regiment at its organization was composed of the following field officers : Stephen H. Henderson, colonel; Henry Egbert, lieutenant colonel; Jo- siah Hopkins, major ; Evert F. Richman, adjutant ; A. J. Van Duzee, quartermaster ; James Irwin, surgeon ; J. H. Russell, as- sistant surgeon, and Martin Bowman, chaplain. The companies composing the regiment were enrolled in the counties of Dubuque, Muscatine, Delaware, Johnson, Butler, Jackson, Clinton, Mar- shall, Boone and Scott, and mustered into the government ser- vice at Davenport, June 1, 1864, by Oapt. Alex. Chambers. The forty-fifth regiment (one hundred days service) was com- posed of the following field officers when organized: Alva H. Bereman, colonel ; Samuel A. Moore, lieutenant colonel ; Jas. B. Hope, major ; A. W. Sheldon, adjutant ; J. P. Dawson, quarter- master ; W. W. Eastabrook, surgeon ; S. H. Stutsman, assistant surgeon, and Anson Skinner, chaplain. The companies were en- rolled in the counties of Henry, Washington, Lee, Davis, Des Moines, Louisa, Jefferson and Van Buren, and mustered into the government service by Oapt. T. W. Walker, at Keokuk, May 25, 1864 The forty-sixth regiment at its organization was composed of the following officers : David B. Henderson, colonel ; Lorenzo D. Durbin, lieutenant colonel ; Geo. L. Torbert, major ; John L Harvey, adjutant; D. D. Holdridge, quartermaster; J. R. Dun- can, surgeon ; W. H. Rosser, assistant surgeon, and John Todd (326) Iowa m thb War, 327 chaplain. The various companies were enrolled in the counties of Dubuque, Poweshiek, Dallas, Taylor, Fayette, Linn, Ringgold, Delaware, Winneshiek, Monroe, Wayne, Clarke, Cedar and Lucas, under the proclamation of the governor of the state for one hund- red days service, and were mustered into the United States service by Capt. Alex. Chambers, at Davenport, on the 10th of June 1864. The forty-seventh regiment was composed of the following field officers at the organization : Jas. P. Sanford, colonel ; John Wil- liams, lieutenant colonel ; Geo. J. North, majpr ; Geo. W. Devin, adjutant ; Sanford Harned, quartermaster ; Jas. D.Wright, surgeon ; Samuel B. Cherry, assistant surgeon, and Enoch Hoffman, chap- lain. The companies forming the regiment were enrolled from the counties of Marion, Olajiton, Appanoose, , Benton, Wapello, Buchanan, Madison, Polk, Johnson, Keokuk, Mahaska, and were mustered into the government service by Lieut. A. A Harbach, at Davenport, on the 4th of June, 1864. This regiment was en- rolled under the proclamation of the governor for one hundred days servica The forty-eighth infantry was a battalion of four companies. The field officers were, Oliver H. P. Scott, lieutenant colonel ; Wm. T. Hayes, adjutant ; Lewis Todhunter, quartermaster ; John A Blanchard, surgeon ; Charles L. Wundt, assisttot sur- geon. The companies were enrolled in the counties of Warren, Jasper, Decatur, Lee and Des Moines for one hundred days ser- vice and mustered into the government service by Capt. Alex. Chambers, at Davenport, on the 13th of July, 1864. The eleventh general assembly of the state convened at Des Moines on the 8th of January, 1866. The senate was organized by lieutenant governor Eastman, taking the chair as president, and the election of J. W. Dixon, secretary ; and in the house, by the election of Ed. Wright, speaker, and Chas. Aldrich, chief clerk. The annual message of the governor (W. M. Stone) was sent the same day to each branch of the general assembly and was read by the secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house The following extracts of the governmental history of the state for the two years preceding are taken therefrom: He commences by saying that he deems it expedient for the inf onnation of the TUTTLlfS HiBTOBT OF lOWA. assembly to present, in connection with the financial statement, an exhibit of the state military expenditures from the beginning of the war to the present time : " There was expended for military purposes from May, 1861, to November 4, 1861, $233,568 43 November 4, 1861, to November 2, 1863, - - - 639, 163 85 November 2, 1863, to November 4, 1865, - - - - 169,231 00 November 4, 1865, to January 1, 1866. . - - - 4,047 71 • " These dates express the periods within which the above sums were paid, but not when they were actually incurred. The amount incurred from January 14, 1864, to January 1, 1866, is $44,931.32. Total military expenditures for all purposes up to January 1, 1866, are $1,046,735.99. " It will be observed that most of these expenditures were in- curred during the period beginning with the war and closing with the fiscal year 1863. This was caused by our being compelled, in order to facilitate the military operations of the general govern- ment to defray a large portion of the expenses incurred in enlist- ing, transporting, subsisting, quartering and paying the volunteer forces organized in this state. The sums thus expended were re- garded merely, as money advanced to the United States, for which, under the acts of congress approved respectively July 17th and 27th, 1861, we are entitled to reimbursement. " Although we have filled four several requisitions of the presi- dent for troops, and organized four regiments and one battalion, during the last two years, yet the entire cost to the state will not exceed one thousand dollars. While I was anxious that our state should promptly discharge its entire duty in contributing to the national defense, in the way of furnishing men, I refused to defray the expense involved in recruiting and forwarding our quotas from the state treasury ; and accordingly the expenditures thus made were paid by disbursing officers assigned by the war department. The residue of the expenditure of these two years was incurred in organizing the state militia, under act of the general assembly, ap- proved March 26, 1865, transporting arms and ammunition, expense of the adjutant general's office, detail of men for protecting south- em border counties from threatened raids in the fall of 1864 and the winter of 1865, and for all other military purposes except the sanitary department. 330 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. We give in the following a somewhat lengthy extract from the governor's message in relation to Iowa's war claims against the United States. The history of these claims, and the difficulties in settling them, is a subject worthy the able treatment given it by the governor : " I desire in this connection, as briefly as I can, to present the condition of our claims against the United States for reimburse- ment under the acts of congress above referred to. The sums embraced in these claims were mostly expended during the first and second years of the war from the war and defense fund, ap- propriated by act of the special session, May, 1861. The history of our military transactions during this period is too well known to the members of your honorable body to require explanation here. The evidence is perfectly clear that these claims are for money unavoidably expended for legitimate military purposes ; and also that they were allowed, audited and paid by the account- ing and disbursing officers of the state, in strict conformity with the laws of the general assembly. Upon this point there has never been any room for controversy, as the accounting officers of the United States treasury freely concede. But the real difficulty between us arises from the fact, that, after a large share of these claims had been paid by the state in the utmost good faith, the secretary of the United States treasury adopted a set of regula- tions exceedingly technical and unreasonable in their character, by which the accounting officers of that department were required to be governed in examining the military claims of the several states. In the biennial message of my predecessor, under whose administration these transactions occurred, this conflict is fully explained, as follows : ' There is due this state, from the United States, for expenses incurred by the state in raising and equip- ping troops, and sending them to the field, and for other purposes growing out of the rebellion, the [estimated amount of $300,000. There is much difficulty in procuring an adjustment of this claim at Washington. When these moneys were expended by the state, there, was no law of congress, or regulation of the federal government, prescribing the form in which proof oi the expendi- ture should be taken ; and the general assembly of this state pro- vided, by law, for such proofs and vouchers as were deemed suf- Iowa in the War. 331 ficient, both for the protection of the state and the United States. Upon presentation of these proofs and vouchers to the proper de- partment at Washington, they are found not to comply, in form, with regulations since adopted by that department; and it is doubtful whether they will be allowed without some legislation by congress. Some portions of these expenditures, thus made, are also objected to as not coming within the letter of existing laws of the United States. Among these are the sums paid by the state for the subsistence and pay of the troops that went from this state to Missouri, at the request of the United States officers, under the command of Cols. Edwards and Morledge.' " I fully concur in the opinion that the United States is under obligation to reimburse this state for money expended in defend- ing our frontiers from Indian depredations. The general govern- ment having assumed exclusive jurisdiction over the Indian tribes, and, being therefore responsible for their conduct, should willingly refund all money necessarily expended by this state in protecting its borders against their savage incursions. The claim for money expended in maintaining the northern border brigade rests upon this ground. The organization of the southern brigade was rendered necessary, in the opinion of the general assembly, to protect the border counties from the depredations of guerrilla bands existing in the adjacent state of Missouri. These expendi- tures, though constituting just claims against the United States, in the absence of any general law covering the case, will not probably be secured to us without further legislation by congress. This matter is respectfully referred to your consideration. " In compliance with the provisions of chapter 61, acts of the last session, I visited Washington and found the military claims of the state in a very unsatisfactory condition. But little progress had been made in their examination, and, under the regulations above referred to, most of them were necessarily suspended as the examination advanced. I pointed out the gross hardship of these regulations to the secretary of the treasury, and repeatedly solic- ited their modification, so as to make them conform to the laws of this state, under which our claims were allowed and paid. Fail- ing in this, I presented the matter to the president, who readily perceived their injustice, and gave his opinion to the third audi- 332 TuTTLtfs History of Iowa. tor of the treasury, that under the circumstances, they should not be rigorously applied in the examination of the Iowa claims. Although this opinion was freely expressed by the president, yet he declined to make any positive order for the modification of these rules, on the ground that the subject was within the peculiar province of the secretary of the treasury. Eepeated efforts have been made by myself and others for a suspension or change of the regulations mentioned, so as to procure a favorable examina^ tion of our claims, but so far the labor has been unavailing. " On the first of October last, I was advised by the third audi- tor that the preliminary examination of the Iowa claims had been concluded, and a 'statement of differences' forwarded. From this statement, now in the executive ofl&ce, it appears that the total amount of Iowa claims on file in the treasury depart- ment is about $616,739.07. Of this amount, $20,825.00 have been allowed ; $430,326.70 suspended, and $165,589.23 disal- lowed. " All the money derived to the state treasury from the Ifivy imposed by the act of January 31, 1862, has been absorbed in the redemption of warrants issued upon these war and defense claims, and was, therefore, a virtual payment of them out of funds belonging to the United States, being sufficient, as will be perceived, with the $100,000 advanced to the state, to more than cover the entire amount of our suspended demands against them. " Under these circumstances, I have determined to hold these unadjusted claims as an offset to this direct tax, unless otherwise directed by the general assembly. This course I have considered necessary to protect the interests of the state from what I am constained to regard as exceedingly disingenuous conduct on the part of the treasury department towards us. By pursuing this course, but little detriment can result to the state from the sus- pension of our claims. But as a final adjustment is desirable for both parties, steps should be taken to procure it without unneces- sary delay; and I therefore recommend the appointment of a special committee to investigate the subject, and report a definite and practicable plan for securing a settlement." With regard to finances within the state, the governor said : Iowa in the War. 333 " Our financial affairs were never in a sounder condition. During the entire period of the war we have levied but two mills on the dollar for state purposes ; and have incurred an indebtedness of only $300,000, which was for military expenditures duiring the first year of the war. The total amount received in the treasury during the fiscal two years ending November 4, 1865, was $977,- 825.10; and the amount expended for all purposes for the same period is $952,739.42, leaving a balance in the treasury of $25,- 087.68. " The total amount of state revenue derivable from general levy at two mills, and other sources for the ensuing biennial period, excluding the estimated balance due from the United States government, may be calculated at $1,311,002.87. " The total disbursements required for the same period for ordinary purposes, including payment of bonds ($200,000) due in 1868, maybe estimated with approximate accuracy at $794,923.65, leaving a balance of $516,079.22 in favor of resources, from which to make such special appropriations as the general assembly shall deem expedient. " The entire debt of the state is only $622,295,75, consisting of $122,295.75 loaned from the permanent school fund, November 12, 1864, loan of $200,000, payable January, 1868, and $300,000 war defense bonds. " The amount loaned from the school fund is, practically, so much borrowed from ourselves, and is only a method resorted to for the permanent investment of that fund. The interest on this loan is due semi-annually ; but the principal is payable at the pleasure of the general assembly ; leaving only $500,000 as the actual indebtedness of the state. The $200,000 due January 1, 1868, may be promptly met from present resources. The re- maining $300,000 are not due until 1881. " This record of economy and exemption from indebtedness is a subject of profound satisfaction to our people. " The annual interest on the bonds of 1858 amounts to $14,000 ; and, to curtail this expenditure as far as possible, I recommend the passage of , an act authorizing the state treasurer to redeem these bonds as he may be able to secure them, out of money in the treasury not required for other purposes." 334 TUTTL^S HiSTOBT OF lOWA. In dosing his message he says : "The faithful services rendered during tha late war by the troops from this state and their admira- ble cotiduct upon all occasions have furnished themes for abler pens than mine. Their fidelity and heroism have been often and appropriately acknowledged by the distinguished generals under whom they have: served. It was their fortune to have borne a conspicuous part in all the renowned compaigns of the western divis- ion of the army, bravely participating in its bloodiest and most decisive engagements. When the history of this great conflict shall have been fully and impartially written, it will contain no brighter pages than those upon which the achievements of Iowa soldiers are recorded. A state which before the war was scarcely known except as a patch upon the map of the republic, to-day has a name calculated to excite becoming emotions in every manly and patriotic breast" The population of Iowa, according to the census of 1863, was as follows ; Total number of whites, ...... 700,842 Total number of blacks, ....... 1,320 Total population, ....... 703,162 According to the census of 1865, the population of Iowa was then as follows ; Total number of whites, ...... 751,125 Total number of blacks, •-..... 3,607 Total population, ... . . 754,732 No report for 1865 from the populous county of Winneshiek had been furnished, and the return for 1863 being taken for this county, a heavy increase was thereby omitted in the above calcu- lation. The census of 1865 also having been taken in the early portion of the year, the spring and fall immigration was necessarily left out In all probability there were now over 20,000 people, residents of Iowa, not included for these reasons in the above statement, which would give an actual population of about 775,- OOa It will be observed that the increase had been much greater during the last two years of the decade ending in 1865, than the former periods. 336 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. On the 10th day of January, 1866, the two houses met again in joint convention to canvass the votes for governor and lieuten- ant governor of the state and declare the result When the can- vass was concluded, it appeared that the whole number of votes cast for governor was 124,869, of which William M. Stone re- ceived 70,445 ; Thomas H. Benton, 54,070 ; G. S. Bailey, 239 ; scattering, 115; and for the office of lieutenant governor the whole number of votes cast was 125,558, of which B. P. Gue, re- ceived 72,834; W.W.Hamilton, 52,308; L. W Babbit, 316; scattering, 130 ; whereupon the president announced that Wm. M. Stone was duly elected governor of the state for the term of two years from the second Monday in January, 1866 ; and B. F. Gue, duly elected lieutenant governor for the same period, they having a majority of all the votes cast at the election in October last On the succeeding day the governor and lieutenant gov- ernor elect appeared before the general assembly in joint conven- tion, and after administration of the oath of office by the chief justice of the supreme court, the governor delivered his inaugural message, after which the convention dissolved. On the 13th of January, the two houses again met in joint convention, for the purpose of electing United States senators ; 1st, for the full term, commencing March 4, 1867, and 2d, for the unexpired term made vacant by the resignation of Hon. James Harlan. The convention then proceeded to ballot for a senator for the short term. Hon. S. J. Kirkwood received 118 votes ; W. Stoneman, 20 votes ; 10 scattering, absent and not voting. The convention then proceeded to the election of a senator for the long term, when Hon. James Harlan received 118 votes ; R H. Tremble, 20 votes ; absent and not voting, 8. Mr. Kirkwood was declared elected for the short term, and Mr. Harlan for the long term, six years from March 4, 1867. The legislature adjourned on the 2d of April, after a session of twelve weeks. One of its first acts was to ratify the amendment to the constitution abolishing slavery. It also adopted several important series of resolutions relating to national affairs, sug- gested by the failure of congress and the president to agree upon a reconstruction policy. Of this class was a resolution instruct- ing the Iowa delegation in congress to use their best efforts to Iowa in the Was, 337 secure the passage of the Freedman's Bureau bill, over the presi- dent's veto. Another series of resolutions instructed the Iowa delegation to oppose the admission of the seceded states, until they should incorporate in their fundamental laws provisions guarantying to all classes of inhabitants equal civil and political rights ; to aid in bringing the confederate leaders to trial and punishment, and in making the test oath perpetual ; and to insist that the revolted states be held within the grasp of the war power, if need be, until the negro be elevated by education, and the insurrectionists improved in morals. On the subject of punishment, a special resolution was adopted, that Jefferson Davis " is not a proper subject of executive clemency, and that it is the duty of the president of the United States to cause him to be brought to a fair and impartial trial before a proper tribunal, and if found guilty of the crime of treason, suffer the penalty provided by law." Another resolution indorsed the action of congress in passing an act enfranchising the colored citizens of the District of Columbia. ' The following acts were also passed : To protect the earnings of married women ; to provide for the completion of the state geological survey ; making an appropriation for completing and repairing the buildings of the state university ; also making fur- ther appropriations ($27,150) for the hospital for the insane ; for the blind asylum and for the agricultural college buildings ($91,000) ; permanently locating the deaf and dumb institution at Council Bluffs ; accepting of the grant and carrying into execution the trust conferred on the state by act of congress, 1864; apportion- ing the state into senate and assembly districts ; to provide for the settlement of certain claims against the general government ; an act regarding soldiers' orphans ; appropriating funds for the management of the beneivolent institutions of the state, and also a number of acts regulating the terms of court in the different counties of the state; amending and legalizing certain laws and the action of officers in the discharge of their various duties. At this session preliminary steps were taken to amend the state constitution by striking out the word, "white," wherever it oc- curs in that instrument, and by substituting the words, " persons " for "citizens of the United States," in section 1 of article III, and 22 338 Tuttle's History of Iowa. also by adding to section 5 of article II, an article prohibiting any person guilty of treason, or of having absconded for the pur- pose of avoiding any military conscription or draft, fronx holding office in the state. In accordance with the constitutional pro- vision, these amendments were referred to the next legislature, which was to meet in January, 1868. CHAPTER XXXIX. GOV. STONE'S ADMINISTRATION. The Des Moines Convention — The National Union Party — Elections. The elections in Iowa in 1866 were for the purpose of filling the offices of secretary of state, state auditor, treasurer, register of the land office, attorney general and clerk of the supreme court, and also for choosing a delegatioii of six congressmen to represent the state in the forteith congress. The republican state conven- tion met at Des Moines on the 20th of June, and nominated the following candidates : for secretary of state, Col. Edward Wright ; state treasurer, Maj. S. E. Rankin ; state auditor, J. A. Elliot ; register of state land office, C. 0. Carpenter ; attorney general, T. E. Bissell ; reporter of the supreme court, E. H. Stiles ; clerk of supreme court, Chas. Lindeman. Among the resolutions adopted was one heartily approving of the joint resolution passed by the last congress, proposing to the several states an additional amend- ment to the federal constitution, securing to all citizens of the United States, " regardless of race, religion or color, equality be- " fore the law, equal protection from it, equal responsibility to it ; and to all that have proved their loyalty by their acts, an equal voice in making it." Other resolutions, advocating the enforce- ment of the Monroe doctrine, favoring the equalization of boun- ties to the soldiers and condemning dishonesty and carelessness in every department of the public service were adopted. On the 28th of June a convention of " conservative republi- cans " assembled at Des Moines. A preamble and resolutions re- ported by a committee, of which Gen. T. H. Benton was chair- man, were adopted. The preamble recited that the members of the convention being unable to cooperate with the radical and dominant element in the republican party in the political meas- 340 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. ures which it had initiated, had decided to establish a political as- sociation to be known as the national union party, the essential principles of which were declared to be as follows : A repudia- tion of the radical doctrine of state rights and secession on the one hand, and centralization of federal authority on the other — that no state can secede, the war having been prosecuted on our part as expressly declared by congress itself, to defend and main- tain the supremacy of the constitution and to preserve the union inviolate with all its dignity and equality and the rights of the states unimpaired. The confederate states are still in the union and entitled to equal rights under the constitution, and congress has no power to exclude a state from the union, to govern it as a territory, or to deprive it of representation in the councils of the nation, when its representatives have been elected and qualified in accordance with the constitution and laws of the land. Other res- olutions were adopted, assenting the right of the state to prescribe the qualification of its electors, and opposing any alterations of the provisions of our state institutions on the subject of suffrage, and cordially indorsing the restoration policy of president John- son as wise, patriotic, constitutional and in harmony with the the views of the late president Lincoln and with the platform upon which it was elected. The convention then nominated the following candidates for state officers : Secretary of state, Gol. S. G. Van Amanda ; treasurer, Gen. Geo. A. Stone ; auditor, Gapt E. W. Cross ; regis- ter, S. P. McKennie ; attorney general, Gapt. W. Bolinger ; su- preme court reporter, Gapt. J. W. Lemute ; clerk, Louis Kinzey. The democratic convention met at Des Moines, on the 11th of July, and adopted resolutions reaffirming adherence to democratic principles, in favor of the policy of president Johnson, and pledg- ing him the support of the democrats of Iowa ; in favor of the immediate admission of the rebellious states, and in favor of union with any body for that purpose ; in favor of the taxation of United States bonds ; against a tariff ; in favor of the Monroe doctrine, etc. ; against the prohibitory liquor law, etc. After some discussion, the convention decided to support the candidates nominated by the conservative republicans with the exception of those for reporter and clerk of the supreme court, in 342 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. whose places they substituted the names of T. J. Stoddard and J. F. G-ottschalk. The political canvass was conducted here as elsewhere, with great animation, and the election which took place on the 9th of October, resulted largely in favor of -the republicans. For secre- tary of state, Wright, republican candidate, received 91,227 votes, and Van Amanda, democrat and conservative republican, 55,815 ; majority for Wright 35,412. The total vote, 147,124, was much the largest ever cast in the state, exceeding the vote of 1865 for governor, 22,257. The remaining candidates on the republican ticket were elected by majorities about equal to that of Wright. The six republican candidates for members of congress were also elected. - The general assembly of the state, which meets biennially on the second Monday of January, held no session in 1867. The political parties began in the .spring a vigorous canvass for the state election to be held in October. The state officers to be chosen at that election were governor, lieutenant governor, judge of the supreme court, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction. Calls were made in April, on the part of the state central committees of each of the leading political organizations, for conventions to be held in June. The republican convention met at Des Moines on the 19th of that month, and adopted a platform similar to the one adopted a year previous. A motion was made to amend the first resolution, so as to guaranty equal rights to all persons without regard to sex, which motion was laid upon the table. The convention then proceeded to nominate the following persons to fill the offices designated above : gov- ernor, Col. Samuel Merrill ; lieutenant governor. Col. John Scott ; judge of the supreme court, Joseph M. Beck ; attorney general, Maj. Henry O'Connor ; superintendent of public instruction, D. Franklin Wells. The democratic state convention assembled on the 26th of June, and after the adoption of a platform, made the fcJlowing mominations : governor, Chas. Mason ; lieutenant gov- ernor, M. D. Harris ; judge of the supreme court, John H. Craige ; attorney general, W. T. Barker ; superintendent of public instruc- tion, M. L. Fisher. An exciting campaign followed these nominations. The ques- Administration of Gov. Stone. 343 tioQ of the prohibition of the sale of intoxicating liquors acquired some prominence, and a " people's party," made up of anti-pro- hibionists, was organized. The election took place on Tuesday, the 8th of October, and resulted in the election of the republican ticket The votes for governor and lieutenant governor were not canvassed until the commencement of the session of the general assembly in January, 1868. The republican majority ranged from 24,000 to 27,000. The general assembly that met in January, 1868, was com- posed as follows : senate, republicans, 89 ; democrats, 8. House of representatives, republicans, 77 ; democrats, 16 ; people's, 5 ; independent, 2. The twelfth regular session of the general assembly convened at Des Moines on the 13th of January, 1868, and was perma- nently organized in the senate by the president of that body, Lieut. Gov. Gue, and the election of Hon. James M. Weart as secretary; and in the assembly by the election of Hon. John Eussell, of Jones county, as speaker, and M. 0. Woodruff, of Harden county, as chief clerk On the 14th, agreeably to a vote of both houses, the general assembly met in joint convention for the purpose of receiving the biennial message of Hon. W. M. Stone, governor. The message was lengthy and gave a full statistical report of the various interests of the state. CHAPTER XL. GOV. MERRILL'S ADMINISTRATION. Inauguration— Message of Gov. Merrill — Legislation — Amendment of the Constitution — United States Electors for Grant — Merrill's Second Term — Wright Elected Senator— Sketch of Legislation during Gov. Merrill's Second Term— Election in 1870— Election of 1871. On the 15th of January the general assembly met in joint convention for the purpose of canvassing the vote of governor and lieutnant governor. The tellers reported that the whole number of votes cast at the last election was 151,838, of which Samuel Merrill received 89,144; Charles Mason received 62,657, and 37 votes scattering ; and the whole number of votes cast for lieutenant governor was 152,358, of which John Scott received 89,251 ; D. M. Harris received 62,746, and 361 scattering. Whereupon the president of the joint convention announced Samuel Merrill duly elected governor of the state for the term of two years from the se- cond Monday in January, 1868, and John Scott lieutenant governor for the same time. The joint convention then adjourned to meet on the 16th, on which day the governor appeared and delivered his inaugural address. After the senate had returned to their room, Lieut. Grov. B. F. Grue, after making a few remarks to the senate, introduced his successor, Lieut. Grov. Scott, and presenting him with the gavel, retired as president of the senate. The fol- lowing are some of the important acts passed at this session: G^ranting to the United States government the right of way for a ship canal around the Des Moines or Lower Rapids in the Mis- sissippi ; appropriating $20,000 for making necessary repairs on the buildings of the state university ; resuming certain rights con- ferred upon the Dubuque and Pacific (now Dubuqe and Sioux City) Railroad Company ; allowing aliens to possess and dispose of property ; to establish and organize a state reform school for (344) Administration of Gov. Merrill. 345 juvenile offenders, and to lease White's Manual Labor Institute for that purpose ; to provide for the submission of certain amend- ments to the constitution of the state ; to authorize the census board to procure plans and specifications for a state house, and making appropriations for repairs on the capitol building ; to permanently locate and provide for the erection of an additional institution for the insane (at Independence) ; for the enlargement of the state penitentiary ; making appropriations to the various state institutions; for the erection of buildings for a deaf and dumb institution (at Council Bluffs) ; for the registry of electors and to prevent fraudulent voting ; to regulate life insurance com- panies ; to provide for the further prosecution and completion of the state geological survey ; to apportion the state into senate and assembly districts. Among the laws enacted, with a view to promote the material interests of the state, was one prohibiting the importation of infected cattle ; an act " to encourage the grow- ing of timber, fruit trees, shade trees and hedges," and numerous laws passed in the interest of railroads and other internal improve- ments. The growing of timber is to be encouraged by exempting from taxation one hundred dollars worth of real or personal property for ten years, for each acre of forest trees planted and cultivated, the trees not to be more than eighty feet apart. Property to the amount of fifty dollars is to be exempted from taxation five years for each acre on which fruit trees are cultivated, placed at inter- vals not exceeding thirty feet. The aid to railroads, aside from the granting of franchises for the construction of new roads, con- sists in liberal grants of land for the benefit of these important enterprises. A great work, connected with this system of rail- ways, is a bridge over the Missouri river at Council Bluffs, the plan of which has already been prepared by G. M. Dodge, chief engineer of the Union Pacific railroad, while a contract has been made with L. B. Bloomer, of Chicago. The bridge is to be built of iron and will rest on iron columns, eight and one- half feet in diameter, sunk seventy feet into the sand at the bot- tom of the river. The bridge will cross the stream, with ten spans each, of two hundred and fifty feet extent. Besides the 2,500 feet of iron work, forming these arches, the trestles will have 346 Tuttle's Histost of Iowa. about the same length, and the approaches to the structure will be about three miles long. The weight of the superstructure of this bridge will be about 2,000 pounds for each lineal foot. Another of the laws, to which reference has been made by its title, was one to abolish the distinction between foreigners and citizens, as to the acquisition, enjoyment and transfer of property, whereby all distinctions of the kind indicated both as to real and personal property were done away. A provision was made by the previous legislature for an amendment of the constitution of the state, by striking out the word " white " from that instrument, and removing all political distinctions founded on difEerence of color. No election for state officers occurred in 1868, but this amendment was submitted to a vote of the people for their ratification at the election in Novem- ber, 1868, for members of congress, and presidential electors, at which time the whole vote was 186,503, of which 105,384 were for the amendment and 81,119 against it. The constitution was accordingly amended by a majority of 24,265 votes. At the session of the legislature of January, 1868, resolutions in favor of impeaching the president of the United States were adopted in the senate, by a vote of 85 to 10, and a similar one in the house of representative by a strict party vote. • The political conventions were held in the early part of the year, and were three in number. About the first of February, the colored people held a convention and published an address "to every true, honest and liberty-loving citizen of Iowa;" calling upon such worthy citizens for " sympathy and aid in learning those rights and privileges which belong to us as free men." The address is simply an appeal for the right of suffrage, which has hitherto been denied the colored people of the state by the constitution. The democratic state convention met at Des Moines on the 26th of February, and the republican state conven- tion shortly after ; both parties adopted resolutions embodying, the principles heretofore expressed. The election in the fall resulted in the choice of electors pledged to vote for Gen. U. S. Grant for president, by a majority of 46,859 ; the whole vote being 194,439 ; of- which Gen. Grant's electors received 120,399, and Horatio Seymour's, 70,040; for 348 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. secretary of state, Ed. Wright, republican, received 120,265 votes and D. Hammer, democrat, 74,461. Six republican members of congress were elected, representing the state as a unit on political questions. There was no session of the general assembly in the year 1869. The proposition to amend the constitution of Iowa was submit- ted to the people, pursuant to chapter 84 of laws of 12th general assembly, and voted on at the election held November 3, 1868. There were five amendments, viz., to strike out the word "white," from section 1 of article 2, which defines the right of sufErage ; from section 33, article 3, providing for taking the census ; from sections 34 and 35, providing for the apportionment of members of the general assembly ; and from section 1, relative to the mili- tia ; all these amendments were adopted by over 20,000 majority. A convention was held at Dubuque on the 11th of November, 1869, composed of the leading men of the west, including the governors of Iowa and Wisconsin and several members of con- gress, to take into consideration the feasibility of improving the water communication between the Mississippi river and the lakes (a distance of about 280 miles), and also the most judicious course to be pursued in order to obtain an appropriation from congress to carry out the work. Resolutions were adopted rec- ommending and urging upon all senators and representatives of the new states in congress to use their influence in procuring the passage of a bill for the improvement of the Pox and Wisconsin rivers and the Michigan ship-canal. The election contest of 1869 was conducted in a spirited man- ner. The democratic state convention put in nomination the fol- lowing state ticket: For governor, George Gillaspy; for lieuten- ant governor, A. P. Richardson; for supreme judge, W. F. Bran- nan ; for superintendent, Edmonds Jaerger. The republican state convention nominated for governor, Samuel Merrill ; for lieuten- ant governor, Madison M. Walden ; for judge of supreme court, John F. Dillon ; for superintendent of public instruction, Abra- ham J. Kessell. The result of the election in October was as follows : Merrill, republican, 96,579 ; Gillaspy, democrat, 57,484. Merrill's majority, 39,145. The legislature of 1870 contained, in Administration of Gov. Merrill. 349 the senate, forty- three republicans, and seven democrats. In the lower house, eighty-six republicans, and fourteen democrats. The thirteenth general assembly of the state assembled at Des Moines on the 10th day of January, 1870. The senate was or- ganized by the election of Hon. Gr. Q-. Bennett, president pro tern. a-nd Jas. M. Weart as secretary, and in the house by the election of Hon. A. R Cotton as speaker, and Charles Aldrich as chief clerk. The annual message of the governor was received in each house, and was read by the secretary and chief clerk, from which document the following abstract of the financial affairs is taken, and the governor's recommendations on matters of public policy. During the fiscal year, ending October 81, 1869, the period cov- ered by the reports, there was received into the treasury on ac- count of the general revenue, inclusive, $82,114.48; on hand November 1, 1867, the sum of $1,839,668.12 ; the expenditures amounting to $1,553,507.96 ; leaving a balance in the treasury of $386,160.16. This large amount was partly due to the payment by the general government of the sum of $229,827.39, on account of claims for expenditures by the state during the war, and the further sum of $18,117 to reimburse the outlay for the defense of the northern border of the state, subsequent to the massacre at Spirit Lake in 1857. The bonds issued by the state in 1858 of $200,000 had all been paid, and the only indebtedness of the state consisted of the war and defense bonds of May, 1861, amounting to $300,000, and drawing seven per cent, interest. These bonds would not be due till 1881, and a recommendation was made to authorize the treas- urer of the state to purchase and cancel these bonds out of the surplus funds whenever in the opinion of that officer and of the auditor of state, the condition of the finances would allow it. By the census of 1869 (being .the eleventh enumeration made by state authority), the total population of the state was 1,042,- 807, an increase during the two years since the last previous enumeration of 140,767, or 15.60 per cent.— an average of 7.80 per cent, per annum, and the population to the square mile 18.9. The returns of agricultural labor continued to show steady and vigorous development. There were produced during the year 350 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. 1866, 14,635,529 bushels of wheat; 56,928,938 of corn, and 17,- 552,064 of all other grain ; and in 1868, 17,963,655 bushels of wheat; 70,507,577 of corn, and 20,237,426 of all other grains. On the 12th of January, 1870, the two houses met in joint con- vention for the purpose of canvassing the votes for governor and lieutenant governor. Senator Bennett, president pro tern, of the senate presiding. After the canvass was concluded, it was an- nounced that the whole number of votes cast for governor was 154,507, of which Samuel Merrill received 97,243, and Geo. Gillaspy 'received 57,257; scattering 7 ; and the whole number of votes cast for lieutenant governor, was 154,270, of which Madi- son M. Walden received 96,736 ; A. P. Eichardson received 56,878, and scattering 657, whereupon the president announced Samuel Merrill, duly elected governor for the term of two years from the second Monday in January, 1870, and M. M. Walden, duly elected lieutenant governor of the state, for the term of two years, they having reoived a majority of all the votes cast at the election in October last, 1869. On the 13th, the general assembly again met in joint conven- tion for the purpose of the inauguration of the governor and lieutenant governor elect,- and the oath of office having been duly administered. Gov. Merrill delivered his inaugural address. On the 18th of the same month, the house elected George G. Wright United States senator for the term of 'six years, from the fourth day of March, A. D. 1871 ; and J. B^ Howell, United States senator, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Hon. James W. Grimes. On the same day the senate, by vote, elected the two named persons senators of the United States. The two houses met in joint convention on the 20th, and the ac- tion of each house in reference to the election of United States senators was read by the secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house, and it was announced by the president that the gentlemen referred to were duly elected United States sen- ators- The general assembly adjourned on the 13th of April. One hundred and eighty acts were passed, and twenty-seven joint reso- lutions were adopted. Among the more important acts, was one makmg careful and thorough provision for the management of Administration of Gov. Merrill. 351 the two insane asylums of the state, which are located, the one at Mount Pleasant and the other at Independence; providing for the government of the state university at Iowa City ; authorizing the several counties to establish and maintain high schools ; and ; one creating a commission to revise the statutes of the state. Pro- vision was also made for the establishment of an industrial home for the blind, and for the erection of a new capitol building. Appropriations were made for the benefit of the state institutions, amounting in the aggregate to $586,500, of which amount $165,- 000 was for the hospital for the insane at Independence; $150,000 towards the new capitol building ; $68,500 for the ag- ricultural college, and sums varying from $15,000 to $44,000 each for other institutions. Resolutions were adopted on several matters of interest. One rati fied the fifteenth amendment to the national constitution ; another favored a system of postal telegraphy, and a third recommended the removal of the national capital to the Mississippi valley. The question of granting the right of suffrage to women was brought before the legislature by a large number of petitions on the sub- ject, and an amendment to the constitution, making the conces- sion asked for, was proposed, but, after some discussion, it was laid upon the table. The question of the propriety of prohibit- ing the sale of intoxicating liquors was discussed. A prohibitory law already existed in the state, and the question of its modifica- tion was considered. The result was the passage of an act allow- ing the several counties to determine whether the sale of ale, wine and beer should be prohibited or not within their own lim- its, by submitting the question to a vote of the people. An act was passed providing for a submission to the people, at the elec- tion of 1870, of the question of holding a convention for the re- vision of the constitution, the result to be reported to the general assembly at its next session. Railroad legislation also demanded a large share of attention. A bill was proposed " to prescribe rules and regulations for rail- roads, and to establish uniform and reasonable rates of tariflE for the transportation of certain freights thereon." This led to an extended debate, involving the question of the expediency of the interference by the government in the management or control of 352 TuTTLnfs History of Iowa. railroads, the dangerous power and influence which these corpo- rations are attaining, and other kindred questions. The bill was finally defeated in the senate by a vote of 20 in its favor to 21 against it. An act for the taxation of railroad property also occasioned much debate, and was finally passed. Also, " an act to enable townships, incorporated towns and cities to aid in the construc- tion of railroads." In several instances, the right to levy and collect taxes for this purpose was questioned, and an injunction asked to prevent it. The district judge, however, refused to is- sue the injunction, and his action was sustained by the supreme court, which thereby affirmed the constitutionality of the law. Opposition to the payment of interest on bonds issued by coun- ties to aid in the construction of railroads at one time threatened to result in an open defiance of the authority of the federal courts, which had decided in favor of the validity of the law pro- viding for its payment ; but the energetic action of Gen. Dix pre- vented any violent outbreak. At this session a memorial to congress was passed on the sub- ject of a water communication between the Mississippi Valley and the Atlantic Ocean, and the improvement to the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. The election in 1870 was for members of congress, judges of the supreme court, and the state executive officers with the ex- ception of governor, who held over till January, 1872. The democratic convention took place at Des Moines on the 10th of August and nominated the following ticket : for secre- tary of state, Charles Dorr, of Polk county ; for auditor, W. N. Garner, of Louisa county ; for treasurer, "W. C. James, of Potta- wattomie county ; for attorney general, H. M. Martin, of Scott . county. The republican convention assembled on the 17th of August at Des Moines. The ticket put in nomination was as follows : judges of the supreme court, Chester C. Cole, William E. Miller and James G. Day ; secretary of state, Edward Wright ; auditor, John Eussell; treasurer, Samuel E. Eankin; register of state land office, Aaron Brown ; attorney general, Henry O'Connor. The election took place on the 11th of October, and resulted in 354 TUTTLBfS HlSTOBY OF lOWA. the choice of the republican candidates by large majorities. The total vote for secretary of state was 164,265, of which E. Wright received 103,377 and C. Dorr, 60,888, making the majority of the former, 42,489. The proposition for a convention to revise the state constitution was voted down, 82,039 to 24,846. The follow- ing members of congress, all republicans, were elected : Geo. W. McCrary, Aylett R. Cotton, Wm. P. Wolf, Wm. G. Donnan, Madison M. Walden, Francis W. Palmer and Jackson Orr. In the year 1871 the political canvass was attended with very little excitement, there being no special question at" issue, and it being certain that the republicans would carry the state elections. The democratic convention was held at Des Moines on the 14th of June, when the following ' nominations were made: for gov- ernor, J. C. Knapp, of Van Buren county ; for lieutenant gov- ernor, M. M. Hamm, of Dubuque ; for superintendent of public instruction, E. M. Mumm, of Lee ; for judge of the supreme court, John P. Duncombe, of Webster. The republican convention met at the same place just one week later, on the 21st of June, and made nominations as follows : for governor, Cyrus C. Carpenter, of Webster; for lieutenant gov- ernor, H. C. Bullis, of Winnishiek ; for superintendent of public instruction, Col. Alonzo Abernethy, of Crawford ; for judge of the supreme court, J. G. Day, of Fremont. The last was a renomina- tion and was. unanimous. The election' resulted in the choice of the republican ticket by large majorities. The total vote for judge of the supreme court was 176,348, of whieh Day received 108,881, and Duncombe 67,547, which gave the former a majority of 41,348. The legis- • lature of 1872 consisted of 42 republicans and 8 democrats in the senate, and 78 republicans and 30 democrats in the house, or 120 republicans and 80 democrats on joint ballot. Three amend- ments to the constitution, proposed by the preceding legislature,, came before this body for approval or rejection before being sub- mitted to a vote of the people for final ratification ; one of these proposed to remove the restriction to the right of suffrage to male citizens only ; and the other two would, if adopted, remo°ve all dis- ciualiflcations for holding seats in the general assembly on account of either sex or color. Administbatjon of Gov. Mebrill. 355 The census of Iowa as taken by the government in 1870 gave the population of the state at 1,191,792, of which number 5,762 were colored, and 204,057 of foreign birth. The assessed value of property, $302,515,418. Included in the census are 3 Chinese and 48 Indians. The tribal Indians were officially estimated at 300. The true value of property was $717,644,750. The public debt, county, town, city, etc., amounted to $7,508,635. The aggregate value of farm products, including betterments and ad- ditions to stock, was $114,386,441; 2,967,543 pounds of wool were raised ; 45,669 persons ten years old and over could not write, of whom 20,965 were males and 24,704 were females. CHAPTEE XLI. GOV. CARPENTER'S ADMINISTRATION. Last Message of Gov Merrill— Statistics from the Governor's Message— Carpenter's Election — Legislation — Presidential Election — Events of 1873-3 — General Assembly of 1873 — Election of Judges. The fourteenth general assembly of the state convened at Des Moines on the 8th day of January, 1872. The senate was called to order by Lieut. Gov. H. C. Bullis. J. A. T. Hull was elected secretary. In the house of representatives, James Wilson was elected speaker, and J. J. Safely, chief clerk. The annual message of the governor (Samuel Merrill) was re- ceived in each house, and read by the secretary of the senate, and the chief clerk of the house. From this document, liberal extracts are taken, showing the legislative history of the state for the pre- vious two years, and the suggestions and recommendations of the governor to the general assembly ; " The report of the auditor of state, and that of the treasurer of state, for the fiscal term ending November 4, 1871, show a con- tinued increase in the resources of the state. Upon comparison with the financial reports presented at the last general assembly, it will be seen that there is a large increase in the amount yielded by the ordinary sources of revenue. Direct taxation, for instance, produced $184,244.11 more than in the previous term, although the levy in the later term was twenty per cent less than in the earlier. "The revenue from railroads shows an increase of $19,364.71, notwithstanding a reduction for the last year, in the proportionate amount of revenue from this source coming into the state treasury, of sixty per cent. ; and the taxes collected from insurance compa- nies indicate a gain of $28,627.87. The heavy payments by the general government during the two years ending November I, (356) Administbatiox of Gov. Carpenter. 357 1869, amounting to much the greater part of our remaining claim on account of expenses incurred by the state because of the war, reduced very materially the revenue to be expected from that source ; hence the receipts therefrom during the last two years were nearly $300,000 less than during 1868 and 1869. The gross receipts of the revenue during the term were $1,769,522.91, which, with the balance in the treasury November 1, 1869, made the amount of available means during the term, $2,055,683.07. The expenditures were $1,978,942.23. Balance of general revenue in the treasury November 6, 1871, $81,840.84. The warrants issued during the period amounted to $1,972,980.78, of which $666,615.74 were issued for the use and support of the various public institutions of the state ; $626,031.29 were drawn for the erection, enlargement, and improvement of public buildings ; and $58,26424 went to objects of a special or extraordinary character, for which the legislature has, at various times, made appropria- tions — such as the geological survey and report, the encourage- ment of immigration, the reunion of Iowa soldiers, republication of supreme court reports, etc. The balance of the warrants issued amounting to $622,019.51, very nearly represents the regular and ordinary expenses of the state government. These, it will be seen, constitute only a little more than one-third of the entire ex- penditures of the state. " The debt of the state, exclusive of bonds issued to the school fund, remains as stated in my former message, viz. : $300,000, in war and defense bonds. This debt will become due in 1881. I recommend that authority be given, under proper restrictions, for the purchase of the bonds and the early extinguishment of the debt " My official relation to the state university as president of the board of trustees, and afterwards of the board of regents," says the governor, "has afforded me ample opportunity to become ac- quainted with its conditions and claims, and I feel justified in bearing my unqualified testimony to its very great value, as stand- ing at the head of our noble system of public education. My per- sonal observation, for the last four years, fully confirms the opin- ion of numerous competent judges, that the courses of study; the learning, experience, fidelity, and zeal of the instructors ; the pro- ficiency in scholarship and the orderly conduct of the students; 358 TuTTLlfs HlSTOBT OF lOWA. the controlling idea and general plan of the university; its adapta- tion to the educational wants of the people, and its progressive character, entitle it to a high rank among the institutions of its class in the northwestern part of our country. The reports of the board of regents, and the president of the university, contain a full and detailed account of its affairs, and will afford information that will enable you to judge for yourselves concerning its whole organization, the facilities it offers for the highest mental culture, and the extent to which those facilities are availed of, by the youth of our own and other states." " On the 31st of December, 1868, there were 1,448 miles of rail- road in the state, and on the 31st of December, 1870, there were 2,783 miles; an increase of 1,335 miles in the two years. There are now 3,000 miles of railroad in operation in the state. Accord- ing to the estimate of the treasurer of state, the value of the prop- erty now in railroads may be put at rather more than $80,000,000, or about one-eleventh of the entire value of all the property in the state. The magnitude of this interest is now so formidable as, in my opinion, to demand some measure of ofScial super- vision. At present, railroad companies, upon the completion of their lines, are required to report to the legislature, stating 'the amount paid in,' the entire expenses of construction, 'the length of the road, the number of planes on it, with their inclination to the mile, the greatest curvature of the road, the average width of the grade, and the number, of ties per mile.' I am not aware that any railroad company in the state has complied with this requirement ; certainly very few, if any, have done so. " Bach railroad is also required to report, under oath, to the secretary of state, annually, ' showing the amount of its capital stock, and ' amount paid thereon ; the amount of bonds issued, and how secured, and all other indebtedness ; the length of such railroad when completed, and how much is built and in use; the number of acres of land donated or granted to them, by whom, and what disposition has been made of said grants or donations ; the gross amount of receipts, and how disbursed; the net amount of profits and the dividends made, with such other facts as may be necessary to a full statement of the affairs and condition of 360 TUTTLlfS HiSTOBT OF lOWA. such railroads.' This requirement is complied with by only a small number of companies ; and it is not made the duty of any officer to enforce the provisions of either statute. The latter re- port may be compelled by a writ of mandamus asked for by any stockholder ; but there is no penalty in either case for failure to make report. If it were made the duty of some public officer to enforce the making of these reports, there can be little doubt that they would be obtained. " The census of 1870, taken by the federal government, reports a population of 1,191,802 in the state. This is an increase of 150,983 over the figures given by the state census of the previous year — the largest gain yet made by the state during the same period, viz : about sixteen months. The advance made since the census of 1860 is 516,889. The rapid strides Iowa has made are better realized upon comparing her growth with that of other states. In 1850, she stood twenty -seventh of the states of the union in point of population. In 1860, she ranked twentieth; and in 1870, eleventh. Among the duties devolving upon you, at the present session, will be that of apportioning the state into seven congressional districts, or, if the bill pending in the United States senate passes, into nine of them. In justice, the representation in the present congress, and consequently in the electoral college next fall, should be based upon the census of 1870 ; but efiEorts to effect this result have hitherto failed, and will not probably now be renewed. An apportionment of the state into senatorial districts for four years, and into representative districts for two years, will also be necessary. The judicial districts may now also be reorganized for four years. I would suggest the creation of another judicial district, in order to relieve some of our over- burdened districts, and at the same time, to provide for the newer but more rapidly growing counties." The governor closes his message by saying : " Our state, with its first quarter of a century just completed, has already made a history of her progress, her enterprise, and her patriotism, of which all her citizens may be proud. The sparsely settled territory of 100,000 souls, which twenty-five years ago became a state, has grown to an opulent commonwealth of 1,350,000 people. The luxuriant soil Iowa was known to Administration of Gov. Carpenter. 361 possess has more than fulfilled its early promise ; while her treas- ures of stoue and coal, then hardly suspected to exist, have added lajgely to her wealth. Railroads, then scarcely west of Ohio, now stretch their 3,000 miles of iron in network over the state ; and the telegraph goes with them. Her political record has been equally honorable. The first free daughter of the Missouri com- promise, she has been true to her heritage of freedom. Among the first to rush to the support of an endangered union, and to lay her best blood on the altar of her country, she was also first to strike from her constitution the odious discrimination between her citizens on account of color. The past career of Iowa, both as territory and state, has been honorable, progressive, substantial. May her future be even more so ! " The two houses met in joint convention, on the 10th of Janu- ary, for the purpose of canvassing the vote for governor and lieu- tenant governor. Senator Lowry, president pro tem. of the senate, presiding. The canvass was concluded with the following result : Whole number of votes cast, 177,380, of which Cyrus 0. Car- penter received 109,128 ; Joseph C. Knapp, 68,226 ; scattering, 26. For lieutenant governor, the whole number of votes cast was 177,247, of which Henry C. Bullis received 108,856 ; M. M. Ham received 68,858 i scattering, 1. Whereupon the president pro tem. announced that C. C. Carpenter was duly elected gov- ernor of the state of Iowa for the term of two years from the second Monday in January, 1872, and H. C. Bullis duly elected lieutenant governor of the state for the term of two years, they having received a majority of all the votes cast at the election held in October, 1871. On the following day, the two houses again met in joint con- vention for the purpose of inaugurating the governor and lieu- tenant governor elect. The oath of ofBice having been adminis- tered by Senator Lowry, president pro tem. of the joint convention. Gov. Carpenter read his inaugural address ; after which the con- vention was dissolved. The general assembly closed its session on the 23d of April, 1872, and adjourned to meet on the third Wednesday of Janu- ary, 1873. The mass of the work accomplished was of local im- portance only ; but there were a few acts of general interest. 362 TuTTLnfs History of Iowa. The state was divided into nine congressional districts, fifty sena- torial districts and seventy-five representative districts. A subject that occupied a good deal of attention was that of regulating Ae sale of intoxicating liquors. There was a committee on the sup- pression of intemperance, to whom all petitions and propositions were referred. Among the bills discussed was one providing for the licensing of the sale of spirituous, vinous and malt liquors, which was defeated in the house by a vote of 29 yeas to 64 nays. A proposition to prohibit the making, keeping or selling of liquor was also defeated, as well as one that made parties selling intoxi- cating liquors responsible for all damages done by reason of the sale. The act finally passed was in the form of an amendment to the revised laws of 1860, and provided that " no person shall obtain a permit to buy and sell intoxicating liquor, under the provisions of article 2 of chapter 64 of the revision of 1860, and the acts amendatory thereto, unless such person shall first present to the court a certificate, signed by a majority of the legal voters of the township, city or ward in which he desires to sell such liquors, that he is of good moral character, and that they believe him to be a proper person to buy and sell intoxicating liquors for the -purposes named in section 1575 of the revision of 1860." Other provisions were in the bill regulating the business re- ferred to. The question taxing railroads and regulating their tariff was also a prominent one in the debates of the assembly. A bill was finally passed providing that it shall be the duty of the census board to assess all the property of each railroad company in the state, excepting the lands, lots and other real estate of a railroad company not used in the operation of their respective roads. The officers of each company owning, leasing or operating any railroad in the state were required to furnish said board with a statement, embracing certain statistics of property belonging to such railroad company, for the assistance of the census board in properly assessing such companies. Capital punishment for the crime of murder was abolished and all crimes punishable with death shall be punished by imprison- ment for life at hard labor in the penitentiary ; and by the pro- visions of the law, the governor shall not grant a pardon, unless Administration of Gov. Carpenter. 363 the same shall have been recommended by the general assembly of the state. The vote on its final passage stood, twenty-nine to senventeen in the senate, and sixty-six to twenty-two in the house. Another act was passed providing " that no appropriation of pub- lic money, or property shall be made, and no gift, loan or appro- priation of money or property shall be authorized by the corpo- rate authorities, supervisor, or trustees of any county, township, city or town, or municipal organization of the state to, or in favor of any institulaon, school association or object which is under ecclesiastical, or sectarian management or control." Another act provides for taking the census of the state in 1873. Another act was passed authorizing any city or incorporated town to raise money, not exceeding in amount one mill upon the dollar, of the assessed value of taxable property in any one year, for the main- tenance of a free public library within the limits of such city or incorporated town ; the question to be submitted to a vote of the people of such town or city before accepting the benefit of this act Among other acts passed was one for the establishment of another penitentiary at the stone quarries, near Anamosa ; one providing for the enlargement of the institution for the education of the blind ; one establishing a board of capitol commissioners, with the governor at its head, to take charge of the erection of the state house at Des Moines, the cost of which was limited to $1,500,000 ; and one constituting a visiting committee to ascer- tain the" condition and managment of insane asylums, and see that needed reforms are adopted. An effort was made to carry a resolution submitting to a vote of the people, the proposition to strike from the clauses of the constitution relating to the right to vote and hold office, the word " male. " The resolution passed the house by a vote of 58 to 59, but was defeated in the senate, 22 voting in the affirmative, 24 in the negative, and 4 being absent or not voting. The following appropriation bills were passed : for the completion of the north wing of hospital for the insane at Independence, $200,000 ; for the maintenance of the state university, $52,300 ; for enlargement of the college for the blind, $70,000 ; for the agricultural college, $16,000 ; to the soldiers' orphans' homes, $16,000 ; to the state 364 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. penitentiary, $9,600, and $45,000 for the state reform school, to furnishing rooms for the reception of girls. The general assembly adjourned on the 23d of April to meet again in January, 1873, for the purpose of completing the revis- ion of the code of laws. The first political convention of the year 1872, was that of the republicans, held for the purpose of appointing twenty-two dele- gates to the national convention of the party. Resolutions were adopted, indorsing the administration of President Grant, and in- structing the delegates to vote for his renomination, and Henry Wilson, as a candidate for vice president. On the 23d of April, a mass convention was held at Davenport to choose delegates to the liberal republican convention at Cincinnati. One hundred and fifty delegates were appointed, and resolutions adopted, opposing the renomination of President Grant, and pledging support to " any one of the good and able men of the party for the first place in the gift of the people, nominated upon a platform declaring in favor of honesty, economy, amnesty, thorough genuine reform, and the one term principle for the presidency." The democrats met in convention at Des Moines on the 11th of June, and appointed delegates to the national conventional Balti- more. The resolutions favored the indorsement of the nomina- tion and platform of the liberal republicans made at Cincinnati. The democrats and liberal republicans held conventions at Des Moines on the first of August to nominate state officers. No gov- ernor or lieutenant governor was to be nominated, and the ticket selected by a conference committee and adopted by both conven- tions was as follows : For secretary of state, B. A. Guilbert ; state treasurer, M. J. Pholfe ; auditor, J. P. Casserly; attorney general, A. G. Case. The republican state convention met at Des Moines on the 21st of August and nominated Josiah T. Young for sec- retary of state; William Christy for treasurer; John Eussell, for auditor ; Aaron Brown for register of state land office, and M. E. Cutts, for attorney general. A platform was adopted which eulogized the principles of the republican party, and indorsed the platform and candidates of the national convention. At the election in the fall, 1872, the total vote given for presi- dent in Iowa, was 202,762, of which the Grant electors received 366 TOTTLifs History of Iowa. 131,566; and the Greeley electors 71,196. The total vote for secretary of state was 206,856, of which Youqg, republican, re- ceived 132,359 ; and Guilbert, democrat, received 74,497. The legislature of 1873 contained a large republican majority. The auditor of state, in his report for two years ending No- vember 4, 1871, gives the following statement of receipts and expenditures of public money : Balance in the treasury, October 30, 1869, - - - $300,198 86 Received into die treasury from all sources during the same period, - - 2,206,357 33 $2,509,556 19 The disbursements by the state treasurer during the same period amounted to - - - - - - 2,418,586 98 Leaving a balance in the treasury, on the 4th of Nov., 1871, of $95,969 26 The general assembly met, pursuant to adjournment, on the 15th of January, 1878, and was called to order by Lieut. Gov. H. C. Bullis, president ; and in the house, by the speaker. There were sixteen laws enacted and fifteen joint resolutions passed. The acts were mainly of a local nature ; legalizing the incorpora- tion of towns and school districts, and making appropriations for the expenses of the adjourned session and other miscellaneous purposes. There was no act of a public character requiring specific notice. After a session of thirty-six days, the general assembly adjourned sine die on the 20th of February, 1873. The election in the. fall of 1873 passed off without any un- usual excitement Joseph M. Beck was elected supreme court judge. The census of the state, as taken in 1873, contains many valuable statistics of the resources of the state, and from the published report the following extracts are taken: The whole number of males (white), 644,424 ; females (white), 601,457 ; males (colored), 2,813; females, (colored), 2,639. Number of acres of land improved, 9,987,788 ; number of bushels of wheat harvested (1872), 32,437,836 ; same of corn, 141,744,522 ; same of oats, 221,113,013; same of barley, 57,770,169; number of pounds of wool shorn, 2,348,884. Pursuant to the provisions of law, the fifteenth general assembly Administration of Got. Carpenter. 367 of the state convened at Des Moines on the 12th of January, i871. The senate was organized by Lieut Gov. Bullis, president, taking his seat, and the election of J. A. T. Hall, secretary. In the house, John H. Gear was elected speaker on the one hundred and thirty-second ballot (January 23), and Jas. M. Weart, chief clerk. On the 24th Gov. Carpenter sent to the general assembly his biennial message, which was lengthy and replete with informa- tion concerning the affairs of the? state, and freighted with many valuable suggestions concerning the future. On the 24th of January, a joint convention of the two houses was called for the purpose of inaugurating the governor and lieutenant governor elect, Lieut. Gov. Bullis, presiding. After the canvass the president announced the following as the result of the canvass : For governor, the whole number of votes cast was 188,759, of which C C. Carpenter received 106,122 ; Jacob G. Vale, 80,557 ; scattering, 2,080. For lieutenant governor, whole number of votes cast was 185,734, of which Joseph Dysart received 104,973 ; C. E. Whiting, 75,363 ; scattering, 5,398, and declared C. C. Carpenter elected governor and Jos. Dysart, lieu- lenant governor of the state of Iowa for the term of two years from the second Monday in January, 1874, and until. their successors are elected and qualified. The oath of office was administered to the governor and lieutenant governor elect on the day following. Gov. Carpenter delivered his inaugural address, after which the joint convention dissolved. The following are the titles to some of the most important of the public and private laws enacted at this session of the general assembly : To provide for the permanent survey of lands ; for the support of the state reform school ; to provide for the appointment of fish commissioners; to provide for the organization and man- agement of savings banks ; to establish maximum rates of charges for the transportation of freight on the different railroads of the state ; for the relief of sufferers in the northwest ; to provide for leasing the convict labor of the Iowa penitentiary ; making addi- tional appropriations for the hospital for the insane at Independ- ence ($93,000), for the deaf and dumb institution ($15,000), for the aid and maintenance of the state university ($40,000), for com- 368 ' TUTTLlfS ElSTOBY OF lOWA. pleting the north wing of the college for the blind ($45,000), for improvements at the state reform school ($25,000), for work on the erection of the new capitol building ($125,000), for a physical laboratory for the agricultural farm ($25,000), for the hospital of the insane at Mt. Pleasant about ($10,000), for the soldiers' or- phans' home ($8,200) ; to apportion the state into senate and assembly districts ; besides passing 21 joint resolutions and me- morials. The general assembly adjourned sine die, March 19, 1874 OHAPTEE XLII. GOV. CARPENTEE'S ADMINISTRATIOIS*. Railroad Legislation — Election of 1874 — Litigation — Election of 1875. In reference to the law to " establish maximum rates of charges for the transportation of freights on the different railroads of the state," the general superintendent of the Chicago and Book Island road wrote to the governor in the spring of 1875, in which, after stating the case of the road as against the new rules, he promises to test the operation of the new law, in actual practice, before assailing it in the courts. " If," he says, " the result of a thorough and satisfactory experiment should show that an observ- ance of the rules must involve a permanent surrender of the rev- enues to which the company is entitled from the operation of its lines, a different policy will be adopted, with a view of securing such revenue, and any attempt to enforce the act as a valid law, will be resisted in the proper tribunals." In a case under this law, decided by the United States district court, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Eailroad Company asked for an injunction to restrain the attorney general of Iowa from prosecuting certain suits brought by him against the company, under the provisions of this act ; first, because the act is in conflict with the constitu- tion of the United States, in that it impairs the obligation of con- tracts, and is a regulation of inter state commerce ; second, be- cause it is repugnant to the constitution of the state of Iowa, in that it does not affect all railroads alike, and is therefore not of uniform operation ; and third, that it conflicts with the bill of rights. In the opinion of the court (Dillon, J.), railway corpora- tions chartered by the state, with the express or even implied power " to make contracts," have the power to demand and receive com- pensation for their services ; but this is far short of conferring 24 (369) 370 Tuttle's History of Iowa. upon them an exclusive power in this respect, and one beyond future legislative control ; a railroad, in its public character, is an improved highway ; its life is due to the exercise of state and na tional prerogative of eminent domain and taxation ; and its public character is not divested by the fact that its ownership is private." The court was content with holding that the legislature of Iowa has not '■'expressly conferred" upon any railway corporation there- in, exclusive powers to fix their own charges ; that such power cannot be arrived at by implication, and that whatever powers are conferred in this respect are subject to an implied condition that they shall not be exercised oppressively or unreasonably ; that they are at the same time subject to the future exercise of public regulations of the state, or of any other power possessed by the state in its nature legislative, which includes the power to regulate consistently with the charter, the franchises granted, and to pre- scribe and limit the amount of charges which it shall be lawful for the railroad to take for transportation. As to the question of inter state commerce, the court held, that the state could only have legislative control over the road within its own borders, and recognizing the fact that our railroad system is made up of parts supplied by several states, the court expressed a doubt whether a power in a state thus limited to its own local borders and inter- ests, could be beneficial in its exercise, and remarked that it was a "legislative problem and not a judicial question." Presiding Justice Miller took no part in this decision, from the fact that all these questions would soon come before him in the United States supreme court, and he desired them to come there without any expression of opinion by him. " Another case is be- fore the court, and probably will be decided the present year (1875), involving the question whether a company can be com- pelled to operate its road under the rates established by the above act, when it would thereby not be able to earn expenses ; in other words, Can a railroad be compelled to do service without compen- sation ? " The election of this year (1874) was for the following officers: secretary of state, state auditor, treasurer, register of the land of- fice, attorney general, clerk and reporter of the supreme court. The republican convention put in nomination the following 372 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. ticket : for secretary of state, Josiah T. Young ; auditor, Buren K. Sherman; treasurer, William Christy; register of the land of- fice, David Secor; attorney general, M. B, Outts; clerk of the su- preme court, Edward J. Holmes; reporter, of supreme court, John S. Eunnells. The democratic and liberal republicans nominated the follow- ing ticket : for secretary of state, David Morgan ; auditor, Joseph M. King; treasurer, Henry 0. Hargis ; register of land office, Eobert H. Eodearmel ; attorney general, John H. Keatley ; clerk of the supreme court, George "W. Ball ; reporter of supreme court, James M. "Weart. At the election which took place on the 13th of October, the republican ticket was elected. The whole number of votes cast for secretary of state was 185,937, of which Mr, Young received 107,340 votes, and Mr. Morgan 78,597 ; Mr. Young's majority being 28,743. The remainder of the republican candidates were elected by nearly a similar vote. The republican candidates for congress, viz : G. W. McOrary, J. Q. Tufts, 0. T. Granger, H. 0. Pratt, Jas. "Wilson, E. S. Sampson, John A. Kasson, were also elected. The election in 1875 for state officers was unusually interesting and enthusiastic. The republican state convention was held in Des Moines, June 60th, and Samuel J. Kirkwood nominated for governor ; Joshua 0. Hewbold for lieutenant governor ; Austin Adams for judge of the sopreme court ; Alonzo Abernethy for superintendent of pub- lic instruction. The democratic state convention was held in the same city, June 24, 1875 ; nominated Shepherd Leffler for governor ; B. B. Woodward for lieutenant governor ; W. J. Knight for judge of the supreme court ; A. E.Wright for superintendent of public in- struction. Wright declined, and the democratic state central com- mittee put on in his place Isaiah Doane. The official vote of the state will be canvassed by the executive council for judge of su- preme court and superintendent of public instruction, on Thursday November 11, 1875, but the vote for governor and lieutenant gov- ernor will not be canvassed until next January, 1876, by the gen- eral assembly. The election resulted in a great victory for the re- publicans. The aggregate vote was about 218,900, some eleven or twelve thousand greater than ever before, the highest previous Administration of Gov. Cabpenter. 373 vote being that of 1872 ; and Grov. Kirkwood receives the largest vote ever given for a candidate for governor of Iowa ; he has a majority of over 31,000. [We close the legislative history November, 1875. — 0. E. TUTTLE.] CHAPTER XLIII. OFFICIAL DIRECTORY OF IOWA. Territorial Officers — State Officers— Members of Congress from the Organ- ization of the Civil Government to the Present Time, 1875. When Iowa was erected into a separate territory in 1838, Eobert Lucas was appointed governor of tlie new territory by President Van Buren. He was succeeded by John Chlambers, who received his appointment from President Harrison, and served four years, and until succeeded by James Clark, appointed by President Polk in November, 1845, who held the office till December 31, 1846, when the state government went into opera- tion with Ansel Briggs as governor, who served as such until December, 1850, one term; the terms of office of the governors, under the former constitution, being for four years. He was succeeded by Stephen Hempstead, who served one term, ending December, 1854. The next was James W. Grrimes, who served as governor from December^ 1854, to January, 1858. During this official term another constitution of the state was adopted, which reduced the term of governor from four to two years, making it begin on the second Monday in January of. the even years, and shortening, by about one year. Gov. Grimes' guberna- torial career, which came to a close in January, 1858. Ealph P. Lowe was the first governor under the new constitution, and served one term, ending January, 1860. He was succeeded by Samuel J. Kirk wood, who was the first executive of Iowa hon- ored by a reelection, an innovation which has thus far been con- tinued to his successors. Gov. Kirkwood's second term closed in January, 1864, and he was followed by William M. Stone, who also served as governor two terms, ending January, 1868, when he was succeeded by Samuel Merrill, whose term expired in January, 1870, and was reelected and served to January, 1872. (374) Official Directort of Iowa. 375 Cyrus C. Carpenter was his successor, and served two terms until January, 1876, to be followed by Samuel J. Kirkwood, who had served two terms as governor, from 1860 to 1864. His third term will expire January, 1878. It will be seen that Iowa, siiice she has become a separate ter- ritory, has had eleven executives — three territorial governors, during a period of seven years and a half, ending December 31, 1846 ; three state governors under the old constitution, acting during a period of eleven years, ending January, 1858 ; and five state governors under the second constitution, acting during a period of eighteen years to be completed January, 1876. The following named persons were territorial officers : Secretary — Wm. B. Conway, appointed 1838, died in office Nov., 1839; James Clark, appointed 1839; 0. H. "W. Steele, appointed 1841 ; Sam'l J. Burr, appointed 1843 ; Jesse Williams, appointed 1845. Auditor — Jesse Williams appointed Jan. 14, 1840 ; Wm. L. Gilbert, appointed Jan. 23, 1843, reappointed Feb. 27, 1844 ; Robert Secrest, appointed 1845. Treasurer — Thornton Bay less, appointed Jan. 28, 1839; Mor- gan Eeno, appointed 1840. Agent — Jesse Williams, appointed Jan. 15, 1841; John M. Coleman, appointed 1842, reappointed Feb. 15, 1843, and Feb. 12, 1844 ; Anson Hart, appointed 1844, or 1845. Superintendent of Public Instruction— ^TiWi&m Eeynolds, ap- pointed 1841. Supreme Court — Chas. Mason, chief justice, 1838-1846 ; Joseph Williams, associate, 1838-1846; Thomas S. 'Wilson, associate, 1838-1846. Delegates to Congress — ^m. W. Chapman, in 25th and 26th congresses; Francis Gehon, elected 1839, but did not serve; Au- gustus 0. Dodge in 27th, 28th and 29th congresses. The following persons have held offices under the state gov- ernment : Governors — Previously referred to. Lieutenant Governors — Or&n Faville; Nicholt^s Rusoh ; John R Needham ; Enoch W. Eastman ; Benj. F. Gue ; John Scott Madison M. Walden ; Henry C. Bullis ; Joseph Dysart. 376 Tuttle's History of Iowa. Secretary of State- — Elisha Cutler, Jr.; Josiah H. Bonney; Geo. W. McOleary, three terms ; Elijah Sells, three terms ; James Wright, two terms ; Ed. Wright, three terms ; J. T. Young. Avditor'of State — Joseph T. Fales, two terms ; William Pattee, two terms ; Andrew J. Stevens, John Pattee, two terms additional ; Jona. W. Cattell, three terms ; John A. Elliott, three terms ; John Eussell. Suite Treasurer — Morgan Eeno, two terms ; Israel Kister; Mar- tin L. Morris, three terms ; John W. Jones, two terms ; Wm. H, Holmes, two terms ; Sam. E. Eankin, two terms ; Wm. Christy. Superintendent of Public Instruction — Jas. Harlan ; Thos. H. Benton, Jr., two terms ; J. D. Eads ; Joseph C. Stone ; M. L Fisher. Office abolished. Secretary of Board of Education — Josiah T. Tubby, T. H. Ben- ton, jr., three terms ; Gran Faville. Office abolished. Superintendent of Public Instruction — Oran Faville, two terms ; D. Franklin Wells, two terms ; A. S. Kissell ; A. Abernethy. Begister of State Land Office — Anson Hart ; Theo. S. Parvin ; Amos B. Miller, two terms ; Edwin Mitchell ; Josiah A. Harvey, two terms ; C. 0. Carpenter, two terms ; Aaron Brown. Chief Justice Supreme Court — Chas. Mason; Jos. Williams; S. Clinton Hastings ; Joseph Williams ; Greo. G. Wright ; Ealph P. Howe ; Caleb Baldwin ; Geo. G. Wright ; Ealph P. Howe ; John F. Dillon ; Wm. E. Miller. Associate Judges— Sos.Wim&vaa ; Thos. S. Wilson ; J. F. Kinney ; Geo. Green ; Jona. C. Hall ; W. G. Woodward ; K W. Isbell ; L. C. Stockton ; Caleb Baldwin ; Geo. G. Wright, E. P. Howe ; J F. Dillon; C. C. Cole ; J. M. Bech ; W. E. Miller; J. G. Day. EEPKESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS. XXIX Congress — 18^6 to 1847. /S'enators— First general assembly failed to elect Iiq)resentatives — S. Clinton Hastings, Muscatine; Shepherd Leffler, Burlington. XXX Congress — 1847 to 1849. Senators— AugnstnsC. Dodge, Burlington, elected December 7, 1848; George W. Jones, Dubuque, elected December 7, 1848. P^resentatives — 1st dist, William Thompson, Mt. Pleasant; 2d dist., Shepherd Lefller, Burlington. 378 Tuttle's History of Iowa. XXXI Oongrm — 1849 to 1851. Senators — George W. Jones, Dubuque; Augustus C. Dodge, Burlington, reelected January 10, 1849. Representatives — 1st dist., first session, William Thompson, Mt. Pleasant, unseated by the house of representatives on a contest, and the election remanded to the people ; 1st dist,, second session, Daniel F. Miller, Fort Madison, elected September 4, 1850 ; 2d dist., Shepherd Leffler, Burlington. XXXII Congress — 1851 to 1853. Senators — George W. Jones, Dubuque ; Augustus C. Dodge, Burlington. Representatives — 1st dist., Bernhart Henn, Fairfield ; 2d dist., Lincoln Clark, Dubuque. XXXIII Oongrm — 185S to 1855. Senators — Augustus 0. Dodge, Burlington ; George W. Jones, Dubuque, reelected December 21, 1852. Representatives — 1st dist., Bernhart Henn, Fairfield; 2d dist, John P. Cook, Davenport. XXXIV Congress — 1855 to 1857. Senators — George W. Jones, Dubuque; James Harlan, Mt. Pleasant, elected January 6, 1855, and January 17, 1857.* Representatives— 1st dist, Augustus Hall, Keosauqua ; 2d dist, James Thorington, Davenport XXXV Congress — \mj to 1859. Senators— George W. Jones, Dubuque; James Harlan, Mt Pleasant Representatives — 1st dist, Samuel R Curtis, Keokuk; 2d dist, Timothy Dayis, Elkader. XXXVI Congress — 1^59 to 1801. Senators- i&mes Harlan, Mt Pleasant; James W. Grimes, Burlington, elected January 26, 1858. Representatiues — 1st dist, Samuel R. Curtis, Keokuk ; 2d dist, William Yandever, Dubuque. XXXVII Congress— 1861 to 1863. ASsnators — James Harlan, Mt Pleasant, reelected January 11, 1860 ; James W. Grimes, Burlington. ♦Election declared illegal by the U.S. Senate, January 13,1857; again elected as above. Official DiHeotory of Iowa. 379 Representatives — 1st dist, first session, Samuel R Curtis, Keokuk ;* 1st dist., second and third sessions, James F. Wilson, Fairfield, elected October 8, 1861 ; 2d dist, William Vandever, Dubuque. XXXVIII Oongrm—imz to 1865. Senators — James Harlan, Mt. Pleasant; James W. Grimes, Burlington. Representatives — 1st dist, James F. Wilson, Fairfield ; 2d dist, Hiram Price, Davenport ; 3d dist, William B. Allison, Dubuque ; 4th dist, Josiah B. Grrinnell, Grinnell ; 5th dist, John A. Kasson, Des Moines ; 6th dist, Asahel W. Hubbard, Sioux City. XXXIX Congress — 1865 to 1867. Senators — James Harlan, Mt Pleasant ; f James W. G-rimes, Burlington ; Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa City, elected January 13, 1866. Representatives — 1st dist, James F. Wilson, Fairfield ; 2d dist, Hiram Pricfe, Davenport ; 3d dist, William B. Allison, Dubuque ; 4th dist, Josiah B. Grrinnell, Grinnell; 5th dist, John A. Kasson, Des Moines ; 6th dist, Asahel W. Hubbard, Sioux City. XL Congress — 1%&^ to 1869. Senators — James W. Grimes, Burlington ; James Harlan, Mt Pleasant, elected January 13, 1866. Representatives — 1st dist, James F. Wilson, Fairfield ; 2d dist, HiramPrice, Davenport; 3d dist., William B. Allison, Dubuque ; 4th dist, William Loughridge, Oskaloosa ; 5th dist, Grenville M. Dodge, Council Bluffs; 6th dist, Asahel W. Hubbard, Sioux City. XLI Congress — ISSQ to 1871. Senators — James B. Howell, Keokuk, elected January 20, 1870, to fill vacancy caused by death of James W. Grimes ; James Harlan, Mt Pleasant, elected January 13, 1866. R^resentatives— 1st dist, George W. McCrary, Keokuk; 2d dist, William Smyth, Marion ; 3d dist, William B. Allison, Du- buque ; 4th dist, William Loughridge, Oskaloosa ; 5th dist, Frank W. Palmer, Des Moines; 6th dist, Charles Pomeroy, Fort Dodge. * Vacated seat by acceptance of commission as brigadier general, and J, F. Wilson chosen his successor. ' t Became secretary of the interior May 1, 1865, and resigned his seat in the senate. Samuel J. Kirkwood chosen his successor as above. 380 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. XLII Congress — 1871 to 1873. Senators — James Harlan, Mt. Pleasant, elected January 13, 1866 ; George G. Wright, Des Moines, elected January 20, 1870. Representatives — 1st dist., George W. McCrary, Keoknk ; 2d dist., Aylett R. Cotton, Clinton; 3d dist., W. G. Donnan, Inde- pendence; 4th dist, Madison M. Waldon, Centerville ; 5th dist., Frank W. Palmer, Des Moines; 6th dist., Jackson Orr, Boonsboro. XLIII Congress— 1878 to 1875. Senators — George G. Wright, Des Moines, elected January 20, 1870 ; William B. Allison, Dubuque, elected January 18, 1872 ; terra of office commenced March 4, 1873, ends March 4^ 1879. Bepreseniatlves — 1st dist, George W. McCrary, Keokuk; 2d dist, Aylett E. Cotton, Clinton ; 3d dist, William Donnan, Inde- pendence ; 4th dist, Henry 0. Pratt, Charles City ; 5tli dist, James Wilson, Traer, Tama county; 6th dist, William Lough- ridge, Oskaloosa ; 7th dist, Jobn A. Kasson, Des Moines ; 8th dist, James W. McDill, Afton ; 9th dist, Jackson Orr, Boons- boro. XLir Congress — 1875 to 1877. Senators — George G. Wright, Des Moines, elected Jauuary 20, 1870 ; term expires March 4, 1877 ; William B. Allison, Dubuque, elected January 18, 1872, term of office expires March 4, 1878. Representatives — 1st dist, George W, McCrary, Keokuk; 2d dist, John Q. Tufts, Tipton ; 3d dist, L. L. Ainsworth, West Union ; 4th dist, Henry 0. Pratt, Charles City ; 5th dist, James Wilson, Traer, Tama county; 6th dist, Bzekiel S. Sampson, Sig- ourney ; 7th dist, John A. Kasson, Des Moines ; 8tb dist, James W. McDill, Afton ; 9th dist, Addison Oliver, Onawa. Inasmuch as this history will close in November, 1875, it will of course be impossible to refer to events, beyond that date. The election that took place in October was a spirited one, and resulted as before stated, in the election of the republican state ticket In treating of the public events of the territorial and state gov- ernments, it has been the design of the author, to give an unbiased account of public occurrences and measures of public policy. The time has not arrived for a writer on the history of this state to give his own views on these matters freely, without giving more or less offense. Parties are still on the field of action who came Official Dibectoby of Iowa. 381 to the state in the early days and took an active part in the politi- cal history of the territory and state. They were honest and de- cided in their convictions whether right or wrong, and it would be manifestly unjust to these worthy men to say aught to their discredit. The future historian will be better prepared to write what is here unwritten in this regard. The information contained in this volume has been collected from original documents and authorities, and other sources of re- liable information. The annals of Iowa published by the state historical society have furnished much valuable material, and particularly the series of articles on the early history written by the late Hon. Charles Negus of Fairfield. Hon. Willard Bar- rows' history of Scott county published in this work, has been re- ferred to, as well as " Wilkie's history of Davenport," and kin- dred publications ; and it is believed that what is herein stated is in all respects true, or if there are errors, they will not be found important. CHAPTER XLIV. STATE INSTITUTIONS. Iowa State Capital — State Agricultural Society— Agricultural College — The State Prison. The pebmanent location of the capital of the state of Iowa was not fixed until a very late date. The first session of the legislature was held at Burlington, and, as we have before mentioned, convened in a two story frame house, built expressly for the purpose by Jeremiah Smith, Jr., a member of the legisla- tive council. This building, in the following winter, was burned to the ground, and the legislature thereafter met in the Methodist Episcopal church, then called " Old Zion Church." Congress provided, in the organic act, the sum of $20,000 for the purpose of erecting public buildings for the use of the territorial govern- ment. Accordingly, on the 21st of January, 1839, three commis- sioners were appointed, viz., Chauncey Swan, Eobert Ralston and John Reynolds, to select a site for the capital within the limits of Johnson county. They were instructed to lay out 640 acres into a town, to be called Iowa City. They were also to proceed to sell lots and to erect public buildings thereon. The town was accordingly laid out on the 16th of August, 1839. The territorial legislature, at its second session, passed a law confining the commissioners to an expenditure of $51,000. The work on the buildings progressed, and the fourth legislature met at Iowa City on the 6th of December, 1841, as mentioned in our legislative history. But this session could not be accommo- dated with the new capitol, but rather the legislature met in a temporary frame building, erected for the purpose. On the 5th day of December, 1842, the new capitol having been sufficiently (382) 384 TuTTLnfs History of Iowa. completed, the legislative assembly convened in the building. A detailed sketch of the building of the first territorial capitol has already been given. As already stated, Iowa was admitted into the union on the 28th of December, 1846, and at the first session of the state legis- lature the state treasurer reported the capitol building in an un- safe condition. At this time the sum of $2,500 was voted to complete the building. No sooner was the southern and western boundary of the state determined than a question arose as to the propriety of relocating the capital. The first general assembly accordingly appointed commissioners to locate the seat of govern- ment and to select five sections of land, being the amount granted by congress for the erection of public buildings. The same act granted the half-completed public buildings at Iowa City to the newly created state university, to be used, nevertheless, by the legislature and state officers until other buildings could be erected. These commissioners selected four sections and over, in Jasper county. Here a town was platted, called Monroe City, and a sale of lots took place, and over four hundred were dis- posed of at very low prices. The cash payment of one-fourth, however, yielded, $1,797.43, but the claims of the commissioners and the expenses of the sale exceeded this amount several hun- dred dollars. This selection and sale was not satisfactory to the government, and Monroe City was thrown aside as the seat of government, and further appropriations were made to the public buildings at Iowa City. But this did not settle the question of the permanent seat of government. In 1851, bills were introduced to remove the capital to Pella, and to Port Des Moines. The measure in favor of the latter point received general sup- port, but was defeated in both houses. But the effort was re- sumed at the next session, with good results. On the 15th of January, 1855, the governor approved the bill relocating the seat of government within two miles of the Eaccoon Fork of the Des Moines river, and providing for the appointment of commissipn- ers for that purpose. The site for the capital was selected in 1856. Buildings were erected for the temporary occupation of the government by private capital, and Gov. Grimes issued his State Institutions. 385 proclamation convening the legislature at Des Moines, and de- claring that place to be the capital of the state. During the fall and winter the archives were removed to Des Moines. On the 11th of January, 1858, the seventh general as- sembly convened at Des Moines. The buildings erected at Des Moines were soon considered inadequate to the wants of the gov- ernment, and in 1870 the legislature took steps looking to a new capitol. The board of commissioners consisted of Gov. Samuel Merrill, president, ex officio, Gr. M. Dodge, James F. Wilson, James Dawson, S. Gr. Stein, J. 0. Crosby, Charles Dudley, J. N. Dewey, W. L. Joy, A. E. Fulton. The act provides for a first class capitol building in every particular. The initial sum appro- priated was $100,000. Designs were furnished, and on the 23d of November, 1 871, the corner stone was laid with imposing cer- emonies. The work of construction has progressed finely and the basement and walls are now completed. The state agricultural society, organized in 1864, is worthy of special mention. The Hon. Thomas Cloggett, of Keokuk, was its first president. The first meeting of the society was held in 1854, at Fairfield, and since that time it has received due en- couragement and support. " The law provides an appropria- tion of one thousand dollars annually for the benefit of the soci- ety, to be paid by the auditor of state upon the order of the president of the society. It also provides that a meeting shall be held at the capital of the state on the second "Wednesday of January in each year, at which the directors and ofiicers shall be chosen, the place for holding the next annual exhi- bition determined, premiums on essays and field crops awarded, and all questions relating to the agricultural development of the state considered. The premium list and rules of exhibition are required to be determined and published by the board of directors prior to the first of April in each year, and the board of directors are to make an annual report to the governor, embracing the proceedings of the society and board of directors for the past year, an abstract of the proceedings of the several county societies, and a general view of the condition of agriculture throughout the state, accompanied by such essays, statements and recommenda- tions as they may deem interesting and useful ; the report to be 2.5 <2'3) 386 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. published by the state under the supervision of the secretary of the society. The secretary of state is required to distribute the reports as follows : Ten copies to the state university, ten to the state library, ten to the state agricultural college, one to each member of the general assembly, and the remainder to the secre- tary of the state agricultural society, by him to be distributed to the county agricultural societies ; and one copy shall be sent to the board of supervisors of each organized county in which there is an agricultural society." * The general assembly, in 1858, provides by act for the Iowa state agricultural college and farm. " A board of trustees was appointed consisting of ex -Gov. R P. Lowe, John D. Wright, Wm. Duane Wilson, M. W. Eobinson, Timothy Day, Richard Gaines, John Pattee, G. W. R Sherwin, Suel Foster, S. W. Henderson, Clement Coffin, and E. G. Day. The board met in June, 1859. Propositions were received from Hardin, Polk, Story, Marshall, Jefferson, and Tama counties, for the location of the college and farm. A selection was made at the next meeting in July, when the proposition of Story and Boone counties was accepted, and the farm and site for the buildings located accordingly." The offer made by Story county and some of its citizens, and by the citizens of Boone county, embraced $10,000 of county bonds which had been voted by Story county, nearly $4,000 in individual notes at ten per cent, interest Erom the date of location, payable in two years, and a thousand acres of unimproved land in Story and Boone counties, in the vicinity of the farm. - The lands are dry and rolling prairie of excellent quality, with about 150 acres of timber, a never failing spring in the center of the farm, a good stone quarry near by, and plenty of clay for the manufacture of brick. The farm house and barn were erected in 1860-61. In 1864, the general assembly made an appropriation of $20,000 for the erection of the college building. In June of that year the building committee, consisting of Suel Foster, Peter Melendy, and A. J. Bronson, proceeded to let the contract. John Browne, of Des Moines, was employed as architect, and furnished • From a sketch by W. W. Clayton, in Capt. Andreas' celebrated Iowa state atlas. V State Institutions. 387 the plans of the building, but was superceded in its construction by 0. A. Dunham. The $20,000 appropriated by the general assembly were expended in putting in the foundations and mak- ing the brick for the structure. An additional appropriation of $91,000 was made in 1866, and the building was completed in 1868." This educational institution is an important help to the vast agricultural interests of the state, and is growing into greater use- fulness annually. It is largely patronized, and is exceeding the hopes of its earliest supporters. The management of the college is under an efficient board of trustees, " no two of whom are elected from the same congressional district, and who receive a compen- sation of five dollars a day for each day actually spent in the dis- charge of their duties. Tuition in this college is made by law forever free to pupils from the state over sixteen years of age, who have been residents of the state six months previous to their ad mission. Each county in the state has a prior right of tuition for three scholars from each county ; the remainder, equal to the capacity of the college, are by the trustees distributed among the counties in proportion to the population, and subject to the above rule. All sales of ardent spirits, wine or beer, are prohibited by law within a distance of three miles from the college, except for sacramental, mechanical or medical purposes." The course of study is ample, and embraces the following branches: Natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, horticulture, fruit growing, forestry, animal and vegetable anatomy, geology, mineralogy, meteorology, entomology, zoology, the veterinary art, plane mensuration, leveling, surveying, bookkeeping, and such mechanical arts as are directly connected with agriculture ; also such other studies as the trustees may from time to time prescribe not inconsistent with the purpose of the institution. The resources of the institutions have been summed up as follows : " Funds arising from the sale and lease of lands and interest thereon, five sections in Jasper county, made available by act of congress July 11, 1862, and 240,000 acres granted by act of congress July 2, 1862, for the endowment of schools of agriculture and the mechanic arts. In 1862 and '63, 195,000 acres of these lands were located by the commissioner, Peter 388 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. Melendy, in the Fort Dodge, Sioux City and Des Moines districts, and since then other portions of these lands have been located by other commissioners ; so that the amount patented to the state, and under the management of the board of trustees, is sufficient to create an adequate fund for the support of the agricultural college." In 1839 the territorial legislature of Iowa took steps to estab- lish a state prison and appropriated $20,000 for that purpose. The act " provided for a board of directors of three persons elected by joint ballot of both houses of the legislature, who should direct the building of the penitentiary, which should be located within one mile of the public square, in the town of Fort Madison, Lee county, on condition that the citizens of Fort Madi- son should deed to the directors a portion of land suitable for a site, and assign them by contract a spring or stream of water for the use of the penitentiary. To the directors were also given the power of appointing the warden ; the latter to appoint his own assistants. " The first directors appointed were John S. David and John Olaypole. They made their first report to the legislative council November 9, 1839. The citizens of the town of Fort Madison had executed a deed conveying ten acres of land for the building site. Amos Ladd was appointed superintendent of the building June 5, 1839. The building was designed of sufficient capacity to contain one hundred and thirty-eight convicts, and estimated to cost $55,933.90. It was begun on the 9th of July, 1839 ; the main building and warden's house were completed in the fall of 1841. Other additions were made from time to time till the build- ing and arrangements were all complete according to the plan of the directors. It has also answered the purpose of the state as a penitentiary for more than thirty years, and during that period may items of practical experience in prison management have been gained." There is a second or additional penetentiary or state prison at Anamosa, Jones county. This institution was provided for by act of the legislature in 1872, when the assembly appointed William Ure, Foster L. Downing and Martin Heisey, a board of cominissioners to locate and provide for the erection and control 390 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. of an additional penitentiary for the state of Iowa, The board met on the 4th of June at Anamosa, Jones county, and selected a site donated by the citizens within the corporate limits of that city. L. W. Foster & Co., arhitects, of Des Moines, were employed by the board to furnish drawings and speciScations. The work on the building was commenced in September, 1872, and is now nearly completed, or so far completed as to accommodate nearly one hundred convicts. The building, when completed, will be a fine structure. " The building, including the warden's house, which projects 71 feet from the main prison buildings, with its extended wings on either side, will be 434 feet in length, and at the highest point 85 feet in height, the cell rooms being 42 feet high. In front, upon the street, will be a neat iron fence inclosing three acres of ground and extending the whole length of the front. This inclosure will be filled with ornamental trees, shrubbery, flower beds and walks. The warden's house, prison cells, guards' hall, entrance hall to the dining room are the shape a cross, and a guard standing in the center of this hall can see to the extremity of either wing." All of the buildings are of stone, or will be when completed. The plan adopted by the board consists of two cell wings extend- ing parallel with the front, each 52 by 192 feet, connected by a guards' hall, 50 by 50 feet. There are in each cell wing four tiers, sixty- two cells to each tier, making a total of 496 cells in the two wings, each cell being 4 feet 6 inches by 8 feet. The front build- ing, or warden's house, is 50 by 80 feet ; total height, 80 feet In the rear of the guards' hall is the dining room, 42 by 112 feet; to the right of the dining room is the kitchen ; to the left the laundry ; over the dining room is the chapel. The building is 434 feet front by 300 feet deep. There are to be nine workshops, forming a square with the main building fol- the front, located near 50 feet from each other and the prison walls ; seven shops will be 50 by 102 feet, and two will be 50 by 120 feet, with wings 40 by 80 feet ; all two stories high, except one half of the wings to the last two shops, which are one story ; the whole to be inclosed with a substantial stone wall. OHAPTEE XLV. STATE INSTITUTIONS. (.continued.) The Iowa State University — Historical and Descriptive Sketch— The De- partments — Terms and Conditions — Other Institutions. The state university, according to the constitution, is perma- nently located at Iowa City. The institution was organized in 1856. " The objects of the university " says Mr. W. W. Clay- ton, "are to provide the best and most efficient means of impart- ing to young men and women, on equal terms, a liberal education, and thorough knowledge of the different branches of literature, the arts and sciences, with their diversified applications. It is provided by law, that so far as practicable, it shall begin its courses of study in its collegiate and scientific departments, at the points where the same are completed in the high schools of the state, and thus articulate with the highest department of the graded school system. No pupil is admitted who has not pre- viously completed the elementary studies in such branches as are taught in the common schools of Iowa. The law provides that the university shall never be under the exclusive control of any religious denomination ; that it shall be governed by a board of regents, consisting of the governor of the staf e, who shall be presi- dent of the board by virtue of his office, and the president of the university, who shall also be a member of the board by virtue of his office, together with one person from each congressional dis- trict of the state, who shall be elected by the general assembly ; that the university shall include a collegiate, scientific, normal, law, and such other departments, with such courses of instruction and elective studies as the board of regents may determine. Un- der this last head the medical department is included. All speci- mens of natural history, geology and mineralogy, which are col- (391) 392 Tuttle's History of Iowa. lected by the state geologist, or by any others appointed by the state to investigate its natural history and physical resources, be- long to, and are the property of the state university, and form a part of the cabinet of natural history, which is under the charge of the professor of that department." The following summary of the departments of the university is compiled from the last annual catalogue : There are three depart- ments, viz: academical, law and medical. The government of the university is vested in the president and in the faculty of the three departments. The advantages of the university are offered to all who desire them with certain conditions : * The students of any department may avail themselves of the facilities afforded in the other departments to any extent consis- tent with their regular studies. It is the purpose of the regents and faculties of the university to keep it, as nearly as possible, abreast with the most advanced educational spirit of the times. With this view they are extending the range of study, increasing the number of professors and assistants, improving the facilities for instruction, and raising the standard of scholarship, as rapidly as the treasury of the institution will allow, and the best interests of the students and the commonwealth demand. It is believed that the youth of Iowa and adjacent states, who may come hither to qualify themselves for their various spheres of life, will find here all the means of professional and liberal culture which they can profitably employ. The programme of study in the academical department covers a period of six years. The period includes the subfreshman, or preparatory course, of two years, and the usual college curriculum of four years. In the college curriculum there are four courses of study: classical, philosophical, scientific and civil engineering. These courses are intended to be so diverse in their requirements and advantages, as to offer a reasonable range of choice to meet the different wishes, necessities, or tastes of the students. Every student, at the commencement of his freshman year, will be re quired to make an election of one of these courses, with the inten- tion of pursuing it till graduation, or so long as he may be a mem- * " Andreas' Iowa State Atlas." State Institutions. 393 ber of this department. No student will be allowed, without per- mission from the faculty, to change his elected course, or to pur- sue more than three studies at a time, except as required by the programme. Any person complying with the terms of admission given below will be allowed to select from the four courses such studies as he may perfer, under the direction of the faculty. Irreg- ular students will recite with the academical classes, and will sustain in all respects the same relation as other students to the university. Graduates of this or other institutions desirous of prosecuting studies not included in their undergraduate course, may, on con- sultation with the president, become connected with the universi- ty for that purpose, and avail themselves of such facilities as the several chairs of instruction afEord. Applicants for admission to this department must present tes- timonials of good moral character, and if coming from other col- leges, must exhibit certificates of dismission in good standing. Those who enter at the beginning of the subfreshman course must be at least fourteen years of age, and those who enter at a later stage of study must be proportionally older. Applicants of every grade must pass an examination in English grammar, geography, history of the United States, arithmetic, and intro- ductory algebra (Ray's or Robinson's) as far as quadratics. Candidates for the freshman class will be examined in the studies of the subfreshman course, or their equivalent. Those proposing to enter any course at an advanced standing, will bfe examined in such studies of the course as may have been pursued previous to their admission. Regular examinations will be held at eight o'clock A. M., on the Wednesday next preceding the opening of the fall term in September. Examinations will also be granted at the beginning of the winter and spring terms, or at any other time, to suit the convenience of the applicant ; but it is of the highest importance to every student that he present himself for admission in September, if possible, so as to begin his studies when .the reg- ular classes are formed. Any person applying for the privilege of pursuing the single line of study taught by any professor, will be allowed to do so, on consultation with the president, and with consent of the professor, without examination, and on payment of the fee for incidental expenses. The board of regents have au- 394 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. thorized the faculty to receive, without examination, all appli- cants for admission bringing certificates of qualification from those high schools and academies in which the required course of study embraces the branches named in our catalogue as preparatory for the subfreshman course, provided the instruction in said schools and academies be known to be of such a character as to justify this arrangement The same privilege will be extended to candi- dates for the freshman class, on presenting satisfactory testimoni- als of scholarship from the principals of such schools as shall be approved by the faculty, after a report from a committee which shall have visited them at the request of the school authorities. This privilege may be revoked at the discretion of the faculty whenever the students who may have been received under it shall show themselves to have been but poorly instructed in the pre- paratory schools. By order of the president of the United States, at the request of the regents of the university, Lieut. Alexander D. Schenck, of 2d U. S. artillery, a graduate of the military academy at West Point, and of the U. S. artillery school, has been detailed to the professorship of military science and tactics. The object of this professorship is stated by the regents, " not to give the students an extensive military education, but only so much military training and knowledge as will best consist with the required literary and scientific purposes of the university. The battalion is composed solely of such students as choose to join it. The enlistment is for one, two or three academical terras. The duties prescribed by the regents are one hour's drill three times a week during the fall and spring terms, for the entire battalion ; and for seniors and juniors, one recitation or lecture per week through the winter term, involving not over one and a half hours' study on the aver- age. Cannon, muskets, swords and accoutrements are furnished by the federal government. Drums, fifes, flags, and other neces- saries, are supplied by the board of regents. Elegant uniforms can be obtained by the students, at their own expense, for a much lower cost than ordinary clothing. It is the intention of those in charge of the study of civil en- gineering to prepare students for the same average usefulness in the usual affairs in life as other graduates, and in addition thereto, to TuTTLifs History of Iowa. enable them, as inclinations direct and opportunities offer, to take an active part in the material progress of the times. It is there- fore the purpose of those in charge, to make it as thorough and practical as possible. With this end in view, frequent reference will be made to actual operations and constructions, data will be taken largely from real cases occurring in the experience of in- structors and others, and the corresponding computations made by the students. The course in drawing includes a complete knowledge of all the fundamental principles of the science, as well as an application of those principles to the various kinds of drawing embraced in the course. Students under competent di- rection, have extensive, free and unrestricted use of the various instruments belonging to this chair, and thus become more familiar with them than is possible where such use is in any way curtailed. In view of the facts mentioned, it is expected to se- cure an easy transition from the work of the class room to the duties of the field engineer. Students pursuing this course will have the advantage of a valuable collection of standard works of reference ; of a good supply of instruments ; of the valuable charts published by the U. S. lake and coast surveys ; of maps and drawings of railroad surveys and works ; of about three thousand models from the patent office, illustrating almost every branch of engineering ; of numerous drawings and photographic views of machinery ; besides a very fine bridge model, exhibiting in an elegant manner the strain upon the different parts of such a structure. Students in this course have free use of the general library, and all appur- tenances of the university. The laboratory of physical science is open to students every school day, from 8 to 11 A. M., and from 2 till 5 P. M. The laboratory occupies the entire first story of the north building, and covers an area of 3,500 square feet. The rooms are provided with cases, containing extensive collections of chemicals, crystals, minerals, rocks, and a cabinet of physical and chemical apparatus. The special laboratory library embraces many of the best works and periodicals on the different branches of physical science. The following laboratory courses are in ope- ration: A. — A GENEEAL COURSE in the elements of physics, chemistry, and mineralogy, for students of the sophomore class. State Institutions. 397 B. — Elective coueses fob junioes and senioes. 1. Theo- retical and practical physics, embracing optics, calorics, electricity, magnetism, and molecular physios. (Three terms.) 2. Theoret- ical and practical chemistry. And now as to the cabinet and means of illustration. The Geological department of the cabinet is especially valuable as re- gards our own state, from the fact that all the collections of the state geological survey were, by law, given to the university. From time to time, collections are being added from equivalent strata elsewhere, as well as from formations that are not repre- sented in Iowa. Besides the university collection, a very fine series of duplicates from the private collections of the professor of natural science, embracing many of the rarer forms from Iowa, with typical species from the more noted loc.alities of other states, is kept by the institution, and is accessible to all students of Geo- logy. ITie Zoological department contains several thousand speci- mens, distributed among the various branches of the animal king- dom. A very large collection of crustaceans, shells, star fishes, corals, sponges, etc., formerly part of the great cabinet of H. T. Woodman, Esq., of Dubuque, has recently been added to the mu- seum, and affords superior means of illustrating the diversified forms of the marine invertebrates. Some hundreds of mounted specimens of our indigenous mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, etc., introduce the student to the fauna of the northwest. The Botani- cal department contains a fair and constantly increasing number of preserved specimens of native plants. Illustrations for the classes, however, are now, and always must be, largely supplied by the fresh products of garden, wood and field. A good microscope is kept for frequent use in all the classes. A supply of charts, dia- grams, models, etc., illustrating the science taught in this depart- ment, is unusually complete. The method of instruction in natur- al science combines text-book recitations and lectures, with labo- ratory practice and field work, the aim being to lead students as far as possible to become independent observers of nature. The design of the chair of didactics is to prepare teachers for advanced schools. Hence only those academical seniors who in- tend to become teachers, and special students who may be quali- fied to be classed with them, are allowed to pursue the normal 398 Tuttle's History of Iowa. studies. Didactics, in the higher sense, includes the philosophy of mind, the laws of mental development, and all those branches of study and methods of instruction that are employed in general education. The course of study and the methods of teaching in the academical department are such as would be selected if that department were organized and carried forward for the sole pur- pose of educating teachers for advanced schools. Such teachers need, primarily, accurate scholarship united with liberal culture. The instruction given in language, science, mathematics and litera- ture meet the demand. The exercises in the normal class consist of text-book recita- tions, expository readings from standard works on education, dis- cussions in which all the members of the class are expected to participate, lessons in method, observations in public schools, ex- amination of text-books in common use and the reports thereon, together with lectures on various subjects relating to the history and systems of education in our own and other countries, to the organizing, grading and governing of schools, and the duties and responsibilities of principals and superintendents. It is believed that those who avail themselves of the opportunities thus afforded in the university will be instructed in all the learning necessary to fit them for the work of teaching, and in all the methods that will qualify them to do it well. The professors in the academi- cal department not only make use of textbooks and recitations, but vary the exercises of the class room with occasional or serial lectures on such subjects — literary, scientific, and historical — as relate to their respective chairs, and are adapted to the several stages of progress which their classes may have reached. A pub- lic examination at the close of each term will decide the rank of every student in this department. A record is kept of the attainments of every student, and information concerning the same will be communicated to the parent or guardian when ren- dered necessary by irregularity of attendance or a low grade of scholarship. Those who complete the required course in a satis- factory manner, will, on receiving the degree of A. B. or B. Ph., be entitled to a certified testimonial of qualifications as teachers, and after two years of successful teaching, may receive the degree of bachelor of didactics. State Institutions. 399 The normal library is supplied with standard educational works, reports of city and state superintendents, many of the leading educational journals of this country and England, sets of . common school books, and apparatus for primary, grammar, and : high schools, which students are required to read and examine. The library of this department contains from six to seven thou- . sand works, representating the various departments of literature ■ and science, besides cyclopedias and other books of reference, pe- . riodicals, both home and foreign. The University Reporter is a sixteen page monthly paper, conducted by the students, and aided by contributions from the faculty and former graduates. Terms : One dollar per year, in advance. Address, University Reporter, box 279, Iowa City. Connected with the university, are the Ero- deiphian and Hesperian, composed of ladies; the Zetagathean and Irving Institute, consisting of gentlemen. A thorough knowledge of the history, structure and use of our own language is considered by the regents of the university and the facalty of this department an indispensable element of the higher education. To furnish abundant facilities for gaining this knowledge is their steadfast wish and aim. The general plan pursued in English literature is as follows : In the fall term the origin and growth of the language are carefully studied, together with the lives and literary labors of distinguished English authors from the earliest times to the present. In the winter term, the writings of Chaucer, Spenser, Shakspeare, Bacon, Milton, Addison and others are critically examined with a view to the just appreciation of their thought and style. Considerable time is also devoted to syntactical analysis and to tracing words to their origin in the Anglo Saxon and other tongues. In the spring term, the poets, orators and miscellaneous prose writers of - America receive special consideration. The department of law is now in the tenth year of its exist ence, having been founded in the year 1865 (as a distinct institu- tion at Des Moines, under the name of the Iowa law school), and incorporated with the university in 1868. Two hundred and fifty-six students have already received the degree of LL. B., and the number of graduates, as well as those in attendance for peri- ods less than the entire course, increases steadily with each sue- 400 TUTTLlfS HiSTOBT OF lOWA. cessive year. Law students are subject to the general regulations of the university, but not to those designed expressly for mem- bers of the academical department. The course of study in the department is so arranged as to be completed within a single year, beginning in September and ending at the annual university com- mencement, the last of June. It is divided into three terms, cor- responding with those of the academical departmant. The course is intended to embrace all branches of a complete legal education, so far as practical within the time alloted, and to prepare students for the bar of any of the United States — special attention, how- ever, being given to the subjects most likely to be useful in west- ern practice. An advanced course, requiring another year of study, was established in the summer of 1874, and has been in operation during the whole of the past year. For the present, however, this course will be optional, and no change will be made in the requirements for the graduation. As the diploma of the school admits its graduates to all the courts of the state, the authorities of the university do not feel at liberty to make any change in the previous conditions for a degree until the legisla- ture have had an opportunity to pass upon such change, and to make it a part of the statutory conditions for the practice of law. In the meantime every effort will be given to make this optional advanced course of value to such students as desire to make the most thorough and complete preparations for the practice of law. It will be open without additional charge to all students who have already completed the regular course, will commence at the same time with the latter, and extend through the year. It will embrace, first, a thorough revision of all the topics of the first year; second, special applications of the principles of law to the specific questions occurring in practice ; third, the study of general juris- prudence, and the philosophy of law. This advanced course will be henceforth a permanent feature of the school. Graduates of this department wilj be admitted to it without charge for tuition ; all others will be expected to pass an examination equivalent to that required for the degree of LL. B., and to pay the regular tuition fees. Such students, after completing the advanced course, will receive their degree as graduates of this institution. The library of this department contains about 2,500 volumes of i02 TUTTLUfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. treatises and reports, selected expressly for the use of the school, and will be enlarged as rapidly as the funds granted for that pur- pose by the regents will admit. It already includes the reports of nearly all the northern states, with a large collection of Eng- lish and federal reports. The library is open every day in the term, from 8 A. M. to 5 P. M., and students of the department have free access to it for purposes of study or reference. Especial attention is directed by the instructors to familiarizing the class with the contents of the library, and teaching them to look up anthorities, make up briefs — in short, training them to find for themselves the law upon any subject desired. The plan of the medical department requires the attendance of the students through two annual sessions, but should the Ameri- can Medical Association recommend an extension of the time to three sessions, and a specified amount of preparatory study in or- der to admission, the faculty of the institution will cheerfully aid in carrying out that object. Students of both sexes are admitted on equal terms, and afforded in all respects the same facilities for acquiring a thorough medical education. The following remarks set forth some of the incitements to study and facilities for the acquisition of medical knowledge furnished by this school. The students are examined every day on the lectures of the previous day, and the standing recorded for future reference. Advanced students are,.required to make examinations at the clinics, and to prescribe for the patients, jill kinds of surgical operations on the cadaver are performed by the students in the presence of the class, and under the directioiji of the professor of surgery. Pri- vate instruction in all the departments of medicine is furnished to all; who may wish to avail themselves of such opportunities. The department has facilities for clinical instruction unsurpassed in the western states. The university hospital, located within two blocks of the university, not only affords ample accommodations to all who may apply for treatment, but has a large and conven- ient jSjuphitheatre where from four to five hundred cases of dis- ease have been exhibited to the students during the year. A special advantage of the hospital is the opportunity afforded to members of the class for observing, the treatment of cases in com-, pany with theattending phTsipian when makinghis daily rounds' State Institutions. 403 The most thorough study of practical anatomy will be required o£ every student. Facilities for obtaining material are such that an abundant supply will always be provided. The professor and demonstrator of anatomy will always be ready to aid the student in his anatomical studies. The anatomical museum will be open to students at all hours when lectures are not in progress. The qualifications of each graduating class are guarantied by the fact that a committee selected from the membership of the state medi- cal society takes part in the examination at the close of each an- nual session. The chemical laboratory is open six hours daily, for the study of practical chemistry. Courses in chemical analysis, urine analysis, and pure toxicology have been specially arranged for medical students^ To students who remain at the university after the close of the annual session, an opportunity will be given during the ensuing three months for the study of analytical chem- istry. The state library is also a credit to the state. It is located in the capitol building and contains 12,004 volumes exclusive of duplicates. Mrs. Ada North, the present librarian of state, is a lady of extensive culture, well qualified for the responsible position. The state historical society was provided for by act of the legis- lature in 1857. Its first appropriation was $250. Since then the institution has received an annual appropriation of $500. The society is under the management of a board of curators, consisting of eighteen persons. Nine of these are appointed by the governor, and nine are elected by members of the society. These curators receive no compensation. The law provides that the society shall hold its annual meeting in Iowa City on the last Wednesday in June of each year. It is also provided by law that there shall be delivered to the society annually twenty copies of the reports of the supreme court, and the same number of all other documents published by the state, for the purpose of effecting exchanges Mtriih similar societies in other states. The society has published a series of exceedingly valuable collections, including history, biography, etc. To these collections the merits of our work is largely due. The objects of the society are praiseworthy, and ought to receive even more support than they do. 404 TuTTLlfS HiSTOBT OF loWA. There are two hospitals for the insane, one at Mount Pleasant, and one at Independence. These institutions are a credit to the great state of Iowa, and well worthy the high esteem in which they are held by the people. The college for the blind at Vin- ton is also a well conducted, commodious and ef&cient institution, well provided with skillful. Christian educators. The institution for the deaf and dumb, located at Council BluflEs, is in that de- partment what the institutions named are in their respective prov- inces. It is in a' flourishing, efficient condition. The soldiers' orphans' home, at Davenport, has done a valuable work in the state, and the institution is beloved by the, whole people. It is a glorious monument to the Christianity of the state. The reform school at Eldora has fine buildings, and is in prosperous operation. OHAPTEE XLVI. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Sketch of the Public School System of Iowa — Statistics — Growth In Pros- perity. The public school system of Iowa is justly a theme for con- gratulation to every loyal citizen. The schools have grown from the log school house to the modern brick, and stone building, with all the modern appliances, and the growth has been indeed wonderful. No state in the union has better educational pros- pects than Iowa. The people have already expended over ten millions of dollars for the erection of public school buildings. The following statistical table, prepared by the superintendent of public instruction, is worthy preserving in history : m 3 1 1. lit Average com- pensation of teachers per month. •3 p. paid for sch'l ses, grounds, aries and ap- ELtUS. ■3:3 S no-g III s d ol 3S 2 o S IISI a§a. eSa |H a izi |Zi Eh < M. P. < •< idn and twenty-five miles from Vinton. !t stands in the southwest corner of the county, and is served by the Chica- go and North Western Railroad. This city stands next to Vinton in county importance. It was laid out in 1861, in a beautiful location and almost from its infancy has had the benefit of rail- way communication with the great cen- ters, but there have beenno great events in its history to date. Its population exceeds two thousand, and It stands in the center of a beautiful farming coun- try which in the march of events will enrich those who assist the husband- man. Blaibstown is a thriving village on the line of the Chicago and North s Western with a population of nearly one thousand. The village was platted in 1861-2, and has increased steadily ever since. The inhabitants take much interest in their graded school which they endeavor to maintain in the high- est degree of efficiency. The build, ings for business and residence are handsome, and the streets are well laid out. There are no less than seven churches in Blairstown, and in other respects the mental and spiritual wants of the population are well catered for. Shellsbueg has a population of about seven hundred and it is situated on the line of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad, on the north side of Bear creek, about ten miles southeast of Vinton. The town was laid out in 1842, and its growth if not rapid has been satisfactory. There is a fair average of business done in Shellsburg now, and it is slowly im- proving. Norway is the original name of a village with about five hundred inhabi- tants which now aims at being called Florence. The Chicago and North Western Railroad serves the interests of the little town in everything except the one idea of changing its name, and it has no other cause of disquietude. Norway, or Florence, for the place is known by both names, the station re- maining under the original appella- tion, is situated in the southeast part of the coun^. The station was built in 1853, on five acres of land donated for the purpose, on condition, among other provisos, that the name Nor- way should remain in perpetuity, and that feature makes the station an eye- sore to the Florentines. The town is beautifully situated and must thrive. Black Hawk Connty is in the north- em part of Iowa, already populous and wealthy, containing in all 566 square miles. This county lies in the valley of the Cedar surrounded by all that goes to make up the sum total of pros- perity for a western population. The beauty of the outlook from any com- manding position could hardly be overrated ; the rolling prairie, clothed in eternal green, repeats itself in a thousand uuclulationB,telling of charms which will grow more and more de- lightful with advancing years. Groves of fine timber vary the monotony of beauty with a changing excellence in 424 Tuttle's History of Iowa. which nature hourly renews her youth. The soil is a deep black vegetable mould, with a mixture of sand which improves its value. Wheat and corn will succeed each other on this land for any number of seasons without sign of exhaustion, and fruits, grasses, Indeed, all growths proper to a temper- ate clime flourish in this region. Black Hawk county is well watered by the Cedar river, the Wapsipinicon, and their numerous tributaries. The Cedar flows from northwest to south- east through the center of the county, seldom less than two hundred yards wide, and two feet in depth. The value of such a stream needs no exponent. The waters are beautifully clear and as good as beautiful. The fall of the river bed is considerable, and as a con- sequence there are many mill powers available, but up to this time only a few attempts have been made to utilize these desirable advantages. The Shell- rock river flows into the Cedar in the northwestern part of the county where the river itself divides into the east and west branches. The southwestern section is drained by Black Hawk creek and the most delightful farming land available in the state is watered by that stream. The tributaries of the Black Hawk are Miller, Beaver, Rock, Big and Prairie creeks, besides many of less volume which fall in from the west. Elk Run spring. Silver and Poyners creeks, with minor tributaries fall in from the east, so that the whole remainder of the county is amply pro- vided for as to drainage and water supply. The Wapsipinicon receives in this county the tribute from Brush, Camp and Crane creeks, and by its agency the northeastern township is made fruitful and pleasant for the farmer. Well water can be obtained, any- where within a depth of twenty-flve feet, and the whole county has unsur- passed facilities for stock raising. The manufacturing advantages of Cedar river will command attention from capitalists within a few years ; alrea- dy some mills are located there but good positions are yet unoccupied. Timber is not so plentiful in this county as in some others, the estimate as to quantity being about one acre of wooded land to every thirteen of prai- rie. That proportion continues to be maintained, and it is anticipated that an increase is being slowly eflfected by planting groves which will more than compensate for daily consumption. The pine forests of Minnesota are large- ly drawn upon for lumber at present, and the coal fields of Illinois supply fuel to a very large extent, consequent- ly the farmers who turn their attention to planting care only for the best growths available. The Cedar river used to be famous for its red cedar groves, but that valuable feature of the country's wealth was destroyed by ad- venturers from St. Louis. The depre- dations of these predatory lumbermen continued as of right, even after white settlers came in, but a few indications of their determination to make a fright- ful example of the spoilers, put an end to the traflic after a short time. The county contains valuable stone for building purposes, and some kinds which may be found of great use in lithography. Geologists find in the strata in this section of the state a great treasure of ancient organic re- mains, but our space will not allow of details on that purely scientific basis, and we leave the interesting records of the world past in abler hands. There is no difficulty in procuring excellent limestone almost anywhere within easy distances, and clay, fit to make the best kind of bricks, is plentiful. Sand also is abundant. Apples and pears, when the hardier varieties have been selected, have pros- pered tolerably well in this county; but, in the enumeration of its claims upon attention, the honest and pains- taking historian will not describe Black Hawk county as a first class fruit growing district. There is a large variety of small fruits raised with moderate care, but there are other at- tractions upon which the practical farmer may more confidently rely for returns in a commercial sense. Per- haps, when the peculiarities of the re- gion have been more closely studied, it will be possible to reap large profits from well chosen orchards. The cli- mate is very salubrious, the atmosphere being clear of miasma in a remarka- ble degree. During winter the cold is severe, but it is tolerably steady, and can be provided for. Rain, during summer, comes with great regularity to gladden the heart of the husband- man, and gentle breezes prevail dur- ing nearly the whole of the season. 426 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. Droughts and damaging floods are comparatively unknown. The record is already made of rivers and streams which meander through this fertile region contributing so much moisture to air and soil, that grasses of all kinds, whether wild or tame, spring up with great profusion, and stock can be raised in this county with great profit, although much care has to be bestowed during winter in pro- viding for their protection and feed. The best breeds to be found in the state have been introduced into this country with great advantage, and fairs are held in Waterloo and else- where every year, helping both the ag- riculturist and the stock producer by additional incentives to profitable emu- lation. The site of the beautiful city of Ce- dar Falls seems to have been visited for the first time by a white settler, in the year 1844, when William Chambers built his cabin on the banks of the Cedar river. He was mainly a hunter and trapper, and, in consequence, he loved a solitary life, so that he moved further afield when neighbors ap- proached his camping ground. Tra- dition and probability alike say that the same country had been hunted and trapped over before ; but other names are problematical — William Cham- bers is known. The Indians were hardly more unsettled than the early trappers. The first claim for settled occupar tion appears to have been made in 1845, and, since that time, the indubit- able charms of Black Hawk have not been lost sight of by advancing civili- zation. The homes of the first comers were rough and rude, such as would barely cover the necessities of fron- tiersmen — hardy and careless amid the toils of the wilderness; but the names of the few score of families, wilh which the infant settlement began, re- main among the county records to this day, and are identified with the high- est legal attainments which have adorned the courts, and the best states- manship yet e.^ihibited in the legisla- ture. Indian titles to the land have been but recently given up, and the red- skins were natm-ally slow to leave a section of country so well adapted to their modes of life. But when the white man came with the busy hum of ceaseless labor to haunt the soli- tudes in which the savage once delight- ed, the magic spell which of old bound them to their hunting grounds, was broken, and they followed the slowly vanishing game. Their depar- ture was not regretted by their white neighbors, who could not recognize the poetry of Indian depredations, and were quite inclined to apply the rough-and-ready remedies of frontier law to perpetual peculations. An In- dian is now a phenomenon in the ter- ritory which was once his own, before the days of modern improvements. The territorial legislature of Iowa settled the bounds of Black Hawk county in 1843, but Delaware county exercised judicial functions in that re- gion for some time afterwards. Sub- sequently there was a transfer of the powers in question to Benton county, in 1845, and, still later, to Buchanan county. When steps were taken to lo- cate the county seat, Bremer, Grundy and Butler were attached to Black Hawk county for purposes of revenue, election and the exercise of judiciary powers, and the village of Cedar Falls was selected as the county seat The orgmization of the county went on during all the time that these several transfers were being made, and the first election actually occurred in Au- gust, 1853. In the same month and year, the first term of the county court was held by Judge Pratt, in the same village, and taxes were levied to meet the wants of the time. Since that date, when the real and personal property of the county was assessed at little more than $91,000, and the tax levied was only |873, the wealth of the people has kept pace with their organization. The settlers tell, with much interest, moving incidents " by flood and field " connected with the Indian war in the summer of 1854; but it is well under- stood that many of the best stories are unworthy of credence. Companies were raised to prosecute a campaign, but, with the exception of one Winne- bago boy who was killed in a street quarrel, no blood was spilt in the long series of manoeuvers. It is rumored that some of the warlike defenders of the soil were more frightened than hurt, but there can be no doubt that prodigies of valor would have been exhibited if there had been occasion. The speed with which some retrograde Sketches of Counties. 427 evolutions wete efiected cannot be too highly praised';, The county se^t having been located at Uedar Falls getje great dissatifaction to the citizens of Waterloo, that place being much nearer the geographical center of the disiri(5i. ana after much debating and a little fighting, it was resolved that the matter be referred to the vote of the people. Waterloo won the appeal in April, 1855,''but in spite of that indication of the popular will, the relocation was resisted' on various pretenses, legal and illegal, for many months, one of the judges bi?lng sus- pected of personal bias in t!Le final termination of the debate. The popu- lation of the county increased' very slowly during the first seven yearti of its settlement, there being only about three hundred inhabitants in BlaciT. Hawk county in 1853. The present population has not been numbered, but in 1873 a census showed a grand total of 23,136. Black Hawk county is well provided with railroads ; the Illinois Central runs nearly east and west through the county, and the Cedar Falls and Min- nesota company runs in a notbwest direction from a point only one mile east of Cedar Falls. The Burlington, Cedar Bapids and Minnesota also tra^ verses the county, running northwest up the Cedar Valley on the west side of the river. Besides these accom- plished works, other enterprises have from lime to time been projected, and it will be seen that there is no lack of competition to supply the wants of the community in matters of traffic and travel. The first line constructed com- menced to run in 1861, and the last named was built in 1870. The amount of business done already more than compensates the outlay, and the growth of the whole state augurs well for Black Hawk. Schools have been establishad in every district, and well appointed buildings are already the rule, with staffs of trained and accomplished teachers equal to the demands of the most critical participants. Waterloo is quite a large city. The court house has been located somewhat inconveniently, away from the business quarter, but it occupies a pleasant site, and the growth of the city will soon render its position less objectionable. It was erected in 1856 at a cost of $30,000, and is a covenient two storied structure, equal to all de- mands for many years to come. The poor house is situated near the court house, and is well adapted for its pur- pose. Waterloo has also the offices of a very successful county agricultural association, which held its first elec- tion in 1866, and its first fair in the following year. The Cedar Valley Dis- trict Association, having similar ob- jects in view, was established about the same time, and continued until very recently to hold annual fairs. Some idea may be formed of the gen- eral prosperity of the agricultural class from these facts, added to the steady growth of cities in this county, and the value set upon the small rem- nant of wild lands, which range from $18 to as high as |60 per acre. The city stands very near the geo- graphical center of the county, occu- pying both banks of the Cedar river, and is very beautifully situated, with timbenlose at hand opening out into fine rolling prairie, which promises well for thfc future health, wealth and prosperity oft^e inhabitants. Busi- ness premises occupy one side of the river, and residences chiefly the other ; the lower lands being just above high water mark, gradually increasing in altitude as they recede from the water. The streets are well laid out, and the value of the buildings erected testifies to the common estimate set upon the assured future of Waterloo. The river is about nine hundred feet wide with a lime rock bottom, over which the water flows as clear as crystal. There are good water powers available near the city ; some few have been improved, but the outlay of more capital will be amply rewarded, and the citizens knowing how entirely the value of their properties must, in the long run, depend upon manufactures, will very liberally respond to proposals for further improvements. The west con- tains hardly one town more enterpris- ing than the county seat of Black Hawk. The first building in the town was erected in 1846, by a family coming from Illinois, and the town was laid out in 1853, improved and enlarged plans being afterwards adopted to form the base of the present city. The place was originally named Prai- rie Rapids, and it cannot be easily de- , 428 TvTTLsfs History of Iowaj. termined why or by whom the ad- vancing township was named Water- loo. It Is asserted that the name of the Belgian battle field was not In- tended in the secondary name, but only the altitude of the stream, which was indicated by the appellation Wa- terZoM, since changed by use and wont to Waterloo. This theory is, however, strongly denied by some of the inhab- itants, and the question will probably remain undetermined to future gene- rations. The first improvements on the river, with a view to mill purposes, were made in 1854, by constructing a rude, temporary dam for a saw mill. There had been a mill run by horse power for similar purposes, before that date. In 1856, a flouring mill was erected, and other improvements of various kinds have since that time been prose- cuted with such steady ^owth ip number and value, as to forbid partic- ular mention in these pages. In 1850, a steamer of one t indred tons burthen was built by the citizens of Cedar Bapids, for the trade of the upper Cedar, and its IsiAinching was a great event for the whole district, but eventually the naval enterprise was abandoned, in consequence of the water being too low for the continu- ance of the flotilla upon the Cedar. At one time it was almost determined to destroy all the dams which impeded navigation, but fortunately before pro- ceeding to extremities, it was resolved that the captain of the boat should try to approach the first dam, in the Course of obstacles, and his failure to do so caused the citizens to abandon their predatory designs. Guns were flred, flags were hoisted, banquets were eaten, and ma;ny libations poured out to the success of the new venture, which, however, was unsuccessful. The incorporation of the city, first agitated in 1854, was eventually deter- mined upon four years later, and com- pleted in July, 1858. Churches of al- most every denomination are repre- sented now within the city limits, the first having been established in 1852, by the Methodist Episcopal. Other institutions attest the wide awake mental condition of the people of Wa- terloo, but to give a detailed descrip- tion of their names and merits, would transcend our limits completely. The IlUuois Central R. R, Co. located their workshops in this city, in 1870, and an average of one hun'ired and forty men are employed tne whole year round in that enterprise. The citi- zens were wise in gi^/ing the necessary lands to secure tho establishment of the works in qufislion, which result through various channels in an expen- diture in wagefs, of nearly $30,000 per month. Othfcr extensive works which would deserve more extended notice, if space wt>uld permit, employ large numbers of hands, and contribute largely to the industrial and commer- cial succ,fcss of the city. The press of Waterloo partakes in the general pros- perity. Cb/dab Falls, at one time the coun- ty seat, is a little northwest of the ceiiter of the county. The city was at first known as Sturgis' Rapids, after an early settler. The Iowa division of the Illinois Central Railroad inter- sects the main line of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota road, at this point, and of course that combi- nation of facilities places Cedar Falls at a premium as a port of shipment. When the city was first located it stood in a beautiful grove, which has long since disappeared, except that the city park and a few minor Inclosures, preserve some few traces of the um- brageous bounty of nature. The city stands on slightly undulating ground, well adapted for drainage, and excel- lently subserving the love of the beau- tiful which is manifested in the resi- dences of its wealthy citizens. The fertile country surrounding the city is occupied by an intelligent class of agriculturists, who know how to turn all modern improvements to account upon their farms. The country is in- tersected with streams, dotted with groves and enriched with orchards, which enable the occupants of the substantial farm buildings to enjoy many comforts, once supposed to be- long only to great cities. The falls which give their name to the city have become an enormous power in the hands of some capitalists, but there is still room for many additional locations. The first cottage built upon the site of Cedar Falls was erected in 1845, and the town was laid out six years later, but it was not until 1853 that the platting was fully carried out. Schools have been conscientiously provided Sketches of Counties. 429 from the earliest days of the organiza- tion of Cedar Falls, which have gone on increasing in a manner commensu- rate with the demands of the younger populace. The system of graded schools, for which the city is now fa- mous, will bear favorable comparison with the best educational establish- ments in Iowa, and the organization contains within itself the promise of continuous expansion. The log cabin grew into a sturdy hamlet, and the small trading station has become a commercial city, with possibilities second to none in the state, and it is satisfactory to note that intellectual culture has kept pace with material progress during tiie great march. The village organization was effected in 1857, and in the following spring a bridge was erected over the river, the first ever erected in this part of the county. The work was carried out by means of an issue of scrip, against which many of the prominent men in the community made a protest, and the feud thence arising does not die out, although the value of the bridge is beyond cavil. The city incorpora- tion took place in 1865, and Cedar Falls is now recognized as a city of the second class. This city contains "The Soldiers' Orphans' Home," a state institution, of which Iowa may well be proud. This home was first located, in 1865, in Cedar Falls, and over eight hundred persons have been provided for by that beneficent enterprise. The tem- porary building has given place to a handsome brick structure, within which is full provision for the educa- tion and religious culture of its resi- dents as well as for their domestic protection. The residence of the chil- dren of the brave defenders of their country is beautifully situated in en- closed, well-wooded grounds, and the influence exerted by this institution is felt in the schools and in mercan- tile establishments throughout the state of Iowa. In no way can patriot- ism be better stimulated, than b^ such wise provision for the offspring of those who fell in the path of duty, who are thus snatched up from the deleterious surroundings which too often destroy neglected little ones by converting them into pests, that in later days must be more expensively combatted by the slow-moving hands of justice and repression. La Pobte City is a very pleasant village, on the south bank of Big Creek, near its confluence with the Cedar river, in the midst of a rich farming country which is bound to enrich the people identified with its improvement. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad has a station in this village, and its popula- tion of twelve hundred inhabitants will go on steadily increasing. The town was laid out in 1855, being called La Porte, after a place of that name in Indiana, from whence the founder of the village came to Iowa. The town organization was effected in 1871, and the names of the first found- ers are still prominent in official cir- cles. There are good graded schools in La Porte City, well ofiicered, and taught by most efficient men and wo- men who identify themselves with the mental progress and growth of their pupils. Boone Coimty contains five hun- dred and seventy-six square miles, and is in the middle tier of counties in Iowa, a little west of the state's center. It is a compact county, twenty-four miles square, with the Des Moines river for its principal stream, dividing into two nearly equal parts the block of country which it waters and drains. The river has an equal width of about one hundred yards, almost throughout the county, having several tributaries, the largest of which are. Bluff Creek on the west and Honey Creek on the east. Squaw Creek rises in the north- east and the country is drained by that beautiful little stream in the re- gion through which it runs, and Bea- ver Creek, running from north to south, discharges the same beneficent functions for the country through which it flows. These manifold streams of various dimensions, aided by an endless supply of well water, which can be had wherever the earth is tapped, provides all that is required in the way of aqueous supply for stock-raising purposes, and very fine springs burst forth in many parts of the county. The Des Moines river has given strength to a very fine belt of timber which follows its banks nearly across the county, the belt varying in width 430 TuTTLsfs History of Iowa. from four to fire miles, and there are other valuable groves, of less extent, composed of very valuable timber, near the principal creeks which have been mentioned. To name the woods which flourish in Boone county would be mere surplusage; suflSce it to say, that the forest wealth of the region now under review does not differ in any essential particular from that of the other counties already particular- ized. The peculiar advantage en- joyed by Boone is in the greater vol- ume of its wooded growths which fol- low its watercourses everywhere in rich profusion. Along the Des Moines river the sur- face of the country is somewhat broken, but generally the surface un- dulates as though a smooth sea, heaved by a ground swell, had been transformed into fertile soil ready for the farmer's skill. Mineral Bidge is a singular chain of hills which trav- erses this county, and the name was bestowed upon the range in question because the magnetic needle is arbi- trarily deflected and disturbed by its influence in a very eccentric manner. Probably the region will some day give wealth, by its mineral ti'easures, to some enterprising band of capital- ists. Pilot Mound is a prominent mound in the hill system of this county, and near its base great Indian battles are said to have been fought, that view being sustained by the fre- quent exhumation of human remains, as the farmer drives his plowshare through the soil. Prom the top of the mound a very extended view of the country can be obtained. Numerous mounds of lesser elevation were doubtless in early days the locale on which sacrifices were culminated and the dead buried with the relics of their forgotten past. Of these the largest, about fifteen feet high, is one of a chain of such heaps situated near Honey Creek, and so far as there have been excavations made, the contents are found to be identical with those left by the Mound Builders in other localities. Some day, by careful ex- humation of men and things, and the wise collation of results, we may rise to a fair comprehension of the Mound Builders as a people. The practical farmer, and the astute manufacturer of to-day will necessa- rily care more for the possibilities of the future than for the relics of the past, and to them it will be of much greater interest to say that the soil of the country watered by the Des Moines is deep and rich, and where not cov- ered by heavy growths of timber, can be at once brought under cultivation, giving in return for moderate labor skillfully directed, good crops of corn, wheat, and other cereals. The prairie lands are also fertile although not so deep and lasting in that respect as the river bottoms from which the streams have been slowly deflected or narrowed by natural processes long ago. Coal has been found in some few pla- ces in Boone county near the center, but not in such quantity up to date, as to warrant a large expenditure of capital; yet the geological strata of the country, and its relation to surrounding lands, where that desideratum of the manu- facturer is abundant, leads to the ex- pectation that Boone county will by and by give coal in large measures. Some banks have been worked near Boonsboro and elsewhere, the coal be- ing shipped to Council Blufis and Omaha on the Chicago and Korth Western Railroad. Much coal has al- so been obtained from the same local- ities to sujjply demands for fuel nearer home. It is distinctly ascertained that there are two beds of coal, the lowest and best in quantity being four feet thick, the upper bed being about three feet in thickness, but equal in quality to the lower deposit. When shafts shall have been sunk in convenient places on the prairies to reach this source of wealth by the proper means and appliances of mining skill, Iowa is bound to take a very high place among manufacturing states, seeing that the intelligence of the people is of a high average, and that all the es- sentials to marked success are ready for their use. Elk Bapids is already noted for its quarry of building stone, from which some of the best public buildings, and yet more substantial business houses and residences have been erected. Some other districts have been found rich in building materials but that is not the strong hold of Boone county. Enough can be procured to meet the requirements of the day, and with further realization of the supply in oth- er parts, no doubt the future will have all the stone that may be wanted with- ^-*'' r^ 432 TvTTLUfs HiSTOBY OF loWA. out going beyond the bounds of Boone. Good lime can be made from almost all the samples of stone that have been tried, and first qualities of brick clay have been found in quantities practi- cally without limit. Iron ore has been found, and there are indications such as no scientist can overlook, that Min- eral Ridge is rich with that metal. Boone county was first settled at " Peas Point " in 1846, a jutting of prairie land into the belt of timber on' the east side of Des Moines river near the site of Boonsboro. The place of earliest settlement was named after its first holder, and the pioneers who loca- ted themselves in that region showed sound judgment in choosing their homes. The Pottawattomie Indians remained in the county until after the winter of 1846-7, but there are no re- cords of strife between them and their white neighbors. The Sioux were not quite so peaceably disposed, as when a family desirous to trade with them settled in their country now known as Webster county, his property was de- stroyed, his family left helpless and one member of the group died through exposure to inclement weather, when attempting to reach " Peas Point " to procure assistance against the red men. The savages limited their op- erations to the destruction of the prop- erty which they believed had no rights on their soil, which they were bound to respect. Out of that act of war, came two subsequent massacres, the first by the injured settler and his son upon a band of Sioux in Humboldt county, and the last more widely known as the Spirit lake massacre, in which the tribe already named led by the brother of the chief, murdered with his .family at Humboldt, took summary vengeance in the year 1857. Boone county was organized by the state legislature in 1846-7, being named after a nephew of the great Keotuck- ian, who served in the first regiment of the United States dragoons. That gentleman explored the country and ascertained its principal features be- fore the first efibrt at settlement. In August, 1849, an election was held and self government began to be exercised in the county. The arrangements con- tinued to be of the most primitive or- der, successive meetings of the official body being called in the residences of the early settlers until the year 1851, when the first meeting was convened in the school house at Boonsboro. The county was then divided into school districts and it became manifest that it was not the intention of the people that the brains of children or adults should lie fallow. The labors of that early day have been well followed up in that respect, the school system of Boone county being very creditable to all concerned. The location of the county seat at Boonsboro was approved in January, 1851, a time ever since fem- ous as " the rainy season," many of the representatives of the people reach- ing the place of their first meeting at iinminent peril of their lives in swim- ming the swollen streams which inter- sected the country between their re- spective homes and the center upon which they converged. The course of good government in the county since that date has been, however, worthy of all the troubles thus braved by the pioneers. Boonsboro is situated on the east of the Des Moines river, protected by considerable bodies of timber on the west, north and south. Coal as well as timber abounds in the locality, and the land permits of thorough drainage at a merely nominal expense. Good schools assist to make the town a de- sirable place of residence for families, and in many other respects there are signs of mental and spiritual progress in Boonsboro. Boone contains a population of about two thousand, five hundred per- sons, and is a town full of enterprise. Immediately east of Boonsboro, the county seat ; it is on the line of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad, and is largely resorted to by farmers who desire an easily reached place of shipment for their produce. In course of time, it is inevitable that Boonsboro and Boone will grow into one large city. The first laying out of the town took place in 1865, but at that time the intention of the founders was, that the locality should be named Montana. The railroad company, already men- tioned.has constructed extensive work- shops in Boone, and many persons are steadily employed on their works. MoiNGONA is five miles southwest of Boone, on the west side of the river Des Moines. Its principal industry consists of coal mining; and large shipments are made from this center Sketches of Counties, 433 of Industry to distant points east and west. The town was laid out in 1866. There is a good future for Moingona. Ogdhn is a shipping place for pro- duce, about Are miles west of Moin- gona; the farmers and stock raisers of the surrounding country using Og- den because of its railroad facilities. Bremer County is one of the small- est, territorially considered, in the state of Iowa, and is situated in the north- western part of that state. The surface of the county is generally open, rolling prairie. Its soil is an alluvial deposit, averaging about three feet, resting up- on clay of great but varying depth. A rich dark loam, well appreciated by farmers, is the chief agricultural fea- ture of the country, subsoiled by gravel and clay. Limestone, which admits of an excellent and enduring polish, is of great value for building purposes, as well as in other respects. Sand and clay, admirably adapted for brick making, can be procured with very little labor; and there are corals, crys- tals, and petrifactions, among the geo- logical features sought for in this county. Many-streams, various in di- mensions, mostly bearing toward the southward, intersect every township; and the county is as well watered as could be wished. The same formation of country, which secures the river system named, gives good drainage to Bremer, and assists very materially to sustain the favorable health-rate for which the county is remarkable. Ce- dar river, already mentioned in the brief history penned in these pages, flows through this county, crossing into Black Hawk, where we have al- ready traced its course and volume. The bed of the Cedar is limestone, and and its waters beautifully clear. The banks of the river rise almost abruptly beyond the chance of inundation by freshets, and the bottom lands are ex- ceedingly fertile. Any quantity of machinery can be driven by means of this valuable stream in the county now under de- scription ; and even when the river is at its lowest, the power would sufiBce for any desirable jjurpose. The value of the Cedar river is greater now than it was when the wood growing upon its banks drew plunderers from the surrounding states; and it must con- 38 tinue to increase indefinitely for cen- turies to come. . The Wapsipinicon river ranks next in importance to the Cedar, and like that river, it flows through this county into Black Hawk. This river ofl'ers a succession of powers which, in part, have and, in still greater part, will be made available as mill power.s. The bottom lands of the Wapsipinicon are liable to be overflowed occasionally, and, in consequence, the farming com- munity seeks residence elsewhere, while still appreciating the fertility which comes from the incidental wan- derings of the stream. The Little Wapsipinicon runs through Bremer counly in two directions, continuing, after its second departure, to flow with the main Wapsipinicon, along within easy distance of the county line. Buck creek is a considerable watercourse, having its rise in the northwestern part of Bremer, and running through the eastern tier of townships, Sumner, Dayton and Franklin, is of much value for stock raisers and agriculturists. This creek empties into the Little Wapsipinicon at a considerable dis- tance from its source. Crane creek runs pai'allel with the main Wapsipin- icon, and eventually' falls mlo that stream, after watering the townships of Warren, Maxfield and Fremont, and finding its way into Black Hawk coun- ty. Shell Rock river is only second in size to the Cedar; and'it comes, like that river, from Minnesota, flowing through Bremer into Black Hawk, and afi'ording on its way, much aid to the farmer in his several pursuits. There are many inferior streams which do not need to be specified. As might have been anticipated by any person conversant with the wealth of water supply in Bremer, the region was at one time prodigally supplied with timber; fully one-sixth of the whole region being covered with val- uable woods. There has been, unfor- tunately, much destruction of groves, within.the memory of the oldest inhab- itants, and if the work of denudation goes on, the residents in Bremer may, within twenty years, have to look be yond their own borders for lumber and fuel. The groves now remaining are less extensive by one-half than they were, and only in a few cases are agri- culturists giving their attention to for- estry. In eastern countries, so great is iU TuTTLlfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. known to be the importance of trees, that the sanctions of religious usage are occasionally invoked to preserve forests from destruction ; and the ab- sence of such precautions have re- sulted from times immemorial in large regions of country becoming desert. The experiences of M. Lesseps, in planting quick growing trees across the line of country in which he carried out his great canal enterprise, may, with advantage, be remembered by farmers everywhere, as a means of in- creasing their own wealth. The soil of Bremer county produces wheat, corn and oats, in abundance, and indeed the same may be said of barley, rye, sorghum, potatoes, hay and grass seeds. Fruits, and all kinds of garden vegetables return large profits to their growers, and much attention is given continually to horses, cattle, swine and, sheep. Nearly two-thirds of all the land now assessed in Bre- mer county is iinproved,' and the time cannot be far distant when the propor- tion will be slill greater. The Ger- man population in Bremer is about equal to the native Ameiican, the gross total being a little over 16,000. Other nationalities are represented, but generally the foreign admixture has given attention to agriculture, while the Yankee from New England, and other Americans, devote them- selves to manufactures, trade and mer- chandise. The intermixture promises to work well in building up a popula- tion remarkable for stamina and intel- ligence, among which education will come to be considered the highest ob- ject, when it is understood to mean a thorough course of mental and phy- sical training, such as will give the highest results in the future of the race. Winnebago Indians held the land now covered by Bremer county as their reservation in May, 1845, when the first white man staked out his location in the Big Woods. The first settler soon removed his family to the same locality, and his example being fol- lowed by men of like mould, it was found possible to establish a commu- nity, which, for many years, flourished .without doctors, lawyers, judges or preachers; every man being a law un- to himself. The work of organization at last be- came necessary, as the nearest post office was for many years, twenty miles distant, and schools were hardly to be found at a less distance ; consequently, in 1847, the survey was commenced, and in 1851, the government lands came into the market. The territory was at the same time added to Buchanan coun- ty for purposes of taxation and rule, and the Winnebagoes left their reser- vation for Crow Biver, Minnesota. The county was organized when there were only eighty voters within its lim- its, and the county seat was located at Waverly, in 1853. The progress of the county, never very rapid, has been steady ever since. The troubles of the early settlers were sometimes consid- ' erable, as for instance, the first couple that desired to perpetrate matrimony, were forced to travel to Linn county to procure the ratification demanded by law, and they were snow bound on their journey five days and nights, be- fore the connubial bonds were forged. The first frame house erected in the county is said to have been the Meth- odist Episcopal parsonage at Janes- ville, and the first school taught in the county dates from 1853. The name of the county was given in honor of the authoress. Miss Frederika Bremer, who perhaps never knew of the re- markable fact, but the circumstance is none the less creditable to the people. The work of organization has gone on steadily from tbe first rude begin- nings, and there is only one record of judge Lynch being called upon to ad- judicate, when a man named McRob- erts, accused, of horse stealing, was hanged by a mob. The great rebellion found the settlers in Iowa thoroughly imbued with the patriotic ideas which animated Lin- coln and his coworkers. Like him they had hoped against hope for a peaceful solution of all difficulties un- til Sumter fell, and with the first hos- tile shot fired from the southern bat- tery, there was a reaction indicative of the final result through all the free states, and more especially among the best. The county rose like one man to sustain the government; and not content with mere verbal sympathy, military conapanies were formed and officered in Waverly, Horton, Bremer and in other towns. Besides all this, a fund was raised to provide for the wives and families of men who might be induced to volunteer for the war. Sketches of Counties. 435 Such works went on as long as the war lasted, and it is a fact patent to the world that when the cruel war was over, provision was made and contin- ued for the children of slain soldiers. Small as the population of the county was, in April, 1861, when the first meet- ing was called, no less than five hun- dred soldiers enlisted from Bremer county, and their good deeds were noted on many bloody fields. The county is well provided with railroads. The Cedar Valley branch of the Iowa division of the Illinois Central Bailroad runs through the western tier of townships. The branch road known as the Cedar Falls and Minnesota Railroad is completed to Waverly, with a station at Janes- ville, and other extensions are being made. The Iowa Pacific Railroad traverses Bremer in a southwesterly direction, crossing the Cedar Valley road at Wa- verly, where it is carried by a bridge and trestlework, in all nearly two thousand eight hundred feet long. The mention of these items will give our readers a fair idea of the provis- ions for travel and trafllc enjoyed by the residents in Iowa generally, and of Bremer in particular. "Waverly is the capital of the coun- ly, and the public buildings, for the dispatch of county business, are of course located here. The court house is a very fine building, not ornate, but convenient and substantial, and the principal county offices are provided for in a fire proof building. The scen- ery surrounding these buildings is very fine, and the positions chosen could hardly be Improved upon. The court house was built in 1857, at a coat of $23,000, and this money was well invested. Numeri>us committees have been appointed during a succession of years to establish what is known as '• a poor farm," in which the poverty stricken might be sheltered without being entirely a charge upon the coun- ty; but after numerous protracted en- deavors, the scheme has not proved a success; but lands have been pur- chased, and a tenement house built, which may become hereafter the nu- cleus of a considerable success. Wa- verly is the home of the Bremer coun- ty agricultural society, from which in- stitution great results may be expected as the county expands. Waverly occupies both banks of the Cedar river, and is surrounded by well timbered land, and two railways com- pete for the honor and profit of sup- plying its demands. The first settler on the site of Waverly came there in 1850, and he was soon joined by oth- ers. The forest which now protects Waverly then covered its site. Mill dams were soon afterwards construct- ed, a sawmill built, and the town laid out sold readily. All the incidents which follow each other in rapid suc- cession in the establishment of frontier towns, came in due course to the resi- dents of Waverly, but to give even the briefest graphic delineation of such events vrould occupy more space than can be afforded. One item which commands attention from its preemi- nent importance, is the fact that in the year 1858, a Teachers' Institute was convened in the court house at Waver- ly, and no less than fifty teachers were present during a session which extend- ed over one week. The fact that edu- cation commanded so much interest on the part of all concerned, as that the trainers of the young were induced to form a society for their own im- provement, testifies to the culture which prevailed in the common mind, and prepared the way for the highest ap- preciation of the labors of those best ministers to national progress. The town of Waverly was incorporated in 1859, and in 1868, when the population had increased to two thousand, the charter was changed to that of a city of the second class. In the year 1859, the first Sunday school was opened in the city, and the demand for churcl^es has gone on increasing ever since, but in October, 1867, the board of super- visors ordered that all buildings and lots, the property of ministers of what- ever denomination, should be taxed the same as all other properties in that city. Jakebyillb is situated six miles south of Waverly on the east bank of the Cedar, and is the second town in the county. A beautiful grove skirts the .town, which is built on rising grotind. The Cedar Valley branch railroad finds here its southern termi- nal station, and the town has attained a very gratifying measure of prosper!, ty. The population of the place num- bers a little more than 400._ PiiAiNFiELD comes next in rank^ its population being about two-thirds of 436 Tuttle's History of Iowa. that ascribed to Janesville. It is lo- cated about ten miles north of Waver- ly, on the west side of Cedar river, and this town is the northern teminal sta- tion of the before mentioned branch railroad. The town was laid out in 1855, when a sawmill and a gristmill were established. There are two churches in the little village, and the educational wants of youth have been provided in a manner which might give an example to many larger places. SuMNBB, with a population of two hundred, comes next in order. It stands on the line of the Iowa Pacific Railroad, half a mile west of the Little Wapsipinicon. The first settler came to the site of the village in 1873, and two years later the railroad company laid out the town, and gave it the name of the statesman whom all America honored. The progress made by Sum- ner has been very steady. Tripoli is located on the west side of the Main Wapsipinicon, twelve miles from the county seat, and it has a population of one hundred. The town was originally the site of a saw- mill, and was called Martinsburg, in 1855, but when a post oflBce was estab- lished there, the name was changed to its present appellation. HoRTON is a small place with about fifty people on the east side of Cedar river, ten miles north of Waverly. Jbpfbrson City was laid out in 1855; it is eight miles southeast of Waverly, and its progress has been slow, mainly dependmg upon one steam sawmill. Frbdbrika is fifteen miles east of Waverly, on the Main Wapsipinicon ; it has a population about equal to Jef- ferson City, and its dependence is upon a similar enterprise, but it has grown more rapidly, having been established as late as 1868. There are postofflces located at Buck Creek, Grove Hill, Dayton. Leroy, Maxfield, and Mentor, near all of which a few residences are beginning to ag- gregate. Buchanan County is in the north- east section of Iowa, and it comprises an area of five hundred and seventy- six square miles. The surface of the county is such as to preclude the pos- sibility of stagnant water remaining upon the soil, yet the rolling, uneven country dees not offer any obstacles worth naming to the work of the farm- er. The land is warm, free and easy to be cultivated, and it is the more beauti- ful for having broken away from the sameness of the level prairie. The landscape scenery of Buchanan county enraptures all competent judges of American loveliness. Near the water courses, where the timber is most luxu- riant, the land is more broken than in remoter regions, but even the precipi- tous heights add excellence to the scene without detracting from the ag- ricultural value of the country adjoin- ing Swamps and marshes are almost unknown in the count}', and there aru hardly a thousand acres of land in the whole region which is not capable of the very highest cultivation. Black loam is the characteristic soil of Bu- chanan county, with a subsoil of blue or yellow clay. Good farmers can work wonders with this richly pro- ductive soil, obtaining golden returns for their skilled labor. Root crops, cereals, fruits, garden vegetables in al- most endless variety, and every descrip- tion of grass, wild or tame, can be raised rapidly and with profit by those who seek their, livelihood as cattle raisers. Buchanan county is well watered, having within its bounds no less than eight considerable streams, with al- most numberless branches and tributa- ries. TJie Wapsipinicon takes first rank among the rivers, passing through the county from northwest to south- east. The valley drained and fertilized by this river, within the boundaries of the county, is, for its size, one of the most fruitful in the world. West of the Mississippi there is nothing to compare with it for richness, always allowing for the fact that it is not very ■ extensive. The river is fed by many springs, and it flows over a rocky bed, which preserves the limpid clearness of its water through nearly the whole of its course. It has an average de- scent of more than two feet to the mile, and that fact will not fail, later in its history, to bring mills and fac- tories to its banks, which must sully its silvery brightness to produce the . gold of commerce. Nature seems to have constructed special sites for the location of mills at moderate distances along the line of this stream, but with little expense the number of mill sites may be indefinitely increased; and. 438 TVTTLsfs History of Iowa. when that has been accomplished, Bu- chanan county will be one of the wealthiest portions of the state of Iowa. The name of this bright and shining river comes from the con- joined names of a fond couple of In- dian lovers — Wapsi-Pinicon — who, being denied happiness on earth, sought the happy hunting grounds together by plunging beneath the sil- very stream. Thp highest water ever known in this stream can never over- top the commanding banks that im- prison its course. The water has grad- ually worn its own course through an almost continuous rock, and the banks remaining have, therefore, an excep- tional value for the location of mills. The river has an eastern branch which joins the main body in the northwest portion of the county, and is still fur- ther increased in bulk by the waters of Buck creek. Otter creek drains the north and west of Buchanan county, and pro- vides additional power for mills and factories. Pine creek is a great stream, serving the double purpose of drain and fertilizer; and Buffalo creek is the second best water power in Bu- chanan county, eventually becoming tributary to the Wapsipinicon. Spring creek, Lime creek and Bear creek (trib- utaries of the Cedar), supply the south- west of the county. A map of the county, adequately representing the size and value of these several streams, ■with the conformation of the country, would show a territory singularly well provided with all that is needed to make up the sum total of a nation's progress. A soil, rich even to profu- sion, made living green by springs, creeks and rivers, yet protected by the fall of its surface toward its water courses, from any lodgment of stag- nant pools. No bog, no morass, no marsh to diffuse malaria through the atmosphere; a climate invigorating, even in its rigors, which says to the strong man, this is your region, here is full scope for your powers of body and brain; no garden of idle delight, where the powers of the soul may rust, but a world full ol trial and adventure, which may be conquered and pos- sessed. Iowa is a prairie state, and it is an essential for the settler that, in such territory, he should find timber suffi- cient for his daily use and his pros- pective emergencies. Buchanan coun- ty offers him an acre of timber for every seven acres of prairie, and, as these woodlands are denuded, it is only necessary that the younrer growths should be preserved to secure the like proportion for any conceivable dura- tion. The woods indigenous to the soil are just as good as can be found, all things considered, in any part of the world, but should changes of tim- ber be wished, for luxury or to meet the new necessities likely to arise in a community developing new features every day, the climate and the soil need only lapse of time to produce any growth not tropical, which the imagination of man may compass or desire. The woodlands in the county of Buchanan are well distributed, so that there is not to be found a section of the territory in which wood may be reached without trouble. The Wapsi- pinicon timber belt is, on an average, over one mile wide throughout, being, in some localities, fully six miles broad, and in no instance less than half a mile. Some parts of the timber in the belt named are very fine indeed, and all are valuable for building purposes or as fuel. The old belts and groves bordering on the lesser streams differ from those already described only in being less abundant, but the average of one acre in seven applies to the whole county. The climate of northern Iowa is tolerably uniform. Cold is sometimes severe, falling occasionally from ten to twenty degrees below zero, but the changes are not sudden, and the weath- er has a quality of steadiness which makes its rigor easy to bear. The air if cold is crisp and pure, the snow gives good sleighing, and damp foggy weather, the annoyance common in softer climes, does not come there to mar the happiness of mankind. Per- sons suffering from pulmonarj- diseas- es have often been recommended to try the brisk invigoration of the win- ter in Iowa, in preference to the more insidious, if softer airs of the south, and in many cases such advice has been followed by good results. Sum- mer in Iowa calls out all the beauties of earth and sky, and the atmosphere has then a charm entirely its own. Au- tumn, with its richly tinted foliage, every tree ti-ying to present to flie mind's eye, the burning bush, which Sketches of, Counties. 439 told of holy ground, must be experi- enced to be comprehendfid. The pen- cil of the word painter fails to convey even the faintest idea of that exquisite season. After all that has been said of the climatic iniiuences prevalent in Buchanan county, our readers will be quite prepared for the concluding state- ment on this subject, that the rate of mortality is exceptionally low, and that the average of health among set- tlers there is such as might well cause the medical faculty to despair. The people who have come to possess this terrestrial paradise are exceptional- ly well qualified to make the best of its good features and to minimise the undesirable. The New England states, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio have given of their best to make up the sum total of the population, and these people each in their several degrees, have brought with them their well compacted ideas of the value of edu- cation which are seen every day mould- ing the youthful intellect for new con- quests. Such men, surrounded by in- fluences which do not cramp their en- ergies, and seconded by noble souled women, who have outlived the tute- lage which once stunted and oppressed the sex, will give to this country a bet- ter race than the poor specimens of humanity, that lurk in the alleys of our cities ; children that will grow up to be frugal and industrious members of so- ciety, and from whose ranks in the fu- ture will come the saving patriotic thought of every age. Irish and Germans are present in Buchanan county, but not in control- ling numbers, and under the influences which mould society around them, they are among the best in industry and in illustrating IJ^e manners of free men. The resources of this county have already been indicated if not cata- logued. The land clothed with grass at all seasons and capable of bear- ing in almost any quantity, the va- rities of food best adapted for stor- age to supply the wants of cattle dur- ing winter, cannot fail to enrich stock raisers and dairy farmers who know how to pursue their avocation. Sheep grazing oflfers another opening for en- terprise, and all the means that can be availed of by agriculturists anywhere, are specially adapted to the powers of Iowa culture, climate and endurance. Iowa grapes' and plums- will before long become specialties in the market, commanding good prices wherever obtainable, and other fruits also pros- per when due care has been observed in selecting the varieties best adapted. It would be superfluous to go through with a list of the other productions of farm and garden which flourish in Bu- chanan county. Everything that can be raised in the temperate zone can be produced almost at pleasure in almost every county in this state. Magnesian limestone is the chief mineral x'esource of this county for building purposes, and that is abund- ant. Granite boulders are more numer- ous here than in any other county in this state, varying in color from black to red, or what is more commonly known as Scotch granite. Many of the stone foundations in Buchanan county have been formed from the broken fragments of these lost rocks from what is described by Prof. Ow- en as "the Cedar Drift." Among othei- foundations thus buiit may be mentioned that of the state capitol at Des Moines, and part of the buildings of the asylum for the insane at Inde- pendence. Quick lime m endless quantity, good sand, and clay of the very best description for brick mak- ing, make up a sum total of building material which may suffice for the present, and to which the future is sure to add very largely when men have time to make a pertect inventory of nature's benefactions. Much more might be said of the mineral wealth of Buchanan county, but enough is as good as a feast. Scarcely more than thirty years have elapsed since this fair territory was a terra incognita to the civilized world. There " wild in woods the noble sav- age ran," with all that there can be of nobility in his untaught, or rather ill taught, and treacherous nature. Sud- denly the face of the white man was seen in the forest, surveying its unim- proved wealth, and preparing the way for a greater and mightier nation. The taciturn, grunting savage, heard the unwonted sound of laughter, in regions where that melody might not have been heard, since the long forgotten days of the mound builders, and he prepared to move further afield, away from his aggri'ssive and more power- ful brother. The sound of the axe and til© -crash of falling .iini her spoke of 440 Tuttle's His toby of Iowa. new life and animation. For the new comer there was in every bubbling spring a music full of the sweetness of the voices of children. The ripple of the river, flashing against its sides, spoke of towns that spring up amid the sterner sounds of daily toil, for a rich reward, in which all natural for- ces must become tributary to man's well doing. The territory of Iowa speedily won its advancement to the rank of a state and well desei-ved to partake in the struggles of a patriotic people. The first white settler in Buchanan county is supposed to have built his rude cabin in Quasquiton, or rather to be more precise, on the site which now bears that name, in 1842. His dwelling was on the east side of the Wapsipini- con, . and very soon afterwards other white men followed in his steps. Some of those who came early to Iowa were of poor character, but in the na- ture of things, men of that stamp were speedily erased. The first school taught in the county was held in a little log house in Inde- pendence, by a doctor of medicine, in 1848, while the French, under the subtle spell of Lamartine's eloquence, were dreaming of an impossible per- fection in government, among a people untaught and untiained for the realiza- tion of the highest good. Dr. Bennett began more wisely than the French poet, and we trust that his good works still follow him. Buchanan county appears to have been named and to have had its bounds defined by the first territorial legis- lature, which was convened in Iowa in 1837-8. The name was, no doubt, bestowed as a compliment to president James Buchanan. The location of a county seat was proceeded with in 1847, when Independence, the present site, was fixed upon, and that name of happy augury selected. The first elec- tion took place in August, 1848, after which the county was dissevered from Delaware county, which, until then, liad exercised some of the functions of government. The first regular term of court commenced in A-pril, 1849, aud was a remarkably unpretentious affair, iu a log cabin ; but the simplest effort at self government among a free aud enlightened people has more na- tive dignity than the operations of the most enligntened jurists, directed by the personal will of a tyrant, who rules without the concurrence of his sub- jects. Courts still more irregular, without the intervention of lawyer or witness, without plaintiff or defendant being heard, are said to have preceded the session of 1849 ; but the records are barren, and it is not easy to procure reliable evidence on the subject. _ Independence, as already mentioned, is the county seat, and the principal town in Buchanan county. The Iowa division of the Illinois Central rail- road, forms its junction here with the Milwaukee division of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota railroad. The town stands on both banks of the Wapsipinicon river, occupying a site of much natural beauty. The ground upon which the county seat is placed, slopes upwards sufficiently to afford some very conspicuous building sites ; and, of course, that conformation of the ground suffices to secure full and efficient natural drainage for the area. Where the town stands was a grove of oaks, some of them very fine indeed, and many stand, untouched to this hour, to attest how striking must have been the scene which suggested the name. Independence. The streets are broad and well graded, with numerous shade trees to render their special charm to business premises and the choice residences, where Lares and Penates are defended. In every direc- tion, far as the eye can reach, are roll- ing prairies, with here and there a glancing stream, making sunlight ex- quisite, and following the margins of each river and creek, a line or belt of consecutive groves of timber, to which have since been added farm houses, villa residences, and blooming orchards rich in promise, with all other insig- nia of agricultural excelltnce. Inde- pendence is conceded to be one of the best built towns in northern Iowa; and the streets being laid out at right an- gles, all that is most charming in style and substantial work, can be seen to perfection from every " coigne of 'van- tage." As before stated, the site of Inde- pendence was selected in 1847, and a portion of the town was surveyed and laid off in lots that same year. Hunt- ing and trapping was the pursuit which drew to this region the man to whom common rumor and tradition allots I the founding of the county seat. After Sketches of Counties. 441 many ezcursions in Iowa aud the ueighboriug states, he had the good taste to prefer the site upon which the town is situated, to any other that he might have chosen. Lacking the means to avail himself of the oppor- tunity which thus lay before him, he returned to Janesville, Wis., and there enlisted some capitalists in his design. That movement proved a success, both for the projector and his friends, and since that date the county seat has prospered beyond the most sanguine dreams of the ex-trapper. . A sawmill, driven by water power, came soon into requisition, to supply lumber better adapted to the wants of comfort loving men, than half squared logs. Circum- stances, for a time, made against the town, as there were malarious diseases consequent on the river being dammed, and stagnant water having to be used in daily diet ; but as soon as the dis- turbing causes had been ascertained, there were means found to render their continuance unnecessary, and now there are no signs of malarious disorders at Independence. Many families left the township after the first yeai', believing that good health could never be realized there, and very wisely preferring sound constitutions in good working order, to any possible increase of material wealth without these concomitants. Those who re- mained upon the ground reaped the reward of their faith. The first school ever taught in the county was held here; and as the prospects of the coun- ty brightened, scholastic opportunities kept pace with the growing imporU ance of the community. A better school being erected, the building was used in turn as church, school, court house, and place of assembly for every public use. The greatest difiBculty with which the people of Independ- ence had for some time to contend, was irregularity in the dispatch and receipt of maUs, the service being a secondary matter in the hands of the postmaster of Quasquiton, who wished to discourage the new town; but eventually that trouble came to an end. The city of Independence was incorporated in 1864; the first election being held in December of that year. Public schools in that city have, from the first, been matters of emulation, and may now be considered a justifi- cation for some pride. The buildings used are, in themselves, excellent; but the organization, arrangement, and efficiency of the staff of teachers, most heartily desei-ve commendation. The graded school was established in 1857, and has been growing in value ever since, winning reputation wherever its pupils have had an opportunity to show what Alma mater has done for them. The public buildings of the county consist of a court house, an asylum for the poor, and a jail; all these are good of their kind, the first and last named occupying the center of the original plat in the original ground plan of Independence. They are so placed as that the visitor can see therefrom an extensive panorama of natural beauty, improved now by industry and taste. The Buchanan County Agricultural Society was organized in 1870, and has succeeded admirably as a joint-stock company, having extensive grounds and a very valuable property. In every way the association has been a public benefaction, and it is likely to become more useful every year. In November, 1873, fire visited In- dependence disastrously; and, in the spring of the following year, a similar visitation, yet more destructive to prop- erty, swept over the city, but the recu- perative powers of the rising city speedily effaced the marks of ru^n. The asylum for the insane for Iowa, built in 1869, is situated on rising ground, about two miles from Inde- pendence. Where the building was erected, is an eminence nearly one hundred feet above the surrounding country ; consequently drainage is se- cured, and there are numberless springs of good water. The building was planned and drafted by a citizen of Madison, Wisconsin, and is a hand- some edifice, constructed of the beau- tiful limestone of the state, which re- sembles marble in the fineness of its general aspect. Quasquiton is an Indian name, uig- nifying " Rapid Waters." The town is situated near an old Indian ford, and upon its site, crossed by innumer- able trails of the red man, the first set- tlement in Buchanan county was planted in 1843. Litigation super- vened almost immediately after the' town was platted, and for want of sat- isfactory titles there were few improve- ments for nearly six years. After that 442 Tuttle's History of Iowa. time, changes for the better came rap- idly, and large hopes swelled the hearts of the people, but for want of railway communications, since that time the town has retrograded very considerably, and the water power which solicits use is but partly im- proved. Jesup is a village on the prairie, near the western borders of the coun- ty, but having been built where the in- terests of agriculturists can be fur- thered by transit of their produce on the Illinois Central Kailroad, the town grows. The population of Jesup is rapidly nearing one thousand souls, and a lively newspaper is published there. Winthrop is eight miles east of In- dependence, and the village contains about eight hundred inhabitants. It is pleasantly situated, and will rise in- to importance. Fairbanks is situated in the north- west of Buchanan county, and a good county trade is done there, but there does not seem to be any prospect of very rapid growth. Buchanan county is but half way on the road toward a good commence- ment, but already the name and wea,lth of Iowa have owed many good marks to the enterprise of this county, and there are signs which cannot be mis- takent that, ere another quarter of a century shall have passed away, this section of country will have aggre- gated to itself and produced enormous wealth. Buena Vista County is a compact section of country containing twenty- four square miles, or 368,640 acres, m the northwest of Iowa. The Little Sioux river meanders through the north of this county, furnishing, incidentally, a large body of timber for the settlers. The tributaries of this river, and sev- eral other streams not very considerable in themselves, give abundance of water for stock, and the drainage of the sur- face is almost perfect. Storm lake, in the southern part of Buena Vista, is a fine body of cl«ar water, with steep banks rising to the level of the beautiful prairie which stretches around in all directions to a great distance. Many such lakes, of smaller dimensions, dot the county, ad- ding to its charms as well as to its fer- tili^. The soil is very good, and nearly all cereals and root crops flour ish. The supply of timber is not so great as in some other counties named and quarries of building stone are few and small, but the granite boulders, distributed with a liberal hand over the surface of the country, supply all needs. There is a plentiful supply of clay in what is known as the " Blun deposit," and from that source build- ing materials can be obtained to al- most any extent. The streams and lakes are populous with excellent flsh, some of which are, or seem to be, pe- culiar to this section of country. Government surveys preceded settle- ment in Buena Vista county, as it was not until 1856 that the first stakes were driven for the residence of a white family, and the surveyors had gone over the ground in 1855. The bloody massacre of Spirit Lake eventuated in 1857, and that incident had the effeet of considerably dampening the ardor of settlement. The Indians, for that time, carried all before them, destroy- ing property, driving oflF cattle, mak- ing prisoners of men and women, re- serving for the climax the terrible deeds which have given Spirit Lake a fearful memory. Some of the very early settlers had ideas which were not compatible with civilized admin, istration of justice, but their own vio- lence provoking reprisals, eventuated in the county being rid of them at length. Sioux RAPros was the first town platted in Buena Vista county, and is located on the south bank of the Little Sioux river. This is the county seat, and much business is done in the town. The raid of the Indians through this county had a bad influence on the growth of this city ; but, since 1859, such alarms have been unknown, and the industrial enterprises of many thriving capitalists keep the best in- terests of Sioux Bapids in a flourish- ing condition. Stobm Lake is the name of a town built on the north bank of the beautiful lake, from which it is named. It is about eighteen miles from Sioux Rap- ids. The lake is about two miles across, and is altogether about five miles long, if the smaller lake adjoin- ing is taken into account. The origin of the lake cannot be easily traced, unless it is a small part of the great lake system which once stretched from MA Tuttle's History of Iowa. the Wabsatch mountains, in the Salt Lake country, to beyond Lake Erie. Map makers, drawing from their in- formation from traditions rather than from actual observations, describe the body of water as immensely larger than at present. Sometimes there are severe storms upon the lake, but usu- ally it is a favorite resort for sports- men and pleasure seekers, who like the peaceful pursuits of Izaak Walton, and do not agree with the satirist in de- scribing piscatorial delights as, "an operation with a stick and a string, having a worm at one end, and a fool at the other." There is an iron steamer on the lake, and a large assortment of shore boats, for which there is a con- siderable demand. The town has numerous flue build- ings and established industries, and the railroad company has a large de- pot and station, the best between JFort Dodge and Sioux City, which was com- pleted in 1870. The Buena Vista (Jounty Agricultural Society has fine grounds and substantial buildings at ihis point, having, been organized in lb73, and the operations of that associ- ation promise to be of great value to the county and to the state. Newell is a thriving town, situated on the railroad line, in the eastern part of the county, in the midst of a very rapidly improving agricultural region, for the convenience of which its value as a shipping point, -gives it import- ance. Th^ first house was built in 1869, and it has now a paper, as well as a mill, many business houses, and a church. Alta is seven miles distant from Storm Lake, to the west, and although the town was only platted in 1873, it has already commenced a very pros- perous career. The railroad reaches its greatest height at this point be- tween the Mississippi and the Missouri, hence the name ; and substantial build- ings erected by the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad Land Company, attest the expectation and resolve of those immediately interested, that Alta shall have a very prosperous future. The lands surrounding Alta are well adapted for farming, and improvements are being pushed ahead Mitli much vigor. Butler County is in the third tier from the Minnesota boundary, from which it is distant forty miles. The area of the county comprises five hun- dred and seventy-six square miles, con- sisting of sixteen congressional town- ships. The county is a perfect square, and consists of 367,070 acres, mainly of rolling prairie, very little of the sur- face being level, yet none precipitous. The main river, now known as the Shellrock, used to be known as English river. The course of this stream has been already noticed. The flow, of this stream is rapid, and it passes over a bed of sand and limestone, with a fall so rapid that its value for water powers must prove immense. The banks of the river are high, and well timbered, and much fish is foimd in the stream. The Cedar river has its west fork in this county, and the junc- tion of the two streams is effected in Black Hawk county. The stream is sluggish, and its bed muddy, with many marshes and morasses on its banks. Wild grass flourishes in the rank soil of these regions, but when cultivation is wisely pushed along the borders of this stream, good drainage will much improve the land. The Cedar has numerous small tributaries, which empty into theiwest fork of that river, in this county. Beaver river flows through the southern tier of townships, in Butler county, distant about two miles, on an average, from the boundaries of Grundy county. The stream is small and slow, generally, but in some localities it can be made availa- ble for milling purposes. The country is liable to occasional inundations along its course, and its borders are often marshy. Numerous beavers were settled in this stream from time imme- morial, but, for sufficient reasons, they have changed their camping grounds, of late years, and are not expected to return. Coldwater creek is a branch or feed- er of Shellrock river, running through the extreme northwest of the county. Marshes are not common in the coun- try drained by this creek, and much valuable land is improved along its banks. Hood creek is an eastern trib- utary of the same river, and there are other creeks and tributaries, such as Otter creek, which flow into the west fork of the Cedar river and the Beaver. The country is, as a whole, well dramed, and well water, of the best kind, can be found at the average Sketches of Counties. 445 depth of a little over twenty feet. Tim- ber can be found on almost all the streams, and many of the early settlers have improved their properties by planting groves of considerable size. The timber is generally valuable for building purposes, but v^e have no room for detailing descriptions. Wheat and oats do not come to great perfection on the light soil common In Butler county, but corn gives a fair crop generally. Away from the streams there is a rich black loam, which pro- duces cereals in almost any quantity. The subsoil is of yellow clay, in some parts, and gravel in others. Building materiiils are plentiful, and limestone quarries can be opened almost any- where. Boulders, from the glacial pe- riod, crop up through the soil in all directions. Clay and sand are abund- ant, and bricks of good quality can be made to meet and supply the local de- mand. Less than half the country is under tillage, but there will be a much larger proportion within a few years. Germans, Irish, English, Scotch, Norwegians and Swedes, with a few other admixtures, help to make up the population of 13,000 in Butler county, but the native American is a very con- siderable item in the aggregate, the main proportion coming &pm the New England states, and from New York. The affairs of the county are adminis- tered with economy, and the commun- ity is clear of public debt although the taxes collected are small. The Iowa division of the Illinois Central Bail- road, the Burlington Cedar Bapids and Minnesota, the Iowa Pacific Bailroads and the Cedar Valley branch of the Iowa division of the Illinois Central, are competitors for the service of the county with all that is required to keep this community abreast of civilization elsewhere, and it will be admitted that tiiere is no present orprospective 1 ikeli- hood of a dearth of transit, however much the productions of the county may increase. Some of the roads men- tioued have been assisted by local taxes and subscriptions which make a sum total of $116,568. Shellrock valley attracted the atten- tion of trappers and hunters from an early day, and as a consequence, the first settlements in the county were made in that delectable region. The first cabin is said to have been built there in 1850 on the site of Shellrock village. Many of the earliest settlers came with their families from Milton, Wisconsin, and that fact alone may be taken as evidence that they were an in- dustrious, patient, law abiding people. The wife of one of the earliest set- tlers was an expert with a rifle, and could " talk Injun " with the skill of an interpreter. Organization was effected in 1853 when the county seat was located at Clarksville, but in spite of the election of officers, the persons nominated refusing to qualify, it was not found possible to organize perma^ nently until October, 1854 The early days of the settlement were marked by considerable privations, some of the men having to do the work of pack mules in conveying provisions from distant points to their families. Coon Grove, now known as Clarksville, was the location of the first post office in the county, and the same spot was chosen at first as the county seat, but that honor now belongs to Butler Center. The first attempt at removal was made without avail in 1858, and a second effort was put forth in the fol- lowing year, when the vote gave the preference to the present location, but certain irregularities determined the courts to hold over the decision until the following year, after which upon a third vote, the removal was efl'ected. The first court house was built in 1857 in the center of Clarksville, but when its glory had departed with the remov- al of the records, the building became the property of the school district at a small price, little more than one eighth of the first expenditure, and it has be- yond doubt done more service to the county in its second term of usefulness than was possible during its first. The court house now in use in Butler Cen- ter is a very unpretentious affair, but enough for present demands. In the year 1874, there were two hundred and twenty-nine schools in Butler county, with fifty-five male teachers and one hundred and seventy-two female teach- ers, attending to the wants of more than three thousand six hundred pu- pils, of whom a little more than onerhalf attend on the average. There are three graded schools in the county, in Clarksville, Parkersburg and New Hartford. Butler county made a good record during the great rebellion ; the whole population of the county at the commencement of that 446 TVTTL^S HiSTOBT OF lOWA. terrible event being 3,7S4, and there were nearly three hundred volunteers enrolled, or whom many reenlisted, the rush to the front being considerably in excess of the quota. The families of those who went on service were liber- ally cared for during their absence by the county, and those who fell in the struggle were not forgotten nor their little ones neglected. CiiASKSViLiiB has a population of about eight hundred souls. The loca- tion of the town is very pleasant, and it has a good future in the near per- spective. The town is situated on the east side of Shellrock river, where the first settlements in this county were made, but this point is a long way from the geographical center of the county. The town was laid out in 1853. The Iowa Pacific and the Bur- lington, Cedar Bapids and Minnesota railroads intersect each other at this point, and there is no other railroad crossing at present in the county. The position of Uie town, its prosperous ag- ricultural surroundings, the facilities offered for shipment, and the enterprise of its people will long continue to up- hold the precedence won by Clarks- ville. Shsllkoce village is eight miles south of Clarksville, and both sides of the river are occupied by the village in question. The village was founded and stands in a beautiful grove. The Burlington, Cedar Bapids and Minne- sota Bailroad has a station in the vil- lage, and the Iowa Pacific passes the town at a short distance east. The vil- lage has several mills and some other permanent industries besides its chief reliance, the surrounding agricultural land. Population six hundred. Pakkbrsbtjrg is in the southern part of the county and is situated on the Iowa division of the Illinois Central Bailroad, having a population equal to to that of Shellrock village. The Du- buque and Sioux City Bailroad Com- pany first platted the village in 1865, and its facilities for shipments make it the depot for a very wide range of country. New Haktfokd is situated nine miles east of Parkersburg on the Iowa division of the Illinois Central Bail- road. The original platting took place in 1855, but the population is only about three hundred. Aplington is on the Illinois Central Bailroad, five miles from Parkersburg to the west, and boasts of about two hundred inhabitants. Gbbhne was laid out in 1871 on both sides of Shellrock river, and is served by the Burlington, Cedar Bapids and Minnesota Bailroad, but the pop- ulation is only about 350. West Point is a pleasant village in the west part of the county toward the center, with a population of about 200. BuTLBB Centkb is the coimty seat and is situated near the geographical center, but its population hardly ex- ceeds one hundred and fifty persons, and it has no commercial, manufactur' ing, or other features which would ren- der it of any moment but for the digni- ty of the seat of administration being there located. The town was laid out in 185ff, but it has not progressed and probably will never go ahead very ra- pidly. There are two other towns in the county, Dumont and Allison, but they are only towns on paper to.this date. Calhoun Coimty is twenty-four miles square, and therefore contains 368,640 acres, but less than twenty-seven thous- and acres appears to be under cultiva- tion, according to the census of 1875. Timber is scarce in this county, the average being one acre of wooded land to one thousand of prairie. The coun- ty is wholly on the Mississippi slope, the western portion being drained by Coon river and its tributaries. Lake creek. Camp creek and other streams, which are inconsiderable. Lizard riv- er sends its south fork to the north- east, draining several townships. Ttere are some narrow valleys with fertile bottom lands, but the paucity of tim- ber is a reliable commentary on the general value of the soiL The Twin lakes are beautiful and somewhat ex- tensive, embracing an area of about seventeen hundred acres. The most northern of the twins is about two miles and one half long, and on an average about half a mile wide. The shores of the lakes are studded with boulders of limestone and of granite, which present in some places the ap- pearance of a wall very rudely heaped up. The beds of the lakes are mixed of sand and gravel, and the depth of water seldom exceeds twenty feet Probably the two lakes were one at no distant date. There are several other Sketches . of Counties. 4i7 lakes of smaller extent but similar in their general characteristics, which do not call for more particular mention at present. The county is not rich in stone, there being but few quarries available, but the boulders already named give a supply not readily ex- haustible. Clay for brick making pur- poses is plentiful, and there is no lack of sand, consequently there will be no dearth of building materials of that kind, and when the county becomes more closely settled the agriculturist will see the benefit likely to result from planting groves. The several streams have terraces along their course, af- fording what are locally known as " second bottoms," and on these may be found the best farming lands in Cal- houn county. . Grazing lands will con- stitute the first great attraction to set- tlement in this county, as the native grasses arc plentiful and nutritious, and water can be relied on in any part of the district. The prairie lands undu- late considerably, and the higher eleva- tions are covered by a dark loam some- what intermixed with gravel, from which fair average crops can be ob- tained. The first white settler came to the site now embraced by Calhoun county, in 1854, and he was obliged to trans- port provisions from Fort Des Moines, a distance including necessary detours, of over one hundred miles, and as the crow flies, nearly eighty-five miles. The county was organized in 1855, and the first election held in August, of that year. The first school was taught in this county near Lake City in 1856. Lakb City is the county seat. It is located in the southern part of the county, in the midst of a fine agricultur- al country near North Coon river, and it , stands on high prairie land. The first house in the city was built in 1857, and a weekly paper is published here, ■ but the place does not advance very rapidly. Mausob is built in the northeastern part of the county, and being situated on the railroad line is destined to pros- pea*. The village is young, but it stands where it commands the shipment of a wide range of fertile country. PoMBKOT is built on the railroad line in the extreme north of the center of Calhoun county. The town was pro- jected and laid off by the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad and Land Company, and the country surround- ing Pomeroy being exceptionally fer- tile, farmers have been rapidly drawn thither, and the village grows. In some favored districts settlement pro- ceeds rapidly. Calhoun Cbntbk is, as the name implies, very near to the geographical center of the county, and may some day become the seat of administration. The Iowa and Pacific railroad will pass through Calhoun Center when it is completed. Carroll County is made up of beau- tiful prairie country, and is twenty-four miles square, containing sixteen con- gressional townships. The eastern por- tion of Carroll has a rolling surface, in some parts considerably broken, so that there is no monotony to be complained of in its scenery; and to the westward the face of the county is still more un- even, but the farmer finds little diffi- culty in accommodating himself to these inequalities, where the soil is of such a character as to repay his labor and outlay. In this county, the water- shed which divides the streams flow- ing toward the Mississippi from those running into the Missouri, has its highest ridge, which attains the alti- tude of 858 feet above the level of lake Michigan. The fertile valley of the Baccoon rivers can "be seen from this pinnacle, glowing in the sunlight with a promise of plenty, and turning from east and southeast to the south, Kishna- botany rivets the attention of observers, while towards the west, the valley of the Boyer supplies its quota of love- liness to the varied scene. Most of the streams ar^ small as they flow through this county to their respective destina- tions. The North Raccoon flows across the northeastern corner of the county. The Middle Raccoon is next in volume., Brushy Pork comes next. Storm creek is a tributary of Middle Raccoon and it drains the northern central sections, and the Willow creek serves the same purpose in the east. The North Rac- coon has excavated for itself a deep channel in the drift deposit, and its sometime broader stream must have dug out largely from the earth to make the fruitful valley through which it makes its course. In some places the sides of the valley rise with consider- able suddenness to heights of nearly one hundred feet. The Middle Rac- 448 Tvttle's History of Iowa. coon is bounded by high bluflFs on the west, by drift hills on the east, and the country ^adually rises to greater elevations. The same configuration of surface is repeated at Brushy Fork, where the valley is surrounded by ac- clivities, and by the land on either side of the East Nishnabotany, the Boyer river and Whitteds creek. Nearly all these streams are but little larger than brooks in their upper courses, but as they roll onward to their final destiny, they increase by every rill, and by numerous springs until they become important. Wells may be sunken in about any part of the well watered county with a certainty of success, but in some parts it is necessary to carry the sinking to much greater depths than in others. There are peat formations in some parts of this county, forming what are known as spring mounds, very inter- esting to students of natural pheno- mena, but we are precluded from giv- ing to these items more than a brief word in passing. The soil of Carroll county on the east side of Middle Raccoon is loam mixed with gravel, and very produc- tive, and on the west of that stream the bluff formation prevails, fruitful but cer- tainly peculiar. Timber may be found in greater or less quantity on the mar- gins of most of the streams, and there are many groves of great extent in dif- ferent parts of the county. Coal has not yet been found in situ, but in sinking wells there have been un- earthed many fragments which may have come from remote distances dur- ing the drift period, or may be due to much nearer sources. It is not im- probable that coal measures will be found in such positions as will give employment to large masses of labor. Peat will, in course of time, be utilized as fuel in Carroll county, but all the discoveries yet made in this line have been so mixed with gravel and sand as to be practically valueless. Q-ood build- ing stone is a desideratum, as the sand- stones, which generally prevail, are too easily disintegrated to be used with advantage. Clay for brickmak- ing can be had with little trouble, but some of the clays are so mixed with debris from the limestone formations, that the bricks are not burnable with- out converting the stone into quick- lime, which afterwards, on coming into contact with moisture, bursts the brick asunder. The first settlement in Carroll county- took place in 1854, and an election was held in the following year ; the first school being organized in 1856. An old Indian trail straight as the flight of an arrow, and known to old settlers as the " War Path," is still distinguish- able. It was the line of demarkation between the hunting grounds of Sioux and Pottawattomies, and any red man that dared cross, that path to hunt in the grounds of other tribes did so at the risk of his life. The tribes mentioned are said to have fought a terrible bat- tle once near the Crescent lake; but, perhaps, it would be difficult to find a lake, a valley or a watercourse, where such conflicts have not occurred. The battle in question is said to have re- sulted very much like the war between the Kilkenny cats, who fought until nothing remained but the tail of the victor, and in this fight near Crescent lake, an old warrior asserts, that the attacking party of Sioux was all de- stroyed, but not until the Pottawatto- mies were all killed with the excep- tion of three wounded braves. Casroll is the coun^ seat, and it is situated on the line of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, a little north of the geographical center of the county. The country round Carroll is very fertile, but settlers are yet at a premium. The town was laid out in 1867, and its progress has been satis- factory. The shipments by the line mentioned are large and increasing, and a very good business is efliected in supplying the wants of agriculturists. The school system of Carroll county has had much attention wisely given to its furtherance, and the results are visible. Places of worship have also been provided from almost the earliest days of the settlement, and other in- stitutions have kept pace. There are three newspapers published in Car- roll, one German and two English. The town is evidently destined to make headway. Q-LIDDKN is on the Northwestern Railroad in the eastern portion of the county, and its principal reliance is on the «avaritages which it can ofifer to the farmers as a place of shipment for their produce. The town was laid out in 1856, and is the center of a large agricultural district. 450 Tuttle's History of Iowa. Cakbollton was at one time the county seat, and is the oldest town in the county, having been laid out in 1856. It stands in the southeastern part of the county and forms the cen- ter of a fine farming and grazing country, which will eventually com- mand every facility for transit and com- merce. Arcadia, Browning, Coon, Rapids and Elbe, are villages and postofflces of various importance in the county, but all dependent on the future for a celeb- rity that must yet be won. Cass County is situated on the Mis- souri slope and it contains the custom- ary twenty-four square miles of terri- tory. The position indicated will show at a glance that Cass county is a well drained and tolerably well watered section of the state of Iowa. Among the larger streams may be mentioned the East Nishnabotany, Indian Creek, Turkey creek, and Seven Mile creek which take rank in the order in which they stand and afford good water powers for milling and facto- ries. The altitude of this county at its highest point is nine hundred and twenty feet above the low water mark of the Mississippi at Davenport ; hence It will be seen that the prevailing characteristic of the region is the re- verse of tame and level. Undulating prairie is the feature most striking. Away from the rivers, and near every water course may be found belts of timber and detached groves which ag- gregate twelve thousand acres in the whole area. This gives a very liberal per centage of wooded land; enough for all needs, and it is the more valuable because it is distributed throughout the county. The soil is rich and pro- ductive, farmers finding little or no difficulty in producing root crops, cereals, and fruits of every kind prop- er to a temperate climate. On either side of the principal streams are val- leys of various extent in which are lo- cated some of the most luxuriant farms that can be found in Iowa. The Nish- nabotany valley is especially noticea- ble for this feature, and it may be said further, that almost every acre of land in the county will pay for the very highest cultivation. Cass county is well adapted for Btock raising as well as for farming. many of the farmers having timber shelter for their cattle as well as water for all requirements, so that an active minded, enterprising man can make summer and winter play into each others' hands for his profit. Thousands of locations can be found where all these advantages conjoin, and among intelligent agriculturists, such bene- fits do not go a begging. The number of stock farmers already settled in Cass is a good commentary on the fore- going facts, and most of the men who have gone into that line of business have come out of the big end of the horn. Grasses, native, as well as im- ported are well nourished by the soil and genial rains of Cass county, and the sleek coats of the cattle tell of their prosperity under their liberal dietary scale. Growing timber is quite a pursuit among farmers who have turned their attention to stock, and substantial hedges are to be seen on every hand. Osage orange hedges were at one time thought valueless in Cass county, but improved systems of cultivation have brought them back into repute, and they are now in high favor. Such hedges on prairie land have a beauti- ful effect, and they are of great utility as well as charming to the eye. Ap- ples, pears, cherries and small fruits generally, are produced in this county with comparatively little trouble, and much profit, as might easily be sup. posed by the most cursory observer, noting the large average of country employed in their growth,. The county has good roads, conse- quently there is no difficulty in con- veying produce to local markets or to ports of shipment, a matter of very ^reat importance to the agricultur- ist. The community is well supplied with school houses near every center of population and within easy dis- tance of every aggregation of farms. The school buildings are good and the teachers, as a rule, keep school for . nine months in every twelve. That fact is creditable to the good sense of the population, and it says a great deal for the perseverance of those engaged in tuition. There are good quarries in the county, the dark brown sandstone ob- tained in the Xishnabotany valley be- ing prime favorite. The town of Lewis is very near to the best quarries. Sketches of Counties. 451 Good stone for the manufacture of lime is also procurable. A deposit of mineral paint has been found in Edna township, and the material in ques- tion is in great demand. So far as the supply can be gauged at present there is no fear of its speedily running out, as it covers a large area and varies in thickness from one foot to three. Coal has not yet been found, but the strata that usually overlie the coal meas- ures are commonly found, and it is is probable that when deep mining is resorted to, the carboniferous stratum will give an entirely new direction to industries. The county has no public debt, nor has there been an incubus of that kind to be carried by the community dur- ing the last decade. This circum- stance deserve more notice, because the result has not been attained by mere stinginess, as the liberality of Cass county in school matters is al- most proverbial. In the year 1873, when the popula- tion of Cass county was only seven thousand all told, the sum expended in school buildings and organizations showed a grand total of $45,000, in that year, and since that date thei-e has been no falling off. The early traditions and records show that when in 1845-6, the Mor- mons came through their troubles at Nauvoo, they came to the high lands on the west of the Nishnabotany river and there established a station which they named Indian Town. The Potta- wattomies had a village near their lo- cation and the Mormons always made it a point to stand well with their red neighbors, whom they complimented in naming their location. That Mor- mon settlement remained long after the saints had made their departure across the continent toward the setting sun, and found their permanent home in Salt Lake City. Indian Town was the principal trading station for many years, and being on the track most used between the two great rivers, the Mississippi and the Missouri, a large measure of prosperity was realized by residents therein. Well cultivated farms are now to be found where the Mormons tarried in Iowa, and the furrows of innumerable plows have erased their foot prints, as though it were resolved that no sign of their presence should be handed down to posterity. During their stay in the territory, they were not bad neighbors to any other class, for none but the Indians lived near them, and the fol- lowers of Joe Smith and Brigham Young were wise enough to know that the^ could not steal much from a tribe ot Indians without making a trade in scalps. As late as 1854, a store was kept at Indian Town, but since that time the commercial importance of the site has departed. Permanent settlement had already commenced, and the "Cold Spring" post office at Indian Town was the first in the county. The first settlers date their coming from the year 1851. Organization Commenced in 1852, when the first election was held, and thirteen votes were polled by a community which numbered one hundred possible electors. County or- ganization dates from the following year. Lewis was located as the county seat in March, 1853 ; but, after a spir- ited contest, in which electioneering zeal did its best on both sides, the scat of administration was changed, in 1869, after sixteen years' enjoyment of the sweets of empire. Atlantic is the couuty seat of Cass at the present time, and will probably continue to enjoy that distinction. The population of Atlantic numbers two thousand. The town was laid out in 1868, and, in January, 1869, there was rejoicing beyond measure among the pioneers upon the arrival of the first railway train. The eounty seat was changed to Atlantic the same year, and from that time Atlantic has been marching on as persistently as the spirit of John Brown. The Chicago, Bock Island and Pacific Bailroad makes Atlantic the point of shipment for an immense extent of agricultural land, and that secures a large amount of business of every kind for its traders. The town is located on high ground, which gradually rises' into beautiful hills facing the north. To the south- west is a fine grove of timber, and its western limit almost touches the Nish- nabotany river. There is a beautiful public park in the main business street of the town, and many excellent build, ings have been erected for residence and for commerce. There are good schools in Atlantic, well built, of brick, and administered by men and women thoroughly imbued with the most ad- 452 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. yanced thought on popular instruction. There is no place in Iowa, all things considered, with which Atlantic might not advantageously compare in the matter of school accommodations and efficiency. There are three newspapers published in the town, and two banks are engaged in profitable business, which attracts clients from surround- ing counties to this county seat. Lewis, once tie county seat, is on the east side of the Nishnabotany river, seven miles southwest of Atlantic, the successful rival. The town was once on the main line of travel, but the ad- vent of railways has put the place on the side track. The course of events will some day advance Lewis again to the front. Akita is a prosperous little railroad town on the northeast of the county, and it is growing rapidly. WiOTA lies between Atlantic and Anita, being a station on the same line of railroad, and being supported by a fine ran^e of agricultural land, it will rapidly increase. Marne is a station six miles west of Atlantic, and it grows rapidly by rea- son of its advantages. Newlan's Grove, Whitneyville and Wilson's are post offices only. Cedar County is one of the counties on the eastern boundary of the state, the counties which bound it lying on the Mississippi river. The county is twenty-four miles square. The Cedar river gives its name to the county, which is very well adapted for farm- ing and stock raising. Drainage and water supply are alike secured by the configuration of the country. Some small tracts of land may be found which are too level, but generally the rolling and broken surface does for the agriculturist what must be secured by heavy expenditure elsewhere, and it is rare to find a section of country in which the skill of the farmer will not procure good returns upon wise in- vestment. The valley of the Cedar is noted everywhere throughout the state for its fertility, and this county offers no exception to that rule. Farmers who are located there, need only time, if they are moderately industrious, to become flourishing men, with goods and gear in abundance. In the bottoms, the soil is a rich, dark loam mixed with sand, and hav- ing great depth, to which subsoil plows can reach with advantage. In the higher lands the same description of soil is found, minus the sand, and not quite so deep. Oak openings, and some few sandy knolls may be named among the poorest soil in the county, but even these, when the best lands have been occupied and improved, will be found possible to cultivate success- fully, and prepare the way for an ever- increasing population. Clay, without a.ny hard pan, is the subsoil generally, and that stratum is well adapted for all seasons, wet or dry, as it avoids extremes, and seconds the labors of the farmer. It would be difficult to name a description of crop which may be grown in temperate climates and which does not flourish in Cedar county, consequently it is not necessary to give a detailed list of pro- ductions. The farm and the orchard are alike fruitful, and stock wiU flour- ish there abundantly. Indeed, as a stock raising country it cannot be excelled, and the farmers here have turned their attention to the procure- ment of all the best breeds of cattle, knowing that the poorest animals cost as much in care and feed as the most valuable, while the returns are beyond comparison in favor of the breeds that unite all excellencies. The Cedar river is the largest in the state, with the exception of the Des Moines, and its importance to the county which bears its name cannot be overstated. Bock and Sugar creeks are among the main tributaries of the Cedar river, and there are numerous other and smaller streams which in- crease its volume, many of these being springs. The Wapsipinicon river also flows through the county, receiving confluents which drain the northeast- ern part of the country. At Cedar Bluffs there is a remarkably good wa- ter power, which has not yet been taken up for manufacturing purposes, but competent engineers say that the state has nothing to excel the location now under review. A power capable of operating one hundred and sixty run of millstones, or other machinery equivalent thereto, will not long wait for proper employ- ment. Other powers will also com- mand attention, when capital and la- bor are brought into closer commu- nion. Sketches of Counties. 453 Along the Cedar and its tributaries there is a supply of timber, as also along the course of the Wapsipinicon, but, generally, the wooded wealth of the county is not great. Borne valu- able groves are sparsely scattered over the territory, and there are indications that the farmers, appreciating the value of trees for other reasons besides the worth of the wood, will give much attention to the increase of groves upon their estates. Stone for building purposes is sim- ply inexhaustible along the several streams, and there is no end of stone from which quicklime can be ob- tained. Light colored magnesian lime stone can be procured from a quarry near Cedar Blufis, which will be im- mensely valuable when it can be cheaply landed in Chicago and other metropolitan cities, where beauty and durability in building materials are duly appreciated. For the present, that form of wealth is merely waiting for cheap transit. Sand and clay fit for brick making are easily accessible. Railways are desiderata in the growth of newly settled countries, be- cause by their means those who desire 80 to do can come from any distance to examine the people and places with which they propose to associate their fortunes, and those who are on the spot can procure all the aid that they desire to increase their efficiency. The Chicago and Northwestern Bail, road passes east and west through the northern townships in Cedar county, and has a branch running to the coun- W seat, which leaves the main line at Dtanwood. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific also contributes the civiliz- ing influence of its facilities to a part of the country. The Burlington, Ce- dar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad passes through Springdale and Gower townships, and the Davenport and St. Paul passes through the northeast cor- ner. Besides these several lines there is a new line projected which will pass east and west through the county, striking Tipton, the county seat. • These several roads may be taken as an indication that the people of the district named are in accord with the spirit of the age. The school house at Tipton was, at one time, considered the best building in the state; it was erected at a cost of 145,000, is centrally situated in a beau- tifully shaded park, and attracts ad- miring notice from every visitor. The public schools of the county approach a very high standard of excellence, and the teachers are far in advance of many who are located in metropolitan positions. Institutes are very often held in the county, and by such means a very desirable spirit of emulation is maintained, from which all classes must eventually obtain excellent re- sults. In the rural districts the schools are seldom costly structures, but they ^ are customarily well adapted and sub- stantial. There are no reliable records as to the earliest settlers in Cedar county, but tradition usually comes near the mark in such matters, and such ru- mors and evidences have been consult- ed for our history. It seems probable that the earliest permanent settler came to the territory in 1836, but the improvements at first projected were not very extensive. It was the day of small things, but the new comers made the best of circumstances. The county was organized in the spring of 1838, an act to that effect having been passed by the territorial legislature in the preceding year, and the first election was held in March, 1838, and the county seat was located at Tipton, in the center of the county. TrpTON, the county seat, is very hand- somely situated in the geographical center of the county, and it has three papers devoted to the interests of the city and county. The city comprises an area of over four hundred acres, located upon a high, gently rolling prairie, surrounded by farming lands, which are in the hands of men well qualified to make them do their best. The town was laid out in 1840, and set- tlement followed with little delay, but the growth has not been rapid. CiiABBNCB is located on the line of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, in the northern part of the county. The town is incorporated, and is grad- ually increasing, its main importance arising from the fact that it is the de- pot used by agriculturists in a flourish- ing country, pending opportunities for shipment, and that fact leads to other business. MECEANicsyrLLB is a town of con- siderable size, which will rise into still greater importance in the course of the next decade. There is a station 454 TuTTLhfs History of Iowa. of the Chicago and Northwestern Rail- road at Mechanicsville, and a large business is transacted; it is destined to be the depot of the northwest of Ce- dar county. LoNDOir is an incorporated town, not yet very large, but being situated on the railroad, on the eastern line of the county, it will probably have consid- erable growth. Stajtwood is situated on the same line of road, eight miles north of Tip- ton, near Clarence. Dtjbant is a good shipping station on the Chicago, Rock Island and Paci- fic Railroad, in the southeast of the county. A large business is done there, and the town is incorporated. Downey is situated about forty miles west of Davenport, on the line of road last named. Centbbdalk is a station on the Bur- lington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad, in the southwest of Cedar county. West Branch, on the same line of road, does a good and increasing bus- iness in the midst of a good country. Massillon is a station on the Dav- enport and St. Taul Railroad, in the northeast of the county, and a good shipping business is transacted there. Rochester at one time might have been (he county seat, but for the fact that Tipton came out ahead. It is one of the old towns located on Cedar riv- er, eight miles from the county seat. Cedar BluflFs, Gower's Ferry, Ireland and Springdale, are the small villages and postal stations in Cedar county. Cerro Gordo Connty is a county of twenty-four square miles, sixteen cou- fressional townships, with an area of 68,^40 acres in northern Iowa. A sur- face pleasantly diversified, more par- ticularly in the eastern portion may be given as a general description of the region. The valleys of numerous creeks and streams are excellent local- ities for farming operations, and the county is altogether well drained and watered. The prairie lands are much broken, and in the northwest where the lowest range is found there are exten- sive marshes, but as a rule the prairie lands are dry, rolling, and high, conse- quently well drained. The marshes will admit of easy drainage should new comers ihink that work desira'jle. There is no considerable stretch of country anywhere in the county unfit for agriculturail pursuits. Clear and rapidly running streams sus- tained by springs, may be said to be the rule in Cerro Gordo, and this fea- ture of the river system affords more numerous and valuable sites for mill- iug purposes here than in many other counties. Machinery drawn by water power upon the river banks will in the course of a few years at the farthest make land here very valuable. The east part of the county has the lead in the possession of the largest streams, in greater number, than the west. Shell- rock river, with whose name we are already familiar, flows from northwest to southeast through the county, and is quite a rapid stream, making its way through limestone beds and offering for improvement a great many excel- lent water powers. Lime river, also known as Lime creek, is a tributary of the Shellrock river and the most important stream for the county, as it affords a water course thirty miles in length, and ex- clusive of ite numerous tributaries, it traverses five townships, draining and watering a vast area of soil. Limestone furnishes the bed over which this creek or river meanders, and that fact will help our readers to an idea of the geo. logical formation of the country. One of the most important tributaries of the last mentioned stream is Willow creek, an outlet in part of Clear lake. The northern half of Cerro Gordo is well supplied by the streams just enumer- ated and their several confluents. The southern part of the county is supplied by Coldwater creek, Beaver Dam creek and their branches. Wells from ten to thirty feet deep will procure splendid water in any part of this county, and there are few sec tions which have not one or more beautiful springs. Clear lake is claimed to be the Sara- toga of the west, and is the only con- siderable body of water in the county. Its length is about six miles, its great- est breadth three miles, and its average about two miles. The greatest depth yet ascertained is twenty-flve feet, and fish in great variety can be obtained there. Pike, pickerel, buffalo, bass and other descriptions of the finny tribe afford employment to some and sport to others during the proper season. The waves which sometimes dash with 456 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. great force against the margin of the lake, have washed away the soil until a wall of boulders has been reached which effectually stays encroachment. Several thousand acres of timber are massed at the south side and at the east ' end of the lake. The waters of the lake are at times as clear as lake Tahoe, and from that circumstance the distinctive name is taken. The bottom is covered with pebbles. The only outlet of the lake is Lime creek, which fed by such a body of water supplies an easily con- trollea and constant power. A flour- ing mill has been built to avail itself of this motive, but there is room for much more enterprise. Timber is plentiful in the northern portion of the county, the common va- rieties being of course the bulk. Shell- rock river. Lime creek. Clear lake and extensions from the several locali- ties named are the main promoters of that liberal supply. In the east Owen's grove is mainly relied upon, and in the south Lime grove meets the wants of the settlers, as well for fuel as for lumber. The southwest is but ill sup- plied with wood, but extensive peat marshes give fuel in exhaustless quan- tities. Twenty thousand acres of tim- ber is said to be now available in the county, and however rapidly popula- tion may increase, that bulk of grow- ing wood will meet all wants. Until the wonderful water powers just mentioned come to be fully im- proved, the main dependence of Cerro Gordo must be upon its fertile soil, at all times an indispensable adjunct to the highes*: order of prosperity. When in the march of events property shall have reached its appreciation, and the demand for mills and factories shall have become developed, the rivers will have additional duties to perform in the work of enriching, as well as feed- ing the dwellers on their banks. _ Corn, wine and oil were in olden times considered necessary to the wealth of a people, but in modern days wine takes the place of oil with the major part of the dwellers in towns, with whom more potent and deadly stimulants are not deemed essential. When we grow wiser, oil will become popular as anarticleof diet, and there- upon the demand for stimulants will gradually die. The soil of Cerro Gor- do can be made to produce corn and oil in sufficient quantity, and the fruits, cereals and roots, good for man's suste- nance, and to feed his cattle during winter, can be raised there as favorably as in any other part of Iowa. Stone is plentiful as well for lime making as for direct use in building. Quarries of various extents have been opened in many parts of the county. The magnesian limestone which has been mentioned several times else- where, can be procurred in its very best condition in this county, and is used for the very highest purposes as dressed stone and in heavy masoniy. Other varieties of stone differing in color and texture have been found, but it is not practicable nor desirable that our pages should be converted into an exhaustive catalogue. Coal is not sought for in this county as the geological examination of the strata places the presence of that kind of fuel beyond hope, but timber is pres- ent, and can be raised in abundance, there are peat mosses of gfeat extent, and there are all the advantages of rail- road transit to bring coal from other parts of this continent, while the rivers and other streams will give a cheap and endless motive power for all ma- chinery. Sand and clay are plentiful, and will be used largely to supplement the mineral wealth of building materals, already named. Clear lake was the camping ground of the first settlers in this county, where rude cabins were built in 1851. Elk and buffalo calves were the im- mediate objects of their pursuit, but circumstances mastered their roving intentions and they remained for the winter in their beautiful selection to which they afterwards caused their families to be brought. For some con- siderable time their nearest neigbors were fifty miles distant at Bradford, Chickasaw, where also only a very few families had congregated. Sometimes the Indians came among them revisit- ingold hunting grounds and fishing stations, but the red men were not ob- jects of disquietude among the adven- turous residents by Clear Lake. Two years later a settlement was made on Lime creek, and from that time onward the work of colonization went on by slow and irregular progres- sion until land was put into the mar- ketfor sale in 1854. The Indians have been mentioned as occasionally return- Sketches of Counties. 457 ing to Clear Lake, which was now neutral territory. These were mostly Winnebagoes who were friendly to the whites. Some time afterwards when the friendly Winnebagoes came there to camp and fish, the Sioux came down in force to exterminate them and some blood was shed, but the settlers inter- fered on behalf of the Winnebagoes, and worse consequences were avoided. The Sioux gave trouble subsequently, but prudent courage terminated the imbroglio. Grazing and stock raising will long continue among the most profitable pursuits in Cerro Gordo county. Cli- mate, soil, and grasses unite with ex- cellent power to aflford all that the good farmer wants to make those ven- tures successful and latterly the grow- ing demand for cheese has made dairy farming another and more valuable branch of the same occupation. Few counties in northern Iowa are better endowed with facilities for travel and traffic than Uerro Gordo. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul com- pany by their Iowa and Dakota divis- ion pass through the county near the center from east to west, and at Mason City that branch crosses the central railroad of Iowa. The Mason City and Minnesota railroad runs to Austin direct, from the first named city, and the Btu'lington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota road also passes up the val- ley of the Shellrook. Thus nearly every section of the county is covered or reached by the iron road, and the steam horse is heard in the land. Mason City, the county seat of Cerro Gordo, is built on the banks of Lime creek, a few miles northeast of the geographical center. Masonic Grove was the name first given to the site, most of the early settlers there in 1854, being reverent followers of Hiram, and pursuers of the long lost secrets which he so resolutely defended. The town has good timber, good water, ex- cellent powers for machinery and un- exceptional railway facilities, added to which may be mentioned, a flourishing agricultural countiy to which it is the best outlet, and the seat for the admin- istration of its county business. The town is very well built and the resi- dences are models of beauty. Most of the settlers came from New England and the eastern states. There is very little of the foreign element iu the I)opulation of Mason City. The pub-' lie school is a large building of stone, occupying and adorning a prominent position, and the manner iu which it is directed is highly satisfactory. There are few towns of its size doing a more extensive and profitable trade than Mason City, and the nearness of the town to Clear Lake, only about six miles distant, makes the city a rendez- vous for pleasure seekers during the season. Clear Lake was laid out in 1856, and being a station on the Milwaukee and St. Paul raijroad with good hotel accomodations, it becomes every year more favored by visitors to the beauty of the lake which it overlooks. Plymotjth is a town on the Shell- rock river, which was laid out in 1857. RocE Falls is about three miles be- low Plymouth on the same river, and was laid out two years earlier than that town. The water powers avail- able here will some day enrich the place. BocEWELL is little more than a sta- tion on the Central railroad of Iowa, but being in the center of good farm- ing lands, the place must become im- portant. PoBTLAND is Similarly promising and for like reasons, on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad. Cherokee Connty is of the 'accus- tomed dimensions, twenty four miles square and its average need not be stated. The county is well watered and drained, having numerous streams which flow south and southeast, through its best vallies. Little Sioux river is one of the largest of those streams, and it flows diagonally across the whole extent of the county. West Branch is a tributary of Little Sioux which flows through and drains sev- eral townships in the north. The west fork of Little Sioux flows through sev- eral townships before joining the main stream, and the waters are well sup- plied with flsh excellent iu quality and various in kind. The surface of the county is rolling and broken, but little of it beyond the skill of the agriculturist to improve, and the soil is of excellent quality, be- ing of the kind known as bluflf deposit with vegetable mould covering it, so that almost every growth desired by the farmers can be obtained from the 468 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. willing earth. Little Sioux, Maple Creek and Mill Creek valleys are highly favored locations, a farm in either of which is provision for life for the fortunate occupants. There are fine groves of native timber along the several streams indicated and the sceneiy is largely improved thereby. Boulders of granite, red quartzite and magnesian lime stone are scattered plentifully over the prairies, but there have been no quarries worth mention- ing exposed, but clay is procurable and apparently must have been in re- quest here ages ago, as many speci- mens of the pottery of the mound builders have been preserved here in their characteristic monuments. Their artificial eminences have attracted much notice along the course of Mill Creek, and it is possible that these burrows may be explored with advantage when their importance becomes more immediately apparent to the settlers. We should be as much interested in the records of )ur civli- zed predecessors on this- continent as in the movements of the Babylonians, or the Ninevites as revealed by an- cient buildings buried beneath the dust of centuries, but there is a time for everything. Beautiful water, where it does not force itself through the soil at the foot of the wayfarer, can always be obtained by sinking a well to a depth of a very few feet. The climate of this portion of Iowa challenges comparison with any other county in the state. Mill sites can be found sufficient to cover all demands. The Milford, Massachusetts, Emi- gration Society, in the spring of 1856, sent a colony from that town to make a settlement in this portion of Iowa, every member being entitled to one hundred acres. The best timbered land of the Little Sioux river was thus selected at one heat, and the associa- tion went on with its work upon the cooperative principle, so far as that every member had an interest in the general prosperity. They were not all well qualified to become ntrmers, many having a positive genius for shoemak- ing, to which eventually they found their way back, greatly to the advan- tage of the understandings of their neighbors. When the Sioux were on their way to the perpetration of the Spirit Lake massacre, they made a raid through this county, seizing the weapons of the settlers and offering violence to some who showed resistance, but no lives were lost during that time in Cherokee county. The effect of that raid and of the massacre which immediately fol- lowed, in 1857, cooperated with the great rebellion soon to commence to retard settlement here and elsewhere, or to call off those who had put their hands to the plow, and in any case to prevent improvements. There was a kind of block house built where the town of Cherokee now stands, and a band of soldiers there kept the peace of the neighborhood for a considerable time, but the ghost raised by the Spirit Lake massacre could not be exorcised. Until the year 1863 there were very- few whites in the county. Pilot Rock is the best noted feature in the scenery of Cherokee county, and has long been a landmark for travelers across the prairies. The rock is a pinnacle of hard red granite, from which the top has been broken at dif- ferent times, the detached masses being scattered around its base, until the actual top is about twenty feet from the surface of the soil, and is a plain, tending toward a basin in the middle. This rock belongs to the boulder sys- tem of the glacial period; but having been in the country long before the oldest inhabitant, it is by many treated as a native ; hence the broken and de- moralized aspect which Pilot Rock presents to the world at large. The rock is deeply imbedded in the soil. Chbkokke is the county seat, and is located in an almost central position, at a point where the Dubuque and Sioux City railroad is intersected by the Little Sioux river, about midway between Sioux City and Port Dodge. The site of the village is picturesque, as it is surrounded by gentle bluffs, which protect it partially from rude blasts, without shutting out the beauty of the landscape. The Bioux river winds its way to the south through the valley, going to its home in the bosom of Missouri. The waters of that stream are clear as crystal, and well stocked with fish. The timber on the banks of that river adds materially to the charms of the landscape, and it may be as well to say here that Cherokee county, taken for all in all, has more wooded land than ten of its neighbor- Sketches of Counties. 459 ing counties massed together. The water in this county is equal to the best in Iowa. The village was located in August, 1870, although there had been a few buildings put up prior to that date. The first school house was erected in 1873, and that institution is presided over with due care to the best interests of the pupils. There are sev- eral handsome church edifices in the {place. ; The growth of the county seat has been rapid but yet substantial, and it still continues to push ahead, every year adding materially to its business premises and the detached residences of its wealthier families. There is a very fine bank building and two news- papers are published in the village. AuBBLiA is a village on the rai&oad, situated in the eastern part of Chero- kee county, and surrounded by fertile prairie, very beautiful to behold. The main support of the village arises from the facilities which it can afford for the shipment of produce. Eazabd is a small village, only six miles from the county seat, and situ- ated on the same line of railroad. The country around Hazard has a beautiful appearance, and being fertile, as well as moderately improved, the agricul- turists avail themselves largely of the village as a point of shipment for travel and freight. Mascub is a village much like Haz- ard, except for the fact that it has a fine little stream, known as Eleven Mile Bun, which passes through the whole extent of the hamlet. The situation of the station on the same line of road as Hazard, six miles west of that place, makes it an object with many settlers to effect their shipment at that point. Pilot Rock and Washte are post- offlce stations only at present, but there are indications that before long resi- dences will surround these often vis- ited localities. Chickasaw Connty contains an area of five hundred and four square miles, in the northwest part of the state, in the third tier from the Mississippi river. The surface of Chickasaw county is more level than most of the counties named, but yet imdulating pleasantly in most parts. A narrow strip of country in the southwestern township, near Cedar river, is the only rolling land in the county. The coun- ty is traversed by no less than seven streams of considerable size, fiowing parallel to each other toward the south, east, and these, with their several trib- utaries and branches, drain and water the range of country abundantly. The rapid currents of these several streams have not cut deep into their channels so hard is the bed of rock which they traverse. The water powers of Chick- asaw county are very valuable, and a fair average of them have already been taken up and partially improved, but there will remain a lai-^e opening for the employment of capital and labor for many years to come, when manu- factories are demanded to supply the wants of the county, furnishing to the agriculturist an invaluable local mar- ket for all his produce. That time can- not be distant for Chickasaw. Following the several streams is a supply of timber, but not more than enough to meet the demands of a small population ; and when the-country be- comes more thickly settled, it will be necessary for the farmers to plant arti- ficial groves, from which they will obtain good returns. The railroads have given facilities for the procure- ment of pine lumber from a distance, and the use of such material is more conducive to economy than the con- sumption of native woods. The presence of so many streams in the county would make it difficult to understand the poverty of timber men- tioned, but for the fact, that tradition and experience make known the preva- lence of prairie fires in the days pre- ceding settlement, and these visitations were terribly destructive to wood. Now that settlers possess the land and have adopted customary precau- tions to prevent conflagrations there are many small groves springing up, and within twenty years from date, even although no planting should be undertaken, the county will be- come much bettei wooded in propor- tiou to an increased population than it is now, for the small numbers lo- cated. Along the Cedar river the best belts and groves are located in the southwest of Chickasaw county. The general character of the geo- logical formation shows limestone in different tints and thicknesses, and in some of the quarries the quality of stone exposed is very good. Materials for brickmaking can be found in 460 Tuttle's History of Iowa. almost every locality, and lime being easily obtainable, building can go on apace. When the county first claimed at- tention as a field for settement, it was feared that a large portion of the land was too low and wet for agricultural purposes, but upon more careful in- spection it was discovered that the circumstances which converted large areas into marsh were mainly acci- dental or trivial, and good drained land is now the rule. Many of the swamps complained of stood on high prairie, and in consequence, the very simplest operation sufficed to carry off the surplus moisture, leaving a soil of great value ready for profitable oc- cupation. The natural drainage of the county is good, but the rivers hav- ing been unable to cut deep lines into the hard limestone, it often happened that the fall did not suffice to keep the land dry. The soil and subsoil are all that the most exigent farmer could desire.* The wild grasses which have flourished on the surface for cen- turies sometimes rotting and occason- ally burnt off, have left a coating of vegetable mould upon a deep black loam which will not require dressing of any kind until some years of culti- vation have reduced its richness. The subsoil is of drift deposit underlaid by clay, gravel and sand, more or less intermixed. This formation is not well adaj)ted for drainage, but a few trenches in convenient positions sup- ply every shortcoming. As soon as cultivation commenced, the faults of the county began to disappear, and there is now a very general content- ment with the drainage possibilities of the county. The plow is the best reniedial agent. The land which has cost most trouble in breaking it into service is found to be most enduring now that it is available for use, and the productiveness of the farm lands in Chickasaw, in proportion to their extent, will bear favorable comparison with those of any other settled county in the union. Wheat, corn, oats and barley, are the principal grain products of Chickasaw county, wheat taking the lead. The farmers have given their attention to stock raising, and the luxuriance of native and tame grasses makes the country specially suitable for that branch of enterprise. Mixed farming is found to be the best hold in this county, and the greater breadth of oc- cupations has many advantages, as it permits of rotation in crops and con- stant renewal of fertility. The county produces all the farm growths neces- sary for domestic and general con- sumption, leaving always a fair sur- plus for market. There are but few quarries of build- ing stone at present exposed, but the quality and quantity of lime stone observable in beds of the numerous streams may be accepted as a guaran- ty that materials for building will never stand at a very high premium. Theagicultural resources of the county must constitute the main reliance of the present generation of settlers, but eventually, the well endowed sons of the present race of farmers will be- come manufacturers, giving employ- ment to thousands where a few hun- dreds are now flg;hting the battle of life. Flouring mills have been estab- lished at convenient points, but the highest value must some day, before long, be obtained by the adaptation of the unrivalled water powers of the streams to the highest orders of ma- chinery. The manufacture of woolen goods, agricultural implements and other such industries, will come next in order of succession. Bailroads traverse the cormty in sev- eral directions in the manner which we will endeavor to make clear. The Iowa and Dakota division of the Mil- waukee and St. Paul runs from east to west, having stations located at New Hampton, Xawler and Chickasaw. The Illinois Central Railroad, by its Cedar Falls and Minnesota branch crosses the southwest of the county with a station at Nashua. Two roads rapidly approaching completion cross diagonally from the city of Dubuque, and have reached Fayette already on their way to occupy the central sta- tions of the county. Next in importance to railroad traf- fic, if not even before that item in im- portance, is the matter of public schools, and in that respect the citi- zens of Chickasaw county have never objected to reasonable taxation. The schools are well organized. The settlement of Chickasaw county dates from 1852, near the point where Bradford is located, on the east side of the Little Cedar River, near its 462 TvTTLEfs History of Iowa. iunction witb tlie main Cedar river. Two years later, many persons came, following tlie pioneers, and desirous to enter into tlieir labors. There was was an attempt to organize the county in 1853, early in the spring, but some of the movements having been ad- judged informal, the act of organiza- tion stood over to August of that year, when the desirable object was accom plished. Chickasaw was then named as the county seat, but a change was subsequently made to New Hampton. New Hampton, the county seat was incorporated in 1873, and it occupies the geographical center of the county. The town contains one thousand in- habitants and the health rate of the locality is "very good. The drainage of the place could hardly be improved, so well was the work of selection done when the town was first platted. The public school is a commodious build- ing in which a graded school of four departments is conducted, and the av- erage of attendance is good. The claims of New Hampton to be the seat of justice and administration have been disputed by Forest City, but the vote of the county gave the preference to the present location. The court house was built in 1865, but the authorities chose to incur but little expense in raising the edifice, hence, it is suflB- ciently commodious without being or- nate or costly. The Chickasaw coun- ty agricultural society has extensive grounds and the necessary buildings near this town. Nashua is an important town in the southwest of the county, near a bend of the Cedar river and within easy reach of the largest body of timber in the county. The confluence of the Little Cedar with the main river oc- curs near this little town. The river valley, now that the stream has worn its way down into the underlying strata, affords an excellent plateau of high and dry land beyond the reach of floods and upon that table the town was platted. It has inclination toward the river sufficient to secure drainage, and the town is sheltered from strong winds. The surrounding and enclos- ing timber is beautiful as well as valu- able. The Cedar river afibrds excel- lent water powers and a good flouring mill is already established near the town. The Cedar Falls and Minnesota division of the Illinois Central rail- road passes the east side of the town and then crossing the river makes its way towards the north. This line of road is of great value to Nashua, as there is an extensive depot established in connection with which elevators and warehouses have been found necessary to facilitate shipments of produce. The commercial import- ance of Nashui must increase steadily, as there is a very extensive agi'icultur- al country, parts of three counties, which must long continue to make that town the headquarters of their business. Handsome residences and commodious business premises are the rule in Nashua, and the prevalence of shade trees gives an air of ele- gance to the place. This section of Cedar Valley has long carried the palm for me value of effect- ed improvements and for the produc- tiveness of soil which has warranted so much outlay. ' The same features continuing to exercise their proper influence on the growth of' the com- munity must build up Nashua to great wealth. Waverly is in one di- rection the first large town which can enter into competition for the bus- iness of the districts served ; Nashua, and Charles City on the other direc- tion, but neither of these will prevent tliis beautiful growing town from ag- gregating a very large share of pros- perity from many sources. There is an agricultural society with its headquarters in Nashua, and a good trotting park association, which hold their grounds in common neai' the track of the railroad. The public school building is an admirable struc- ture, and the affairs of that institution are well administered. The town has good banking accommodations, a large staff of professional residents and a live newspaper, and is incorporated as a city of the second class. Good building stone is easily obtainable, and there is a fine quality of clay used in brick making. Lawlbb is on the line of the Mil- waukee and St. Paul railroad in the eastern part of Chickasaw county, and is a shipping point of considerable value, as it commands the support of a very rich agricultural country, and has a fair share of prosperity. Chickasa'w is mainly dependent on the shipping facilities which it can give to the farming community near Sketches of Counties. 463 the center of tlie county. The old vil- lage is two miles west of the railroad, but the new village called Ionia in the records is customarily denominated Chickasaw. As a trading point the village ranks high, although nearness to New Hampton is not an advantage to the residents there. Bassett is a station on the railroad near the eastern boundary of Chicka- saw county, and the shipping business that is done there assures a large share of labor continually. FBEDEBiOKSBUBe in the southeast of the county is a village on the east Wapsipinicon, surrounded by a fertile country, occupied by a lively com- munity of farmers bound to go ahead. Bradford was the first location of the county seat before the superior merits of New Hampton secured the vote of the county. Its natural ad- vantages once commanded attention as the most important point in the coun- ty, but in consequence of the railroad hnes turning away from the little cen- ter of prosperity, Nashua carried the palm away from Bradford. Jacksgnttlle is in the northwest, and is located on Crane creek, where its importance as a village will be recognized by and by. Besides the towns and villages named, there are postoflSces at Deer- fleld. North Washington, Stapleton and Williamstown. Clarke County is in the southwest of Iowa, and is one of the small coun- ties of the state, being twenty-four miles in length by eighteen in breadth, containing 376,480 acres. The general surface of the county is high, undulat- ing and rolling prairie, and it has no large streams, but its small creeks are numerous and the land is well drained and wattred. The Charlton river, Whitebreast, Bee creek and Long creek occupy the central and southern - portion. South Squaw, North Squaw. Brush and other creeks flow through - and across the east and northeast. The west and northwest have Seven Mile - creek and South river, and these streams at all seasons of the year when water can flow, furnish abund- ant supplies for stock. Many smaller streams which have not been named are yet valuable, and many of these have their origin in clear and copious springs which welled forth from the virgin soil before it was pressed by the foot of the white man. The waters which flow over Clarke county are in a large degree tributary to the Mississijjpi river, about one- third only flowing to the Missouri. Well water can be obtained custom- arily at a depth of about twenty feet. Along all the principal of these streams timber is more or less abundant, and there is not a township in the county which has not a supply. The south- east and southwest are the sections most liberally endowed by nature in this respect. Troy, Ward, Washington and Madison, in the northwest, have the least. The timber is of good qual- ity ; but the work of denudatioA which is incident to a rapidly settled country, must be counterbalanced by protection to young groves, or the continuous planting by farmers. This matter has already attracted the attention of set- tlers, and before many years the supply will be much larger than it is now. Pine lumber brought from a distance by the railroads is now much used for buildings and fences, and from its cheapness that consumption may be expected to continue. It has been noted that wherever hazel trees prevail, as is the case in some parts of the county, the soil has special fitness for growing wheat. The geology of Iowa gives to this county the upper coal measure alone underlying the drift deposit. Good building stone has been obtained from quarries easily exposed, and limestone is abundant. Clay, for the manufac- ture of bricks, has been procured in many places, and sand is readily avail- able; consequently there will be no dearth of materials for building ; but coal, should it ever be found in such quantities as to warrant the employ- ment of labor, must be procured by- deep mining in the most favored local- ities. Corn takes the lead among the pro- ductions of Clarke county, but oats, barley and wheat are also largely raised. Stock has been for some time one of the smaller staples, but it is probable that in consequence of the success with which all grasses can be cultivated, that the branch of enterprise named will conie into greater promi- nence. Fruit growing has become a Settled and profitable industry. Osage orange fences have been largely con- 464 Tvttlb's History of Iowa. sti'ucted, aud they serve many purposes ■which are highly appreciated by the farmers. Aiuong other good results from their planting and growth, they afford protection against the strong •winds prevalent in the county. The year 1846 saw the first white settlement in Clarke county, when a little colony of " Latter Day Saints," who were on their way from Nauvoo to cross the desert, lost themselves in this section of country, and established a home for their families in what they called "Lost Camp." The Mormons remained several years in that location, being joined by other wanderers from the Illinois' abode; but eventually when Gentiles came into the country in numbers, they moved off; but whether they crossed the plains to Utah, or merely went further west, this deponent saith not. Perhaps the wan- derers who remained so long off the track of the other saints were not very desirous to join their fortunes with the great body that rendezvoused at Coun- cil Bluffs, being prudently willing to wait the course of events under the leadership of Brigham Young. Gentile settlers came to the county in 1850, and from that time there was an approach toward organization, the necessary steps in that direction being taken in the session of legislature of 1850-51. August, 1851, saw the first election, and the county seat was lo- cated at Osceola, in the same month. Osceola now stapds upon an area of two hundred and fifty acres, having been largely increased since the day of small things. When the great re- bellion broke out, Clarke county was patriotic to the core, and in every in- stance when drafts were made the quo- tas were largely exceeded. This is a record of great value, as it exhibits the morale of the settlement from its very earliest beginning. The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad gives to several points in the county facilities for shipment and travel as it passes through from east to west havingstations at Osceola, Wood- burn, and Murray. The prosecution ol the works in connection with that road gave an impetus to settlement and production which is highly appreci- ated by residents, and will continue to affect the status of the county as a field for an ever extending population. OscaoiiA is not a great city, but its position and beauty entitle it to notice Three miles noi theast of the town is the poor farm, on which persons re- duced to want within the county are located. The land was purchased in January, 1875, and about $3,000 have since been expended in improvements upon the two hundred acres of which it consists. The institution works well. The town lies on a broad tract of prairie land, and its position is such as to facilitate drainage. The streets are wide, and provided with shade trees. There is a central square around which the principal business houses have been erected and the place bears a good reputation for commercial soundness and general health. As a shipping point) Osceola commands a large share of business, as much grain and live stock are raised in the sur- rounding country, and besides that ad- vantage, it is also the site of a woolen mill. In the year 1868, there was a public school building erected at a cost of $23,000, and it is now proposed to add thereto at a cost of $8,000, from which facts it will be understood that the citizens are as solicitous as could be desired for the welfare of the rising generation. The building is architect- urally handsome, and the management of the school is progressive and effi- cient. There are several newspapers published in the town of Osceola, and the banking Institutions therein de- serve mention. WOODBUBN is a very enterprising village on the line of railroad already mentioned, the Burlington and Mis- souri, and the station there attracts a large average of business of all kinds. The village is ten miles east from Os- ceola. Mtjrbat is another village mainly dependent for its prosperity upon the Burlington and Missouri road, which has a station there, ten miles west from Osceola. The surrounding agricultu- ral country from considerable dist- ances, drive their stock and bring their produce to this thriving little village. HopviLLB, Smyrna, Liberty, La- CELLE, Gbben Bay aud Prairie Grove are villages of small extent, which wait for some special impetus to rise into importance. They are lo- cated in positions which will eventu- ally secure for them railway commu- nications east and west, and from that Sketches of Counties. 465 time, come when it may, the future of their fortunes will be assured. Clay County is located in the north- west of the state, and is twenty-four miles square, consequently it contains 368,640 acres. The county is drained and watered in nearly every part by the Little Sioux river and its numerous tributaries, which extends by numer- ous windings to fully seventy miles in the county, and gives a large number of water powers, which must eventu- ally attract the attention of manufac- turers. Ocheyedan creek is the largest of the Little Sioux's tributaries, and there are fertile valleys through which both streaocs flow to their junction near the town of Spencer. Willow, Prairie, Muddy, and Henry creeks also deserve notice. There are several small lakes in the eastern part of the coun^, prominent among which are Lost Island Lake, Swan, Pickerel, Vir- gin, and Mud, besides other lakes of too little volume to be named. There are flsh in abundance in the several lakes and streams. This part of the state is not favored by nature in the matter of timber, but this county is more fortunate than some of its neighbors, and the soil will respond liberally should groves be planted. The surface of the county undulates pleasantly, and it is said by those who are competent to pronounce, that it has no waste land, every acre being capable of growing the staple products of the county, such as wheat, corn, roots, oats, and grass. ITutritious wild grasses and pure water in abund- ance will make this county the para- dise of farmers, who will unite grazing to their other pursuits. The first white families that came into the county to settle drove their stakes in 1856, and the little colony was barely twelve months old, when the Sioux, on their way to the Spirit Lake massacre, made their raid through the territory, destroying prop- erty, and driving oflF stock in a spirit of pure wantonness. The conduct of the Sioux on this occasion depopu- lated the county, as all the families cleared out, and did not return until many months had elapsed. The organization of the county was effected in October, 1858, and the coun- ty seat, was located at Peterson, to meet the wishes of the bulk of the set 30 tiers, who were in the southwest cor- ner of the county, but when at a later date the population had become more diffused, the location was abandoned. Peterson had the advantage of a large body of timber, and a good water pow- er in the Little Sioux river, which was used to drive a sawmill, but the place has not made much progress. Sfenceb is now the county seat, hav- ing succeeded to the honors relin- quished by Peterson. The town is sit- uated on the east side of the Little Sioux river, in a broad and fertile val- ley. The first settlement on this spot, appears to have been made in 1869. The river affords several good powers at and near the town, and beyond ques- tion the place will become noted for its factories, but its growth has not been rapid. The first settler upon the Little Sioux river, at this point, would have located the town on the opposite side of the river from that on which it stands, but immediately after the town was platted, and before his own resi- dence had been commenced, the pro- jector left for the war in the south, and his intentions were frustrated. Clayton County is bounded in part by the Mississippi river, and it em- braces an area of seven hundred and ninety-two square miles. Seven of its townships front the Mississippi. Gen- erally the surface of the country is rolling, but along the streams and water courses a rough and broken aspect presents itself. Bold and pre- cipitous blufl's look down upon the deep channels cut by the rivers in this county, in some cases several hundred feet. Here and there can, however, be found bordering the streams small val- leys of bottom lands, which are excep- tionally fertile. The uplands are at their best about six hundred feet above the Mississippi level, where the surface becomes a beautiful agricultural coun- try, undulating, well drained, product- ive, and healthful as any portion of northern Iowa. One-third of the coun- ty is prairie, and of the remainder a , considerable portion is wooded land. There are three prairies in this coun- ty which are deemed sufSciently im- portant to be described. High prairie is the largest, and it varies in width considerably, being at its widest six miles across, and at its least expansion only one. Commencing at a point A66 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. three miles west of the Mississippi, it runs to the northern line of the county,! gradually receding from the river. | Between the rivers Turkey and Vol- ga, is another prairie of less extent,! stretching to the northwest until bro-' ken by a belt of openings. This prai-i rie rolls more considerably than High, prairie, and its undulations are much more abrupt. Garden prairie extends across the southwest of Clayton county, varying from one mile to three miles in width, and the land is thickly settled, being well watered and much less broken, than the others. Besides these there are many smaller prairies, which dot the county in all directions, -and are valued as locations for grazing and stock raising farms, second to none in the state of Iowa. Water can be easily obtained anywhere, and timber is suf- ficiently abundant for all purposes. The prairies, generally, have a deep black loan), the bottom lands have a rich alluvium, and elsewhere, in what are known among geologists as the " driftless " areas, the soil is commonly thin, and comparatively of little ac- count. The wide diversity of soil thus indicated admits of a very great range of productions, and the intuitions of scientific culture will probably show that the lands assumed to be least val- uable have special adaptations which can be improved to very good advan- On either side of the Turkey river and many of the other streams present the same characteristics ; the land is timbered from one to five miles in ex- tent, the woods being generally the same as those named in other counties, and all indigenous to Clayton county. Turkey river is the largest stream in the county; it varies from two to four chains in width, and runs with great rapidity through no less than eight townships. The bed of the river is mostly limestone pebbles and sand, and it runs between high, rocky bluffs ■which sometimes expand into broad valleys nearly a mile across. This river has for its main tributaries from the north. Dry Mill, Cedar and Pony creeks ; from the south the stream is fed by Little Turkey, Blue Belt, Elk creek, Peck's Branch, and Volga river. Vol- ga river is a deep and rapid stream -which flows through four townships. The bottom is of gravel mainly, and the river averages one chain iu width. Deep slopes come down to the river's bank, generally, but at rare Intervals there are valleys and bottom lauds of great fertility. The principal feeders come from the south, and bear the names of Honey, Cox, and Bear creeks. There are other streams of less mo- ment which need not be enumerated here. Along the river banks there are ex- posed valuable stones for building pur- poses, such as magnesian limestone, §t. Peter sandstone, Potsdam sand- stone, and the Trenton limestone. The geological strata in this county might be made the text for an interesting dis- course on the theory of upheaval, but the temptation must be postponed, and the boulders left to preach their own sermon. Some lead has been foimd mixed with silver in this county, but there does not appear to be enough of that material to merit special outlay. It is of much greater importance to the welfare of the state that lime and build- ing materials are plentiful. Some of the clay discovered has been made into excellent pottery. Before the territory of Iowa was or- ganized, the legislature of Wisconsin passed an act, in 1837, authorizing the establishment of Clayton county. The first settlement had been made five years or more before that date, on Turkey river, four miles from its mouth, and before that time a cabin had been built by a ferryman lower down on the banks of that stream. Most of those persons who came early to this country, were searching for lead, moved thereto by the excitement produced in Dubuque and Galena. The several efforts at settlement which have resulted at length in the prosper- ity now visible in Clayton county would require a volume to treat them with appropriate detail, and in the ab sence of such space it must suffice to say that the work of organization was, after many perturbations, successfully accomplished, and the county has pros- pered. Prairie La Porte was at one time the county seat; the next location was named Jacksonville, but upon some agitation being manifested, the same was changed to Garnavillo. The town of Guttenberg contested the honor, but was not successful, and the present i68 Tuttle's History of Iowa. site was not resolved upon until the year 1860. Elkadbr is the county seat, having been chosen for that honor by a large popular vote in 1860. The county has no court house, but a hall is rented for the purposes of administration, and the county oflSces are kept in a brick building with fire proof vaults, con- structea for that purpose in 1866. The jail is a substantial building, such as few thieves would like to lind them- selves lodged in, as the floors are of stone and the walls lined with boiler iron. Blkader is located on both sides of the Turkey river, near the geo- graphical center of the county. The scenery is delightful. The town is built on table land, slightly rising un- til it suddenly descends by a steep de- clivity toward the right bank of the river. On the east the bank rises higher before reaching the table land, and from thence a fresh ascent leads to a series of undulating heights of very charming appearance. The sev- eral undulations have been partially improved by the location of residences more or less ornamental and nearly all adorned with trees. The river, flowing below with a rapid current, afifords numerous powers which, when thoroughly in operation, will lead to still more charming residences being erected on the higher lands, supported by the waters which now idly murmur at the inutility to which its mechani- cal force seems doomed. A large flouring mill is the only in- dustry yet established to improve the Turkey river at this point. The town site was first selected as a residence in 1836. The Indians having stolen the horses of some explorers led almost immediately to the location at Elka- der, and the place has gone on steadily increasing from that time. The man who thus determined the village site is still living in the town and is now ninety-four years of age. The town does a large shipping bu- siness in live hogs, dressed hogs and other products which aggregate large- ly. The line by which this IraflBc is carried on is the narrow guage rail- road, which intersects the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad at Bulah, with- out which the greatness of Elkader must suffer a decline. The town has a fine school building in which there are four grades culmi- nating in the high school, with an ad- ditional department for tuition in Ger- man. The schools are supplied with all the modern improvements and the teachers are fully up to their work. The number of pupils averages 380, and there are five teachers. Besides this institution there is a private school under the immediate supervls- ion and patronage of the Catholic church. There are several newspapers published in Elkader, and the town generally takes a high stand. McGbeoob is situated on the bank of the Mississippi, opposite Prairie du Chien, one hundred and ninety- nine miles from Milwaukee, by the Milwaukee and St. Paul Raih-oad, which crosses the river at this point, and gives the town access to a valua- ble line of travel through the north- west. The Chicago, Dubuque and Minnesota Railroad, running from Chicago to Dubuque, passes through McQ-regor to Winona, Minnesota, where it connects with other valuable lines. In the year 1857, McGregor was a village of less than three hun- dred souls, and now its population ex- ceeds four thousand, and there is be- fore this lively and wide awake town a very prosperous future. Northern Iowa and southern Minnesota find in this town their best outlet, and the success of the younger town is a kill- ing commentary on the lifelessness of the town on the further bank. During the seasons when the river can be nav- igated there are boats of the best de- scription to be availed of for travel to St. Paul, on the one hand, or to Du- buque and St. Louis on the other. Crossing the river to Prairie du Chien another range of travel and traflSc opens up, and the commercial advan- tages of this center of business can hardly be overstated. The early French traders named the ravinCj in which McGregor is built, " Coolie de Sioux." The bluffs rise on either hand to a height of four hun- dred feet, and the position has beauty as well as convenience to recommend it. A ferry from Prairie du Chien was established in 1836, by the man from whom the town took its name, and the place was at once known for miles around as McGregor's landing. From that date the town slowly rose and in spite of diversions which were made at one time to diminish its importance. Sketches of Counties. 469 Tlie cabin built by McGregor, the fer- ryman, marked the beginning of the now great commercial center. The village was Incorporated in 1857, and its improvements would alone serve to testify the growth of which it is ca- pable. There is a considerable share of manufacturing effected in the town, and the records, which have been ob- tained to show the amount of business transacted within twelve months, ahow a total of nearly sixteen million dollars. McGregor has a trout pond, one of the finest in the west, and the work of pisciculture is pursued wisely and well by its managers, who can already point to very satisfactory results. The largest graded school in Clay- ton county is located at McGregor, where four hundred scholars are en- rolled, out of a population showing more than twice that number within the school attending ages, and an av- erage attendance of nearly three hun- dred. Some day the Prussian system of compulsory tuition may have to be resorted to in this country unless there is a more general taking hold of the advantages which good schooling can confer. The idea seems repugnant to the genius of our institutions, but jus- tice to the rising generation, to whom the task of governing the union will be handed over in the course of the next thirty years at farthest, forbids that a sacred duty should be neglected merely to suit the whims of sickly sentiment. It is useless to make pro- vision imless those for whom schools are specially wanted can be made par- ticipants in the benefit. The school at McGregor is graded as primary school, grammar school and high school, and the staff of teachers em- ployed is about as efficient as could be desired. German is also taught in the school as a special department. There are several papers published in McGregor, two of them being very admirable sheets. GuTTENBEBa would have been the county seat still, as it was at one time, - but that the popular voice ruled other- wise throughout the county; and the location of the town on the bank of - the Mississippi, away from the center of the region, over which its citizens aspired to rule, justified the negative with vyhich the demand was met and ended. The town is situated on a very beautiful prairie, extending from the base of the bluffs half a mile eastward to the river, and about three miles long. The early name of the town was Prairie la Porte, or "The Door Prairie," for which appellation it was indebted to French missionaries. The Chicago, Dubuque and Minnesota rail- road supplements the advantages of river navigation for Guttenberg, and that gives the town peculiar facilities for the shipment of produce, and for - the transaction of other business. ^ The town was laid out in 1837 ; soon after which the county seat was lo- cated here. The struggles for the the county seat have already been de- scribed, and it would be a work of supererogation to go over the same ground here. "When the town was in- corporated, in 1851, there were only three hundred persons in the place; and from that time to the present, the frowth of Guttenberg has been steady, 'he town has progressed in substan- tial improvements, every year being marked by better business premises and handsomer residences than had been possible, until that time in the neighborhood. Stone for building purposes can be procured readily ; and advantage has been taken of that fact to improve the aspect of Guttenberg, most of the buildings being erected from the quar- ries in the bluffs back of the town. There is a steam ferry boat which crosses the river to Glen Haven, thrjee miles up on the Wisconsin side. The town is supplied with good schools. Gabnatillo is twelve miles south- west from McGregor, and six miles from the Mississippi. This town was once known as Jacksonville and was at that time the county seat. The vil- lage is located on a fine prairie, beauti- ful and fertile, with abundant timber near at hand. The town was twice the county seat, but the permanent settlement is supposed to be now reached at Elkader. Clayton is a town in the county of the same name, situated on the west bank of the Mississippi, ten miles above Guttenberg and the like dis- tance below McGregor. The steam- boat landing at Clayton very mate- rially assists the growth of the town, and the fact that it has a station of the Chicago, Dubuque and Minnesota rail- road, still further increases its busi- 470 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. ness. The rich county, of which it is the natural outlet by river or rail, is reached by good roads which continue and branch from the main street of Clayton, through the ravine which first marked out this site as the loca- tion for a town. Shippers coming here with their produce for shipment to destinations more or less remote, make this town their point of supply, and mutual advantage results. The population is about one thousand, and there is a good graded school, well administered and appointed to supply the needs of youth ; and good results have been attained. Clinton County is in the great east- ern bend of the Mississippi river, nearly midway on the eastern bound- ary of Iowa. The first railroad that sought to push its way westward toward the Missouri river across the state, made Clinton county its point of departure. The heat of summer in this region is modified by northern breezes, and the rigor of winter is les- sened by southern winds. The county embraces an area of seven hundred and twenty_square miles, being thirty- six miles long by eighteen miles wide. The Mississippi forms the eastern boundary of Clinton county, and its advantages therein cannot be enumer- ated. Before the railroads came into the county, the river carried merchan- dise to and fro, exchanging surplus produce for foreign supplies ; and the locations which had the great riparian privilege, reaped profits proportion- ately great. With the railroads have come more enterprise, and advantages more widely diffused throughout great- er areas of country ; but the few towns which enjoyed special advantages, have not flourished in the same pro- portion as they once did. Actually they may be much better off, but rela- tively they stand back from the posi- tions th^ once hoped to keep forever. The Wapsipinicon river crosses the southwest corner of the county, and becomes, in part, the southern bound- ary. The stream is clear and beautiful, and has many considerable tributaries, among which are Big Rock, Brophy's and Silver creeks, l^orth and east the county is watered and drained by Deep creek, Elk creek, Sugar creek »nd Mill creek. Small lakes or ponds are also found in many locations ; and springs are very numerous in the county. Wells, easily dug, obtain cold and sparkling water at a depth of lit- tle more than twenty feet ; and gener- ally it may be said the county is ex- cellently watered and drained. Proves of timber, varying in extent, are found on the borders of the several streams, the varieties being those com- mon to the state. There is so liberal a supply of timber that it is largely used for fuel ; and many of the settlers plant groves for such and similar pur- poses. The prairie lands are being dotted over with such groves, which may, in course of time, change the whole face of the country. The sur- face of the country rolls and undulates in such manners that there is no actual sameness to mar the scenic effect, and yet there is a uniformity of drainage, and a soil easy of cultivation almost everywhere. Near the Wapsipinicon and, yet more so, near the Great river, there is ground so bluflfy and uneven that the agriculturist may well be puz- zled to know what present profit may be procured from them; but these are very marked exceptions tg the contour of the county. The deep, dark mould of the soil holds the rich accretions of centuries, waiting to enrich the hus- bandman whether he turns his atten- tion to fruit or to cereals, to root crops or to cattle. The grasses which spring up on the plains are nutritious to a degree seldom realized; and graaiers will, in the near future, make Clinton their stronghold in Iowa. Near the large streams the soil is not quite so productive and various in its powers as on the prairies, and among the groves where the rotting vegetation of unnumbered ages has given its best properties to the earth. Probabljr the land less worthy of gen- eral cultivation will be found adapted for hardy grapes in good aspects. The preparation of raisins for the east- ern demand will some day become a vey profitable industry in this country and the vine will cover millions of so called barren lands with a garment of beauty, which will employ an im- mense population. The surplus pro- ductions of this county will increase with every year, no matter how con- tinuous and rapid may be its increase of population. It would be superflu- ous to enumerate the vegetal wealth which such a county can send into Sketches of Counties. 471 the markets of Uie world. The daliy fanner will send its cheese to Europe after the demands of the east and nearer home have been supplied. The fruits which will he gathered from orchards and vines must secure good prices for the producer. Root crops beyond the requirements of the human popula- tion will find ready consumption as winter food for cattle, whose meats will allow of easy transport and profit- able sale in a thousand markets. The first white settler in Clinton county located on the Wapsipinicon or " White Potatoes " river sometime In 1836, where and when the Ameri- can fur company had a trading post to facilitate business with the trappers and Indians. At first employed by the company he became a permanent set- tler in the territory which was attached to Wisconsin. Hunters and red men had undisputed possession of the land and a man anxious to locate himself and family permanently in these wilds was a rare phenomenon. The native tribes were said to be very peaceful in their traditional hunting grounds un- til the encroachments of their white neighbors made resistance a virtue, but it is highly probable that both sides were at fault in that matter. Certain it is that the Indians were at length compelled to take up arms against the lawless intruders who came to them outlaws very often, yet pre- tending to be the agents and represen- tatives of the great father in Washing- ton, and it was under such circum- stances that the country was partially prepared for permanent settlement. The years of 1836 and 1837 saw many new arrivals in the territory who made their homes at Round Grove, and Folk's Grove, until they could make their selections in the country waiting their choice. The first post oflBce in the territory, which afterwards becarne Clinton county was established at this early date, the old trading post of the American Fur Company was the loca- tion and the name given to the place was Monroe. The county was organ- ized by the territorial legislature in 1839-40, and the first elections were appointed for March in the latter year. Justice had been dispensed in Cam- anche until that time, but the county seat was located at De Witt. Clinton has made excellent provis- ion for schools, at least as good as any county in the state, and that is saying a great deal. Iowa educational insti- tutions have won a wide reputation and what is better, they deserve the best that can be said of their efficiency. Clinton saw from the first that brain pays for cultivation better than any other product which is subject to man's dominion, and with that fact fully settled beyond cavil, the school system was commenced. There are at present in Clinton county, three high schools and a college, all of which are available even to the very poorest, upon terms which they can easily compass, and if any person rises to maturity untrained, it must result from some radical personal defect. Clinton has facilities for transpor- tation such as few newly settled coun- ties can rival, many roads com- peting with each other for the trafiic, and travel of the region until there is no considerable section without fair means at its disposal. The Chicago and Northwestern runs east and west through the southern townships; the Iowa Midland, and the Sabula and Ackley, run in a parallel line through the northern townships. The Daven- port and St. Paui have two branches running north and south and the main branch goes through the western part intersecting the Chicago and North- western at Wheatland. The Maquoketa branch goes through the central part of the county, crossing two lines, the Iowa Midland, and Sabula and Ack- ley at Delmar, and at Dewitt the Chi- cago and Northwestern. In addition to all these ramifications of the iron road, the river road otherwise known as the Chicago, Clinton and Dubuque runs from Clintop City north through the valley of the Mississippi river. Facilities such as these would be hard to beat anywhere. Clinton City, the countjr seat and otherwise important town, is beauti- fully situated on the bank of the father of waters. The town was laid out in conformity with the bend of the river on which it is located, and its site has compelled admiration from thousands. The town is now much larger than the original plat, and there are signs that before long still further additions will be wanted. The streets that run north and south are eighty feet wide and six hundred feet apart. Besides these there are avenues running back from 472 Tuttlm's Histobt of Iowa. the river one hundred feet wide and three hundred feet apart. Second street is the main business street, but some large establishments are con- ducted elsewhere and many of the resi- dences might be called palatial almost anywhere. Neat cottages, in hand- some grounds well shaded with forest trees and considerable groves in the distance, make the scene truly charm- ing. The improvements of Clinton City have been made with wise econ- omy and therefore with no niggard hand. The streets are well graded with good sidewalks, and drainage has received competent attention. In the year 1838 the town of New York was laid out on the site now oc- cupied by Clinton City, and a ferry was established running to Whiteside Point, Illinois, but ten years later when the paper township was no nearer to success than at the first loca- tion, the land passed into the hands of a new purchaser. After that time the location was devoted to agriculture and so remained until seven years af- terward, when in 1855 the Iowa Land Company laid oflF the town of Clinton now the seat of Clinton county. The venture was a good one on the part of company, as much of the emigration that has come into Iowa came by way of Clinton, great numbers remaining there to invest their capital and energy in preference to going further and pos- sibly faring worse. At that point the future greatness of Clinton county will be materiatly aided by the develop- ment of manufactories which will have every opportunity to send their pro- ducts into neighboring states as well as to disseminate them throughout their own. These possibilities and circum- stances have raised Clinton City to its present status, and it is venturing little to say, will carry it much farther. A church and school house were the very significant first improvements in the embryo city, soon afterwards other works were projected and due care having been taken that the emigrating public should be advised of all the good in store for them, the tide soon set toward the young metropolis. There was a futile scheme to build a railroad to be known as the Mississip- pi and Iowa Central which was to cre- ate its own travel and traflSc, from a town of two hundred people, who wished to stay at home, to no place in particular, where there were none to give a revenue upon the outlay, and the result need not be described. That collapse came veiy near bursting the plucky settlement, but the backbone that was in the county as well as the grit of the people would not permit of wider misfortune. After some few other mare's nest speculations the tide of suc- cess finally came with the construction of a road by the Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Company, which connecting with the Dixon Air Line, ran from Clin- ton City on the Father of Waters to Council BluflFs on the Missouri. That road was completed, but a combina- tion of circumstances led to a consoli- dation not at all disadvantageous to the city, which made the Chicago and Northwestern Company directors of the traffic from Chicago to Omaha. Thus railway enterprise came to the rescue of an all but dispairing settle- ment, and made the wealth of the thickly peopled cities of the east avail- able to cover the wilderness with smil- ing homes, drawing back in a thous- and ways advantages which defy enu- meration while they more than repay every sacrifice. There are few towns of the same extent in the Middle and New England states which have made better preparation for the purposes of youthful training than Clinton City. The inhabitants came mostly from the east and they have not forgotten theif old uses and traditions, upon some of which they have engrafted consider- able improvements. There are street cars in Clinton City which run north to the city of Lyons, and the principal streets, as well as the best houses and stores have been lighted with gas. Dur- ing 1874, water works were started suc- cessfully. The timber trade of Clinton is large and prosperous, and the city has many newspapers which unite the interests of the immediate locality of publication with those of the county at large. Ltoits is the companion city of Clin- ton with which it is connected by easy and direct communication. Lyons is also located on the Mississippi bank. The first settlement at this point was made in 1836, when some few families came to make their homes in the wild west. The town was laid off in 1837, and named after the famous silk man ufacturing city of Lyons in France, but little progress was made with the 474 Tuttle's History of Iowa. sale of town lors until after 1855, when the place was incorporated. The little town has manfacturin^ interests al- ready important and which cannot fail to increase, besides which it transacts a very considerable business with settlers on the fine land back of the the town, whose wants will multiply with their means to satisfy them as long as industry thrives. Db Witt Is a town of some moment twenty miles west of Clinton City, lo- cated on high prairie land in the cen- ter of a rich farming country. It is placed at the intersection of two rail- roads, the Chicago and" Northwestern and the Davenport and St. Paul, and with such facilities at its disposal in a country which continuously produces a surplus of stock, grain, and other marketable stuflf the town has grown rapidly into recognition as one of the best business places in that section of country. In 1840 the site of De Witt was chosen for the county seat, but the first name chosen was Vandenburg; but the honor of being the seat of jus- tice, although of long duration, was after thirty years of empire transferred to Clinton City. De Witt did not tamely submit to the transfer but after a good fight the younger and stronger city came off victorious. Wheatland has already been men- tioned in the more general description of the county; it enjoys railway com- munication, and is a thriving place. Camanchb was the first seat of jus- tice in the county before De Witt came into notice, and it is now quite a pros- perous little town. Gbahd Mound and Low Mock are thriving little places, besides which the following villages and post offices must be enumerated in giving a record of Clinton county progress: Almount Station, Boon Spring, Brook- field Center, Brown's Station, Bryant, Buena Vista, Burgess, Charlotte, El- vira, Elwood, Goose Lake, Last Na- tion, Malone, Orange, Riggs' Station, Teed's Grove, Ten Mile House, Tor- onto and Welton. Crawford County is on the western slope of the state of Iowa, near, but not on, the Missouri river banks. The county contains seven hundred and twenty square miles. Western Iowa, in which Crawford county stands, is usually well watered, and the running streams in this county are numerous- The Boyer river is one of the largest streams ; it runs, with many turnings, diagonally through the county, from northeast to southwest, and drains a large area. East Boyer river is a tribu- tary of the larger stream, which it joins near Denison, after flowing south- west from Carroll county. The Boyer has other tributaries which water and drain a very large proportion of the remainder of the county, among which the more important are Wal- nut, Dunham's, Buss, Welsh, Ernst, Buffalo, Otter, Paradise, Boon, Coon and Buck creeks. The Nishnabotany river and Williams creek, with several tributaries, are charged with the drain- age of the southeast. The northwest corner is crossed by Soldier river, where it receives a number of afflu- ents, chief among which is Beaver creek. A branch known as East Sol- dier river, drains the northwest, aided by Spillman creek and several minor streams. Willow river has its rise in the southwest of Crawford county, and one township owes to that stream its drainage and main water supply. Boyer river is the only large stream in the long list enumerated, but the sup- ply of water tor stock is practically unlimited. Fme springs abound in this county. Thirty feet is the ex- treme limit to which it has been found necessary to sink to procure good well water, the more general depth being about twenty feet. Springs are the main sources of supply for many of the creeks and streams. Spring Grove is so named in honor of a very beantiful spring which is located about a mile and one-half from the town of Denison. Groves of timber follow the courses of the main streams, more especially of the Boyer and East Boyer rivers, but there are also good groves to be found on the smaller streams. Mason's grove is the largest grove in the coun- ty ; it covers about two thousand acres along the east side of the Boyer river, commencing at a point about five miles from Denison. Dunham's grove contains about three hundred acres. The aggregate sums up to about ten thousand two hundred and forty acres, or about one acre of wood to every forty-five acres of prairie. Extensive destruction by fires, in by-gone times, - must be held to account for this small Skktches of Counties. 475 supply of wood in a county so well watered; but there will be a much greater plenty of the article within a few years, now that adequate precau- tions are observed to prevent confla- grations. The timber growing in this county contain some choice varieties. Many of the settlers, seeing the neces- sity for such operations, have planted groves of silverleaf, maple, cotton- wood, black walnut and box elder, which have sprung up with great ra- pidity, and their examples being ex- tensively followed, the prairies will soon wear a changed aspect. Generally, the conformation of the county is best described by the word rolling, as the lands which divide the streams sweep down toward the valleys and river beds in swelling profusion, seeming almost to §lobe their form to give fullness to their scenery as they plunge downward from the undulating plains. These features are varied in different parts, becoming more de- clivitous toward the head waters of the several streams, and in such posi- tions the ground becomes too uneven for cultivation. The soil is of great fertility, bearing the general character- istics, as to color and composition, of the Missouri slope. Gravel pits are opened in many parts of the county, and such "finds" are very highly valued. The valley of the Boyer is one of the finest in the state, but it is only partially under cultivation, and does not yet begin to unfold the rich treasures of fertility in its soil. The valley is nearly thirty miles in extent, and Its breadth in some parts is con- siderable. While thus mentioning the value of the bottom lands, it is due to the prairies to remark that many of the uplands are very productive. The best lands of that kind are to the east, north and northwest of the county. Heavy rains, on many of the slopes, have completely denuded the soil of its rich coating of vegetable mold, and the accretions are found in the valleys, but the slopes thus bared of their later accumulations, present just the quality of land which, bordering on the Rhine, groduces some of the best grapes grown 1 Europe ; and, where a good aspect can be secured, the grape which grows wild in the state of Iowa, will suggest to the farmer the advantage of varying his productions. The scene, gazing from the uplands down the valley of the Boyer, in many cases, could hardly be surpassed in quiet beauty. The farms dotted in all directions, the lovely orchards, the cattle grazing on the slopes, the sheep in the meadows, and the crops waving their promise of plenty, seem to invite man to enjoy the happiness of a ter- restrial paradise. A quarry on Buck creek, not far from Denison, is the only exposure of good building stone worked in the county; but, of course there will be many others, although the supply of such material is somewhat limited. Limestone, which can be used in the manufacture of quick lime can be ob- tained in Spring Grove, Burnt Woods, and in some few other places. Brick- ' making will he profitable in this sec- tion of country, the requisite materials being plentiful and the article neces- sarily in good demand. Veins of coal have been cursorily sought, without success, in this coun- ty; but it is probable that there are measures of some value, underlying the strata which have been found, and if so, many years must elapse before the demand will be such as to pay for such deep mining as would be necessary to win the treasure for con- sumption. Spring wheat in this county has va- ried in yield from fifteen to forty-five bushels to the acre, part of the diflEer- ence being chargeable to the idiosyu. crasies of the agricultural intellect, but beyond doubt there are great varieties of soil observable in Crawford county. Tame grasses have been cultivated by a few farmers and have succeeded very well, aiid clover can also be relied upon, but the native grasses are generally good enough to render substitutes un- necessary, unless by way of variety. The customary products of the state can be raised in this county with a fair average of success. Orchards of many years standing give abundant fruit, and cherries are abundant. All the surplus of the Boyer valley can be conveyed to distant markets by the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, which traverses nearly its whole ex- tent, from the eastern boundary to the northwest, and the quantities shipped are already considerable. Dunham's Grove, about six miles from Denison, was the first site settled in the county, and in the year 1849, 476 TVTTLhfS HlSTOBY OF lOWA. cabins were built there for two fami- lies. From that point the process of colonization went slowly on, but many years elapsed before organization as a county was found practicable. In 1855, the flrst business of importance is recorded as having been transacted by county officials. Denison was lo- cated as the county seat, and a court house was erected in 1858. The build- ing is of brick, the county offices be- ing on the lower floor, and the upper floor being devoted to the court. The edifice cost $6,000, and it stands in a handsome square, surrounded by shade trees. Five miles below Denison there is a curious group of nine mounds, and not far from the same spot other groups are located. Their indications show that some were undoubtedly burial places, but it is probable that some were also places of human sacrifice. Dbnibon is the county seat of Craw- ford county. The town is situated at the junction of the Boyer and the East Boyer rivers, near the geographical center. The ground on which Deni- son is built is not level, and the resi- dences, which are built upon the slopes rising from the rivers, command very beautiful stretches of country, which at some seasons of the year are suffi- cient to entrance the beholder. Civi- lization contributes its share to make the scene delightful, as the waves of the swift messenger which outstrips Ai-iel suggest the mighty interests of which they are bound to tell through the livelong years, and the railroads with their grades and bridges fetch and carry the commerce which would make even a desert blossom as the rose. The railroad has a station at the south end of the town, whence it starts off to the southwest, and when the fertile lands surrounding that abode of industry and enterprise have been fully developed, there will be few places more delightful upon this foot- stool. The town takes the name of its founder, who first laid it out in 1856. The county seat was located there at the same time. About seven hundred acres have been platted, the principal streets being one hundred feet wide and the other streets eighty. Proper provision has been made for public park reserves, and the town must therefore grow in beauty. Dbloit is a village near Mason's Grove, six miles from Denison, and the town was platted in 1857. There are a few other villages and post stations at Boyer Kiver, Dowville, Kiron, Vail and Westside. Dallas County is one of the central counties of Iowa, and it is twenty-four miles square. The Des Moines river drains the northeast corner of the county, and Beaver creek, one of its affiuents, completes that function for a large area, besides giving good water and a wide acreage of timber. The Kaccoon river drains the largest share of the county, as it has tributary streams which stretch their arms eve- rywhere. North, Middle and South Kaccoon are the largest of these branches, to which Bulgar, Panther and Musquito creeks are tributary streams. The Des Moines, with some affiuents, is found again in many other sections of the county, consequently there is not a spot to be named which does not lie within a mile on either side of running water. Pilot lake, in Lincoln township, is one of the many lakes that dot the county, but the lake named above is the largest and most picturesque. There are some very fine mill sites on the Raccoon river, and some of the powers would be equal to the driving of very extensive machine- ry. The main stream comes from Storm lake, and is fed by numerous springs which run all the year, unless the frost king lays his edict upon the streams and does the work in which King Canute was an egregious failure. The north branch runs the entire length of the county, passing on its way over fifty sections of land. Mid- dle Raccoon is well adapted for the establishment of mills and other man- ufactories, and the beauty of the stream is suggestive in the highest degree to the poetic intellect. The purely prac- tical man looks only to the future and the realizable value which can be ob- tained from all these beauties; the words of the poet Keats: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever," have for him no significance, unless they can be converted into greenbacks or specie payment, and it will be a comfort to men of that order to be assured that Dallas county can redeem all its prom- ises. Timber can be reached readily from the best prairie locations, and water is very plentiful. The native Sketches of Counties. 477 grasses are very nutritious and of rapid growth, and the tame grasses al- ready tried have succeeded marvelous- ly. Stock can be raised with certain- ty, and kept at little cost during the se- verest winters known, and there is no difficulty in conveying all produce to convenient markets. There are no sloughs nor morasses in this county, as the streams are so close together that drainage is perfect over almost all tlie soil. Springs are plentiful, issuing clear as crystal from innumerable beds of gravel m the bluflFs which border some of its streams, and wells can be sunken at small cost with demonstra- ble certainty. There is a salt spring in the southwest of the county, which must have been visited during many centuries by herds of buffalo and other animals, attracted by its saline proper- ties. Nearly an acre of land in the neighborhood of the salt spring shows signs of having been worn down by the mighty beasts that came to them, guided by their mysterious instinct, to tind medicine for their ailments and refreshing food for their blood. Sul- phur springs are not unknown in this county, and soft water springs, which gladden the housewife's heart, are quite numerous. There are some curious features in the springs of this county, and it is probable that when settlement has pro- gressed there will be fashionable spas established, dispensing health and dis- sipation, as is the approved custom in Europe, where water is found with a flavor of warm flatirons. The coal formations which underlie Dallas county have imparted a peculiar character to the surface of the country. The beds of the streams have been worn to great depths, and on the sides of the water courses the banks tower abruptly to great heights. Valleys, where they occur, are apt to be nar- row, and the ascents from the bottom lands declivitous. The northern por- tion of the county is more gently undu- lating, and west of the North Raccoon the surface descends into a broad, shal- - low depression, not deep enough to be called a valley, but sufficient to mark the peculiarity of the coal strata in this section of country. The county is high and tolerably level east of that river, but tending towards the deep vallies of the Raccoon and Des Moines, which are fashioned out of the middle coal measure by the cunning hand of nature. From the river beds named the country rises to the south, forming a great divide, which descends again to the North river, and then stretches out to the bounds of the county where it joins the county of Madison. Prairie lands prevail in this county, but the supply of timber is equal to one acre in every ten, a proportion which would suffice, with occasional renewals, even though lumbering were to be one of the main resources of Dallas county. The uplands are coated with a rich black loam, and the valleys have in addition a large proportion of sand, and the bottom lands are fertile, with a warm soil mixed with gravel, which will grow almost anything that is planted. Wheat and corn are the sta- ples, but all cereals, vegetables and grasses thrive abundantly. Fruit has been cultivated successfully, but that branch of industry has not yet been pushed to any considerable extent, such as alone can enable the surplus product to become an article of com- merce. Coal beds have been opened, and it seems probable that in fourteen town- ships it can be found in workable thicknesses. The measures opened so far have revealed from three to five feet veins of carboniferous deposit, and such quantities, easily procurable, must pay for extensive mining opera- tions. The quality is fully up to the average. Adel is mainly supplied with fuel from mines opened on the Raccoon rivers, and worked by a mere quarrying process; but the best coal yet founa is on Middle Raccoon. The Des Moines has a good coal formation cropping out on its banks, but for suf- ficient reasons there has been but little labor yet expended in winning the de- posit. Building stone is the next item to be sought in the inventory of a prosper- ous county, and in that respect Dallas county takes the lead of many of its neighbors, many valuable quarries having been opened, and a vast area of country offering facilities for further operations of the same kind. Sand- stone which can be easily dressed, and is found to be very desirable for bnild. ing purposes, is prime, favorable with architects and capitalists, and lime- stone of a good kind for building or 478 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. for burning is also very easily pro cured. The Indian right to the territory did not die out until 1845 ; but before that date the hardy pioneers of civilization •were on the land, drawn hither by the fine groves and other charms of the country. Settlement actually com- menced in 1846, the site of Adel town- ship being the locality selected by the first white family located here, as their permanent residence. Other families came after an interval of a few days, mostly from Illinois. Many locations were made in rapid succession, but it would burden our pages to follow the movements of every party, and we pre- fer to follow the larger movements of population and organization. The county was organized in 1847, and a place then known as Hickory, but now unknown in the tocography of Dallas county, was an aspirant for the honor of being the county seat. The town of Adel was selected as the favored loca- tion, and the honor has been justified by subsequent events. The railroads have assisted the de- velopment of Dallas county, as they do, when properly used, the growth of all localities in which there are rea- sonable inducements for human habi- tation. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific road runs through the south- ern townships and the Des Moines and Fort Dodge runs between Beaver creek and Raccoon river northwest- erly. With railroads there are custom- arily newspapers, and Dallas coimty is well provided. Adel, the county seat, is built on the west bank of North Raccoon river, on a semicircular plateau, from which some fine residence sites have been selected on the slopes that rise back of the business portion of the town. The situation is good. The elevations upon which the town must extend itself command delightful views of the Raccoon river valley and the fine bod- ies of timber for which that locality is famous. There are numerous well cultivated farms on the slopes and on the prairie adjacent, from which Adel must long continue to obtain the best part of its support. There are no broken lands near Adel, the prairies sloping gently to the river, with here and there a bank, or what is called in the Mormon country, Utah, a bench, which invites the erection of hand- some and commodious residences. The town was laid out in 1847, when it became at once the county, seat, all the business of the new organization being transacted in a log cabin erected by the county clerk. The population of Adel— once spelled Adall—^p about one thousand souls, with bodies to cor- respond, the latter being most evident. The public schools are well adminis- tered, being graded 'in three _ depart- ments, and under the supervision of competent teachers. There are various churches in the town and all moder- ately well supported. Other institu- tions, literary and benevolent, flourish. There are "many other towns and vil- lages in the county, but none of such dimensions as to call for elaborate de- scription ; therefore, it will be well to complete our record by giving the names only of Dallas Center, Minburn, Perry, Boonville, Waukee, Van Meter, Dexter, De Soto, Wiscotta and Red- field. Dallas county contains within itself such an aggregate of nature's bounties that before long its villages must become cities, and its rivers pop- ulous with a flourishing industrial population. Davis Coimty is noted for its agri- culture and for the fine grazing farms of which it is the location. The area of the counly is 315,390 acres. The Des Moines river waters its northeast corner, and by its tributaries, Soap Lick, Salt creek and Chequest creeks, it drains and renders fruitful a very extensive range. Pox river. North and South Wyacondah and the Sabins flow through the county on their way to the Mississippi, affording a plenti- ful water supply and good drainage, and along the several streams, belts and groves of good timber are very con- veniently located. Smooth prairies with just enough of rise and fall to secure adequate drainage constitute the divides. The records of the county agricul- tural society show the remarkable fact that a premium was awarded during the second annual fair for the produc- tion of 138 bushels of corn from a sin- gle acre. In the following year the premium for production was awarded for 213 bushels from one acre, and wheat has been raised to the extent of forty bushels from one acre, the aver- age being nearly twenty. Farming is 480 TuTTLJifs HlSTOKr OF lOWA. well carried out iu Davis county, and the Keokuk and Des Moines railroad tarries to good markets the surplus productions of the fertile and well used land. There is no county in Iowa which excels Davis for grazing and stock raising. Blue grass is a safe crop every time, but hay, timothy and clover are mainly relied on. Stock runs at large on many of the prairies and the wild grasses fatten as well as feed them, while there is no difBculty in their procuring as much food water as they desire. Splendid erds enrich the county in many of its sections, and add much to the beauty of the quiet scene. Fruits of all kinds that can be pro- duced in temperate climates will ^row in Davis county, and large quantities have actually been shipped. There are many vineyards in good bearing in this county, and many varieties flour- ish exceedingly well. The Osage or- ange hedge which comes to a sufficient growth in this county in five years, has attracted the attention of the farm- ing community, the advantages of such effort being already apparent in the changing aspects of the country. There is protection for stock and many other benefits may be found in the multiplication of such hedges on the prairies. Davis county contains excellent coal measures, many of which are now be- ing worked in thicknesses not less than four feet, and eventually it will probably reckon among the best coal districts in the state of Iowa. Stone for building purposes has been found in the best quality and admir- able quantities. Hydraulic cement is one of the deposits brought to light in Davis county, and there is an excel- lent blue tinted limestone, which de- serves notice for many qualities. The earliest settlers in this county came from several states and territo- ries, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois being among the number. The Sac and Pox Indians occupied the territory up to May, 1843, and they had the county almost to themselves, as few white settlers came to dispute with them their hunting ground. Some few squatters and others came as early as 1837, but nothing like a permanent settlement was made. Near a Sac and Fox Indian village in the following year a trading post was established on the Des Moines river, and the trader concerned therein located himself on the site since known as lowaville, where he made a home. Some famous Indian chiefs. Black Hawk and Keokuk among others, flour- ished in this country before and after the white man came among their tribes, but their memories alone remain among the traditions of an unprofit- able past. The first postofflce was es- tablished in 1843 within the bounds of "Black Hawk Purchase," the place be ing called Fox, but the record only re- mains. In 1844, the territorial legis- lature authorized a county organiza- tion, and the county seat having been located, the name of Bloomfleld was given thereto by drawing lots. Blooufibu) is the geographical center, and is therefore well adapted to be the county seat. The town is distant due south from Ottumwa, about nineteen miles. It stands in the midst of good agricultural land, and has good railroad facilities. The town was laid out in 1846, whereupon the postofflce was removed there fl-om Lewiston, and a course of moderate, but substantial prosperity was entered upon. Improvements mark the yearly growth of the town, and many valu- able buildings have been erected for business purposes. The dwelling houses of some of the residents are costly and handsome, with great scenic advantages. The population of the town is about one thousand, and there are several newspapers published there. The schools are graded and very well conducted, the district hav- ing made very liberal appropriations to procure the best talent obtainable, and all the facilities requisite to secure the attention and promote the energies of pupils. The public school build- ing is very handsome and commodi- ous, occupying a prominent position and constituting the chief adornment of the town in which it has been built. There is a normal and scientific in- stitution in Bloomfleld which contrib- utes very materially to the high intel- lectual status of the district. The bus- iness enterprise of Bloomfleld is above the average of communities of that size. Dbakevillb is six miles northwest of Bloomfleld, on the Chicago and Southwestern railroad, doing a consid- erable shipping business for the agri- Sketches of Counties. 481 culturists in its vicinity and likely to increase very largely. The town has a well conducted weekly paper which is chiefly devoted to the wants of the farming interest, upon which Drake- villa almost entirely depends. Trot is chiefly noticeable because of its normal school, which was estab- lished in 1856 by private enterprise, and has been well supported by the people of the county. The village owes to that institution its principal feature, but it is also the center of a good range of country, which is grad- ually attracting settlement, and is be- ing cultivated with very great success. There are many other villages and post oflBcea which have not yet grown into importance, but which promise to draw to themselves large populations in course of time, when the value of the country in which they respectively stand has become developed. They are named in the order of their relative im- portance: Albany, Ash Grove, Bel- knap, named in honor of the well known secretary. Bush, Chequest, Flor- is, Monterey, Oak Springs, Pulaski, Sa- vannah, Stiles and West Grove. This completes the record to date of Davis county. Decatur Connty is in southern Iowa and contains five hundred ind forty square miles of the best timbered land in the state. Hardly a township can be found in Decatur without a fair average of timbered land, and large quantities of hard maple beingin the several groves, much sugar is ob- tained annually. Otherwise the cus- tomary varieties of timber prevail in this county. Wild fruits grow abund- antly and the shrubs which flourish are those which customarily are found in deep rich soil. Decatur county has numerous water courses, which pass through the coun- try at convenient distances from each other, as though some river artificer had planned the area to meet the views of the agriculturist and raiser of stock. Many of the streams give mill sites of exceptional value, but these facts will best appear in their proper order in a brief enumeration _ of -the several streams and tributaries. Grand river flows through the coun- try bearing southeast, and many ad- mirable mill sites upon its banks have been improvied, the works being now 31 in profitable operation. Elk creek, one of the best tributaries of Grand river, comes from the northwest of the county, and is also adapted for mills, besides draining and watering a very valuable country. Another tributary of some volume is Long creek which comes from the north, a good stream for the powers which it offers to man- ufacturers as well as in other respects. The body of water joins Grand river near the city of Decatur. The next principal stream to the east is Little Grand river flowing across the county nearly due north and south, having several tributaries which cover, drain and water a splendid territory, and bear much timber. Weldon fork is properly part of Grand river and is a stream of very considerable size flowing through the townships of Garden Grove, High Point, Woodland and Morgan. Many excellent sites upon this stream have been turned to account, but still more await occupation. Steel's creek is one of its aflBuents. Many other streams mf^ht be nanied, but enough has been said to show that the river system Of Decatur is well nigh perfect, and sufficiently liberal to account for the bountiful timber supply enjoyed in this part of the state. Fine springs are numerous in all parts of the coun- ty, and wells often strike good water at fifteen feet, but in some districts, they have to be carried to more than twice that depth. Good building stone has been found and quarried on the west and south sides of Decatur county, and limestone for the manufacture of quicklime as well as for building is also abundant. Some coal, has been found but the quantity is not alluring, and if good thicknesses should hereafter be discov- ered it will be necessary to win the fuel from great depths. Meantime there is so much wood in the county fit alike for fuel and for lumber that the coal prospects mentioned have not attracted much interest, nor suggested the outlay of much capital. Decatur is essentially a grain pro- ducing county, one of the specialties being winter wheat. The success of farmers in this branch of their avoca- tion has led to a much larger area be- ing devoted to winter wheat and it is very probable that the movement already apparent will go on increasing year after year. The large proportion 482 Tuttle's History of Iowa. of timbered land does in perfection for this county what is aimed at by plant- ing groves and Osage orange hedges in less favored regions, giving protection during winter to such growths as must otherwise be exposed to almost Arctic rigors. Other cereals do well, and root crops and garden vegetables are quite prolific, thanks to the genial air which prevails at all seasons. Grass is a very profitable growth here, and many farmers devote much of their attention to that item. Wild grass is largely depended upon by some set- tlers, the quantity harvested in 1866 being much in excess of the tame grasses, but since that date the propor- tion has been greatly reversed. Fruits can be raised with much profit in Decatur county and the num- ber of orchards is increasing every year. Apples raised in this county are sent to the surrounding counties and supply a good demand. Grapes, chejries, and small fruits, also do well. Peaches have not succeeded, but whether the failure has been accident- al must be determined by further at- tempts, which will probably result in a triumph. Large valleys, deep streams and terraced banks near some of the rivers afibrd admirable facilities for the cultivation of choice fruits, and beyond doubt the opportunities thus offered will be improved. Statistics ampl^ demonstrate the rapid growth of this industry, but we are loth to de- scend from figures of speech to mere arithmetic. Timber, as already mentioned. Is one of the best boons nature has given to Decatur county, and the large propor- tion of other good things which comes to its population as a consequence of that excellence, should determine the settlers in all parts of Iowa to plant belts and groves of trees in every con- venient location whenever they can afford the necessary time. The name Grand river is fully justi- fied by the character of the scenery amid and through which it flows, and generally the aspects of Decatur coun- ty are such as to please the eye of every observer. The cultivation of the land and the location of homes tend rather to increase the beauty of the surrounding country, and with ad- vancing prosperity the delightful possi- bilities of the country may be carried to the very highest pitch of excellence. Early in the year 1838 there were white settlers in Decatur county who had an impression that they were lo- cated in Missouri, and continued in possession of slaves until the year 1853, when among the early records a memorandum was made manumitting a colored man named George, who had been held as a chattel in the territory. In 1840 several white settlers came, and ten years later the county was or- ganized, and in 1851 the county seat was located on the site of Decatur, the name chosen by the commissioners for the town, to be built. Leon, the present county seat, its name having been changed from De- catur, Is two miles northeast of the feographical center of the county, 'he town is a railroad terminus, being the last station on the Leon branch of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The impulse given to irade by the terminus of that road in the town has been most marked. Ship- ments commenced immediately the road was opened, and have gone on increasing since; stores and ware- houses have multiplied in number and increased in capacity. What was a quiet and contented village has be- come a busy town, full of ambitious projects. The traders have become merchants, and every branch of indus- try has put on new life since the ad- vent of the iron horse. The town has two newspapers, and the amount of patronage which they enjoy results in their being in every sense worthy the attention of subscribers. There is an excellent graded school in Leon, well organized and administered, occupy- ing a rather showy building, construc- ted of brick many years ago. Dboatur CitV is very nearly in the center of the county, whose name it bears. The lai:ge and enterprising class of farmers located around and near the city, find it an admirable place in which to transact business not necessarily connected with shipments. The terminus of the railroad at Leon must, for some time to come, detract from the prosperity of Decatur City, but the great natural advantages of the location will preserve the city from collapse. There is a good school house in the central square, and the interests of that establishment are treated as of paramount importance. The building cost $3,000, and the pu- Sketches of Counties. 483 pils number about two hundred. The teachers are men and women well adapted to their work. G-ARDEN Grove is a handsome vil- lage, possessing a graded school, well administered. The place has advan- tages in the matter of shipment, being located in the northeast of the county, on the Chicago, Burlington and Quin- cy Ballroad, between Charlton and Leon. The village stands near a fine grove of timber, on a rolling prairie adjacent to the Weldon fork of Grand river. The Mormons were the first settlers on this site, and many of them remained until 1851. Pleasant Plain is on the divide between Little river and Grand river, near the southern boundary of the county. The village has now an ad- dition which stands in the state of Missouri. The country round Pleasant Plain is rolling prairie, which admits of high cultivation, and at a mile dis- tance east and west there are groves of fine timber. There was a college building erected here some years ago, but like the house built upon the sand, the walls would not stand the beat of the weather and, in consequence, it fell in 1865, great being the fall thereof. Since that time the college project has been abandoned, but the town remains on the same spot, about twelve miles south of the county seat. New Bhda is on the west side of Grand river, half a mile from the stream itself, on a second bottom of great beauty. The village was laid out by a colony of Hungarians, who had abandoned the country over which Austria tyrannized. The date of the foundation was 1855, but the men who undertook that enterprise had been in the country since 185i2. They had been companions in arms of Kossuth, hence the names which are to be per- petuated in this monument erected to a brave people by a band of exiles. New Buda, the name of the village, is suggestive of the land of the Ma^ars, one of the streets is denominated Mag- yar street, and the centre of the town is known as Kossuth Square. The country which nearly five hundred years ago responded to the free thought of John Huss, and rallied to the rescue when their leader was snatched away by treacliery, should have been able to preserve liberty to its manly sons, as indeed it would have done but for the gratuitous help given by Russia to- ward the crushing of popular liberties). Davis City is a village on the west bank of Grand river, not great in ex- tent, but moderately well to do. The facilities offered by the river have been improved here, and to that fact Davis City is indebted for its only mill and carding factory. There is a conveni- ent school house in the village, and it is well attended. Terrb Haute is on the west bank of Grand river, five miles from Deca- tur City ; there is not much business done in the place, but there is a good shool house, in good hands. There are several post offices in the county, at Westerville, Fink's Mill, Decatur, Elk, Sedgwick, New Buda, Terre Haute, Nine Eagles, High Point, Gar- den Grove, Franklin, and Leon. Delaware County is in the south- west of Iowa, and contains an area of 368,640 acres. The land consists of about three-fourths prairie, and one- fourth timber, the whole being well watered in every section. Near the streams where timber is abundant, the ground is much broken and hilly; elsewhere it undulates enough to se- cure good drainage, and to give variety to the scene. Persons in search of good agricultural land upon which to make homes for their families, could hardly desire a more pleasant country. The soil is a deep loam, almost black, with, in som-e places, an admixture of sand, which is found advant age ous, as it helps to force vegetation. What has been said of other counties in this state adapted to the growth of fruits, grain, vegetables, and grasses, may be supposed to be repeated here, the gen- eral character holding good through- out, with here and there some unim- portant change in detail only. We have said that the county is well wa- tered, and it may be well to note some of the principal rivers, lakes, and creeks, by way of sustaining that state- ment. The south fork of the Maquo- keta river is the chief stream in this county. It passes through the county in a southeasterly direction, having for its main tributaries on the east Honey and Plum creeks, and on the west Buck creek and Prairie creek, which drain a very large extent of country. In the east of the county the north fork of the Maquoketa is the principal 484 TUTTLlfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. stream. In the northeast the Little Turkey is the drain and water course, and in the west the Buffalo serves the same beneficial purjjoses. Nearly all the principal streams in this county give water powers which prove very valuable, and some few of them have already been improved with freat advantage to all concerned, [any springs are found in this county, some soft enough for domestic use, and all valuable for the stock raiser, who is bound to become a power in Delaware county. Wells from twenty-five to thir- ty feet find unfailing supplies of whole- some water. Timber is plentiful and well distrib- uted, the proportion already stated be- ing remarkably good. Fuel makes heavy demands upon the woods in this county at present, but that consumption is a mere bagatelle compared wifli the terrific conflagrations which, before the advent of white settlers, used to lick the prairies clean of grass and timber, and leap across broad streams to accomplish their works of destruc- tion. The better preservation of tim- bered lands now, and the planting of groves and belts to shelter lands]which otherwise would be too open to the winds and storms of this region, will make of small moment the few trees necessary for human warmth. The timber is generally found near streams, the heaviest being found near the Haquoketa and Turkey creek, in the northeast of Delaware county. Coal has been obtained as required from adjoining counties, and lumber for building purposes can be obtained from distant pineries at less cost than would be involved in the use of native woods at present, consequently it is evident that the timber resources of this county will not presently decrease. Wheat and corn are, as elsewhere in Iowa, the staple productions of the soil, but every kind of farm produce flourishes just in proportion as atten- tion is given to their increase. Fruits have been so profitably raised that astonishment has been expressed at the ^reat returns realized. This fact applies to small fruits especially. The farmer, if a provident and enterprising man, is generally a grower of stock in this county, with an eye always open to secure the very best varieties of ev- ery breed for his purposes. He will not, if he knows it, carry all his eggs in one basket, consequently he haa his dairy farm well in hand, and looks to the establishment of cheese factories on the most approved princii)le. He feeds and fattens his stock with such crops as are most convenient, and watches his distant markets for the right time to realize. His staples are well herded and they come early to market when the prices rule most fa- vorably for the growers, and with all these reins in his hand, it would be strange if an intelligent, persevering man could not secure fair remuneration for his manifold labors. Men of the class indicated are to be found in all the best locations in Delaware county, . and wherever they settle down the land must do its best. Their butter has secured premiums at ■ the great fairs in St. Louis, and no county has a better name for similar products in the east. They can sell their wool well, and their sheep fetch good prices. Their hogs and their pork are shipped in good condition, and they are thus, almost, as a matter of course, a fore- handed people, who may take the world pleasantly, sure tha,t their place will always be in the front rank. Building stone can be procured without difSculty, and in almost limit- less quantities in Delaware county. Magnesian limestone, which permits of a very beautiful polish, is one of the varieties. The likeness of this stone to marble would suggest the sameness of the elements of which it is com- posed, even though scientists had never revealed that interesting fact. Exposures of this stone are frequent on the banks of the Maquoketa and along some of its branches. Away back from the rivers the rock is cov- ered by a heavy and rich coating of soil, but wherever search is made be- neath the mantle of fertility the rock opens out of a pale yellow or French white. The stone is harder than the famous Anamosa variety, but quite easily worked. Delhi, Colesburg and Hopkinton near Manchester, are the sites of excellent quarries of the same stone. Nearer the streams the soil covering the rock is necessarily thin- ner and in some places the treasure stands revealed, bald headed, as a new born babe. There is an excellent flagging found in this county, very durable and even, and not readily lia- ble to disintegration. Good lime can 486 Tuttle's HisTosr of Iowa. be made from any of the stone. Some very choice specimens have been found in the strata of gravel, and it is anticipated that the lapidary will some day be called upon to operate upon stones more precious than cornelians and agates found among the mineral ti-easures of Delaware county. Pot- tery clay, of fine quality, has been found near Colesburg, and it is proba- ble that fictile wares of much excel- lence will be made from the deposit mentioned. Clay, fit for brickmaking, is perhaps of more immediate import- ance, and that can readily be procured in any part of this highly favored county. The first white settler came to this region in 1836, from the Galena dis- trict in Illinois, and he built a cabin for his family in the timber, since called "Bads Grove." A party of Scotch people came next, early in the following year. The part of the coun- ty where they located is still known as " Scotch Grove." From that time the movements of immigrants become too complex to permit of our following their steps. Settlement went on stead- ily and organization became an immi- nent necessity. Long after there was a justice of the peace in the territory, a functionary of that high order, being unable to cross a swollen river to ad- minister the rite of marriage to a lov- ing pair, succeeded in eflecting the legal union so much desired, by roar- ing the necessary sentences over the turbid stream, and procuring their high-toned responses, so that he coula proclaim them inan and wife. The fee was a secondary consideration in those primitive days. The territorial legislature, in 1837-8, named the county and authorized its organization. There was some delay in locating the county seat, but the commissioners eventually settled upon the town of Millheim, having drawn lots to arrive at that solution. The decision of the commission gave unan- imous dissatisfaction, and it was eventually resolved by a popular vote that Delhi should be the seat of ad- ministration. The task of location gave the citizens much labor and some sport, but the site eventually selected is beyond question very beautiful and well adapted. The vote which ratified the choice, made by an extensive com- mittee, was not taken until 1841, and in spite of several attempts to carry the honor to Manchester or to Dela- ware Center, Delhi is still the county seat. Manchbstbb is a town, a little west of the center of Delaware county, and the most important place therein. A station of the Iowa division of the Il- linois Central Railroad makes Man- Chester a very eligible port of ship- ment. The town is built on both sides of the Maquoketa river, the stream be- ing at that point about ninety feet across. A more delightful site for a town, it would be diflicult to find. It is beyond the reach of floods, well placed for drainage, and the soil adapted for gardening, while there are special facilities for road making near at hand. Before the settlers became too numerous there were fine herds of deer which came to this location to graze on the nutritious covering of the soil, and the groves were large enough to secure them shelter. There were wolves also in the region, and snakes also were seen at times. Concerning the latter some travellers' stories have been told, which had, beyond doubt, some foundation in fact, as there probably were snakes, but a monst-er seven feet and a half in length, coiled up in bed with a lady settler must have been a near relation to the often mentioned sea serpent. Manchester is surrounded by prai- ries, which are being settled rapidly, and are already largely improved, the class of- farmers being men who know how to make occasions serve them. They have wood and water abundant, and soil unsurpassed in fertility. Springs and wells meet their wishes and supply their needs, so that they can make their own course in life more pleasant, by assisting from the natural plenty by which they are sur- rounded to build up the greatness and plenty of their neighboring town. Manchester has fine water powers which have not yet been improved. There are excellent quarries near at hand, and clay for brick making pur- poses has been turned to good purpose near the town. The first settler came to Manchester, or rather to the place that has since become Manchester, in the year 1850. After building a cabin and commenc- ing to cultivate, he sold out to a new- comer and moved away. Improve- Sketches of Counties. 487 meuts near the site had been made nine years earlier. The original holders of the town site sold out to the Iowa Land Company, and by that organization, Manchester, as it now stands, was laid out. The first thought of the new set- tlers that came from the east was, as to school and church privileges, and to those objects they gave attention as soon as their most pressing needs had been provided for. Their school house was erected, and that, for nearly ten years, served every purpose in local organization. The town was called Burrington at first, but confusion aris- ing, especially in mail matters, some of the letters for the new town being carried to the better known town of Burlington, in southern Iowa, the ap- pellation was changed to Manchester. The Maquoketa river carried away the substantial bridge constructed by the early settlers, four times, before the present handsome structure was thrown across the stream, in 1868, at a cost of $11,000. Since that time, the river has showed signs of a more civilized condition, and it reserves its powers for more beneficent operations. The incorporation of the city dates from 1866. There is a good school in Man- chester, graded in three departments, culminating in the high school, which was erected during the same year that the act of incorporation was passed in. There are two newspapers published in Manchester, and the business enter- prise of the town entitles it to be con- sidered the first place in the county, although it is not the county seat. Delhi is the county seat, being built four miles southeast of the center. A vote of the people determined that lo- cation in 1841, nearly twelve months before the town itself was platted. The first family that made a home in Delhi took up their abode there in 1848, and long continued the only in- habitants. The first post office was located there after the county had be- come entitled to that convenience. The first school taught in the town was convened in the court house, a log building barely sufficient to serve the purposes indicated. This was in 1846, when the inhabitants could date back three years to the first family. A stage line from Dubuque made the town its stopping place going west, but settle- ment went on very slowly ; still there was an increase. Immigration soon afterguards came on apace, and the town grew rapidly, and there was an opportunity to secure a railroad line, with the consequent traffic coming to their doors, if the citizens could have looked far enough ahead. Unfortu- nately, they were not wise enough to grasp the opportunity, and the propo- sitions of the Dubuque and Pacific Railroad fell to the ground. While there was a probability of that road being completed to Delhi the growth of the town was marvelous, the popu- lation increasing to eleven hundred in a short time. The railroad line passes three miles north of the town, and the population is now one half less than its best number. Should some other chance arise, the residuum of business men would be wise enough to embrace their opportunity ; but fortune seldom knocks twice at a slow opening door, except at long intervals. Delhi has newspapers energetically conducted, which are devoted to their interests, and the farmers in the surrounding fertile territory make the place their trading post, unless they wish to avail themselves of shipment by the rail- road, in which case, of course, Delhi has nothing to oflfer but vain regrets. HoPKiNTON is an enterprising vil- lage on the line of the Davenport and St. Paul Railroad, twelve mile south- east from the center of the county. The town is situated in a lovely grove on the east side of the south fork of the Maquoketa river. Back of the vil- lage the county opens out into a roll- ing prairie of great extent to the south- east, and extends to the groves of the north fork of the same stream, seven miles away. Oak openings in the north extend to Plum creek, but the country between has been opened in many places for limestone quarries. West and south the river and heavy timber are visible in the distance, and Jackson's springs, three in number, issuing from the rock at the hill foot, are celebrated for their beauty. The stream formed by the springs in ques- tion would supply a township with excellent soft water for every purpose. The first settler came to the town in 1838, attracted by the water power, good land, and excellent timber of the region. When the people came to the locality in larger numbers and there was a demand for lumber, for build- ings became an object, two saw-mills 488 TvTTLBfs History of Iowa. were erected, on the Maquoketa and on Plum creek. The town was laid out in 1850, and the first comers were wise enough to offer inducements to settlers which soon afterwards resulted in the frowth of an enterprising village. 'here was much care taken to main- tain a high moral tone among the peo- ple, and schools were among the first requirements of the time. A district school was established, and an evening school with evening sessions for more advanced pupils, came near serving the needs of Hopkinton for a time. The town has made verjr considerable progress on that foundation. The farm- ing capabilities of the surrounding cotintry attracted a large colony of re- formed Presbyterians, in 1854, and the members of that body added immense- ly to the prosperity of the place by buying a tract of country which was cut up into farms, that have since been very profitably worked. A collegiate institute was established here in 1857, and has since done a great work in tuition. Sand Spring received its name in consequence of its being located near a beautitul stream quite noted among the earliest settlers. The site of the the town was called Bower's Prairie, which, however, never covered a much wider territory than the town plat. The first cabin on the town site was erected in 1856. In the same year, a station of the Dubuque and Southwest- ern Railroad was located here, upon survey of the road, and thfe realization of that project made the place a valua- ble port of shipment for produce. The population of Sand Spring is now as great as that of Hopkinton. Eablville is a town on the Iowa division of the Illinois Central Rail- road, five miles east of the center of the county. There is a fine grove al- most adjoining the town, and Plum creek, which runs past the border, has some excellent water powers which have been improved, but not to the full extent. Situated in the center of a good farming country, to which it is the nearest place of shipment, with the other advantages named, have se- cured for the town a very considerable prosperity. There is good society in the neighborhood, and the schools and church organizations are first-class. From the earliest days of the settle- ment, Earh ille had an ambition for a good school, and the building now in use for that purpose would be an orna- ment to any town in the state. The people are mostly from New England and the eastern states, bearing a goo4 reputation for honesty, thrift and in- telligence, and the appearance of their homes says all that is necessary to ex- hibit their good taste. GrKKELBT Is on the Davenport and St. Paul railroad, north of Delaware center. The village contains five hun- dred inhabitants, and has a good school well sustained and admirably taught. The chief support of the place is the facility which it offers for the shipment of produce from the large farming dis- trict around. Masonvillb is on the Illinois Cen- tral railroad, seven miles west of Man- chester. The Dubuque and Pacific Railroad Company laid out the town in the spring of 1858. The population is not large, about two hundred in all, but the village will still increase. The amount of business transacted is satis- factory. There is very good prairie ■> country to sustain the interests of Ma. sonville. Coi/ESBURG is in the northeast of Delaware county near the Turkey river valley, in an excellent farming section and within easy distance of good tim- ber in large jiuantities. The village was founded in 1848, and it possesses a good graded school well taught by first class professors, male and female. Delawabb Center is very near the center, bearing toward the east. The Illinois Central railroad crosses the Davenport and St. Paul road at this ■ point, giving unrivalled facilities for shipment to any part of the continent, or indeed to any part of the world. The town stands well on high rolling prairie, from which it draws the major part of its support, as it is gradually taken up in farms. The town is new, but it has some very good buildings. Des Moines County is on the river Mississippi, and contains four hundred and seventy-five square miles. Missis- sippi river is the eastearn boundary. Skunk river is the malodorous name of the southern boundary line, and there are many streams which traverse the county, draining and watering the soil in a manner highly conducive to its prosperity. Flint creek runs from northwest to southeast, and with its Sketches of Counties. 489 tributaries, is a valuable system of -wat- er supply. Some of the streams give unrivalled water powers, available for heavy machinery. Prairie and well timbered lands ap- pear to divide the territory, nearly the whole of the streams being bordered by well wooded lands and groves, some of which are of great extent. Building materials are abundant, quarries are numerous and very many exposures of good stone show where unlimited supplies of first class and beautiful materials, unsurpassed in the state, can be procured. Brick making may easily become an important indus- try here, as all the requisites can be ob- tained with little trouble in any sec- tion of the county. From Flint creek, to the county bor- der, alon^ the Mississippi, there are very fertile bottom lands which will grow almost any kind of produce in any quantity, and these lands vary in breadth from one to six miles. Some of the bottoms are heavily timbered. There are other districts in which simi- lar bottom lands occur and in some cases they are liable to inundation, but generally they stand above high water mark and are dry at all seasons of the rear. There is no better agricultural and in the state than can be found in Des Moiues county. Orchards and vineyards have given a special reputa- tion to this section of country, and im- mense quantities of fruits are shipped every season to distant but good mar- kets. Burlington was the site of the earli- est settlement in Des Moines county ; to that place a family came in 1833, and the second settlement followed im- mediately, almost in the same locali- ty. The Indian title was not extinct, nor did it become so until the follow- ing year, when the " Black Hawk Pur- chase " was effected and the property was vested in the general government. The settlers mentioned were driven off the ground by dragoons from Bock Is- land, that winter, but one of them re- turned to the same spot on which his cabin had been burned, as soon as the title of the Indians to the territory had expired. A mill was erected on Flint creek in 1834, and in 1837 another mill was built. The progress of the coun- ty has been steady from that time. BuBLiNGTON is on the bank of the Mississippi, occupying the vallies and I slopes of Hawk Eye creek. The town was incorporated in 1887, and under every form which administration has assumed in the territory and the state, Burlington has been marked out by position and importance as the seat of justice and administration. There is now at Burlington an admirable bridge spanning the " Father of Waters," which alone must secure to the town an euviable expansion. The railroads radi- ate from Burlington in almost every direction, certainly to four joints of . the compass, and a rich agricultural country back of the town finds in its rapidly extending business the best market or the most desirable shipment for every kind of produce. The pre- sent population of Burlington is esti- mated at over twenty-flve thousand, but the manufacturing and commercial growth of this center of industry and- enterprise will soon leave such small figures far behind. The whole growth of the county will be dwarted in years to come by comparison with the expanding power of this city, with the Mississippi flowing past its wharves, and the iron horse panting for new burdens upon a dozen lines of road, while the farmers and stock raisers of Iowa will pour their surplus into the elevators and warehouses daily being built to meet the exigencies ot the oc- casion. There are good schools in Burlmg- ton under experienced and accom- plished management, which secures the best available talent in every de- partment. The Burlington University is also located here and although sec- tarian somewhat in religious aim, the culture of its management and the suc- cess which its curriculum has obtained make it on honor to the locality. The city is well supplied with newspapers, which adequately represent the enter- prise and push of the metropolitan city, for metropolitan the city already is, in its views and in the scope of its exertions. Other towns and villages are many in this county, but they are dwarfed by Burlington. Their names will con- vey to our readers nearly all that is known concerning these several loca- tions, except among residents. Dan- ville and Middleton are on the Bur- lington and Missouri railroad. Latz, Sperry, Mediapolis and Linton are on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and 490 Tuttle's History of Iowa. Minnesota railroad. Northfleld, Dodge- ville, Pleasant Grove, Kingston, Kos- suth, Huron, Amity, Le Vega, Frank- lin, Mills, South Flint and Patterson Station, complete the list of the ac- commodations for settlement and civ- ilization which Des Moines county can oflEer; but it would be vain to sup- pose that any mere catalogue can pre- sent an adequate idea of the conditions for success which have been showered down by nature upon this favored sec- tion. Dickinson County embraces an area of four hundred and eight square miles. It is the most elevated land in the state lying on the great watershed, and the county is drained by the Little Sioux river. There are two large lakes, the largest in the state, located in Dickinson county. Spirit lake, called by the Dakotas " Minne Wau- kon," has a surface of twelve square miles, and is a very beautiful sheet of water. The north of the lake rests upon the northern boundary of the state. There are large bodies of tim- ber on the north and west banks of the lake, and the shores and bottom are of gravel. South from Spirit lake, with which it is connected by an outlet wliich drains the higher into the lower body of water, is Okoboji lake, six feet before the level of the other. This lake is fifteen miles in length, running five miles south from its junction with Spirit lake, then westward about as far, then to the north about an equal distance. At some points the lake is very narrow, but the westward bend is the largest body, that being called by the Indians, "Minnetonka," signify- ing, in the dialect of the Sioux, " Great water." Iowa has no lake more beau- tiful than Okoboji; and the surround- ings are such as to make the scene from almost every point of view, charm- ing. There are fine groves of timber bordering this sheet of water; and many smaller lakes tell of the time be- fore the upheaval had proceeded so far, when there must have been an immense volume of water covering the prai- ries here for hundreds, perhaps thous- ands, of miles. Near this point there are small eminences, one of which is said to be the highest point of land in Iowa. Lake Okoboji sends a stream with some very fine powers, which are partially waiting improvement, down into the Little Sioux river, a distance of five miles. « The surface of the county is gener- ally undulating and very largely prai- rie, having good soil, usually of dark loam, with an exhaustless fertility which will grow all the average pro- ductions of northern Iowa. Good grasses, good water, good shelter in the numerous groves, combine to make Dickinson county suitable for stock raising. Building stone has not been found in situ in this county, but boulders are numerous, and some of them are very valuable as well as very large. The drift contains masses of red quartzite, granite and, occasional- ly, magnesian limestone. The groves are largely resorted to for fuel. Water can be found at a little depth wherever wells are put down ; and the lakes are well supplied with fish. The lakes were very attractive to the first white settlers who, in 1856, had located themselves there with their families in considerable numbers, as well as near the head waters of the Little Sioux river. There were roving bands of Indians in the country, Sioux for the most part, by whom petty thefts and acts of destruction were perpetrated; but by some process of exasperation, which cannot easily be understood in the absence of evidence, the culminating horror in the history of Iowa occurred in March, 1854. The whole of the white settlers near the lakes, men, women and children, were exterminated or carried away with fiendish excesses and malignant torments, which make the event ap- pear to have been simply devilish. Springfield was visited at the same time, and the work of slaughter was eflected there also with terrible com- pleteness. A small military force, dispatched from Fort Dodge as soon as the news of the Spirit lake massacre arrived, could do nothing, save bury the dead, upon their reaching the scene of the disaster ; and of these, two were frozen to death on their way back. The Sioux made good their es- cape, and some of their captives were, at a late date, recovered by the pay ment of ransom. This event tended to prevent settlement, on a large scale, in Dickinson county ; but the places of the murdered families were filled almost immediately. Spibit Lake is the county seat, and 492 TuTTLtfs History of Iowa. is situated between tlie two principal lakes, comanding a fine view of both. When the county was organized in - 1857, this site was chosen for the honor which it now enjoys. The village stands on fine prairie land, and the surrounding country is very fertile. The lake country will become a resort for pleasure seekers, and it cannot fail to reward the enterprise of its visitors. MiLFOBD is bujlt upon the outlet from lake Okoboji, where the Waters of the lower lake descend toward the Little Sioux river. The surrounding country is good, and the water powers upon the stream mentioned are among the most reliable in the state, Dnbnqne County lies on the Mis- sissippi bank, in the third tier of counties from the Minnesota boundary. It is about six hundred and twelve square miles in area, and contains 391,680 acres. The north and central townships are watered and drained by the Little Maquoketa and its branches, and the southern, southeastern and western sections owe the same ser- vices to the Big Maquoketa and its tributaries. These streams give nu- merous and considerable water powers. The configuration of the county and the nature of the soil vary largely in different parts. The townships to the northwest have, their river beds deeply cut into the strata through which they run, and consequently the surface is broken and declivitous ; much timber grows there, and the wood generally IS of good quality. Sandy soil pre- vails in those localities except in the fertile river bottoms. Near Dubuqe, high rolling prairie, slightly wooded, except on the bluffs, is the common characteristic The blufis are an out- crop of iiliagara limestone, and they mark the approach to the Mississippi. The next township west is declivitous, being cut up into deep ravines, almost covered with wood of every variety and large growth. Still more to the west, the country rises to a greater ele- vation and is less broken. Here the proportion of timbered land rapidly increases. The southern part of the county reproduces similar transitions from- a very broken country, well wooded, to high rolling prairie. Ex- cept where the Maquoketa river has cut down into its rocky but yielding bed, the central and western portion of Dubuqe county is almost entirely prairie. Limestone of various formations, from the Niagara and Trenton to Ga- lena, can be found in this county, and St. Peter sandstone is also exposed in some places. Cincinnati shales are found in conjunction with the beds of limestone mentioned. Lead is largely mined in Dubuque, having a share in the immense bed of that mineral which, occupies four thousand square miles in the great nothwest, stretching through Iowa, Illinois, and under the Mississippi into Wisconsin. In some places the mines are worked under rich agricultural land, which gives a point blank contradiction to the com- mon belief, that a country rich in minerals must be beggarly in soil. The same fact has been noticed else- where, but the popular misapprehen- sion is adhered to still. The civilized world can procure lead from this vast deposit until the anticipations of the Millerites have been fulfilled, unless the consumption becomes vastly ac- celerated. The Indians, or yet more likely, their predecessors, the Mound Builders, who had a much higher type of intellect and culture, probably knew of these areas of metal, but little or nothing resulted from their knowl- edge. When, in 1689, after the change of dynasty of the English throne from James the bigot to William III, an expedition was sent by the French governor of Canada, De le Barn, to establish friendly relations with the red men, and to claim the northwest in the name of the Grand Monarque, Louis XIV, his master. The Indians appear to have mentioned the lead mines to the emissaries of the Cana- dian government. Other discoveries followed before the end of that cen- tury, and if the French had ever been a colonizing people, that was their opportunity to possess a vast empire, much more valuable than all the con- quests which culminated in the defeat at Ramilies. Mining has been carried on in a desultory way since that era. Soon after the independence of this country had been vindicated against the insane rage of the English King George III and his unworthy govern- ment, mining was commenced on the site of the city of Dubuque. The be- ginning was made in 1788 by a French- man, who gave his own name to both Sketches of Counties, 493 city and county, and he remained on the spot until his death, twenty-two years afterwards. The lead mines of Du- buque are, therefore, well on for ninety years old, and have been vastly profit- able. Tliere is no reason to anticipate an early exhaustion of this mineral, which is valued in the market beyond the production of almost any other mine for its softness and freedom from admixtures. This county, then much more ex- tensive, was organized under the Wis- consin territorial legislature, and the district was entitled to eight represen- tatives in the house and council. This commenced in 1836. The teiTitorial government of Iowa commenced its jurisdiction soon afterwards, as under Uie new regime, the first election oc- curred in 1839, and since that time the growth of the counly in numbers and importance has kept pace with its diminution in territorial extent. A court house of hewed logs was the first investment in gubernatorial dignity, made by the citizens of Du- < buque, and the dimensions and par- ticulars have been set down with more wealth of detail than has been pre- served in the case of " Cheops, his pyramid." The court house, so called, was used as a jail, and the judges, avoiding bad company as much as possible, held their sessions in the several churches until 1843, when the court house, now in use, was erected, being subsequently enlarged. The jail now used in Dubuque county cost in several outlays, over-$47,000. Perhaps that fact is a commentary upon the low moral tone incidental to lead min- ing. _ The county agricultural society was organized in 1854, and fairs were con- tinued until 1870, when that institu- tion merged into its worthy successor, the Dubuque agricultural and manu- facturing exposition, which will prove very valuable to every industrial in- terest in the northwest. There is a farmer's club in the county which has been in operation since 1860. The early settlers' association is avery use- " ful institution, designed to preserve old records and reliable traditions concerning the " rude forefathers of the hamlet," and the work is in good bands. 'The county poor house is a well administered charity, and it is satisfactory to know that the number of inmates for the year 1874 was only flfty-two. The industrial status and the wealth of the community diffused through many hands could not be better illustrated than by comparing that fact with the statistics of pauper- ism in Great Britain, the home of the very rich and the very poor. The City of Dubuqde is on the Mis- sissippi river bank, 475 miles above St. Louis. The city is the oldest center of population in Iowa. The site is beautiful and it is in a business sense a very desirable location. The table land on which the city was platted rises back from the town into a range of bluffs of almost a semicircle almost two hundred and fifty feet above the level of the vast stream. The plateau about half a mile wide is now mainly given up to business premises, the bluffs are made attractive by elegant residences which seem to rise toward mid air with their gardens and shade trees reminding one of the hanging gai'dens of Babylon. The plateau has been laid out in broad, well graded streets which are kept in good order, and the business site has been extended in the process by increasing the eleva- tion of otherwise low, unprofitable and ill drained lands. Different railroad companies have found it to their inter- est to undertake works of the kind in- dicated to procure eligible sites for the transaction of their momentous traffic and other affairs. The river running south at this point, the streets have been laid out true to the points of the compass. Dubuque has now a population of twenty-five thousand intelligent per- sons, for whom all the appliances for civilization are available. There are schools for the young, libraries for the middle aged, comforts and lux- uries for the aged, and for all classes, intellectual amusements, the people being wise enough in the hurry and bustle of their prosperity to remember the old adage, that " all work and no play makes John a dull boy." In the general sketch of the county history we have given a brief but suf- ficient indication of its early settle- ment and it would be tiresomo to re- hearse the story, dealing in painful minuteness, with the details of Individ- ual action. The permission to work the mines in the land now known as part of the state of Iowa, was obtained 494 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. from the chiefs of the Fox tribe of In- dians living in the territory then form- ing part of the Spanish province of Louisiana. Some day, it may be hoped before long, the successors of Cortez and Pizarro will be relegated to their own misgoverned country, and no longer be allowed to meddle with and mar the affairs of this continent and its immediate surroundings. The Spanish government never confirmed Dubuque's license to mine, but the lead was won without oflScial sanction. The French miners who worked with Dubuque were driven oflf at last by In- dian troubles, and red men became miners, fighting the warlike Sioux oc- casionally for the retention of their valuable possessions. The first setting of the tide of emi- gration toward Iowa seems to have commenced in 1830; when permission was obtained from the Indians to ex- plore the lead mines around Dubuque, from whence the red men were de- parting westward, leaving few signs which could not be efi'aced of the pa- tient industry which had once flour- ished there. Cornfields waved and tall grass grew rank over the deserted area of the present city. Natives had left their villages to crumble into ruin, and the white man found none to dis- pute his right of requisition for atime. Unfortunately no trace remains of the scene, except such as can be gathered from the chance convensations of old settlers, as the village with all its ap- purtenances for councils and feasting during peace or war was burned down* in the first summer after this expedi- tion arrived. The land was not yet the property of the United States, the title of the aborigines being yet in force, there- fore the settlers bein^ on a kind of no man's land, made their own laws and enforced obedience as they best might. The work of legislation be- gan in 1830, and the first act was sim- ple and effective, providing for the land to be held by each miner, the amount of work to be done and the means by which disputes arising among the holders should be settled by arbitration. Mining operations were soon after this time arrested by military orders. Col. Zachary Taylor, afterwards fam- ous, who was then in command of Prairie du Chien post was instructed I to disperse the intruders, as that course was thought necessary by the war de- partment in order to preserve peace on the frontier. The Black Hills maneu- ver was thus preenacted in Jowa, and it remained to be seen that wherever the metals are or any other quality which makes a territoiy desirable, there can be no device found which will prevent the superior race becom- ing possessed of the land, which they only can turn to its best account. Col. Taylor did not resort to force at first, but after remonstrance had failed, he sent a detachment of troops across the Mississippi to compel obedience. Many of the miners had already aban- doned the ground before the arrival of the troops and the others were allowed to leave unmolested. From that time a detachment remained at Dubuque to prevent the white miners resuming their work, and the Indians came back to enter into the labors of their more skillful coadjutors, thus dispossessed after having reopened the work. From one mine more than a million pounds of ore was removed thus while the men who had prepared the way for that operation were forced to remain on the other side of the river. Military possession of Dubuque was continued until 1883, when the troops were called off to fight the Indians in Wisconsin and Illinois, the war end- ing in 1833 with the surrender of Black Hawk, The attempt to regain by treachery and slaughter the territory, which had been conveyed by actual sale, ended in a still further transfer of land by what is known as the "Black Hawk Purchase." General Scott was one of the high contracting parties to the treaty, and the result so far as we are presently concerned was the cession of the eastern portion of the state of Iowa. Some of the miners now came back to their old location, nearly all the In- dians having left Dubuque. All the appliances for successful lead mining were speedily provided, but once more the sons of toil were dispossessed by military order because the treaty would not come into operation until some months had passed away. The oflBcer entrusted with the execution of that command was needlessly severe in his action, and much property was destroyed arbitrarily, and for that line of conduct Col. Zachary Taylor su- Sketches of Counties. 495 perseded him, nevertheless the miners were driven off across the Mississippi once more and many of them never re- turned. Some of the miners had accu- mulated three hundred thousand pounds of lead in the brief interval which had elapsed. The military ac- tion ordered by the wai- department may have been necessary under all the circumstances, but the miners could not help hard feelings, and there must have been a difficulty in avoiding the conclusion that red tape had much more to do with the literal exactness of the execution than simple justice. Under such difficulties the mines of Dubuque were reopened at last to the labors of Uie white mining popu- lation. The mines were opened in due course in June, 1833, under govern- ment superintendence, and every miner was allowed a license in accordance with regulations such as had been set- tled in 1830 by the first comers, upon payment to the authorities of six per cent, of the value of manufactured lead. The tax was a source of com- plaining, and was abandoned ten years afterwards in compliance with the pupular voice, which held that there should be no special imposition on one class. The European system of exacting a royalty on minerals taken from the earth does not consort well with the instincts of a free people un- able to perceive a radical diffisrence between the toil which wins its bread from the bowels of the globe, and that which reaps the same sustenance upon the surface of the soil. The idea is certainly well founded. From the year 1833, regular settle- ment was commenced at Dubuque. Cholera prevailed there, but the people who had come by hundreds concluded to remain. Other business pursuits were entered upon and there soon be- gan to be a large and varied pupula^ tion. The city was named as it now remains in 1834. Settled administration could not ob- tain full force in a new and somewhat lawless community. Gramblers came to the country to win or to steal the earnings of the miners, and arms were in every man's hands. Strong drinks were consumed without . tint, and when quarrels arose the struugest or the quickest man in the melee administer- ed his distempered idea of justice by murdering his victim or his assailant. Sunday being free from ordinary toil was the time most frequently made terrible by quick conflicts and sudden outrages. Out of that condition of af- fairs Lynch law frequently arises even in the present day, and it was still more so when administration was weaker than we know it. Just the conditions of life which in the mining districts of California, Montana and elsewhere made human existence un- certain, operated now in Iowa. Some men were hanged after a summary popular trial, some were condemned to be whipped, 'and others subjected to various punishments for ofi'enses, and of course the substitute for unre- strained crime was but one remove from the offending cause which it aimed to remove. Thus unfortunately, we too often find justice and injustice blended in human aftairs. The regu- lators in the west, the vigilance com- mittees, away toward the golden gates, and all other such bodies commit crimes in the eye of the law, and even sometimes in the sight of God in their anxiety to put down violence and sin, but the motive cannot fail to modify the judgments of men upon their acts. Many crimes were committed in quarrels and exasperations which arose out of disputed titles and ended in vendettas. In one case the assassina- tion of the French miscreant Marat by Charlotte Corday was paralleled in the attempted murder of a young man who had vowed that he would kill the brother of a heroic young woman, be- cause some other member of the same family had shot down his father or relative. Such quarrels with their in- terminable list of assassinations are not entirely unknown among half savage settlers even in our day. In communities so lawless the man who is prompt and unscruplous in the use of weapons, if he is moderately ob- servant of the demands of justice in other respects, procures a large amount of respect, but sometime, early or late, he falls a victim to the law of human nature which long since was written in the book: "He that sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed." Happily the growth of society removes us further from such lawless and deplorable proceedings as Lynch Lawful authority came into force in 496 TUTTLlfS HiSTOBT OF lOWA. 1836, and competent men were chosen as justices. Other fruits of organiza- tion followed in due course. The honor of being the capital was given to Belmont instead of to Dubuque, but none the less the latter city rejoiced in the advent of settled 3 tue. Settle- ment now increased with great rapid- ity, large numbers coming from the earstera states and cities. A library association was formed in 1835, as one of the best results of the new influx, and the business importance of the city of Dubuque has in- creased with every year. The popu- lation numbered two thousand in 1^1, wlien the iron horse was yet a stranger in the northwest, and the rivers were the main lines of travel everywhere in that great region. Iowa became a state in 1846, and in the five years which had elapsed, the population of the city had increased to two thousand five hundred. The number now in the city is twenty-five thousand. Schools have been an object with settlers in Dubuque ever since 1834, when military rule being dispensed with, the people had leisure to think of their best interests. In the year 1833, the first school was inaugurated, but the busy energies of the people be- ing engrossed through the week in business pursuits and mining, a Sun- day school only was practicable with many sections of the population. The early pioneers had built a school house on Jackson Square, but there were only thirty pupils on the roll during the first term, and that number fell to twenht-five in the next. Many simi- lar efforts, the results of personal enter- prise, followed until the year 1855, when the city charter constituted a board of education, and since that date, the care manifested in the proper administration of the best interests of youth have been such as to merit the greatest praise. To give a detailed notice of the va- rious newspapers published in the city of Dubuque, would demand more space than we can give in justice to the numerous objects of interest which demand our attention, consequently we leave that branch of the public ser- vice which is so well able to speak for itself untouched in these pages, with this remark only that as a whole it stands unsurpassed by the press of any city in the northwest of equal di- mensions and wealth. Railroads and the river have made Dubuque the great city which it has become, and the same agencies, added to the mineral, agricultural, and man- ufacturing capabilities of the sur- rounding country must in time vastly Improve the growth which has been attained. Business grows every year, and with it the capacity for further transactions, but the general reader would not thank us for culling from di- rectories and almanacs the detailed figures which obscure the brilliant progress now visible in the city, and we leave such furniture to pages of less interest. The first railroad ar- rived on the shore opposite Dubuque in 1855, but the bridge over the river was not completed and opened until ten years later, the Dubuque and Dun- leith company having taken up that work upon the failure therein of the Illinois Central railroad. The first railroad west from the city was the Dubuque and Sioux City in 1856, since carried to the Missouri river. The Dubuque and Southwestern followed speedily, and Dubuque is thus connec- ted with Cedar Rapids. The Chica- go, Clinton and Dubuque road and Dubuque and Minnesota have since been added, but the citizens are agitat- ing for another line from Dubuque to Milwaukee by narrow gauge, and there is a great likelihood that the scheme will before long be accom- plished. Gas lights the streets and the build- ings of Dubuque city, and street rail- ways are in operation with sufficient success to suggest further extensions. Dtbbsvillb is a town beautifully located on the line of the Illinois Centrail railroad,\ on the extreme west of the county, twenty-nine miles from Dubuque. The possession of such a site secures a large measure of prosperity, as it brings to the town an immense quantity of business. Shippers, availing themselves of the lines of communication east and west, to Dubuque and its connections on the one hand, and on the other Chicago, the metropolis of the northwest, with the eastern states, cannot fail to make mrge purchases in the same locality. The surrounding country is fertile and productive, and DyersviUe receives a great contribution of grain, fruit, and 498 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. other country productions, besides do- ing a vast trade in live stock of all kinds, and beef and pork. The rolling prairie is intermixed with much tim- bered land near the town. The soil is light near the town, but fertile, and further south a deep clayey loam is equal to almost any amount of vege- tal growth; to the north the soil is very similar, and the farmers have good reason to be pleased with their location. The Big Maquoketa sends its north branch into this section of country, and there are valuable water powers which will hereafter contribute very much to the prosperity of the town. The first settlers came to this site in 1837, and other families follow- ing in the next and subsequent years, the town was platted in 1854 upon the site which it now occupies. Cholera in 1855, and the crisis in 1857-8 fell heavily upon the little community, so much so that the year 1863 found Dy- ersville only emerging into the sun- light of prosperity, but its population is now over twelve hundred, and it feels rich enough to have ordered the erection of a school house which is to cost $8,000, furnished with modern ap- pliances and properly adapted to its important work. The public works undertaken, among which has to be enumerated an iron truss bridge which cost $4,500, have all been carried out on funds obtained for saloon licenses, which are thus made conducive in one way to the welfare of the community, which is injured by their operation; but perhaps as long as it may continue to be admitted that men will not be made moral by acts of congress, the manner indicated is the only way gen- erally available for improving the vices and indulgencies of a people. The town was not incorporated until 1873, but it already has a good show- ing_ of business premises, some nice residences, and improvements of other kinds, which attest the go ahead char- acter of the people. Emmett County was named after the great Irishman, Robert Emmett, who was identified with the Irish re- bellion toward the end of the last cen- tury, when the people of that country, intoxicated by promises of French support, and carried away by the suc- cess which in other countries had fol- lowed the popular upheaval, after the example of the republican movement in Paris, believed that they were strong enough to defy the power of Great Britain. There was a brief moment of sunshine and then all became dark as night. The leaders of the rebellion. Lord Edward Fitzgerald and Robert Emmett, were condemned to death, and suffered the penalty of the law after very briefly figuring in their uni- forms of green and gold, the distin- guishing insignia of the new republic. The name of Emmett deserved this passing notice at the hands of a true lover of liberty and patriotism. The county contains four hundred and eight square miles, and is situated in the northern tier of the counties of the state. The Des Moines flows through Emmett county in a south- easterly course ; another branch of the same river flows from lake Okaman- puda, also in a southeasterly direction, in the northeast of the county. The tributaries of these streams drain a large portion of Emmett county. Small lakes are found in many sec- tions, among which the Iowa, va. the northeast, and Tuttle lake, six miles west, are famous for their clear water and beautiful scenery. Swan lake is near the center of the county, and is an irregular shaped body, many miles long. The western part of the county contains Elmer, Grass, Crane, Eagle, High, Ryan's, Cheever's, Twelve Mile, and Clear lakes. Nearly all of the lakes and streams are well timbered on their banks, and in many places there are large groves; consequently it is one of the best wooded counties in northwestern Iowa. Des Moines river valley is a delightful farming region, lying just east of the Great Watershed, and It therefore occupies part of the highest lands in the state. Pure water can be found anywhere, either in springs or by the well system. There are beds of peat in the county, but timber is so plentiful that no demand has yet been made upon such fuel. Stone is scarce, if we except the bould- ers deposited here during the glacial period, which can be found scattered over the prairies in great profusion. These masses of mineral have been largely used for building materials, and from some of them good lime can be made. The borders of the lakes have boulders in great quantities. The country is well adapted for graz- Sketches of Counties. 499 ing and for all the agricultural pro- ducts. EsTHBBYiLiiE Was the location of the first settlers in 1856. The county- was organized in 1859, when its popu- lation was one hundred and and five, and the county seat was located here at once. South of this town there is a large colony of Norwegians, who have heen settled here since 1860. There ■ ■ are fine groves in the vicinity, follow- ing the course of the Des Moines river, on which it is huilt. The river at this point gives admirable water powers, and the country around is well im- proved with large farms, which are profitably worked. The town was laid out in 1858, but there have been addi- tions since that date. Shorty after the terrible massacre at Spirit Lake in 1857, it was thought advisable to estab- lish a military force here to defend the settlers from possible onslaughts of the red men. A fort was erected, and many buildings necessary for the ac- commodation of the troops; since which time the growth of the place has been slow but steady. The future of Bstherville is not problematical ; it must progress year by year, and when its water powers have become fully improved, it will be a very wealthy town. Fayette Connty is of the largest size in the state, containing some seven hundred and twenty square miles. It is situated second in county tiers from the northern and eastern boundaries of Iowa. There is a wide variety of scene within the limits of Fayette county, and a corresponding breadth of productions rendered possible by ever changing conditions. The northeastern portion and the east of the county are marked by bold and prominent bluffs, bearing forests of timber, which indicate the courses ^ "" of the rivers and streams in those sec- tions. Sometimes the groves stand back from the rivers, where the con- tinuous action of more powerful streams, many centuries ago, have hollowed out broad and fertile vallies, which are frequently of exceeding beauty. Away to the southwest the bluffs disappear, and the "change comes o'er the spirit of the dream " which converts the land into undulat- ing prairie, broadening out in illimit- able distance as it retires from the eye. Another marked transformation is found as the country retreats from the hilly region skirting the Mississippi, and becomes high rolling prairie. About one-fourth of the county is covered with excellent timber of large growth, the best groves being found m the eastern and northern sections. The varities are such as are commonly found in Iowa, and some pine land's are found, but there is not much of that description of timber anywhere in Iowa. The soil is very much varied. Otter creek crosses West Union town- ship diagonally, and south of that di- vision the soil is light and in some places quite sandy, but it is very pro- ductive. On the north of that creek there is a soil of rich black loam, which is marvelously productive, the yield of cereals being equal to the best known precedents, and other crops in the same proportion. Cultivated grasses grow well in this soil, and grazing farms are very successful. On the prairies the native grasses fiourish, and these are uniformly found very nutritious. On most of the principal streams there are water powers of much value, and their worfli has been demonstrated by experiment in some few instances, but to nothing near the limits of capacity. The manufactur- ing interests of the future will make full use of the water powers which now run idly along the river beds of Fayette county. Turkey river offers more elegible sites, in proportion to its length, than any other stream in the state. The north, northeastern, north- western and center of the county are watered well by beautiful springs, and by numerous streams of various sizes. Limestone is prominent in the geo- logical formations of the county, the Niagara limestone being visible in great portions of the land; on Otter creek the deposit is visible to the depth of one hundred and thirty-five feet. Galena limestone is also found; and another kind, very hard and almost white. Boulders of large size are also found in the south and west parts of the county, evidently dating from the glacial period. In the northern part of the county there is prairie land without one stone. The significance of this formation will be apparent to every geological student. The county is agricultural, corn be- ing most prominent, and followed 500 Tuttle's History of Iowa. closely by wheat, oats and barley. Rye can be raised, but the crop is not profitable. Live stock, beef, mutton and pork are shipped every fall in considerable quantities. There are in the county one hundred and fifty eight schools not graded, and six graded schools. There are over three hundred teachers in the county, and of these, two hundred and twenty are ladies. With so many schools and capable teachers, it will not astonish our readers to learn that there is no jail in the county. When there are jjersons from parts unknown who be- come obstreperous, they are shipped to the ad.joining counfy of Clayton, where a jail; large enough for both communities, has been erected. The first court house built in this county was cremated In September, 1872 ; and a new building has been raised on the same site, at a cost of $10,000. There is a poor farm in the town of Center, six miles from West Union, the county seat, and there are only seventeen in- mates. The farm is valued at $11,000, and is said to be well managed. There is an eflBcient agricultural society in Fayette county, whose grounds are near West Union. The county was opened for settle- ment immediately after the ratification of the Black Hawk purchase in 1838 ; but the Winnebagoes remained on their reserve, near by, until the year 1848. Upon these lands the sturdy pioneers entered, beating down all obstacles to the onrush of a later civ- ilization, and we have entered into their labors. An Indian trader erected the first cabin in the county, and that edifice still remains in Illyria town- ship. The spring of 1841 is supposed to have been the date of the building. There were other trading posts soon after this time, but that in Illyria town- ship is credited with having been first on the list. The site of the town of Fairfield was the first permanent settlement; but there are many disputes on this subject, as claims have been made that before the trading posts, already men- tioned, had been commenced, a man named O'Kear had erected a house and broken some of the prairie for cultivation. The evidence is not con- clusive, and we are bound to ask, " who shall decide when doctors disagree?" Happily, it is a question upon which the world can well pause for a time; but some historiographer, centuries hence, may thank us for this hint when the dispute will rank among the mysteries of history with the site of Troy, the personality of Homer, and the resident in the Iron mask, con- cerning whom, Dumas, the elder, has been eloquent in vain. The county was organized in 1850, and the county seat was located at West Union, a flourishing little town on the line of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota railroad, by which it has speedy transit, more or less direct, to all the great markets of the world. The country around West Union is very fertile and well occupied by a farming community which gives life and strength to the county seat. Experience has proved, beyond question, that a railroad is worth every other advantage, except a fertile country, to a western or north- western town, and West Union is a case in point. The court house stands on a square of four acres, around which the business houses have been erected, many of which are fine brick blocks. Many of the men in business here have been on the ground over twenty years, but until 1872 there was no railway communication, conse- quently the town was at a stand still. Since then its progress has been rapid. '' EZnob Prairie " was the early name of the site of West Union, the title being given because of the elevation of ground on which the court house stands, as a light set upon a hill. The names given by some of the early set- tlers were such as could not fail to sink deep into the memory. "Shin bone alley" may not be considered elegant, however vividly descriptive, yet that was the name of a locality now covered by the more aristocratic appel- lation Elgin. "Knob Prairie" was a name likely to be remembered, and it described the country well, as the configuration there to be observed was certainly singular. The town was laid out in 1849, but resurveyed in 1850, and residences were soon afterwards built there. The first school term was in 1851-3, but since that time the day of small things has passed away. There is now a graded school in West Union which cost $7,000, and it is under the manage- ment of a principal and four able Skktcues of Counties. 501 assistants, who teach Latin, G-reek, and the higher mathematics, in addition to the commoner hraaohes of daily train- ing. There is a select private school also in the town, well supported, and a very beneficial emulation between the two establishments is of service to the public. West Union has a fine Driving Park Association, with an excellent track, near the town, which is much used by the members and their friends. The organization was effected only in 1874, but the benefit of such an incentive to outdoor exercise among the townspeo- ple is already to be seen. The tone of society is all that could be desired. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad, already men- tioned, was completed in 1873, and the outlet for produce thus afforded has given a great impetus to the business value of West Union, which is now substantially the best shipping point in the county. The table of shipments for 1874, now lying before us is an ad- mirable commentary on the growth possible to an inland town, with good facilities for travel. Fayette is built on a plat of ground nearly a mile square, bounded by well timbered bluffs on two sides, and on another by a high ridge which serves to protect the town from the strong wings which sweep over some parts of Iowa during winter. The town is ex- ceedingly well sheltered, and conveni- ently laid out, the streets broad, and running east, west, north, and south, or nearly so. The Davenport and St. Paul Railroad connects the town with the rest of the Union by making its terminus there. The country around is picturesque and fertile, and the Vol- ga river, with water powers suflBcient for milling and other mechanical pur- poses, offers supreme inducements to manufacturers at many points in its career. The first settlement dates from 1846, and the village was platted ten years later. The town of Westfleld was platt«d about a mile from Fayette in 1851, when there was a saw mill erected near that spot, but the place did not thrive. There were many local jealousies, but eventually the weaker of the two locations was absorbed by the other. There was a terrible fear of an intended Indian massacre in 1847, but the event from which that idea took its rise was a merely personal conflict, in which a trader was killed by some Indians, to obtain possession of some whisky which he refused. The murder occurred near the town of Fayette, but nothing came of the inci- dent beyond the scare which it caused. There is now in the town, and has been since 1856, an institution known as the Upper Iowa University, which cost, in cheap times, $33,000, after the land had been donated. The institu- tion is under the supervision of the M. E. Conference of Upper Iowa, and is very well conducted, giving valuable results in the best class of training. The town was incorporated in 1847. - Clekmont is located on the Turkey river, and is a very flourishing village on the line of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railway. The village is embosomed amid hills, which protect and beautify the place, and the country is very fruitful. The first set- tlement was made here in 1849. The Indians had not left that region, and some time elapsed before that desira- ble event occurred, but immediately afterwards there were mills and other works erected to make capital of the water powers there to be obtained. Bricks are manufactured here in very considerable quantities, and much wheat is ground into excellent flour, which is shipped to all parts of the state. The bricks made here are equal in quality to those which have caused Milwaukee to be called the " Cream City," and Clermont is frequently men- tioned as the Brick City. The first school taught here, and perhaps the first in the county, was in 1850, when a school term of twelve weeks offered the foundation for other and wider effort in the same direction. The countjy round the village of Clermont is prosperous, and the villagers partici- pate largely in the success of their neighbors, as the shipments of live stock, wheat, flour, and other produce continue to testify. AuBUKN is a village of some import- ance, being one of the oldest settle- ments in the county, and in 1856 the place most thought of by the early col- onists. It stands north of West Union about six miles, and was the seat of the first manufacturing enterprise ever un- dertaken in this part of Iowa. The town, which is now its populous and wealthy neighbor, had then little pros- pect of eminence. To thispoint farm- 502 Tuttle's History of Iowa. ers brought nearly all their -wheat to be made into flour, as for some time "Auburn, loveliest village of the plain," contained the only flouring mill. West Union settlers came to this village to trade, and to all appearances a very prosperous future lay before the place, but the Deserted village concerning vFhioh the poet Goldsmith sung so melodiously, is at this time just as well to do as Auburn, Iowa, which numbers only about three hundred and fifty inhabitants, although it began as early. There is some retailing bus- iness done here, but a place which cannot offer facilities for shipment to agriculturists cannot, in this country, hope for a large measure of success. Elgin stands in Pleasant Valley township, on the banks of the Turkey river, and was among the first locali- ties in which permanent settlements were made. The river affords very many mill sites and other considera^ ble water powers which must some day cause large works to be located here; but the opportunities thus af- forded have not commanded much a.t- tention hitherto. Some manufacturing is done, but the amount is inconsidera- ble when compangd with the forces which nature has iiere offered to the hand of man. The wealth presented is bai:ely made to contribute a tithe of its possibilities to the neighborhood. The line of the Burlington, Cedar Eapids and Minnesota Kailroad passes this thriving little village, and there- fore the population of three hundred, which now gives a promise of busi- ness to Elgin, will grow into thousands before many years have passed. Some manufacturing is already entered upon and there is a little business transacted among the farming community which dots the prairie and the fertile valleys near at hand. Brush Ckebk is in Fairfield town- ship, and is already a business town or village of some note, having a popula- tion of five hundred. There is a news- paijer published here which circulates mainly among the agriculturists lo- cated in the beautiful country lying near the creek of the same name. The town grows and will advance more rapidly when better facilities for ship- ment afford an adequate outlet to its stock and grain. EiJ}OBAD0 flourishes on the Turkey river, a stream of whose importance we have already spoken. The village is in Dover township, at the confluence of the north and south forks of the river, where a very lar^e manufactur- ing interest can be built up. There are about three hundred inhabitants. Maynabd sprang up when the Bur- lington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railroad was built. The village is in Harlan township, and has already a population of three hundred. Dblwein ranks with the village last named, having been created by the railroad, and it already outstrips May- nard in population, with a business which must largely extend. There are numerous post oflces scattered through the county, to which metropolitan and other newspapers carry the items of interest which move the greater world outside, and to which the settlers look for messages from family circles broken by their absence. As a refresher to the minds of any such beyond Iowa who may desire to resume correspondences which have lapsed, we append the list of these aids to civilization : Wilson's Grove, Bethel, Wadena, Waucoma, Ot- sego, Gran, Mill, Lima, Scott Center, Putnam, Seaton, lUyrie, Leo, Old Mission, Richfield, Brush Ureek and Eden. Floyd County is the fourth county in northern Iowa, west of the Missis- sippi river, and it contains five hun- dred and four square miles. The sur- face of this county has comparatively slight depressions, and is not in any part considerably broken. The rivers and streams, albeit they are occasion- ally defined by lines of bluffs, which are mostly ledges of limestone, but not very high, have not cut their devi- ous ways into the rocky beds over which they fiow to the great rivers. The valleys of the several streams are sometimes extensive, but never very deep. They are, in some cases, ab- ruptly defined on one side, and on the other rising by gentle slopes to the up- lands, into which they seem to melt away. This mixed character in the scenery may be found on a wide area of country, the abrupt formation lying sometimes on one side of the river val- leys and sometimes on the other, and again, in some instances, there are ledges on both sides, the latter appear- ance being, however, seldom found. Sketches of Counties. 503 The country has no very striking scenery, but that fact is counterbal- anced for practical minds by the wide adaptability of all parts of Floyd county to agricultural pursuits. Un- dulations never very considerable, and . extending far, make the prairie lands appear almost flat, but, in reality, there is enough of rise and fall to secure adequate drainage. On the east side of Cedar river there are extensive tracts of brush land which inclose groves of young oak and poplar. West of that river, prairie is the predomina- ting characteristic, without trees or brush, the country, for miles, being naked except where the provident set- tlers have made some approach toward shelter for their cattle. The general elevation of the county is about five hundred -feet above the Mississiijpi level at McGregor, which altitude is seven hundred feet above the surface of the sea. The inclina- tion of the land is toward the south- east. Measurements have been taken along the several railway lines which show that the highest point on the sev- eral works is near the county line, be- tween Charles City and Nashua, just four hundred and ninety-two feet above the MiasissipjDi at Dubuque. Marble Rock station, in the Shellrock valley, has fifty feet less elevation, while Floyd station, west of the Cedar, has an ele- vation of five hundred and fifteen feet, and the village of Rock Grove is nearly thirty feet above that altitude. North of that point still greater heights are reached, until the topmost point in the county is attained between Flood creek and Rock creek — six hundred and thirty-eight feet above low water mark at Dubuque. This general statement suflices to show that there is inclina- tion enough for drainage. The uniformity of descent accounts for the general direction of the streams traversing this county. The undula- tions are slight, but drainage is well nigh perfect. The air is free from moisture in an exceptionable degree, and the soil is very clear of marsh and morass, suitable everywhere for farms. The drift formation in this area of country contains a very large quantity of earth finely pulverized, over a stony deposit not so deep as may be found elsewhere. Clay and gravel of the same era or near thereto are compara- tively thin, and far below the surface of the soil, consequently the surface water percolates to the layers which deny further descent, and thus drains off toward the water courses far or near, or finding access to the limestone rock, reappears in clear and delightful springs. The rock formation in Floyd coun- ty comes near the surface, but it is so well coated with productive soil that the farmer has no reason to complain of this peculiarity. Light gray lime- stone, very brittle, is lound here in some places. Carbonate of magnesia gives in some localities a tougher char- acter to the limestone, and a color somewhat darker, inclining to yellow- ish gray. The different varieties in- termingle and good building stone can be readily obtained, while materi- als suited to the manufacture of quick lime can be procured in abundance. The river system, with the subordi- nate streams which drain and water this county, deserve more detailed mention, and that notice we will en- deavor to supply. Cedar river. Little Cedar, Shellrock river and Flood creek are the principal streams, but their tributaries are many of them very important. With the exception of Flood creek all the streams named flow in lines, devious of course, but nearly parallel from northeast to south- east of the county, affording first class drainage to a large area. Cedar river is of large volume, taking rank as the second in the river system of the inte- rior of Iowa. The width may be roughly stated on the average as sixty yards, and the bed of the stream in this county constitutes a series of rap- ids of incalculable value for water power, which will some day make this locality a perfect nest of manufac- tories. The descent of the water and its velocity may be imagined and fig- ured cut from the simple fact that, in a distance of sixty-five miles without any cataract or very deep descent, in one spot it falls two hundred and sev- enty-one feet. When towns and cities spring up to house the swarms of in- dustrious men and women that will be employed along the Cedar, the numer- ous springs of pure cold water which burst from the rocky ledges along its sides will be of immense value for drinking purposes. The river itself may become foul, as is too often the case with those streams upon which 50i TuTTLifs History of Iowa. mills and factories congregate, but towns of large size will find enough of the pure element in those gushing streams to preserve a large population from drouth, if due precautions are used to avoid waste. The Little Cedar, crossing the north- east of this region, is somewhat like the larger stream of the same name, but inferior in volume and descent. It affords many water powers which will be improved with advantage after the best sites on the Cedar have been taken up by capitalists and an indus- trious population. Shellr >ck river is of great value to Floyd county, as it affords therein a water course of near- ly thirty miles, with admirable mill sites, such as all Iowa does not sur- pass. Numerous springs feed the riv- fer, and the stream itself is always clear and pure. Flowing from the wost, Lime creek is the main tributary of the Shellrock. Cold water creek comes in from the same direction, fur- ther south. Flood drains a considera^ ble area between Shellrock river and the Cedar. We have avoided particu- larizing the minor tributaries of these several streams, being obliged to ob- serve brevity, but they discharge an important function 'in this county. Well water can be obtained by sink- ing from fifteen to thirty feet any- where along the line of the principal streams, and the springs that have been mentioned as pertaining to cer- tain localities, are generally observa- ble throughout the county. Well wooded country can be found along the Cedar river, and some valu- able tracts on the Shellrock and Little Cedarj^ while the other streams have occasional belts and groves. For all ordinary purposes there is timber enough and to spare. The i/ailroads bring pine lumber from a distance, and the convenience it affords for building causes it to be used in very considera- ble quantity. It is also much in de- mand for fencing, but osage orange hedges will eventually supply that want. Coal can also be procured from neighboring counties, and that fact causes the wood consumption for fuel to be slight by comparison with what otherwise would be inevitable, hence the spontaneous growth in well protected country, added to occasional planting, may be accepted as guaran- ties that the area of wooded country will not materially diminish. Build- ings of wood will soon cease to be erected by prosperous settlers, seeing that there are inexhaustible quarries of good stone available, and that brick of prime quality can be manufactured, either of which materials will give more comfortable homes for winter or summer. Quicklime can be made in any quantity at very little cost, and sand is everywhere available. Cereals and grasses in abundance, springing .from a soil of unbounded fertility tell the story of this county's prosperity. Men and cattle alike thrive in Floyd county. Oats, the lex- icographer Johnson said, " were the food of horses in England, and of men in Scotland ; " and Boswell, stung by the sarcasm which deteriorated his na- tive land replied : " But did you ever see such men and such horses?" Floyd county does not feed its men on oats, but it produces oats among its other crops in great' profusion, and so excel- lent is the adaptation of the country to the multiplication of stock that thoroughbred cattle and blooded stock of the very highest recommendation, long since became a specialty among breeders here. The returns so far have been commensurate with the enter- prise displayed, and there is a large probability that a much larger invest- ment of capital will be made in that line. Fruits have not hitherto been very extensively cultivated, but so far as the venture has been made, growers have been successful. Apples and plums have been raised somewhat largely, and the small fruits come to very great perfection. Pulmonary diseases, the curse of some portions of this continent, are almost unknown in Floyd county, but of course that fact may be accounted for in part by the exceptional vigor of the young and pushing population customarily found in newly settled countries. The invalid class of men and women who feel themselves speci- ally called to set their houses in order, have no temptation to wander away into the wilderness, and to face need- less hardships, still there is some vir- tue in the climate of Floyd county, which is healthgiving and clear of mt- asma, a natural consequence of the configuration of the country. There are two lines of railroad com- pleted through the county ; of these the Sketches of Counties. 505 McGregor and Sioux City passes east and west, and the other, the Cedar Falls and Minnesota passes up the Ce- dar valley on the east side of the river, which is crossed by the line at Charles City. Besides these the Burlington, Cedar Bapids and Minnesota railroad traverses Shellrock valley. Thero are stations on the various lines at Charles City, Floyd, Rudd, Nora, Springs, Marijle Rock and Rockford. Some of these places have two stations each.. Bonds were several times voted for and carried by large majorities in this county to assist the railroad compa- nies, the stock thus approved amount- ing in the aggregate to $260,000, but of the whole amount only $5,000 was actually issued, and of that sum all but $1,600 was afterwards returned to Floyd county and cancelled, a result beyond doubt satisfactory to the tax payers, seeing that there is no newly settled county in any state in the north- west better supplied with first class railroad accommodations. Schools have been well provided for by the community, but not at a rate as economical as that which procured facilities for travel and trafllo. Fifty thousand dollars per year,, and some- times considerably more, has been ex- pended by Floyd county in maintain- ing public schools, all incidental ex- penses being considered. There are nearly one hundred schools which are valued at $100,000, and the permanent school aggregate nearly $30,000. The school edifices throughout the county are creditable to the state of Iowa, and the administration is generally good. Near Charles City are the grounds and offices of the county agricultural association, which has e.ipended $6,- 000 in making improvements of vari- ous kinds on the site embracing thirty acres. Charles City gave two-thirds of that area, and the society has held a fair ever since 1859, the year of its or- ganization, except one year, in tlie fall of which local circumstances caused the customary exhibition to be sus- pended. The first white settler came into Floyd county in 1850, and made his selection on the site of Winnebago vil- lage, in the valley of Cedar river, thir- ty miles from the nearest white man's habitatipn. When an application was made at the land office the settler was told that his selection was clean out of the world, but he took it notwithstand- ing, and has had no cause to regret his bargain. Organization was effected four years later and Charles City was chosen as the seat of government, but numerous petitions for removal have been received and upon one of these a vote having been taken resulted in a decision that the geographical center should be made the location. The vote has not been carried into effect and perhaps never will be. Chablbs City was laid out by the first settler in the county in the sum- mer of 1853. In the following spring a log cabin was erected, and soon af- terwards a saw mill was commenced. St. Charles was at first the name be- stowed upon the town, but subsequent events have denuded the settlement of its saintship and it is now known as Charles City, located in the township of St. Charles. The sins of great cities are seldom compatible with sanctity, but there has been nothing special in the wickedeess of this place. Indus- tries of various kinds have been estab- lished with good results, and since 1855, the gro endicular, and among these Missouri bluffs the bold- est proved, on actual measurement, to have an angle of only fifty degrees. Ravines which have been cut by the gradual operation of water, sometimes trickling and slowly percolating, and again rushing like a mad torrent with a cutting force, which must be seen to be understood, are usually very abrupt and steep, waiting for superincumbent masses to be worn away by disintegra^ tion and frost, that they may conform more pleasingly to the law of beauty, have a peculiar effect on the observer. Some few years hence they will be much more sightly than they now are, but the bluffs are perhaps improved by even such variation from dull uni- formity. Away in the interior of the county beyond the bluffs which border the Mississippi valley, telling of a time when the stream was mightier than it is now, flowing from a lake system which left the high lands of this con- tinent in part as islands merely, we find the surface becoming more even but the soil substantially the same bluff deposit. These prairie lands dif- fer but little from other such lands in appearance, except where the broken land allows the peculiarity of its for- mation to become apparent. The valleys of east and west N ishnabotany unite near the center of this county, and along those streams we find none of the rugged character- istics which have been described else- SkUTCHES of COVNTIMS. hii where. The same soil and substratum remain, but the quieter movement of the -waters has hollowed out a valley here and there, leaving a slope of mod- erat« height and an unbroken emerald from the rock bottom to the crowning eminence. The valleys which are thus formed are about a mile across on an average, gracefully inclining toward the river's banks on either side, but at their heights, where the ascent is lost in the rolling prairie above, the breadth varies from three to four miles. Thus it will be seen that the valleys are broad and shallow, but every acre has its value, so great is the general richness and so surely can the whole area be made available for agricultur- al purposes. The boldness of the grander scene is wanting, the sem- blance of a dislocation and an upheaval can nowhere be found. Belts of wood skirt the several streams, and their branches also, wherever there has been no accident- al or willful action to disturb the har- mony of nature's operations. East of the west Nishnabotany and beyond the belts of wood already mentioned, there is a stretch of prairie, but west of the same stream timbered land prevails, all kinds of wood being procurable in profusion. The Missouri bottom has some timber, but that is not a general characteristic, the erosion worked by occasional floods being apparently as destructive in one case as the rav- ages of fire in another. The bluffs where they were broken from the sur- rounding country enough to isolate their trees from occasional conflagra- tions have plenty of wood, and all over the county now since settlement and civilized care have permitted the recu- perative powers of dame Nature full sway, there are vast expanses of young trees which promise to go on covering the soil more speedily than the ax of the settler can hew down and consume. The bluff deposit is a kind of lime- stone, sometimes rather resembling ■ the debris of a formation than the formation itself. Here it forms the bluff; not merely on its surface but throughout. The valley bottoms have been enriched ^ occasional overflows, but the same base remains, and the fertility imparted thereby to the soil cannot be surpassed for the growths to which it is specifically adapted. The drift formation underlies this strange combination of qualities, and in Some places there are strata of the upper coal measures to be observed in dtu near the base of the bluffs, especially in the northwest of Fremont county. The measures in question where found ai-e a very impure layer in which coal is a prominent feature for about ten inches of depth. The limestone for burning is the main value in this ex- posure. The Nishnabotany with its branch- es, and Walnut creek, give many valu- able water powers, and in addition to these features, full of promise to men of industry and enterprise; it is im- portant to note that good building stone can be procured, good clay for the manufacture of brick, good water for stock, by sinking wells of very moderate depth, and springs are here and there to be seen forcing their bounty through the rock, not smitten by the rod of Moses, like the famous Horeb. Early in 1840 the first settlers came to Fremont county; there was then no such county in fact, but it is more con- venient to speak thus of the territory which afterwards was so named. Mc- Kissicks and Pleasant, Groves in the south of the county first attracted at- tention. Lacy's Grove, near the pres- ent site of the town of Sidney, came next in order. Missouri held jurisdic- tion over part of the territory pending the settlement of boundary disputes, which gave to Iowa much that had been under the rule of Missouri, and took from Iowa some territory which until then had not been liable to be oc- cupied by dark skinned human chat- tels. Purchases made from the Potta- wattomie Indians had made good the title to the soil before white men came to settle. The redskin^ were removed to Pottawattomie county in this state for a time, but soon afterwards they re- linquished their hold upon this section of country, and were settled in Kansas. Many of the early settlers who thought they were living in Iowa found that they had been Missourians, and some parts of Iowa had been repre- sented in the Missouri legislature, but all these difficulties were set right an good time before settlement was tar advanced. . , . Fremont county was organizea in 1850-51, but it was not until 1860 that a court house was erected at the coun- 512 TuTTLE^s History ov Iowa. ty seat. The county agricultural soci- ety organized in 1868, held its lirst an- nual fair the same year, and has since that time continued every year to hold out inducements, not great in them- selves, but valuable as incentives to emulation which can be seen by their results in every considerable farm in the county. Men measure themselves and their productions by standards of ex- cellence which otherwise would be be- yond their reach, and as a consequence they attain results to which dull and plodding contentment would never as- pire. The operation of this law of hu- man nature in Fremont has been visi- ble in the fruits and grain brought up for exhibition, as much as in the blooded stocfe of faultless pedigree, of which every stock raiser is rightly proud. Apples of excellent quality have been raised here, so have cherries and all the small fruits commonly pro- duced in Iowa, Grapes are grown in great variety and profusion anywhere on the Missouri slope, where proper attention has been bestowed. Peaches have not yet been pronounced a suc- cess, but wild fruits, such as plums, raspberries, strawberries, and such like, abound. The cultivation of permanent hedges is a desideratum in any part of Iowa, and in this county special pains have been taken to secure the best results. Hedges have been made by constant care for a time which are practically impregnable against stock, and which, with ordinary precaution, may be re- newed for many generations. The influence of such hedges on the cli- mate can be assessed by our readers ; their efiect 'on the scenery of the prai- rie must be witnessed to be fully ap- preciated. Tabor Oollhqb was founded by a colony of advanced thinkers, mostly from the New England states, in 1848, at the village of Tabor, on the north line of Fremont county. The civilized world was at that time on tiptoe with expectation of the grand results which were to have been achieved by Lamar- tine, Arago, Louis Blanc, Ledru Rollin and a few others whoj by force of superior mentality, had arrested the popular mind in Paris upon the verge of dire excesses, upon the failure of the Orleans branch of the Bourbons, and the flight of Louis Phillippe to England. There was hardly a man of average intelligence in this country whose emotions were not stirred by admiration for the eminent thinkers and workers, who were striving to save a half trained race from themselves, and to fit them for a form of govern- ment, which, in an exceptional degree, demands virtue and self control in the individual. We were thrilled then by the eloquence of Lamartine at a dis- tance, as afterwards we were aroused and lifted by the magnetism of Kos- suth; yet, though we could see the beauty of aspirations toward liberty, among peoples of the same color with ourselves, this country, a realization, as it was fondly dreamed, of the high- est form of free government, could not in the year 1848, while Lamartine's voice was still to be heard, tolerate on our own soil the demand for libertjr, even to the extent of permitting chil- dren to be educated by abolitionists, nor documents in which their views were set forth to be transmitted through the post. The right to memorialize congress on this subject had long since been repudiated, and strong feel- ings, hard to be repressed, on both sides were leading up toward the death grapple in which north and south eventually came together. Tabor colony was near the Missouri line. Some families from Oberlin, Ohio, had made their home on the Missouri river, intending to found a college similar to the famous institution which had made their former home the glory of a people. Colleges were not com- mon in that country ; there was no in- stitution of that kind within hundreds of miles, and the strangeness of their purpose, no less than the fact that many of them were New Englanders by birth and instincts, made their slaveholding neighbors suspicious that their peculiar institution was in dan- ger, so their school house was burned. _ In 1851 a site was chosen on the di- vide between the Missouri river and the Nishnabotany, and the colony procured an incorporation, but it was not until 1857 that it was thought pru- dent to open a school there. Had some " one man power " committed such an outrage as to destroy a school, and to oflfer violence to teachers and pupils, there would have been an out- ciy all over Christendom; but the many headed tyrant seemed to exer- cise a prescriptive right to violate the Sketches of Counties. 513 most sacred obligations, and there were few, very few, to raise their voices against the act of wrong. The day came when all such accounts had to be liquidated in blood, and num- berless' petty inflictions intensified the struggle. The school now famous as Tabor college, the heart and center of the colony, was afterwards opened and placed on a college basis in 1866, since when some thirteen hundred teachers have gone out from that light set upon a hill to teach a better philosophy and a higher phase of Christian love, than had, until the abolition of the stain, been possible in that section of the country. The teachers have permeated the population in which the giant wrong was dominant, and their teach- ing has silently accomplished more than the school burners, in their wild- est panic, ever feared. From one hundred and seventy-six students, at the lowest, to two hundred and forty- six, at the highest, have during several years been subject to the ameliorating influence of learning and the highest culture in this alma mater; and it would be impossible to speak too strongly of the results which inay come from such labors. The founding of the college was largely due to the personal sacrifices of one man, whose noble enthusiasm moved the entire colony to do their utmost to secure the success which is being realized. The founders of European colleges cen- turies ago gave of their substance to found institutions which reached no great fruition until centuries later, and even then ^ere, and still are, ham- pered by old forms, customs and creeds, which make their usefulness, to a terrible extent, but in the founda- tion of an American college, worthy of the name, there is an almost in- stant realization of value with a fair prospect of ever increasing good. The popular mind is ready for the seed. The quality which yearns for the stimulant of sensationalism in trashy publications is still a hunger which can be made conducive to mental and moral growth. The hero, however valorous or talented, must have some crowning mark of moral goodness, or the reading boy and the weeping girl will throw the volume aside with a muttered pshaw. Material, such as thought, combustible as powder, can be more readily moved than the dull 33 mettled stuff which once did duty in the shape of man, and was truly fit for nothing but " to lie in cold obstruc- tion and to rot." This should be an age of supreme mental and moral ef- fort. We have given more time and at- tention to this admirable college than would have been advisable, but for the fact that it was, in a peculiar sense, the harbinger of enlightenment in a dark age and among a people bitterly impatient of the only means which could assist even themselves, against the wrong which must have proved fatal to the wrongdoer as certainly as to his victim. The people of Tabor colony and its vicinity have raised $41,000, cash and value in various forms, an endowment, compared with which the wealth of an English. university is as WMl street to an orange, but it may be frankly as- sumed that the values are much near- er to equality than the money outlay would prepare one to assume. The college has a valuable geological cabi- net, enriched by contributions from every quarter of the globe; a good li- brary is established, the curriculum is first-class and every year is expected to add something to its efficiency. The railroad facilities in any country may be taken as the index of its pros- perity, consequently a little space must be given to a brief review of those features in the sociology of Fremont. The Kansas City, St. Joseph and Coun- cil Bluffs Railroad follows the course of the Missouri river through this county, passing through East Nebras- ka City and Hamburg. Prom St. Louis on one hand and Sioux City on the other, the connections are the Mis- souri Pacific from St. Louis to Weston, thence to St. Joseph by the Missouri Valley, to Council Bluffs by the Coun- cil Bluffs and St. Joseph, thence to the destination named by the Sioux City branch of the well known Union Pa- cific Road. Fremont county has several stations on the line of the Council Bluffs and St. Joseph Railroad, and everywhere the best disposition has been exhibited to meet the wants of the community, such as shelter for live stock awaiting shipment, ■ and good depot houses, which, as far as human foresight can assist, must largely secure shippers against loss. 514 Tuttle's History of Iowa. Another road has been completed through this county, the Nebraska branch of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, which joins the main line at Bed Oak Junction. The scope thus offered to the traveler will secure to many tourists, bold enough to step out of the mill-horse circle in which so-called travelers have been content to move, such sights and sounds as will inevitably give them new views of men and nature. The Iowa and Missouri State Line Railroad may not come beyond the limbo of aborted schemes, but there is no reason why it may not become a brilliant success, considering the terri- tory through which it may travel and the facilities required to develop wealth in areas rich as any yet touched by the hand of man, yet shut oflf from all the best markets by the want of the iron horse of commerce. Should that line be constructed, the junction with the Council Bluffs and St. Joe will be at Hamburg, and Fre- mont will be better spanned by the iron road than any other county in Iowa. Sidney, the county seat of Fremont, is placed very near the geographical center, three miles west of the Nishna- botany, on well drained prairie land of a great elevation, with a beautiful and variegated country, comprising prai- rie, valleys and hills stretching in all directions a limitless perspective, un- til the country melts away in the haze of the atmosphere. The town was surveyed in 1851. The best building yet erected in Sydney is the court house, which cost $40,000 when com- pleted in 1860. The edifice is very highly commended by competent judges of architecture, and the least tu- tored eye takes in at a glance its suit- ability in " the eternal fitness of things" for the position which it occupies. The sale of swamp lands provided most of the funds expended for this building. The motives which prompt miscre- ants to the committal of crime, can- not be imagined by sane men, and a rascal has been shrewedly described as " a fool with a twist in him." Some person or persons, in 1863, having stolen several kegs of gunpowder from a local merchant, secreted the plunder in the court house, and eventually used it to blow up that building, whereby a considerable expense was imposed upon the people of the county ; but the building is once more in good repair. The county seat is possessed of a valua- ble paper, which is published weekly and has quite a large circulation. Hambtjbg is ten miles from Sidney, on the west side of the Nishnabotany, three miles from where it falls into the Missouri. In the southwest corner of this county, the river just named and beautiful valley through which it flows, breaks its way through the line of bluffs and gives an unwonted aspect of loveliness to the banks of the noble stream. The bluffs seem to stand back in amazement, rather than to have been broken by force, so bewitching is the sight. Just within easy reach of this scene stands Hamburg, itself a pic- turesque object in the field of vision To the west, beyond the town, rises n bluff or ridge, which serves as an em- erald back ground to the picture, grandly towering to a height of thret' hundred feet from the town level. From the dizzy heighth, when atmo. speric conditions are favorable, as they very commonly are, portions of three states and of one territory can be seen, and the broad Missouri, with its isl ands looking like floating forests, its borders of cottonwood, its bordering valleys, and a thousand other charms A broad and muddy streaai, seen near at hand, may have no poetic thoughl by which to allure the imagination: but the same river, seen from a dis- tance in its grander aspects, has an en- chantment which few men can resist- and very few, who care to climb the height and stand on the elevation back of Hamburg, fail to realize this impression from the Missouri. Bui we must come back to the town, from which we have wandered somewhat at large. The Nishnabotany flows through a valley lovely as nature can be. Be- yond the margin of that valley and the timber which fringes the coui'se of the river, beyond the busy town to the east and the north are the farms which give food and employment . to so many thousands, here to break the soil, and sow the seed, and gather in the harvest, then to prepare and ship to distant markets, to feed hungry mouths, giv- ing a grip on life to every man en- gaged in the traflic, and to many the ve- ry means by which their children shall Sketches of Counties. 615 be fed, clothed, lodged and schooled, until they are armed for the battle of life, to which they come with an added zest, because of the " grit " which they have procured for themselves with the food of the new world. In the year 1847, a German desirous to trade with the Indians, wandered to this locality, and to see was, of course, to admire. Admiring, he desired also to possess, and after ten years of wait- ing, he located the town of Hamburg where it now stands, with its popula- tion of over two thousand. There is a very fine flouring mill, and a large brick making business is done in this locality. Various additions have been made to the town since it was first platted, and it is now a city. The town was not incorporated till the year 1867, ten years after the first beginning of settlement, twenty years after the blissful dream of such an event dawned on the mind of the roam- ing trader. In that year the first rail- road traversed the valley to take hold upon Hamburg, and to drag it out into the busy world. The Council Bluffs and St. Joseph, now merged into the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad, had the honor and profit of leading the way to an era of prosperity. Next came the Nebraska City branch of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad," three years later, and a junction being made at this point, a network of interests con- verged to make Hamburg a growing and prosperous city. The natural advantages of the posi- tion needed only this aid to compel immediate expansion. The depot for one of the richest valleys in the world, sustained by prairie lands which could furnish employment to a nation of farmers, graziers, stock raisers, and artificers, it must be seen that all that has been accomplished to this time is but' a promise of a future far more glorious. Whether for beauty, conve- nience or the business like fitness wliich the city possesses, Hamburg is hie;hly favored. The main street of the town is nearly two miles long, and it will by and by fill the outline which it now pre- sents, until all its promises have reached fruition. Steam flouring mills and elevators, machine shops and foundries, cheap fuel, cheap food, and a large demand for labor, what more can be necessary to build up the strui'- gling hamlet by steady accretion until the measure of its prosperity is filled, its mission finished. The school system adopted at Ham- bu^;g has the merit of thoroughness. The buildings are excellently adapted to this purpose. Graded in five depart- ments, all the public schools are worked into a compendious whole, which embraces the educational inter- ests of the entire city. The manage- ment is good, the schools are prosper- ous in a pecuniary sense, and in other respects are very reasonably approach- ing perfection. Private schools, some- what narrow and sectional in their main features, supplement the work effected by the public schools. There are three newspapers pub- lished in Hamburg, seeking their main circulation among the agricultural community. The other towns, villages, and post oflSces in this county are very promis- ing and, of course, useful, but it would be superfluous to enlarge upon their merits ; it will suffice to mention them as their names occur, and to wait for some evidence of what will be the future for them all before saying more in their praise. The list includes Bartlett, Deer Creek, Eastport, Farra- fut. High Creek, McPaul, Percival, 'lum Hollow, Riverton, Tabor and Vaughan. Greene County is the middle tier of counties in the state, fourth east from Missouri river, embracing an area of twenty-four miles square, and contain- ing five hundred and seventy-six square miles. Tlie North Raccoon river flows from the northwest to the southeast of the county, and with affluents too nu- merous to be particularized ; that stream drains and waters an immense area. In the extreme southwest of Greene county, Mosquito and Willow creeks, well known tributaries of the Middle Raccoon, complete the work which the North Raccoon so well com- menced. The North Raccoon's prin- cipal tributaries come from the north- ern part of the county, Burrlck, Hardee and Cedar creeks, are among the chief. Greenbrier creek, which joins the main river just below the boundary of Greene county, owes its origin to the southern townships. There are nu- 516 Tuttle's History of Iowa. merous springs of pure water found in this county, issuing from gravel beds overlying the drift clay in the slopes which overlook the streams. Wells are easily obtainable in the uplands, where the clays of the glacial period are comparatively near the surface, and all but impervious to water, un- less wh ere some fault occurs. Streams, springs and wells give to stock breed- ers an unlimited supply of water for every season of the year. Down on the hardpan of glacial clay the wells hold their treasure beyond the reach of an ordinaiy frost, whence the cus- tomary appliances will bring it to the place of consumption at a temperature well adapted for use. Hyperborean winds may blow upon the face of the earth, and all things appear to be locked in the embrace of winter, but a score or so of feet down in the earth's crust, and the heat of the cooling world wells up continuously to maintain life and feed the fountains of vitality. The central flres may not be expected to last forever; indeed a calculation re- cently made shows that the motion of the globe itself, and the tidal action upon its face, going in opposite direc- tions, must gradually decrease the speed of the planet, until in about three hundred and sixty hundred thousand million of years from this time, or within a few hundred thous- and million of years thereafter, a bag- atelle hardly worthy of mention, we shall have become so slow, that it will take more than a month for the earth to turn once upon its axis, and that thereupon the sun, indignant at such reluctance to do a fair day's work, in the customary twenty-four hours, will swallow us up into the old vortex, to feed the greater central fire, whence we originally came. This reflection supports the idea of certain men who preach the destruction of this globe by fire, but the parties differ some- what as to the dates when the cata- clysm may be expected. The streams in Greene county are not calculated for running machinery, al- though some excellent powers can be improved. The North Raccoon is al- ways ready for such operations. The surface of the country is more level than most portions of central Iowa, the con- figuration of the county being in some portions almost as smooth as a bowling green, and for long distances the un- dulations hardly great enough to re- lieve the monotony of the broad prai- rie. The North Raccoon has made a channel of from fifty to one hundred feet deep in the drift deposit, and that breaks the surface effectually where the river flows, but the surrounding scenery is hardly more changed than it might have been by cutting a canal through the same territory. The les- ser streams have not abraded the rock formation to like depths, and in most cases the valleys being shallow, have broadened out, changing the aspect of the country much more considerably. So much for the water courses in Grreene county. Loam mixed with gravel is the prev- alent soil on the uplands, the color dark, the substance mainly vegetable deposit, varying from two feet in depth to eight feet in some cases, with a sub- soil of clay. No wonder that this sec- tion of the state is becoming famous for the returns it gives to the skillful agriculturist. Century after century, unless when flres swept over the plain, licking up everything in its course, and leaving charred cinders as the only re- sult, the native grasses seldom kept down by wild herds of cattle, fell and rotted where they had grown, until a soil practically inexhaustible remains ready to the hand of the farmer. Fires, when they came did but change the form of deposit, giving quickly a rich deposit which might, under the slow influence of atmospheric change have been much longer in becoming availa- ble, and from such surfaces the succu- lent grass sprang up in rich profusion, as soon as the rain came again to start roots and seeds to new life. Every kind of grain, root crops, vegetables, grasses flourish here, but trees for fuel, for building and for shelter are scai'oe- ly to be found. The winds sometimes sweep over parts of Iowa, come with resistless force upon cattle, which have no groves in which to find sheller, and the agriculturist will do well to rem- edy this fault in the economy of the county without delay. There are many woods of rapid growth which could be planted out in extensive groves at very slight cost, and ■ once that work was done the improvement of the country would be in the hands of nature, a guardianship that may be trusted, sleeping or waking, to go on with the benificent operations whicli Sketches of Counties. 517 onricli mankind. Some low, wetlands can be found at long intervals inter- secting the uplands, but there is no difficulty in draining all such parts with very small outlay of labor. For- ests are only found in the valleys and immediately adjoining, chiefly along ihe course of the North Raccoon and its several branches. Many of the t'ramers ai-e supplementing the native supply of timber and shelter by ope- rations in planting, on an extensive scale. Where woods are to be laid out, groves are more likely to give profit than belts of timber, as every tree in the mass gives and receives protection for its neighbors. Fruit trees have not been cultivated here largely, because of the lack of shelter, which must destroy or dwarf all but the hai-diest varieties and in any case deteriorate the fruits in quality as well as in quantity. In favored spots there are some few orchards, and the results have been very satisfactory. Small fruits under like circumstances come to great perfection, many ai-e in- digenous and nearly all can be attend- ed to with considerable profit. Coal can be mined in some parts of the county, indeed the possibility has been realized already, but the coal bed does not cover the whole area in which it is found, nor is the quality very good ; the layers that crop out on the surface are thin and decidedly poor. The state geologist thinks that when shafts are put down, very much better quantities will be found, and in that event there will be an immense advan- tage gained for all kinds of industries in this comparatively woodless region. There are shallow deposits of peat in some parts of the uplands, but ad- mixtures of sand render it valueless as fuel unless more care is bestowed on preparation than the result would compensate. Building stone .is scarce, the sandstone of this region where there are quarries, bMng too easily disintegrated to be of value to the builder. Clay will be the main de- pendence of the masonic fraternity, practically not speculatively consid- ered, and that material can be found to almost any extent, enough to cover the whole county with first class brick work for dwellings, places of business and substantial manufactories. The mound builders seem to have left some of their strange symmetrical elevations in the bottom on the west side of the North Raccoon, in some of which human remains are said to have been found. Wherever such monu- mental works are discovered, some department of historic science should immediately be notified, in order that systematic researches should be under- taken until we have been enabled to amass materials from which to con- struct a history of this very singular people. The largest of the mounds just mentioned, about seven miles from the town of Jefferson, now stands about twelve feet high, and its diame- ter is seventy-five feet. The original elevation was beyond doubt very much greater when the vast pile was first erected. The Chicago and Northwestern Rail road passes east and west through Q-reene county,' near the centre; the Des Moines and Fort Dodge runs north and south through the eastern townships, and the two lines cross at Grand Junction. The first white settler came to the site of Greene county in 1849, near the spot where the village of Rippey now flourishes, and there he sought a per- manent location, Other men of the pioneer order followed in rapid succes- sion, but their work was surrounded by difficulties requiring superior ener- gy. Their nearest postofflce was fifty miles from their habitations, and a journey to the mill which was most convenient involved a journey of from fifty to one hundred miles, besides car- rying all their provisions over lines of country unsurveyed, without roads or bridges, where the rivers might render a return impossible for weeks at some seasons of the year. But pioneers are accustomed to master obstacles as great, and although some go under in the struggle, there are always men ready in abundance to fill the breach. Some of the hardships endured by early settlers and their families in Greene county would make an interest- ing book ; but now, since the perils and privations have ceased, they are food for cheerful reflection. In one instance, while the head of the family was absent at Des Moines and detained by swollen streams, the scanty supply of food at home gave out; nearly aU the soap grease had been eaten, ana but for the advent of a friendly red- skin, who brought deer for the con- 518 TvTTLBfs History of Iowa. Bumption of the group, the whole of the little colony must have died of starvation. Some instances, of course, occun'ed where there was no provi- dential Indian, and in such cases only a few bleached bones remained to tell the story of death in such painful isola- tion; but the life of the pioneer was not without its charm, and in every station " the whirligig of time brings round its revenges." Game was very plentiful in this re- gion until the winter of 1855-6, when a very deep snow fell, and the swift footed elk and deer were incapable of making their escape from the slowest pursuers, so that they were wantonly destroyed ; and since then such game has been scarce in the country which used it so badly. None need to have been astonished that game ceased, after that year, to be an available resource for the settler in Greene county. He had lived part of one year on his prin- cipal, and was lavish in wasting what he could not consume, and there was no investment remaining upon which interest could afterwards be procured. Organization commenced in 1854, and there was quite a display of public spirit, politicians being eager for nom- inations to office, as they could have been had the emoluments been large and the opportunities for fingering. Congressional. There was a rumor in 1858 that a gold field had been discov- ered twelve miles west of Jeflferson, and eve^ man rushed to become a miner. Those who have seen a rush to new diggings in Australia or in Cal- ifornia may imagine the anxious, laughing, busy scene that ensued ; but after many holes had been bottomed on wash dirt that would not pan out worth a cent, some body ascertained that the color which had deluded the whole population was due to mica. The result was a gain to all parties, and they speedily returned to their ■several industries, each more profitable than gold digging. The experiences of many lands go to show that mining for gold and silver, where such pur- suits engross the major part of the pop- ulation, impoverishes a community. Gold in California and in Australia has always cost to the general community a much larger sum per ounce of the yield than the most satisfactory possi- ble sales will realize ; but, of course, the few who find a "pocket" or a "jeweler's shop " in the " reef " or the " placer," become marked men, while the thousands who were denuded of every cent, and tramped oft wearily, unable to pay their board bills, are soon forgotten. The storekeeper wa» ruined, perhaps, the merchant callel a meeting of creditors, the loss was distributed by a hardly observed gen- eral average over a district or a coun- try, and the few lucky men remain a* the only landmarks on the ever shift- ing sea of the miner. Jbffbkson, the county seat of Greene county, is built on high table land— a kind of "divide" between North Raccoon rivef and Hardin creek — near the geographical center of the county. The town stands sev- enty feet or more above the level of the river. The town was laid out in 1854 when money was at a very low ebb in that locality, as well as elsewhere, and the first building was erected in 1855. When the town lots were sold,ithere was a friendly wrestling match be- tween two competitors to determine who should have the honor of buying the first lot. Two years later, the first mail route touching this town was established. For many years the growth of the place was very slow in- deed. The town was named after the author of the Declaration of Independ- ence, but the postal authorities'insisted on a change, as there was already a Jeflferson in Iowa, in Dubuque counlj-; so the name was made New Jeflferson, the prefix being abandoned in daily use, after the purpose to be served had been secured. Now that the town haa unexceptionable railroad facilities, it commands all the attention that could be desired, and is a thriving town» likely to be one of the most important locations in the western part of Iowa. The court house is a very fine buildings and the school house is truly elegaut. The prosperous agricultural' country, in the center of which Jeflferson has grown up, is an indication of the fu- ture which intellectual, enterprising men can make for themselves when- ever they are seconded by good nat- ural advantages. Gband Junction owes its main im- portance to the fact that here the two lines which traverse the state from the cardinal points of the compass cross each other. The Chicago and North- western line and tJie Des Moines and Sketches of Counties. 519 Fort Dodge do a large average of busi- ness here, and the new town grows apace. ScKANTON is on the Chicago and Northwestern, about nine miles from Jefferson, in the west of the county, and is a shipping place very much favored by the farmers, in a well set- tled country. The growth of settle- ments as we have seen, depends upon railroads as much as upon prosperous surroundings in other respects. RtppEY is in the southeast, on the line of the Des Moines and Fort Dodge Railroad. The original platting of the town dates from 1855, but when the railroad passed by the old site at some distance, a new Rippey sprang up near the station which was established, and toward that point the old settle- ment is gradually wending its way. Paton is a station on the Des Moines and Fort Dodge Railroad, located in a good neighborhood, and around that center of interest a small village is rapidly extending. Gnindy Connty is seated in the heart of a truly magnificent country, which lies between the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad and the Iowa division of the Illinois Central, bound- ed on the east by Cedar river and on the west by the river Iowa. Grundy county has not made much stir in the great world yet, but it contains the es- sentials of great wealth. The popula- tion of this county has before it a time of great prosperity, and the quiet dis- semination of intelligence among their friends and families in distant and long settled country secures a steady and valuable stream of immigration. The surface of the country is gener- ally high rolling prairie, well drained and swampless, with a soil which will repay labor and capital expended upon it to the remotest ages. The air is bracing, and the blood seems to leap rather than course through the veins under its invigorating influence. It will thus be seen that for residence and for agricultural pursuits, it would be difficult to find a spot surpassing Grundy county in the state of Iowa. The face of the country undulates gen- tly as it retires from the field of sight, leaving an impression of hills and valleys without end, unmarked by em- inences and without any considerable depressions. The Black Hawk river, in its slow course, has hoiiowed out the only considerable valley which varies this aspect of the country, but that depression near the eastern bound- ary of the county is not great enough to require a qualification of our state- ment as to the general charasteristics of this region. The formation of the country almost necessitates thorough natural drain- age. Creeks, spring branches and riv- ulets meander over and through the surface of the land at little distances from each other, serving the purposes of the farmer to perfection. Sloughs and swamps have made their own channels to the rivers and other water courses, leaving the soil clear of those spots which otherwise might endanger life by the accumulation of vegetable deposit in a state of decay. Nearly the whole of Grundy county lies in the valley of the Cedar. The water is good in this county, and the disease which in some sections of the northwest keeps men and women help- less, shivering creatures for months to- gether in the intervals of raging fever, are happily unknown in this section. The soil chiefly found here is a rich, black loam, such as may be found at intervals all over Iowa, capable of do- ing good service in periods of drought by reason of the moisture held in the interstices for such occasions, and by means of the drainage of superfluous water through its pores to the con- ducting substratum. The soil is just as exceptionally good when other lands are all but desolated by long contin- ued rains and floods. Actual sub- mergence is the only form in which injury of that kind could come fatally upon this county, and that contingen- cy is remote. Every year the furrow falls with the same regularity, and in due course the land is adorned with golden grain, the husbandman's heart being rejoiced by the abundance with which his labors are rewarded, and his franary bending beneath its load, 'he soil is made mojre productive by reason of the presence of sand in its composition, as the heaviest shower will not give a deposit of standing water on the average soil for any time, however short.- Clay is also a part of the surface soil and the fai-mer knows its value in giving strength to produce cereals. Corn has been known fre- quently to yield ninety i ushels to the 520 TUTTLlfs HiSTOBT OF lOWA. acre, wheat thirty bushels, oats seventy and even in some cases eighty bushels. Such figures may well cause surprise, but as Burns says : " Pacts are cUels whioli winna ding, And damma be dieputlt." The stone resources of other coun- ties are not prominent features here in Grundy county. The lost rocks which elsewhere are oftentimes troublesome to the agriculturist, however useful to the builder and lime burner, are un- known in this portion of Iowa. This is a prairie county emphatically, there being only about three thousand six hundred acres of timber, according to the government survey returns, in all this area. Most of the farms want more wood than they carry, and it will be one of the cares of the wise agri- culturist to plant groves without delay. The largest bodies of native timber are found at Fifteen Mile grove, in the southeast of the county, and Hickory grove on the banks of Black Hawk creek — quite near the center of the county. When first found by the early settlers the wood standing was gen- erally of large growth and valuable, but the continuous drain upon such limited resources, has reduced the main bodies now to stinted hazel and the growths known as the oak barrens. Happily the farmers as a class are remedying this defect by carrying out considerable planting operations, which will in many ways improve the aspect of Grundy county. The water supply and drainage sys- tem here prevailing has been hastily glanced at, but it is necessary to give a few details as to the principal streams. Black Hawk creek is a slow moving stream which passes through Grundy Center, and leaves the county in the line of the southeastern township. The water course does not favor rapid and sparkling action on the part of the stream, and it considerately reserves its forces, but should dams be con- structed in favorable locations, there might be found and made many valu- able water powers below Grundy Cen- ter. Timber skirts this stream in all its windings, but the supply is very far from being equal to the demands of settlers. The Beaver in the northwest, and the Wolf in the southeast, are also timbered, but not heavily, and Bear creek in tlic southwest is almost en- tirely bare. Such an absence of wood detracts materially from its attractions, in the eyes of prudent men, seeking locations for profitable farming, and beyond doubt many have wandered to " fresh woods and pastures new," who might with advantage, in spite of this privation, have made their homes in Grundy county. If there has been no vast area of forest land to meet the de- mand for fuel, there has beeii the ad- vantage of the soil, being ready for the plow immediately the farmer was ready to begin, without stumps and debris to encumber his manifold operations in subduing nature to man's use. The delay which was very notice- able in first settlement does not make itself apparent in subsequent growth. The broad fields and prairies are being cut up into thrifty farms of convenient extent, and the Garden State is deserv- ing its repute by the rich returns which gladden every holding. Coal beds are mined in Hardin county, and all the facts favor the sup- position that the coal measures pass under the higher formations of this county, but it is generally conceded that deep mining alone will reach the treasure. Rock suitable for building will long be at a premium here. The first white settler seems to have built a cabin in this county in 1853, choosing for his home a spot in the township of Franklin, in the north- east. Some other settlers soon follow- ed, but it was not until 1855, that farm- ing operations commenced on any con- siderable scale, with commensurate success. The county organization was effected in the following year, and the county seat located at Grundy Cen- ter. Railroad facilities pass the borders of Grundy county on two sides, but there have been no roads constructed thi'ough the district, consequently most of the produce of the fertile lands al- ready mentioned assists to build up flourishing towns at the shipping points most convenient in adjoining counties. There is a third line of rail- road within easy distance of the coun- ty line, but Cedar Falls and Waterloo, in Black Hawk county, the town of Ackley, in Hardin, and Marshalltown, in Mai'shall county, must long continue to be enriched by traffic which owes its origin to the fertility and enterprige of Grundy county. Sketches of Counties. 621 During the war, when other coun- ties were orgEmizing companies for service in the field, the men of Grundy county were as patriotic and as self-sacriflcing as their neighbors, but circumstances prevented the name of Grundy from becoming prominent. Over one hundred and thirty men were sent into the field from the hearths and homes of this new settlement, but they were enrolled in the squadrons of neighboring organizations and assist- ed materially to win the battle for brotherhood and freedom. Getjndt Center is on Black Hawk creek, near the center of the county, as its name implies. The town is built on high rolling prairie, with a fine farming country sti-etching around it in all directions beyond the range of vision. The first settler came here in 1855, and, before the end of that year, he had many neighbors close at hand. Some person with astronomical pro- clivities procured a change from the euphonious appellation Grundy Center to Orion ; but the name of the great belt was no where in the competition, official circles did not encourage pro- vincial capitals to go on starring expe- ditiofls, and somehow everything set- tled back into the old groove with the time honored description and respecta- ble, if somewhat prosy, name of Grun- dy Center. There have been several papers started in this county seat, but, as a rule, they speedily satisfied every- body, and then died for want of an object. There is now a good republi- can paper published here, the only is- sue in the county. The court house is a fine structure, which cost $10,000 when erected several years since. Guthrie County is twenty-four miles square, and contains a superficial area of five hundred and seventy-six square miles. This county is the fourth from the southern and also from the western boundary of the state. The surface is well drained and excellently watered. Numerous streams traverse the country and the supply of water for stock pur- puses is at all times ample. Middle and South Baccoon rivers are the principal streams, and these, with their aflluents, such as Brushy Fork, Bear, Beaver and Mosquito creeks, stretch over a wide area of counb^. The Middle river waters the Bouthwest of the county. Good water powers are ready for the hand of man on all the principal streams; but few of these aids to wealth have yet re- ceived attention. The water generally is clear and soft, well adapted to do- mestic use, and should woolen mills at some future time be established here, it will be found that those streams are well adapted for cloth manufacture, especially in the process known to the initiated as milling cloths. Springs, which rise in many parts of Guthrie county, do not burst through the soil, but continue a lateral course until some river bank is reach- ed, down which they trickle from the rocky formation into the stream be- low. Seeing how few and remote are the eminences in this country from those now under description, it is somewhat remarkable that so many springs are found percolating through the soil and the lower formation. Their value is none the less appreci- able. Extremes of rain and remarkably dry seasons do not immediately afiect the water supplies of this county, al- though, of course, a long cessation of rain would dry up every spring ; but, as a rule, these fountains of supply are perennial. Well water, good for stock and for most domestic uses, can be found at moderate depths generally, but the gravel beds must be reached, and upon some of the uplands consid- erable work has to be done before a permanent supply of the desirable ele- ment can be secured. High rolling prairie is the general feature of this county, with an incli- nation toward the valleys, as though these formations had come, not from abrasions of the surface, but from some undermining process which had in part affected the surrounding country when the superior formations fell into the forms which they now present. Along the streams are some ridges which break the average formation, and were for a time looked upon as undesirable from a farmer's stand- point; but experience has proved, in spite of the broken exterior which they present, that these ridges make very desirable farms and parts of farms, consequently they are now be- ing very largely taken up. When the county was originally surveyed, some sections were reported as swamp lands, but the progress of settlement has 522 Tuttle's History of Iowa. changed that state of affairs, and all parts of the county thus condemned have been converted into thriving farms. There is hardly any land in Guthrie county too wet for farm- ing. Middle river valley is well defined, and, like all the rest of the utreams which flow through this county, the waters are collected by a sjrstem of ravines and minor streams which com- mence at the very crowning line of the watershed. The western range of townships bordering the divide between the watersheds of the Mississippi and the Missouri is distinguished from the eastern by its undulating prairies. The formations between south Rac- coon, Brushy Fork and middle Rac- coon exhibit nearly the same features as the foregoing, the symmetrical ridges are flanked by graceful ascents which terminate one or two hundred feet above the valleys in summits, round and bold. The valley of the middle Raccoon is narrow and in some feat- ures presents a slight variation but the feneral characteristics are similar, n parts of this county the soil is main- ly composed of the well known bluff deposit, which has been already de- scribed in all its main features, and again in other districts the soil is that rich black loam containing more or less of sand which may generally be looked for within the drift region. Native forests are confined almost en- tirely to the valleys and ravines, where the trees were comparatively safe from fires, in the period anterior to settle- ment, but there are many districts in which the protecting care of the white man has given a start to what may be- come large forests, in the course of a few years, although his share consists entirely in the immunity from conflag- ration which he steadily aims to secure. The growth of timber is so rapid here that groves planted but a few years since are already productive in some degree, and the supply over the county generally, although confessedly small, is so well distributed that few settlers are more than five miles from belts or groves which will suffice for every present need. The prairie land has I)roduced timber in considerable quan- tities in former ages and will do so again whenever and wherever the na- tive growths are defended from the destroying element which so long made its ravage there unchecked. The agricultural resources of Guthrie county must for man^ years be the chief reliance of that region and will always be very important. The two qualities of soil named and the rich valleys and bottom lands which in a small degree may be found, give al- most every variety of growing power which could be desired. There is a forcing quality claimed for the soils in Guthrie county, which compels all vegetation to push ahead faster here in other soils apparently just as fertile elsewhere. Corn and wheat are staples but it would be hard to name a crop proper to this state which would not come to perfection in this county. Central Iowa is a perfect garden in the hands of good farmers, and this coun- ty is equal to the best in that range of country wherever farms have been established. Stock raising has been a favorite pursuit with many of the wealthier farmers who could afford the necessary outlay preliminary to great successes, and now there are very few men pos sessing farms of any extent who do n(>t carry some blooded stock from which very valuable results may be secured in the future. The natural advantages of this county for the prosecution of that pursuit are first class. Wild grasses are very nutritious and inviting, streams sparkle as they murmur re- joicingly on their way through water courses which are bordered by living green in the valleys and arable lands specially adapted to shelter and feud cattle. Wild fruits were at one time prodigal of growth in this county, but the march of cultivation demands that the land shall be used for wiser pur- poses, hence the planting of orchards and the multiplication of all the best varieties of fruits large and small will cause this county to become a great fruit producing centre before many years have passed away. The begin- ning of the new era can already be seen in Guthrie county. Railroads are essential to the growth of any community in the present day, and in that respect Guthrie county is not left out in the cold. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific R. R. §a- verses the southern tier of townships and the Chicago and Northwestern can be easily reached from the North- Sketches of Counties. 523 ern tier, whereby all portions of the county are supplied with the great re- quisites for travel and trafSc. Guthrie county has good coal beds, although the measures here have not been extensively worked. Enough has been dene to demonstrate that whether regard be had to quantity or quality, this region will compare fav- orably with any of the surrounding counties. In the western portion there have been no exposures, but those best qualified to judge have no doubt that the dififerent strata of the coal measures underlie the whole ex- tent of the county. Some beds have been worked, and while they are not quite so thick as those in Des Moines valley they are otherwise quite as good, and when the demand, local or gen- eral, becomes large enough to call for deep shafts it is probable that beds quite as profitable in every way will be found. The presence of coal in such quantities will give this county great aid in developing nascent man- ufactures. Stone for building purposes must al- ways be an object among civilized communities, and in the supply of that commodity, nature has not been pro- digal to GrUthrie county, but there is enough for all present demands and further exposures may reveal a surplus. The stone available for the manufac- ture of quick lime is ample for every purpose. G-ood clay, which will be turned to account in making bricks is commonly obtainable, and sand is also plenty. With such supplementary supplies there will be no failure of building materials. Brown hematite iron ore has been found in limited quantities in the coal measures, and in some other positions also, but the highest authorities are of opinion that the " finds " are too lim- ited to be of value in any other than a purely scientific sense. Sometimes the learned are mistaken in their estimates, and nature has put many surprises up- on the tweanti, but in the matter of iron mining there has been so much of in- quiry, and so many opportunities to observe, that it is highly probable the authorities are correct. Of course a large discovery of iron ore would change the whole future of this part of the state of Iowa. The first settler in this county built his loe cabin in Jackson township, in the southeastern part of the county, iu 1848, and the county was organized in 1851, the county seat being located at Panora, but when settlement increased it was found desirable that a more easily reached point should be chosen, instead of the village first selected, in the eastern part of G-uthrie county. There was a hard fight made on both sides, and the town of Guthrie Center was built, as a rival to the first judicial center. The first vote in its favor was procured in 1859, whereupon the change was at once made to Guthrie Center, but two years later that vote was reversed, Panora having made a successful rally of its friends, which enabled it to hold the reins of the coun- ty until 1873, when Guthrie Center finally secured the honor of being the seat of administration for the county. A new resident in that county who has had much experience elsewhere, says : " There are fewer criminal cases here than in any other county of the same population in which I have lived." There are several newspapers pub- lished iu this county, and the press is, as usual, of much value even when not brilliant, as sometimes happens. Guthrie Center has already been incidentally mentioned, as the county seat, and the geographical center of the territory in which it sits as a beacon set upon a hill. The banks rise gently from the South Raccoon river to the high rolling prairie on which this town is located. Half a mile from the town there are high ridges which re- cede until in some parts they are fully a mile away, presenting a most enchant- ing picture of fruitfulness and beauty, as the rounded hills are occupied farms in a high state of cultivation, with many orchards, which in their season enhance the beauty of the prospect. The town was first laid .out in 1855, but the log cabin, the first dwelling erected'here, dates from the following year. There is an excellent water power procurable at this moment adjoining the town plot, which would be capable of driving almost any force of ma- chinery that could be desired, with comparatively small outlay. There is a good quarry open about one mile and a half from the town from which can be obtained an excellent stone for build- ing, and much that is fit for making quicklime. .Coal can be readily pro- cured and timber is abundant. From 524 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. the highest point on the town plat, a large stream of water springs from the ground, and with little cost it could be made to supply the whole town with all the water necessary for domestic use. There are, thus briefly described, within the limits of Guthrie Center; the essentials for a very considerable population and the means for their beneficial employment. Add to these many beauties and advantages, a good shipping point for produce, and the town would speedily become a popu- lous city. Stcakt is still young as a town, but it is beyond question the most import- ant place in Guthrie county. Here the Chicago, Eock Island and Pacific rail- road have made a station, and the agri- cultural country, for a Ion? distance around, makes the place the headquar- ters for trade and shipment. The town occupies a part of Adair county, cros- sing the border of the county in which its growth commenced. A division station at this point, and extensive shops for repairing, and other works, in connection with the same company, make the town of Stuart still more important as a center of business and industries. West of Des Moines, Stuart will soon be one of the most stirring places on the line of the C, R. I. & P. R. R. P.\NOBA, the oldest town in the county, and twice the county seat, is situated on the Middle Raccoon river, in the eastern section of the county, with plenty of wood and coal, and fine water powers, besides good agricultural lands well improved; lacking only railroad facilities to enjoy the highest prosperity. Guthrie is the station next to Stuart on the railroad, and was laid out in 1868-9. Surrounded.by good land and well drained, it will become a great shipping station and a desirable resi- dence. Wood, coal, water, and fer- tility will give Guthrie a good future. Casey is a station on the southern boundary of the county, part of the town being built in Adair county. The town was laid out in 1868, and is al- ready a place of considerable business, the shipping of grain being a specialty here. Indian Branch, one of the tribu- taries of the Middle Raccoon river, flows by the town, and is skirted by considerable groves of timber. Among the other villages which should be mentioned to give a toler- ably complete idea of Guthrie county, Morrisburg, near the South Coon river, was laid out in 1855. Dale City on the same river, is eight miles west of the old county seat, Panora, and Dal- manutha, which was laid out in 1855, but has been content hitherto with very moderate progress. Hamilton County was allowed an organization separate from Webster county by the legislature of 1856-7, and Webster City was then nominated as the county seat of the new organiza- tion. High rolling prairie predomi- nates in Hamilton county, with tim- bered land following the water courses ; but the lands so situated are not heav- ily wooded in this section of the coun- try. Boone river flows from north to south along the western boundary, and has provided mill sites enough to make flour of all the grain that the county will ever produce. There are lakes supplied by beautiful freshwater springs in many parts of this county on the prairie, and, as these lakes abound in fish, besides being frequent- ly visited by wild fowl, they are often places much haunted by sportsmen with fishing rod and gun. Some day they will become places of popular resort in a much wider and more ex- travagant sense. The advantages of situation, pastur- age, water supply, and some few other features, give to Hamilton county very high rank among the stock raising counties in Iowa. The soil grows wheat and corn in great abundance, and quarries for building purposes are sufficiently numerous to place that fea- ture of demand and supply beyond doubt in the future history of this county. There is a fine limestone quarry about three miles from the county seat. The census of 1875 shows that twelve thousand acres of land had been newly brought under cultivation dur- ing the year ; a fact of such magnitude tells its own story as to settlement. The southeastern section of the state has many Swedish and Norwegian settlers with their families, prospering considerably as farmers, the hardships of the worst winter in Iowa being a small affair compared with the rigorous climate in which they commenced their career. They are very quiet and Sketcbbs of Counties. 525 orderly people, good colonists in every sense of the term. Large herds of cattle, new and im- proved residences, good fences and growing hedges inclosing well culti- vated fields and farms testify to the growing importance of Hamilton county, as the traveler wends his way across the fertile prairies. Most of the residents in the northern part of the county come from the middle and eastern states, a good guaranty for the high morals of the community in which they are located. The first settlers came to the site of this county in the winter of 1850, and although Indians were in the county, none of the residents in Hamilton county have cause to complain of dep- redations by red men. T^e first mill built on the river dates from 1853, pri- or to which time the nearest mill avail- able for settlers in this county, was at a point ten miles north of Des Moines, and all supplies were brought from that city. A saw mill soon 'followed the erection of the grist mill, and there are now seven grist mills and eight saw mills in the county. The first school taught in the county was organized in 1854 in a log house three miles from Webster City, and it is gratifying to be able to say that at the present time there is hardly a set- tlement anywhere in the county which does not support a good school some part of every year. Eighty schools were taught in the county in 1874, at a cost of 116,026, and the school build- ings were valued at $40,000. Coal is an important resource of Hamilton county, as the supply seems almost unlimited. Many places on the Boone river show layers of coal from one foot to four feet thick, and it is known that these measures underlie the county in every direction ; but, ex- cept to meet local demands, little is being done with these carboniferous deposits. Nothing great can be ac- complished until the railroads provide an outlet; but when that time comes, and capital with it, there will be em- ployment for an enormous population amid the perils of coal mining. Con- sidering the ignorance and brutality; which too often disgrace the districts' devoted to coal mining, and, indeed, it may be said to mining in any form, it is very pleasant to note that Hamilton county is making exemplary provis- ions for the training of youth Of course the miners will come from a distance for the largest part of the work to be undertaken ; but that will not prevent themselves and their fami- lies from being influenced by the per- vading tone of the conimunity in which they and theirs will settle down for life. Considering the risks which are run, and the importance of the work in which coal miners are engaged, it is wonderful that governments in Eu- rope do not make special exertions to improve the understandings, and to increase the knowledge of miners, but perhaps the "ono man power," which so lai-gely prevails on the other side of the Atlantic, may be incapable of success where the efforts of om- re- publican community are fated to win laurels. Certainly some of the scenes in our mining country develop as sti'ongly as could be found anywhere among the foreign population, the ne- cessity for better culture, and a much higher moral tone. The state geologist of Iowa, Chas. A. White, M. D., says, speaking of the mining prospects in this country and the exposures of coal on the Boone river, near the city of Webster, to which we have called attention in a former passage : " Going down Boone river, the first exposure seen was on the right bank in the hillside, about four miles from town (Webster City). The coal is of good quality, has been worked to a considerable extent, and the bed is said to be four feet thick, which no reason was seen to doubt. Between this point and Sternburg's mill, which is four miles from town, the same bed of bitu- minous coal again appears as does a bed of cannel coal two feet in thick- ness, and of fair quality. The latter bed lies several feet beneath the former, and is of course no way connected with it. Near Sternburg's mill, and also at various points, for a number of miles below the mill, the coal makes its appearance in the banks where they are rendered steep by the washing of the river. These beds are continuous in broad, continuous layers beneath the surface, over a large area, and have become exposed to view, in places, by the deepening of the river valley by it? own stream. They may doubtless be reached, with comparatively little la 526 TuTTLifs History of Iowa, bor, from the gentler slopes of the river valley; and when the demand will warrant it, as it probably will in the future, they may be mined by sinking shafts to them from the higher lands away from the river." Webster City is the county seat, and is situated on the Boone river above referred to, just twenty-four hours ride from the city of Chicago, and only one hundred and seventy-five miles from the "Great Father of Waters." The piercing prairie winds, with which travelers in Iowa are some- times distressingly familiar, are in part shut off from the residents in this city by the groves of timber which very nearly surround the location. The Illinois Central Railroftd passes through the northern part of the coun- ty of Hamilton. The population of the city is estimated at nearly two thousand, and should some roads which are now in contemplation be carried out, so that the coal fields near this point would be brought within the range necessary to compete for the supply of fuel to the cities of the great northwest, the immense increase would far exceed the most sanguine anticipa- tions. Many of the buildings which have been recently erected here, have been put on a style of expectancy as though the very bricks and mortar en- tertained ideas of metropolitan grand- eur in the near future. The post office recently completed is a very fine edi- fice, and there are several very hand- some churches. There is a large pub- lic school building of brick, graded in its departments, and very well con- ducted. Three wooden buildings con- tinue to be used for the convenience of the primary schools. There are some foundries in the city, employing many men, and the machine shops should "be mentioned in connection therewith. Three large elevators in the town speak of the large trade in grain which is done in this city for the convenience of a vast agricultural community. The beauty of the site upon which Webster City is built, and the delight- ful character of the surrounding coun- tiy, must make this city a desirable residence, and a wealthy place in the future. There are two newspapers publishea in Webster City, and they aie very well conducted organs of pub- lic opmion. The court house, which is now be- ing erected at a cost of $35,000 wi'l be one of the handsomest of its size in Iowa, and a great addition to the archi- tectural beauty of the city. Blairsbukg is a village on the Illi- nois Central Railroad, which was first settled in 1869, and is situated eight miles west of Webster City. The place is mainly owned by railroad men, who will clo all in their power to improve the value of their property. The village is growing, and the coun- try around is well settled with a pros- perous population. The level prairie near this place is tolerably fertile, and when the farms already located begin to multiply their produce, the village as a shipping point will give profit- able employment to a much larger population. Williams is another railroad station village, three miles from the eastern boundary line of the county. The first settler came here in 1868, but the town lot was not platted until the next year, at the same time as the next sta- tion on the same township, Blairsbury, was settled. Many large buildings are now being erected in the village, but its growth up to the present time has been slow, notwithstanding its advan- tages. There is a newspaper published in Williams, and that should be able to call general attention to the pros- pects of the locality. Homer has a population of two hundred and fifty persons; and the village is ten miles from Webster City, in the southwestern part of Hamilton county. It was at one time the county seat, but great Homer sometimes nods, and once up ty in a northwesterly course, and thus every part of the agricultural area can, with little trouble, be brought into contact with convenient shipping sta- tions, by means of which their surplus produce can be sent to first class mar- kets. The Chicago and Northwestern road was completed as far as the coun- ty seat in 1863 ; consequently Marshall- town is now quite an old railroad cen- ter in the new country. Marshalltown stands on the east side of the river Iowa, near the center of the county, on high, rolling prai- rie, in the midst of a tract of country upon which nature seems to have lav- ished all the charms that pertain to a temperate clime. The town is well laid out, the streets broad and well drained, the business blocks numer- ous and substantial, the residences ele- gant and well placed, with all the ad- vantages which attach to plenty liast been; On thy seven hills of yore, thon sat'st a qneen. Bia) Oak Junction, the county seat, has the undoubted advantage of stand- ing on the Iowa division of the Chi- cago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, by which line it sends large shipments or every kind of produce from the fer- tile prairie and bottom lands in the midst of which it is situated, receiv- ing in return supplies of merchandise to supply the wants of a liberal, enter- prising and successful community of farmers and cattle raisers, who have some of the best soil in the county at their disposal. The situation of the town is very pleasant, commanding a view of a very fine tract of country. The town plat ascends the high ground back of the valley, on which the survey was commenced, and the advantage for the purposes of residence are considera- ble. The river Nishnabotany runs by the point on which the town is located, and the valley of that stream is nearly two miles wide, much of the land be- ing now disposed of to advantage, in gardens, shrubberies and ornamental inclosures, where there is no immedi- ate demand for the space for business purposes. The site of the town is not the geographical center of the county, but there are other circumstances which more than compensate that de- viation from rule. The actual center is distant oaly about four miles. There is, where the town is built, an incline towards the banks of the Nish- nabotany river, just where the Red Oak branch runs in to the larger stream. The tributary is made up of springs and small rivulets, which have their rise close to the corporate limits. The stage coach line makes Red Oak Junction a stopjjing place, and the place has many of the characteristics of an old coaching village. The arri- val of the stage is an event, only ex- celled in importance by its departure, taking probably some modest great man away to visit his friends, at a dis- tance of a score of miles, whence he will return to discourse of his adven- tures and experiences. But many of the denizens of Red Oak Junction have traveled far and wide over the union. Some have helped to fight its battles, many were in the wildest rushes of the old California days, and yet others have been initiated into all the mysteries of the process, by which laws are made and remodeled, even in Washington, under the dome of the capitol. The town has a railroadish air about it, the name is essentially of that class which would accord with the best deeds of the iron horse. When the name was chosen there was to have been an extension of the main line of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad to this town, making close connections with a branch line from Nebraska City at this point, hence the word "Junction," which appears as the addendum to Red Oak, a name de- scriptive of the great masses of that kind of timber which abounds in that region. But, " What's in a name ?" is the remark of Shakspeare, who ap- pears to have given much attention to the subject. The name sticks, and so does the project, which never brought either of the roads to the point which would have been made prosperous by their contact and intercourse. There are good mills here, a good local trade, splendid agricultural country, timber unsurpassed, good quarries, the best of water powers, and all that is wanted to make this happy valley the envy of surrounding nations is the facility for traflSc and travel which would allow Mahomet to go to the mountain. The interests of the rising genera- tion are well cared for in Red Oak Junction. The town and a part of t'.ie agricultural district joined thereto. eoi Tvttle'8 History of Iowa. form an independent school district, with an excellent school building, under the care of a lady superin- tendent who may be quoted anywhere as an able educator, well worthy ot the trust reposed. The court house in Red Oak Junc- tion is not a very grand affair, but it suffices. The spirited young gentle- man, who was killed in a duel in the play of Bomeo, said of his wound that, " It was not as wide as a church door, nor as deep as a draw well, but it was enough ; " and what satisfied the victim of Tybalt's fury might suffice for us also. The frame build- ing meets the requirements of the place and time, and when there is a railway in active operation, then we can soon erect a splendid cut stone court house, worthy of a metropolis. There are two newspapers published in the town, and they are very well supported. There are several churches, many of them very handsome edifices, and all in good working order. VaIiISKa. is a small town in the south- east of the county of Montgomery, six- teen miles from the county seat, on the banks of the Middle Nodaway river, in the midst of a well timbered country, back of which there is a fine stretch of agricultural land. The town was first laid out in 1857, and immedi- ately after that event there was a flour- ing mill established here, but the town has not increased in size and pros- perity for want of railroads. The flouring mill is still in operation, and a steam saw mill does quite a large business in lumber ; there are several stores, a newspaper and a school house, but the village remains a vil- lage to this day. The snort of a steam engine, running on an iron road, would break the charm and the child would become a man full of energy and power instantaneously. Ablingtoh is on the West Nodaway, about eleven miles from Red Oak Junction, with a flouring mill and some local trade, but the resources of the country lack the impetus of con- tact with the great world, and pend- ing that event, Arlington must con- tinue to be the modest violet which has heretofore been its type. Arling- ton is backed by a very fine district. There are post offices at Red Oak Junction; Frankfort, the village from wliich the court house became a deserter; Sciolo, a small village m a farming country to the east of the county, on the West Nodaway river; Valiska, the village already mentioned to the southeast on Middle Nodaway; at Grant, to the notheast, in the town- ship of Douglass, and at Carr's Point, on Walnut creek, about eight miles from Red Oak Junction, to the south- west. Muscatine Connty was one of the ealiest settled of all the counties in Iowa. It lies on the great bend of the river Mississippi, in the estern part of the state, and it contains an area of four hundred and thirty-two square miles. In this county the Mississippi bluffs rise sometimes to a height of one hund- red and fifty feet above the great high- way of waters. The general surface of the country is rolling prairie, but there is a considerable ai-ea of broken land unsuitable for cultivation where the bluffs join the prairie uplands. Scarcely more than eight miles across from the bluffs, which border the mighty river, the country descends once more by another system of bluffs, occasionally very abrupt, indeed, to the bottom lands, which form the wide margin of the Cedar river. There is hardly a stream of any extent in this county which has not miles of these bottom lands, perfect marvels of fer- tility, while the bluffs and broken lands, which come between these val- leys and the rolling prairie, are to a large extent fringed or covered with timber, which increases its area an- nually. In the estimate made on be- half of the government, as to the value of the lands in Muscatine county, only about two-tenths, chiefly the bottom lands just mentioned, are classed as first rate ; seven- tenths, embracing the uplands and rolling prairie, are set down as second rate, and the re- mainder figures as poor third rate soil not worthy of cultivation at present. The estimate is as nearly as possible correct, but in the course of years the lands now condemned will be brought under the plow, and, with the advan- tages of high farming, will give good returns on the labor and capitsd in- vested. Muscatine Island is a piece of land only just reclaimed from the Missis- sippi, being cut off from the main land by what is known as Muscatine Sketches of Counties. 605 slough. The island is prodigiously fertile, but we would not like to guar- anty its value as a sanitary station. For some time it was treated as a place not capable of habitation, but it is now protected by a levee, and presents an area eighteen miles long, five miles wide at the broadest part, and contain- ing twenty thousand acres of land. Some of the most profitable farms in Muscatine county are on this island, and all kinds of vegetables come to an early perfection. This county is peculiarly adapted to stock raising, as the whole area is well supplied with springs and streams. Grass grows spontaneously everywhere, sufQcient to meet the wan& of cattle during spring, summer and autumn, and, with the trouble of harvesting, there can be hay enough secured anywhere to supply the wants of all the stock likely to be kept for many years, through the most inclem- ent winter ever likely to visit this part of the state of Iowa. The productions of this county are so similar to the productions of every other county in the state, that, in mer- cy to our readers, we abridge the rec- ord, saying that, with due care in his selection of land and choice of crops or cattle, there is no reason why the settler should not prosper as well in Muscatine county as in any other part of Iowa. This county has nearly oae half of its eastern and southern boundary formed by the Mississippi river, a ri- parian privilege which will largely af- fect the future history of Muscatine towns and cities. The Cedar runs through the center of the county, with an average breadth of nearly two hun- dred yards, navigable as far as Cedar Rapids at certain seasons of the year ; indeed, at one time much traffic from the city of Cedar Rapids used to come by this route before railroads came with their superior facilities, and this river, flowing into the Mississippi, g^ves a further water privilege of vast extent to the county. Besides these rivers, there are many smaller streams which are worthy of mention. The Wapsinonoc, a creek which preserves its Indian name signifying "white earth," is a considerable stream which runs through the county, emptying it- self eventually into the Cedar. Sugar creek is a smaller stream, which runs through Muscatine county to the same river, near the town of Moscow Pine creek waters four townships in this county, but eventually leaves this re- gion before it finds its outlet to the Mississippi. Mud, Sweatland, Pap. poose and Mad creeks are smaller tributaries of the great river, most of them running into the Cedar river en route to the other. Muscatine slough has been men- tioned already for the part which it performs m making an island in the Mississippi. It is supposed that this bayou was once the main channel of the Mississippi, but that the gradual deposit of sedimentary matter formed a barrier to its progress in that direc- tion and compellea it, out of regard for its own handiwork, to force a pass- age in some other direction. The bars at the mouths of rivers are continually being formed in a similar way on a somewhat smaller scale. The deltas of the Nile owe their existence to such operations, and, on a far grander scale, the banks of Newfoundland are being built by the gradual accretions and de- posits of that wonderful river of warm water in the sea — the Gulf Stream. The Muscatine slough unites again with the Mississippi above the mouth of the Iowa river, after making a de- tour of thirty miles, with an average volume about thirty yards across. There are many chalybeate springs in this county which will he some day valued for their medicinal qualities; but at the present they are disliked as bad tasting water by" those who have no natural nor acquired predilection for iron tinctures. The clear and beau- tiful springs of water, without any tinctures worth naming, are naturally enough valued far higher than the first mentioned, and the latter are far more numerous. There is hardly any area of country in the union better qualified for raising first-class stock than Muscatine county, and some of the bluffs which look down upon the slough shut in land of the very high- est value for farming and stock rais- ing. One acre in eight of the area of Mus- catine county is under timber, some portion being due to the enterprise of farmers who have planted groves. The native timber covers more than thirty- two thousand acres, and the wood plant, ed scarcely exceeds one thousand. 606 TuTTLifs His TOBY OF Iowa. These groves when due to settlers have been intended as much for shelter for themselves, their stock and their crops as for profit in other directions, but eventually they will find a good return even in that way upon their invest- ment. Hedges of Osage orange have been planted in this county with the same design, and in some parts on the prairie the presence of that new fea- ture in the landscape makes quite a pleasant diversity in the scene. Limestone quarries have been found and worked in some places on the banks of old Mississippi, where good stone has been obtained for build- ing purposes, and there is an un- bounded supply fit for the manu- facture of quicklime. Sandstone is a much more common stratum in this county, and quarries of this material have been opened in many places. Coal has been found in many places in this county, but it will not be reckoned among the great coal pro- ducing areas. The beds are thin and not of first quality. Where deposits are found in favorable positions for economical working, as for instance exposed in a bank or a bluff, so that it can be quarried at a minimum of cost, the material is worth the trouble of winning, but it is not likely to pay for mining in the best way, and for that reason, it is an incident, not a resource. Muscatine county was part of the ter- ritory ceded to the general government in 1833, when the Black Hawk war came to an end. The leader in that wretched enterprise was a fine looking man of rather unsociable manners, but evidently very powerful, a person very likely to obtain a mastery over the savage nature. After his attempt had been extinguished in blood. Black Hawk was removed from authority by the great chief Keokuk who was of much higher rank among the Mus- quakas, the tribe into which the Sac and Fox Indians had merged. Many Indian lodges stood on the territory which was ceded by the treaty of pur- chase, and three years were given to the warriors and their squaws to make arrangements for removal before they were to abandon their old hunting grounds, and the place where the ashes of their fathers had been laid, so that there were many opportunities for the early settlers to study the economy of their Indian neighbors. The first white man's abode sup- posed to have been erected in this sec- tion of territory was a cabin at Musca- tine landing, where the agent of some traders resided for the greater conven- ience of his employers in delivering freight to the several Indian villages adjoining that position. That cabin was erected in 1833 and was occupied by the agent until 1835, about the time when the red men, under their treaty, were bound to quit their lands. The nations of old, when they made war, carried away the conquered people to live in captivity, but the more civil- ized warriors and diplomatists of our age care much more for real estate then they do for the people whom they may dispossess. That was the first res- ident, but the agent, using the cabin only as a store, could hardly be called a settler. The first home made in the county with a purpose of settlement was in the year 1834, near Pine creek. The Indians were still on the ground, but their right had been narrowed down to a permissive occupancy for a limited period. The first comer platted a town and called it Montpelier, but like the spirits called ftom the vasty deep, those who might have been the population, would not come, so that the design was in that respect a failure. The site chosen for that town was about twelve miles above Mus- catine, and the fact that it entirely died out, while settlement was pro- gressing in other directions, may be taken as conclusive evidence that the position and surroundings were ineligi-* ble. The next attempt to lay off a town was made near the spot on which the trader's cabin stood, at a point where the river Mississippi was deep and the bank declivitous, permitting of large boats coming alongside the natural quay or wharf at all seasons. From these commencements, the work of settlement went on, and towns were platted in many places before the sur- veys had been made on behalf of the government. Until the year 1836, this territory was attached to Michigan and for about two years after that time, Wisconsin territory held a kind ol governing power, when a separate organization was effected, and the ter- ritory of Iowa began to exercise the jurisdiction which is now wielded bv the sovereign state of Iowa Sketches of Counties. 607 The laws which were enacted by the people of one territory, to meet the wants of another, were often ill adapted to the circumstances with which they were intended to deal, consequently the settlers made regula- tions of their own, which were en- forced by courts of a very popular de scription, with a posse eomitatus of the whole population, whenever some man obtruded himself, upon merely legal righte, where the rude equities of the time made him unwelcome. In the main, the decisions of this wit- enagemote must have been just, as the progress of events when, by and by, it brought settled institutions and better laws, customarily sustained the ver- dicts and the action of the primitive tribunals. When county organization was ef- fected the county seat was located at Muscatine in 1838, and all the holders of claims on the territory were allowed to procure their titles in due course for the lands which they had occupied under the aiTangements of the earliest association. Very few of the parties exhibited discontent, and only one person made it necessary to have re- liourse to the courts. In his case it is satisfactory to state, that the courts gave a decision against him, and the supreme court reaffirmed the verdict in favor of the community at large. The first post-office was opened in this county in 1837, and stores came very slowly in the order of progress ; the year 1838 saw much more rapid advancement, and since that time Mus- catine county has gone ahead rapidly. There was a strange embroilment during part of the year 1839. which arose in consequence of disputes as to territory between Missouri and Iowa, but the affair was at last satisfactorily arranged. There was at one time a great prospect of fighting, but when the volunteers came to the point, a compromise was effected on a basis which hns been sustained. Bancroft says the name of the county was derived from Musquitine, the ap- pellation of a tribe of Indians who were residents on the lake country two centuries ago, but there are differ- ences of opinion among the learned on that point, and " who shall decide when doctors^ disagree ? " The name of the county seat when the location was first made was Bloom- ington ; the name Muscatine was sub- stituted at a later date. The first school was taught in 1837, so that it will be seen that Muscatine county was not very slow in commencing the work of education in which it has since become distinguished. The first school house was erected in 1839, and for some time thereafter, in the town of Blomington, that building was used for all public meetings and for church services, as well as for occasional merry makings. Railroad companies have been mind- ful of their own interests in providing for the wants of Muscatine county. The Muscatine and Weston railroad, which has its main depot at the county seat, and runs west from that point, is now completed across the county, and over part of Johnson county, forming a junction with the Burlington, Ceder Rapids and Minnesota railroad at the town of Nichols. The main line of the Burlingion, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota road runs through the west^ em section of Muscatine county, cross- ing, at the town of Liberty, the Chi- cago, Rock Island and Pacific rail- road, which runs through the northern townships, with a southwestern branch which connects Muscatine city with the town of Wilton, and with the rail- way system of the whole union. The accommdation thus provided is toler- ably complete, and the competing companies are ready for further devel- opments in whatever direction may seem most likely to increase the aver- age of their returns. The public school system in Musca- tine county will bear comparison with that of any other county in the state for general efficiency. The old schools, which were rudely built in the early days of the colony, are being replaced by other and much more elegant structures which contain all the latest improvements deemed essential for the highest results in tuition. _ The teachers have occasional institutes, which assist in no small degree to lift even the best educators from the ruts into which tliey are prone to subside ; and the normal classes are credited with having aceomplished excellent results in preparing young men and women to assume the high trust in- volved in the charge of schools. There is a good county agricultural society in Muscatine, with extensivi 608 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. grounds in very good condition, and there has been an annual fair ever since 1853. The society is now very prosperous and its grounds adjoin Muscatine city, the county seat. Muscatine is a city which will at> tain very great prosperity. The posi- tion which it occupies, at the great bend of the Mississippi near the island of Muscatine, gives it an earnest of commercial success which has been well sustained by the general develop- ment of the place. Mere the great river comes nearer than at any other point in its course to the center of the state of Iowa, and the fine landing which was long since ascertained to exist at this site gives superior facili- ties to Muscatine city, as a distributing focus for general merchandise coming from various points by river and by railroad. The high land on which the city stands secures certain hygienic conditions, without which wealth and fortune are but aggravations of misery, and the drainage of the town can hardly be improved. Viewed as a ship- ping point for farmers and graziers, there are few cities in the world which possess so many advantages. Mus- catine island is close at hand with an immense wealth of products which can always be brought early to the consumer, and back of" the city there is splendid land upon which some of the best agriculturists in the world have located their farms with all kinds of appliances to economize labor and to secure the best results from every outlay, while the soil at their feet gives them unsurpassable crops upon every effort put forth by them. The city is not young and new, but although many of the blocks are old and touched by the tooth of time, there are some very fine buildings, quite new, and very substantial, and as the progress of decay or accident may in- crease the area of dilapidation, the city like the fabled bird will rise" from its ashes, more glorious than ever be- fore. As before mentioned, this site was first named Bloomington, and the appellation was changed upon due de- liberation some years afterward. Very many of the premises referred to as among the aged habitations of business men date from the very earliest days of the first nomination. Before that period the aspect of the country at the site of Muscatine city caused it to be called Grindstone Bluffs, but under all the circumstances perhaps Muscatine is the better title, more especially as it serves to retain some memory of the old tribes and the early settlers. The day will come when a few names and words scattered sparsely in our no- menclatui-e of cities, and in our history of events, will be all of the past that will remind us of the people who were contented to roam in these western wilds, before the days of Amerigo Ves- pucci and Columbus. Muscatine was incorporated as a city in 1851 ; four years later the cars of the first railroad, then known as the Mississippi and Missouri, but now as the Chicago, Bock Island and Pacific railroad, came tearing into the city, as if fearing that some rival might have stormed the position before their ar- rival, and within two years from that date, there were gas works erected on low land near Muacatine township, which gave a grand illumination to the city in 1857. Within the current de- cade, the growth of the place has been more remarkable than at any former period in its development. Lands have gone up in value, building lots have been in demand at fair prices, and great enterprise has been displayed in the erection of stores for the rapidly increasing demands of traffic. The lumber interest in Muscatine city is very large, and if the business in that department is to go on growing as it has done for some few years past, it will be necessary for every husband- man to employ his leisure in planting groves. The advantage which comes of that kind of enterprise is manifold, the trees give shelter in winter and shade in summer, in every case favor- ably affecting the climate, the cattle find succulent and tender grass in such nooks and corners as the groves afford, the crops flourishing around to leaward of these plantations, grow bet- ter than in the open prairie, and in due time, with only the first labor necessery in the planting, a piece of broken land has become a valuable property cyiable of extending its own area and affording continuous returns. There are several manufactories in Muscatme city and suburbs, many of them identified with the lumber trade, gomg on to make tip into doors and sashes the material which the sawing mills employ some five hundred men Sketcbes of Counties. 609 in preparing for the market, and in selling in the several yards. Besides there are factories in which furniture ot all kinds is made; carriage and wagon shops, extensive flouring mills, agricultural implement manufactories, and an endless range of industries which will go on increasing their im- portance as long of the country back of the city, and the union at large, can find a market for goods of genuine merit. The school buildings in this city are not among the edifices touched by old Father Time. They are fresh from the mint, many of them, and all con- tain the latest improvements for ap. peal to the minds of the young. There are several of these buildings, the schools are graded, the teachers are excellent, the attendance exemplary, and the results correspondingly good. The newspapers in Muscatine city are numerous, and they watch over the welfare of city and county with un- wearying vigilance. As a rule, they are well managed, vigorously written and very well supported. West Libbktt is in the northwest corner of Muscatine county, and is a flourishing town, standing just where the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad crosses the line of the Bur- lington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota company, in the center of a fine tract of agricultural country. The village contains about nine hundred inhab- itants, and it is very steadily growing in wealth and importance. There is a very large steam flouring mill in the village, and nearly every industry is represented among the citizens, from the blacksmith's forge and the car- riage factory to a really creditable bank. The several churches have very pre- sentable edifices in the village, and the school accommodation is excellent. Besides these there is an enterprising newspaper, consequently every_ class in the community is provided with the means of intellectual culture. Wilton is a village about one-third larger than the foregoing, and is a well built town, on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad. The southwestern branch of that road here joins the main line, and the very fertile country which surrounds Wilton finds here an excellent point for efiecting shipments. On the western boundary 39 there is a fine grove, which is gradual- ly encroaching upon the prairie, and the growing timber, some of which is of very large size, gives quite a rural aspect to this center of industry. The town of Wilton was laid out in 1855, and the settlement was commenced in 1856. Cereals and live stock are shipped from this station in great quantities, and a local trade of much value is steadily growing. There is a large flouring mill here, and two news- papers. The churches are well sus- tained, and the schools, which are graded, do credit to all concerned. O'Brien County stands second from the western and also from the northern boundary line of the state of Iowa. The county is twenty-four miles square, and therefore it contains five hundred ,, and seventy-six square miles. It is' supposed that the county was named in honor of an Italian settler, but no- body stands prepared to vouch for that fact. The Little Sioux river, which is really much larger than the diminu- tive prefix would imply, is the largest stream in O'Brien county, but it only crosses the southeastern extremity of the district. Waterman and Mill creeks are tributaries of the first men- tioned stream, and they drain the cen- tral and southern townships. Henry creek rises in the northeast. Floyd river has many branches in the north- west, and does good service. Timber is not liberally supplied to this region, although there are some fine groves on the Little Sioux river. The fault of the limited supply is not due to the soil, as wherever, since set- tlement commenced, the land has been protected from the flres which used to sweep over' this territory, there are now promising growths of native tim- ber, which need only time to give them, much value. In addition to these fea- tures in the growth of wood, many of the farmers have planted groves upon their holdings, and their industry is being crowned with very flattering success. From these several sources it may be hoped that in the course of ten years, the surface of O'Brien county will present a more picturesque ap- pearance. Wild grass flourishes everywhere, and the cattle fatten upon that descrip: tion of food, which can be cured to 610 TuTTLsfs History of Iowa. make first class hay. The usual van-, eties of soil are found in this county, rich on the prairies, but richer on the bottom lands, which follow the courses of the principal streams, where the rich vegetable mold is strengthened by a tenacious subsoil of clay. The bluff deposit, with an admixture of mold, makes the soil of the uplands, and the value of such lands to the farmer needs no elucidation. Quarries are not found in this coun- ty, but there are numerous boulders which serve the purposes of building stone, quick lime and other such de- mands, pretty well. Good bricks are made from the bluff formation, conse- quently there is no difficulty in erect- ing substantial fire proof buildings. Coal has not been found in this county, and consequently the depend- |ence of the people for fuel must be placed in groves of timber, unless dis- tant sources of supply are sought. Water has been found wherever it has been sought, for stock purposes, and food being abundant, there will be excellent returns obtainable by farmers who give their attention to this pursuit in addition to agriculture. The first settlement was made in 1856, when some men brought their families here from Bremer county, and made their homes. The county was organized in 1860, and the seat of ad- ministration was located at O'Brien, a town of some note in the southeast- em angle of the county. This was the principal settlement in O'Brien county at that time, and long afterwards, un- til the Sioux City and St. Paul Rail- road was constructed. When the per- manent location of the county seat came to be determined in the year 1873, a vote of the people was given in favor of the county seat being estab- lished in the center. There was no town at that point, but there was no difficulty in making a start. The town of Pringhar was founded immediately, and the glory departed from the place which bore the same name as the county. Pringhar, the county seat since the year 1873, is not extensive, but it is well laid out, with a fine park, and much hope of advancement. The names of the men who were engaged in laying off the county seat were robbed of their initials, and the string. ing together of these first lettei's made the appellation Pringhar ; hence the nomination. The surrounding coun- try is very fertile, and the future of the place may be considered assured. The town is well drained, and is situated on a fine section of prairie. Sheldon is in the northwest of the county, on the line of the Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad, situated on a beautiful prairie, which rises from the line of travel, and slopes back to the higher lands back of the town. The first house was erected here soon after the railroad was opened, in January, 1878, and the business transacted at this depot will eventually build up a large local trade. O'Brien takes a back seat now in the county, of which it was the first settlement, and most importsint place. The position of the village rendtred a change necessary, when a more gen- eral settlement took place over the county, but the place is really very picturesque and well situated on a plateau seventy-five feet above the level of the Little Sioux river. The river incloses O'Brien as if in a horse shoe, and the high banks on the side opposite the village, constitute quite a pleasing variety in the landscape. The country in the neighborhood is very fertile, and when shipping facili- ties come to this locality, as in course of time they must come, there will be a beautiful and prosperous city where O'Brien now stands. Osceola County stands in the north- ern tier of counties, second from the western boundary of Iowa, and its su- perficial area is three hundred and ninety-two square miles. The county is like most of the counties in Iowa, well drained and well watered. The east fork of Rock river is one of the main water courses, and besides that, the Ocheydan, the Otter, and several smaller creeks contribute their aid toward the complete irrigation and thorough drainage of this area. The streams mentioned run through val- leys of acknowledged fertility and much beauty. The farmer finds in this little county a vast area of land ready for the plow, . but without timber enough for fences, buildings and fuel, and in consequence, settlers will have many troubles to en- counter from which they are saved elsewhere. There are no stratified Sketches of Counties. 611 rocks exposed in this county, but boul- ders, which were left here during tlie glacial period are scattered over the surface in great plenty, and upon these most of thfi people will rely for the erection of their dwellings, unless they procure lumber from a distance. The St. Paul and Sioux City railroad cros- sed the county in 1873, and since that time there has been trafJc across the territory from and to other points, but some time must elapse before there can be any large amount of commerce arising in Osceola county. The soil is rich, with vegetable mold overlying the drift formation, from which excel- lent crops will be obtained, but the want of wood is a great drawback for the present. The first white settlement here took place in 1870, but it was not until the following year that the county began to be permanently inhabited, and in the following year a separate organiza- tion of Osceola county was effected. Until that date Woodbury and Osce- ola had been unequally yoked together. Sibley was the first town laid out in Osceola county, and it is the county seat. The Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad Company laid out and named the town in honor of one of the promi- nent men in that organization, but the youth of the town leaves very little to be said as to its progress. There is a food court house in Sibley, which cost 5,000, and there is a newspaper pub- lished here, but the population is small. The first school was taught here in 1871, and there is now a commodious school house which cost nearly $4,000, well provided with all the best means of arresting the attention of youth. When the resources of this county are developed, this town must partake largely in its prosperity, as there is here a first class shipping station. St. Gilman is also a railroad station, seven miles southwest of Sibley, but it is waiting for the country to be de- veloped before any considerable growth can be realized. Page County is the second east from the Missouri, near the southwestern angle of Iowa. The general surface is undulating and the area is well drained in consequence of its configuration. Creeks and streams of various dimen- sions carry off all surplus water, and there are no swamps to poison the air with their miasmatic exhalations. The bluff formation in this region alter- nates with, and in some instances has been found mixed with the drift de- posits, and the soil resulting from these changes may be praised verv highly. The prairie, wherever the plow hag not touched it, is covered with a fine crop of native grass, such as few tame gras- ses could excel, but as a rule the prai- rie is cut up into profitable farms. The rivers Nodaway and Nishna- botany flow through beautiful valleys, which owe their richness of soil and picturesque appearance, very greatly to the larger streams which once rushed like a torrent, where those gen- tle and translucent waters flow calmly on toward the turbid flood of the Mis- souri river. A^ong these valleys, with their emerald slopes mounting to-' ward the prairie uplands, there are some very choice farms whose owners have settled down for life, and are making everything around them as charming as their art will enable them to accomplish. The slopes are, in some places, more abrupt than in others. Along some parts of both streams the valley stretches from half a mile to one mile across, and then the ascent com- mences rising from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet. Sometimes there are ravines down which large streams must have coursed their way from the prairies ages ago, and these breaks in the scene are truly delight- ful. The ravine usually has some lit- tle rivulet towards its center, serving the purpose of drainage for the up- land, and reminding one of days in which currents were stronger and streams more powerful. The drainage of the county is se- cured by many streams. The Nodar way is represented 'by both branches, east and west. The Tarkio, Bast, Mid- dle and West, and all their tributaries, flow toward the southwest, and along every stream there are springs which feed the running creeks and rivers and give the very best water for stock and domestic use during all seasons of the year. Wells can be made serviceable for all the year, on the bottoms, by sinking from twenty to thirty feet, and on the uplands by sinking a depth of from seventy-five to eighty feet The well water is good, and the springs are equally good but not quite so cool. 612 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. The Nodaway river has many good water powers, which can be relied up- on nearly all the year, and the Middle Tarkio has many small mills already, but the supply of water is not quite equal to the continuance of the work through the year. Over the whole of this section of territory there are streams so distributed as that hardly any portion of the county is without a beautiful stream, which serves all the purposes of stock, and materially assist, agricultural development. The eastern part of Page county has abundance of woodland, many very heavy growths being found along the East and West Nodaways. Elsewhere along the several streams which have been named are flue supplies for the present needs and prospective wants of the county, whether for fuel or for building. The varieties are just such as are found elsewhere in this state, with this difference, that climbing plants are more numerous and of greater diversity. Coal beds are being worked on the banks of the Nodaway, especially no- ticeable workings occur in the banks about two miles from Clarinda, where the vein is nearly eighteen inches in thickness, and the quality equal to that found in the Des Moines valley, where bituminous coal abounds. The beds are not likely to be mined, seam- dim artem, but along the banks and ravines the deposit can be cheaply re- moved, supplying an excellent fuel at very little trouble and cost. Many ex- posures have not yet been worked to any extent. Wherever there are coal measures, good stone can be found, and usually excellent clay for pottery and for brick. Quarries are numerous in this county. There are splendid qualities of stone at Clarinda, and along the watercourses of the Nodaways. Along the course of the Tarkio there can be found at intervals a hard, bluish lime- stone which seems to traverse a wide area of country. Much of this lime- stone is not fit for the manufacture of quicklime, but it is largely used for some building purposes, and is highlv valued. " •' Brick clay can be found in many places, and very good brick are made Amity, Hawleyville and Clarinda. The first white settler came here, in 1840. from Missouri, and he was speedily followed by other young men from the same state, who all made their home in Buchanan township, where they laid the foundation of the Three Forks settlement, at the junction of the East and West Nodaway and Buchanan Creek. The red men were still in the country, but • they were be- coming, more and more pleasantly, rare visitors in the white settlement. Page county was organized in 1850, and Boulwars Mill was declared the county seat, the business of the new organization being transacted in that location until the year 1854, when the covmty seat was located at Clarinda. The court house was made quite a temporary affair until 1856, when a more substantial building was under- taken, and the town has progressed ever since. Clabinoa, the coimty seat of Page county, is about six miles from the eastern boundary of the county in the valley of the West Nodaway, on dry, undulating land, below the level of the prairie, yet well up in the valley. Coal, wood and stone are all close at hand to this location, and the town cannot fail to prosper. The present population of the coimty seat is about fifteen hundred. The public school building is very fine in Clarinda, having cost $10,000, and all the arrangements point toward a very high degree of eflSciency in this department of the public service. The library and museum in connec- tion with this institution is an evi- dence of much skill and industry, and the feature of this branch of training which is most gratifying, is the large use that is made of the museum and library under inspection. There is a woolen mill here, a plow factory, carriage and wagon shops, flouring mills and saw mills, besides numerous other industries which em- ploy- men and women. The amount of shipping business transacted at Clarinda is already large, as it is the terminus of the Brownville and Nod- away Valley Railroad. Shenandoah stands on the Nebras- ka branch of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and it is a very- thriving town in the western part of the county. The town stands in the valley of the Nishnabotany river, and was laid off by the Burlington and Missouri Kail- Skstches of Counties. 613 road Company, in the summer of 1870. The country adjoining Shenandoah is exceptionally fertile and extremely beautiful. The commercial man gen- erally will be interested in the fact that It is a busy shipping point on the road mentioned. The earliest steps of the infant settlement were aided by the railway company, who granted the use of their depot for educational ! purposes, before proper buildings could be otherwise procured. There are two elevators and warehouses here, and the business premises are substan- tially built. The school building here is very commodious and well sustained, the ediflce is of brick, the management highly effective, and the results com- mensurate. HAWiiBYTiLiiE has the honor to have been the first town laid out in Page county. The location is on the east bank of the east Nodaway river, about six miles from Clarinda. The country round Hawleyville is very fertile, and the time must come when the town will be very prosperous. There is a school established here. Amity stands about three miles from the south line of the county, with a post office known as College Springs. There is an excellent institution for educational purposes here, the place having been originally laid out by an association, which took its rise at Galesburg, Illinois, with a capital of $30,000, which was invested in govern- ment lands in Iowa, and Missouri, for the benefit of a college. Should the railroads visit this locality, there will he a large accession to its prosperity, as the country is very fertile. Hepbtjbn is a village surrounding a station on the Brownville and Noda- way Railroad, connected with which there is a post office, and a large ship- ping business is being done at this de- pot. Some few enterprising business men have established themselves at this point, and a good local trade is being transacted here. The popula- tion is small, but with the growth of the farming interest, it must increase. There is a very neat school building here, and the interests of the pupils are in good hands. Essex is a small town on the Chica- go, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the Nebraska City branch having a station here, and the advantages of the shipping station for the northwest of the county, secures a very good busi- ness, with a moderately good local trade. There are several post offices at Bradleyville Center, Franklin Grove, Page City, Snow Hill, Tarkio, Union Grove and Willsburg, and around all these there are villages of small extent, which must become large and import- ant. Palo Alto Connty contains an area L of five hundred and seventy-six square miles, and it stands in the fourth tier from the west line of the state, second from the north boundary. The Des Moines river flows southeast across the county, having numerous tributar- ies which flow into the main stream from both sides. Cylinder creek and Bridge creek are among the chief of these. This county is remarkable for the number of lakes which it contains, none of them very large, but nearly all of them very pretty, and all of them / except Medium lake, near the western boundary of the county. The largest lakes are named Elbow Lake, Silver Lake, Lost Island Lake and Rush Lake. The scenery around these lakes is invariably picturesque, and the wa- ters are well supplied with flsh, the kind and quality of which forbid the idea that these lakes have always been as limited as they are now. Timber is not very plentiful in this county, as there is only about a thou, sand acres of woodland distributed over the whole area, including the groves near the lakes and the more considerable supplies along the course of the Des Moines river. The kinds of wood that grow in this county do not largely vary from the growths else- where in the state ; but the wild fruits that flourish in Palo Alto county are large and very fine. The surface of this country is rolling prairie, with a deep, rich productive soil, but along the course of the Des Moines river, there are valleys and bottom lands which are well adapted for corn and cereals. Prior to culti- vation there is an excellent crop of native grass on all prairies and bottom lands, of which cattle are remarkably fond. Partly in consequence of that fact and the plentiful supply of water, farmers have given much attention to stock raising and dairy farming, more 614 Tuttle'8 IUstobt of Iowa. especially tlie former pursuit, which has proved highly profitable. Fruits are raised with great ease, certainty and profit in Palo Alto county, as far as experiments have been made, and with care much more may be done. There have been some beds of peat found in different parts of the county, but they have been very partially used as fuel. There have been no exposures of stratified rock in this region, and of course the county is beyond the coal region. The boulders of the glacial period abound, and in the absence of quarries, even that supply of stone is of considerable importance. The boulders are fantastically arranged in some places round the margins of the lakes. Good well water of an equable temperature at all seasons of the year can be obtained on prairies and on bottom lands at very moderate depths, and the supply has never yet been known to fail. The western part of the county touches the great " divide " which sends the drainage of the state partly to the Mississippi and partly to the Missouri. A party of Irish farmers, who came to this region in 1856, and settled near the town of Emmettsburg, constituted the first white settlement in Palo Alto county. Most of the men came from lUinos, and their families came with them. The larger part engaged in stock raising, and the colony grew with great rapidity for a time, num- bers of their friends from many parts of the union being invited to join them. When the massacre occured at Spirit lake in 1857, there was much consternation among the settlers, and the growth, which until then had been rapid and continuous, was suddenly checked. In the year 1858, although the people hardly numbered fifty at that time, the county was organized and the county seat was located at Paoli, where a court house was built shortly afterwards, but eventually, the town of Emmetts- burg, named in honor of the Irish patriot, was made the permanent re- cipient of that honor. Soda Bar, a place near the center of the county, was at one time the locality in which county business was transacted. Most of the settlers were Catholics, and a church was erected at Emmettsburg, where also a newspaper was published, expounding the views of the colonists, as early as 1869. „ , . ,, Emmbttsbtjbg, the Palo Alto county seat, was the first town regularly laid out in the county, when the popula- tion, never large, was much smaller than it now is, and the progress of the place has been very slow indeed. The town is built on the east side of the Des Moines river, in the delight: ful valley which stretches on either side of that stream almost its whole length, and it has the additional ad- vantage of being near to some of the best groves of timber which flourish in that sparsely wooded country. The location is a very pleasant one as well as advantageous, and some of the water powers available here cannot fail to become very valuable indeed. The ground slopes toward the river, and it is therefore excellently drained. The town was laid out very early in the history of the county, but until the year 1871, it scarcely assumed the appearence of a town which would be inhabited. In the year mentioned, the town plat was enlarged in the expecta- tion that the Iowa division of the Mil- waukee and St. Paul Eailroad would be extended to that point, continuing a very profitable line up the Des Moines river valley. The direct line of travel from Algona west to Spencer, Sibley, Rock Rapids and Sioux Falls, passes through Emmettsburg, and there is a very fine farming country which must center at this point. Plymouth County stands in the third tier from the northern bound- ary of the state and on the western line of demarcation, containing an area of eight hundred and forty square miles. The county is well watered; the principal streams being Floyd tiver. West Fork of Little Sioux river, West Branch of Floyd river. Perry, Willow, and Broken Kettle creeks. The river first named flows from northeast to southwest diagonally across the county, having numerous tributaries which drain and supply stock water to a large proportion of the whole county. There are good sites for water powers on Floyd river. The remainder of the rivers and creeks complete the work so ably commenced by Floyd river, and the whole county is thoroughly drained, the natural configuration being such as to prevent Sketches of Counties. 616 the formation of morasses. The water is sweet and clear in all the streams, and stock thrives well along the bor- ders of the ever running waters. Many springs of great purity and brightness burst from the river banks in all parts of the county. Rolling prairie and some broken land, with all the characteristics of the bluff deposit in the soil, will account for much variety and great fertility in the uplands, while the bottom lands have enriched the same formation by a deposit of vegetable mould excep- tionally rich. Many extensive and excellent farms are being worked in the valleys of Big Sioux and Floyd rivers, and it is found almost impossible to exhaust the fertility of the land. The water supply everywhere is very good ; and it is clear that Plymouth county will become famous as a stock raising re- gion, the pasturage being everywhere first class, and the soil such as will give unlimited supplies of root crops for winter storage. Timber is not plentiful here, conse- quently it will be necessary for farmers to plant groves as often as their other duties will permit. The timber so planted will give a fine revenue in the course of a few years, besides giving all the time a very desirable addition to existing shelter. Osage hedges are already being planted, and the appear- ance of the uplands, as well as their value for most purposes in husbandry and stock raising, is being largely im- proved. Big Sioux river has some considerable bodies of timber on its banks, and there are groves and belts on the West Fork of little Sioux and on Floyd river, but the aggregate is not large. It is gratifying to observe the numerous groves which have been planted some few years, coming to quick perfection, and many planta- tions of native wood are springing up, especially in the broken lands. The stratified rocks in this county do not quarry well, as the stone will scarcely serve for building. Quick- lime can be made in fair quality but not really first class. Brick clay can be found in most places, and the builder will nlainly depend on that material for his best structures. The first white settlement in Ply- mouth county dates from 1856, when the valleys of Floyd and Big Sioux rivers attracted men and their families. The town of Westfield was laid out, and it was supposed that the metropo- lis of the great Sioux valley was then located, but L'Homme propose a Dieu, disposes, and as we believe has before been remarked, " The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft aglee ; " and the project did not prosper. The county was organized in 1858, and the county seat duly located at Melbourne, a scattering settlement in aie valley of Floyd river. Up to the time that this location was effected, each of the ofBcers made his center where he pleased, and the public were not always benefited by that arrangement. Westfield was a candidate for the loca^ tion, but Melbourne won the game, and soon afterwards the original me- tropolis was overrun by half-breed Indians, the fruits of miscegenation, who came in and settled upon much land in that neighborhood, under cer- tain legislative rights which had been conferred upon that class of people, in the state of Iowa, more especially. Le Mars won from Melbourne the location of the county seat, upon an appeal to the voters in the county, an overpowering majority approving the change. This event happened in 1873, and since that time Melbourne has made no sign of its existence as a town. Le Mars is a very pretty town in the valley of Floyd river, just at the point where the Illinois Central Rail- road makes its junction with the Sioux City and St. Paul's line, and the im- portance of that combination of facili- ties cannot be overestimated in assess- ing the prospects of the city. The town was laid off in 1869, and, in a short time thereafter, some ladies who visited the location helped to make the appellation now given to Le Mars. The first lady was called Louisa, the second Anna, the third Mary, the fourth Arabella, the fifth Rachel, and the last Susan. These initials make up the name Le Mars, and it serves, as well as any other could, to distinguish a beautiful spot. There has been a newspaper in Le Mars since 1871, and there are now two; there is a fine school building which contains all that an edifice can to contribute toward education, and the staff of teachers is really first-class. There is an elevator, a bank and two flouring mills in the town, and in the 616 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. county, there is a population of nearly six thousand persons. The Sioux City and Pembina Rail- road Company is pushing its works in the west of the county, along the val- ley of the Big Sioux river. Pocahontas County contains five hundred and seventy-six square miles of territory, and it stands third from the northern and fourth from the west- ern boundary of the state of Iowa. The west fork of the Des Moines river drains the northeast of the county with numerous subordinate streams, which meander far and wide before emptying into the river. Some of these streams stretch far towards the east. The principal tributaries of the Des Moines are. Pilot creek. Lizard river and the south fork of Lizard river. Cedar creek and its main afflu- ent Little Cedar creek, with their tri- butaries, water and drain the west of Pocahontas county. Cedar creek owes its source to Swan lake, and flows nearly south across the county. Swan lake and Clear lake are two of the largest lakes in the county ; but there are smaller bodies of water, almost in- numerable. "With such an admirable supply of water, it might have been anticipated that the county must be well timbered ; but the facts are much against that conclusion. There are some fine groves on the Lizard rivers and on the Des Moines, but the total of woodland in Pocahontas county only amounts to about three thousand acres. Many of the farmers have raised large groves which are already of sufScient growth to be valuable as fuel ; but the woods planted are generally intended for much more ambitious and more remu- nerative purposes. The surface of the county undulates considerably, and the soil is fertile. Well water, of fine quality and perma- nent supply can be obtained by sink- ing only a very few feet, even on the prairies, and the creeks everywhere meet the demands for stock supply. The soil is black loam — very rich — varying in depth from two to six feet, according to position. Limestone is found in this county, about four miles from Bolfe, and the quarry supplies a splendid building stone. The manu- facture of quicklime is very largely carried on in that neighborhood, and the article is pronounced excellent. The quarry is the more valuable, be- cause there are so few deposits of that kind available in that part of the state. The exposure has been followed about two miles along a low tract of land, and there is therefore no reason to fear an exhaustion of the supply at an early date. Clay suitable for the manufac- ture of brick has been found in quan- tity, and the branch of industry thus favored will be largely prosecuted. In estimating the supply of fuel in a county where wood is scarce, it be- comes an item of interest to note that deposits of peat have been dis- covered on and near Beaver creek. The name of Pocahontas tells its own story, and the county is a practi- cal vote of censure on John Smith — that oflicer with an uncommon name, who has been several times mentioned in history. The county was organized in 1859, when only eighty persons lived there to assume the task of self- government, and although lest than twenty votes were recorded, there was energy enough in the locality soon af- terwards to commence a school and a newspaper — the two essentials of west- ern life. EoLFE is the seat of justice in Poca- hontas county. The town stands on a pleasant elevation west of the Des Moines river, and it was the first town in the county in point of time. Rolfe has a fine court house of brick and a school house of the same material. There are good quarries of limestone not more than four miles from the town, and extensive groves are near at hand on the banks of the stream. The country in which Rolfe stands is of first class for all agricultural purposes, and the farming class full of enter- prise. There is quite a good local trade done in Rolfe. Fonda is in the southwest angle of the county, and being a station on, the Iowa division of the Illinois Central railroad in a country remarkable for its fertility, a large shipping business is transacted. The merchants of Fon- da are a fine class of men, very confi- dent as to the future of their town, a faith fully justified by appearances. When first settled the place was called Marion, but the present name was sub- stituted. The town was first settled in 1869, and laid off in the following year. Sketches of Counties. 617 Pocahontas Center is very near the center of the county, but there is no immediate prospect of its becoming the county seat. The village stands on a pleasant spot between Rolfe and Fonda. There is a post office named Buda in the county, with a few scat- tered houses in the neighborhood, but no business yet being done in the lo- cality except the receipt, distribution and despatch of mails. _ Polk Connty is in the central por- tion of the state of Iowa, and its variety of surface is remarkable. The soil of this _ county is rich and various, per- mitting almost every description of crop usual in Iowa to come to perfec- tion. The county is well settled by enterprising men who know how to turn its good qualities to the best ac- count, and therefore the region has at- tained and is still attaining a very high degree of prosperity. There is not in any county in this state, a river system more extensive in proportion to its area than that we find here. The waters of central Iowa and of southern Minnesota are gath- ered into the streams which enrich the soil of this county, and but few realize how completely prosperity is identi- fied with bountiful supplies of water. Man himself would become an atom with which the winds might sport, without a sufficiency of water in his bulk. The body that weighs one hun- dred and forty pounds, when in full health and vigor, contains just ninety pounds of water, and all the food that man consumes is largely compacted in similar proportions. The water supply in this county not only suffices for every purpose in ag- riculture and stock raising, not to mention the very prominent part as- sumed by water in dairy operations everywhere, but it affords very numer- ous sites for mills of various kinds, a fair proportion of which have been im- proved in Polk county. The Des Moines is the principal river, and it fiows southeast through the county, receiving supplies from western tributaries through the Beaver creek. North river and Raccoon river, and from the east through Four Mile creek, Indian creek, and Skunk river, sometimes more elegantly termed Chicaqua river. Camp creek. Mud creek and Spring creek also flow in from the east. The main tributary of the Des Moines from the north is Big creek, but there are many small streams. There are fish in nearly all the large streams, sometimes very fine and in great variety, and the streams in some phases of country are very rapid, so much so that they have cut for them- selves deep channels, and their banks tower above to great heights. The scenery as well as' the usefulness of the county is much improved by the presence of large bodies of timber. There are belts and groves along the principal streams, and near some of the smaller tributaries are groves of great size and good value. Many of the native woods will be largely used in the manufacture of first class furni- ture, when the resources of this county come to be fully developed. Stone for building purposes is plen- tiful as is generally the case where the coal measures are largely represented. Quarries of limestone are various in kind and utterly inexhaustible in quantity, however many cities may re- quire to be built up from their wealth. Sandstone quarries, also abound and all the materials which in other coun- ties are called into requisition to sub- stitute building stone are here in boundless profusion to supplement the general abundance. Coal is so plentiful in this county, that it would be a work of supereroga- tion to descant on that subject to the well informed general reader. So nu- merous, so easily worked, and so prof- itable are the coal mines in this coun- ty, that in the city of Des Moines the best kinds of coal can be procured at little more than $B per ton. Before this county was so widely and largely settled, there were great complaints of the prevalence of fever and ague; but since the lands have been improved by cultivation, there are no marshes remaining, and very little wet land. All this has been brought about without any general scheme of drainage, except in so far as every man has taken advantage of the configuration of the surface to keep his own share of the territory well cleared of surface water. Jerusa- lem is said to have been kept in excel- lent order by a similar simplicity in 618 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. operation — every man cleaning before his own house front. The result is manifest in the general healthy tone of this countyat the present day. The altitude of the county, many hundred feet above the Mississippi level, makes the work of drainage very easy, when a few local peculiarities are taken care of by the agriculturist. The purchase treaty with the Sac and Fox Indians, or Musquakas, in 1842, conveyed this territory to the United States, with the right to settle in the following year, although the Indians might remain in possession until 1845. Many were not removed to their Kansas reservation until 1846. Fort Des Moines was erected within the purchase, to maintain good order, and of necessity to protect the red men in their possessions, which were soon to pass from them into better keeping. The fort was commenced in 1848. Traders with the Indians followed up the military, and as usual the man of commerce had a good eye for land. The agents of the traders soon pro- cured permits under which they went on to locate claims on Indian territory, and thus many excellent sites were taken up under favor, before the gen- eral public could come in to spy out the good qualities of the ceded terri- tory; but such incidents are inevita- ble. There is hardly a country under the sun where " kissing " does not, to some extent, " go by favor." Among the earliest settlers, we find a claim permitted on condition that the favored individual should build a bridge over Four Mile creek, a very sufScient consideration. This occurred in 1844. Thus the army of industry made its way into the wild lands, and already the bright light of civilization shines over a territory lai-ger than many European kingdoms, which was less than forty years ago, the lair of the savage. It would be an endless task to fol- low in detail the steps of the early set- tlers in Iowa territory, not yet even any- thing so well defined as that, but merely the " Black Hawk Purchase." Claims could not be made in proper form until after the Indian title to the soil had finally lapsed ; and, therefore, when those upon the ground began to appreciate the prize for which they might contend, there was no small ex- citement among the encamped army of claimants who meant to try their for- tune in the great scramble which was to give, like the modern lottery, all prizes and no blanks. The years had worn away and the time had come when the conclusion and the begin- ning were to be calculated by seconds. It was the night of October 11, 1845. There were men who had been watch- ing the chances for many months, some of them for years ; and there were understandings among the great body as to what should constitute a moral right, a kind of equitable preemption to special territory. One man had con- structed a saw mill on Middle river in 1843, near to Carlisle, and had added improvements, which, in succession, allowed corn and wheat to be ground in the same building — the first mill of any kind erected in this county. Others had made improvements of like value, but dissimilar in kind, and it would have been unjust in the last de- gree to deny them some consideration for enterprises in which all were likely to be sharers. Still, there was a great army of men on the spot, and there could not fail to be much anxiety in their hearts as the minutes wore away, lest all these claims should be ignored by persons to whom law and not equi- ty might become the standard. The evening had become night, and midnight was.near at hand, " the witch- ing hour of night, when churchyards yawn, and graves give up their dead," but everybody was intent upon the mere material world. The hour had come, and not one man, but hundreds of men were ready. The report of the signal gun boomed out upon the mid- night air, and the race had begun. Answering rifles cracked out their sig- nals all around, until over long miles of territory the sound had been con- veyed which warned the watchers that the red man had ceased to be lord of the soil which his forefathers so lone had held. ^ At that moment, while the moon was slowly sinking below the horizon, the work of measurement began, pine torches were soon blazing in many di- rections that the claimants might be sure of their starting points, and as sure that their marks and signals should not be open to misunderstand- mg. On the whole it is satisfactory to Sketches OF Counties. 619 know that with all the ardour of con- test involved in such a struggle, there were no serious quarrels. The settlement of the county had al- ready progressed, the race now was to secure legal recognition, and a good title to holdings, which have in some instances become worth millions of dollars, and which were then known to be of large intrinsic value. The half a mile of territory which could he marked out in each claim, three hun- dred and twenty acres, was in many cases massed with other claims until a little German principality would be dwarfed into miniature proportions by comparison with the proposed estate, whether the estimate took form in size or in productiveness. The county of Polk was defined in 1836, by the territorial legislature at Iowa City, the county was organized, and the next question was the location of the county seat. Des Moines sought the distinction and the profit, and was resolved to procure it, but there was a rival in the field and the claims of Brooklyn were not to be lightly thrust aside. The fight was a long one, and it was contested with spirit to the end, when Des Moines became the winner. The sale of lands at Iowa City took place in 1848, and long before that time the claim holders had formed an organiza- tion among themselves for the purpose of discouraging speculative buyers, and to secure for every man his moral right, by frowning down any attempt to preempt a claim to which the person so operating had not made good his demand by valid work and due settle- ment. There were some men so greedy after the goods and gear of others, that murder came very near being com- mitted in one instance, but in the long run no blood was shed, and the equi- ties of the quarrel were readily justi- fied by the force of public opinion. The buildings necessary for the transaction of the business of the coun- ty were at first constructed cheaply, but after a brief interval Des Moines began to discover how high was the destiny to which she had been called, and thereafter the buildings were made more and more substantial and elegant, that they might accord with the wealth that must find its centre and distribut- ing power in Des Moines. The first court house cost $2,000, the court house now in use in the same city 1100,000. There are now so many in- stitutions of various kinds in opera- tion to distribute the bounty, to utilize the resources, and to control the pa- tronage which Polk county can be- stow upon worthy objects, that it is not wise even to attempt to catalogue their titles. Des Moines, as the county seat, is a worthy representation of a rich organization, which has under its hands and within the grasp of its citi- zens, a wonderful aggregate of wealth. Polk County Poor Farm and Asy- lum stand seven miles north of the city, for, wealthy people don't want to be cqnfronted by poor relations every day, but the establishment is well con- ducted, and the average of inmates is only about thirty. Agricultural fairs, under various auspices, have been held in the county since 1853, and the exhibitions of blood- ed stock, especially, have increased in value from the very first, until there is now as good a showing of such forms of wealth in Polk county, as can be found in any county of its age. The future of the stock raiser in this region must be very largely improved by these exhibitions. Thb City of Des Moines, the coun- ty seat of Polk county and the capital city of Iowa, stands at the confluence of the Raccoon river, with the river Des Moines, verv nearly central in the state of Iowa. Railroads have shower- ed their blessing on this city, and with- out mentioning roads which have been projected, or have been but par- tially carried out, although they are lustily carrying forward their works, six railroads which bring the wealth and the enterprise of the world to this center, carrying hence the fruits of capital, labor and intelligence combin- ed in the various products won from the soil, dug from the bowels of the earth, quarried from its strata, evolved by the mechanical force of its rivers, and elaborated from the grey matter of contemplative intellect, to prepare the way for that glorious age of the world, when the fierce competition for daily bread which is now seen, shall merge in a higher civilization, and men shall strive with each other in deeds of beneficence and love full of a divine emulation. The poetic dream will some day be a reality. The six roads before mentioned, 620 Tuttle's History of Iowa. but not named, are the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the Des Moines and Fort Dodge, the Keokuk, and Des Moines, the Des Moines, Indianola and Missouri, the Des Moines, Winterset and Southwestern, and the Des Moines and Minnesota. The roads are well formed, well operated, and the value of their hourly ministrations to the prosperity of the city is far in excess of the fabled blessing which came in the story of the Arabian Nights, to the possessor of the wonderful lantern. Des Moines is a beautiful city as well as rich. The location is certainly handsome, surrounded by eminences which sweep by graceful lines up to- ward the clouds, and bearing on their heights the residences of opulent men who have made their own path in the world, but are not thereby precluded from a liberal appreciation and patron- age of the arts, which make this exist- ence a foretaste of the more beautiful, toward which our innermost souls as- sure us we are moving. The business part of the city is firm- ly compacted, as if to say every foot of this soil is precious. Here men may coin their thoughts, therefore even the dust is priceless. There is no doubt as to the value of a business site in Des Moines, but when the man of business quits his counting room, and his office, or store, he wants space unbounded for the enjoyment of life, hence the wide diffusion of the pri- vate residences, which rear their pala- tial forms, for many miles around the entrepot of commerce. The wooded hills which bound the vision of the spectator standing within the circle, do not circumscribe the area of popu- lation, for back of these eminences, and embosomed in woods more beau- tiful, splendid homes are found, and new wealth expresses Itself by futher extensions, in similar plans of social enjoyment, and dispersion of the blessing called fortune. The city is well laid out and excel- lently drained, but the Des Moines river is not here, and now the clear stream which the lone ascended that day in 1843, when the forces of the United States came to build and man Fort Des Moines from whence to watch over the dismissal of one race and the opening of their territory to a superior people. Here are buildings of every kind for business and for pleasure. Vast blocks for commerce only, temples of wealth, plutonic structures of vast height and size, yet every where too small for the bursting energy, "cribbed, cabined and confined!" Postofflce accommo- dations for a metroplis which throbs with all the agonies and all the joys of life and death, and which must find an outlet for all these intensities in words that burn. Telegraph offices where the swiftly coursing lightning, which may be the motive power of life itself, with all its wondrous capacity to think and feel, may be compelled to do the bidding of every comer. Opera houses and theatres where the canta- trice and the prima donna can convert their grace notes into solid gold, win- ning more in one night of triumph than Michael Angelo compassed in a lifetime, save in the sublime recom- pense which the greatest soul has in the contemplation of a sublime ac- complishment. Des Moines river is spanned by four bridges as it flows through the heart of the city, and two other bridges across the Baccoon, giving to south Des Moines and the suburbs, with the fine prairie land beyond, the fullest opportunities for commerce with the metropolis. What is now suburb will soon become city here in Des Moines. London required centuries of growth before Ludgate became a busy thor- oughfare, and the strand a mart for commerce, such as may now be seen, but Des Moines, and the cities of this new world cannot afford to creep through the world at a snail's pace. They must do or die. The commercial advantages of this city cannot fail to win high estimation for Des Moines. The navigation of the river is not a feature in its advance- ment, but the railroads cover the whole country with a network from this cen- ter, which can be traversed with such speed and safety, that rivers will cease to become highways, except for the heaviest and least costly articles of merchandize. To be the seat of coun- ty administration was once an object of ambition, and afterwards Des Moines was proud to be chosen as the capital ot the state, but beyond all such trivial incidents In the career of a city, this place owes its well won progress to the energy of an industri- ous and bold population, surrounded Sketches of Counties. 621 by a rich agricultural country, well worked, and teeming with the riches of the sun, stored in the earth's crust, so many millions of years ago that the brain of man can never even imagine its historjr. The beginning of this city, as we have seen, was the location of Fort Des Moines on this spot in 1833, and the gradual developement of its import- ance has been glaneed at in the brief synopsis of the history of the county, which has been given in these pages. To go over the same ground again would be to rehash a twice told storjr, and to recapitulate the trivial gossip of primary incidents in the lives of set- tlers could not recompense our readers for the trouble of perusal. In the year 1850, Des Moines had only a population of about five hun- dred. During the next ten years it rose to a little more than four thou- sand. In the year 1870, there were more than twelve thousand persons in the city, and since that date it is esti- mated that the number has increased to very near eighteen thousand souls, with such prospects of further growth as must develop within the next de- cade at least a city of fifty thousand in- habitants. The name of Fort Des Moines remained the appellation of the town until the adoption of the city charter, in 1857, at which time the pre- fix. Fort, was very properly abandoned. The removal of the capital from Iowa City was first attempted in 1851, but it was not until 1855, that repeated efforts succeeded, and the former capi- tal was abandoned. The newspapers of this city would require at least a page to enumerate them, and even then they would be crowded and unsatisfactory; so, as usual, we leave the press to speak for itself, as it so well can. Keligious bo- dies and churches differ so slightly from each other, in a thousand cities, that it is enough to say that nearly all the customary denominations, and a few besides' flourish in this city, where everything prospers. The educational institutions require ■ more detailed mention, and we regret that enough cannot be said to do them justice. But to begin with the begin- ing, let us glance at the public schools. The city has two independent school districts, east and west, with each a board of education. The value of the property held by the board in the west district amounts to nearly $330,000, and the management aims to secure the very best talent attainable among educators, llast Des Moines has a smaller district for which to make pro- vision, but the best disposition is dis- played at all times to improve the op- portunities afforded. The high school alone, with its furniture and fittings, cost $30,000, and of course the best system of grading is in operation. There is a literary association which opens its library and reading rooms every day to the public except on Sun- days, and several times there have been suggestions hazarded by the more venturesome of its supporters that even on Sundays, when unmarried working men are most likely to have hours at their disposal, it might be well to have the doors ajar. The university of Des Moines is an institution in which the Baptist de- nomination rules, and the success which has been achieved is most en- couraging. When this establishment was first projected in 1855, the Luth- erans were the moving power, but after some years and when the college had been in operation about a year, the Baptists bought out the first founders, and of course it is a well known fact that Baptists, as a class, with all their trust in immersion, never throw cold water upon an educational movement. The number of manufactories and mills within the corporate limits and the vast array of business houses which give employment to the toiling thousands in Des Moines and enable them to procure comforts for their families, would require a directory for their enumeration, but even here where all is life and bustle with the mass there are some shiftless people who are their own worst enemies, and can see no good in any location. One of this number, who never worked when he could loaf around, and whose noble as- pirations had been chilled by many re- fusals of a small advance for invest- ment in " sod corn," thus vented his reminiscences and his conclusions in a rhyme which Milton, with all his wealth of descriptive power, would never have imagined : Hyur the wild Injun once did take deligUt, Hunted the buffler, fished, fit and bled, Neow the inhabitants are mostly white ana nary red. 622 TVTTLBfS ElSTORY OF lOWA. Des Moines is a fine city, rapidly grow ing, and it well deserves the honors which it has fairly won, and knows so well how to appreciate. Pottawattamie County is, with only one exception, the largest county in the state of Iowa, its superficial area being nine hundred and sixty square miles. The Missouri river is one of the boundaries, and the county stands in the third tier from the southern boundary line. The drainage of this vast area is carried on by a number of small streams which run from north to south over the surface of Pottawat- tamie coun;^, with a tendency toward the west. There is a fine level plain, yet not exactly level, which ranges from three miles to ten miles in breadth, on the western border of the county, which is known as the Mis-, souri river bottom. From this plain the blufis rise almost perpendicularly in many places to heights varying from two hundred to three hundred feet. The effect is occasionally majestic and never monotonous, the line being broken by narrow valleys and ravines which add a beauty of their own to the scene, but do not destroy the general effect of the bluflf system. Back of the bluffs just as we have seen elsewhere, there are broken grounds, which suggest that when the plain below was actually the bed of the river, and the majestic stream rolled down toward the sea, filling its vast channel from bluff to bluff, the waves might occasionally, when fretted by strong winds, have rolled their bil- lows in upon these shores, cutting and scoring their marks in the now broken lands, so deeply, that time cannot easily efface them. These broken lands are very often overgrown with timber, and where not so improved by nature, will easily receive a right impulse from the hand of art. As grazing grounds, the bro- ken land is admirable, and in some places even tillage can be carried on almost to the brow of the bluff. An undulating wavy surface toward the east is broken by picturesque valleys at intervals where the streams have made their channels, just wide enough to show that they have come from a noble and mighty parentage. Some of these valleys are nearly a mile wide and the channels are adorned with fine belts of timber. Thus it will be seen that Pottawattomie county is not weighed down by sameness of outline, nor condemned to an unchanging green, for the tints of its emerald are more numerous than the colors of the rainbow, and the forms of beauty which salute the eye, would tax the imaginative powers of a Claude to ex- Timber must be sparingly used or assiduously cultivated in this county ; perhaps both courses may be adopted with advantage, as the supply is some- what limited. There are Cottonwood groves following the course of the Mis- souri, and considerable woodlands along the West Nishnabotamr, be- sides many excellent groves on Pigeon, Honey and Mosquito creeks, but taken in the aggregate in relation to the vast territory embraced in this county, the supply is very much smaller than might be desired. Bluff deposit with a mixture and a coating of vegetable mould forms the soil of this county, the depth of soil, always considerable, being very great in some few places, and a small scat- tering of lime in the land has much value in cultivation. The rains find a perfect reservoir in the deeper depos- its, and we have already seen what crops and what variety can be raised on lands so prepared for the agricul- turists. The value of this country for the growth of wheat is well estab- lished ; but other cereals, and indeed every description of growth finds here a home. The grazier and stock raiser need only surround themselves with groves at convenient locations, and the grasses, wild or tame, which spring up in this county, will increase their wealth beyond the dreams of ava^ rice. Stratified rocks are not very largely exposed in this county, but there are many limestone quarries in actual op- eration toward the southeast. West Nishnabotany flows through a line of country where limestone fit for build- ing can be found in plenty, and in nu- merous other places such exposures as can be manufactured into quick lime. Sandstone, and a comparatively worth- less conglomerate are found in the lower stratum of the Missouri bluffs, and the materials from which bricks of excellent quality can be made have been found at Council Bluffs, and Sketches of Counties. 623 it some few other places in this county. The first expedition into this terri- tory by white men in this century, dates from the year 1804, when some explorers who were ascending the Missouri, held a talk with the red men at the point now known with much other territory as Council Bluffs. Twenty years later, a trader and vcyy- ageur, probably a Canadian French- man, put up a trading house on nearly the same ground, giving his name for some time to the bluff on which he had located. There was and still is a beautiful spring which finds its course through the bluff just where the trader drove his stakes, and when the Ameri- can Fur Company sent their agents through this territory, they found at this point a welcome, where but few of their color and nations had ever been located. The first regular settlement com- menced in 1838, when a family made their home about four miles from the city of Council Bluffs, and the head of the family so placed had a commis- sion from the government, to assist in the arrangements for removing the In. dians from Platte purchase in Missou- ri, to this part of Iowa. When the red men came to the place provided, the family before mentioned settled down on the ground which is now the heart of the city, and made there a very com- fortable establishment and a farm. The Mormons came to this locality and were for some time masters of the sit- uation ; but the first settlers were nei- ther scared nor allured by the charms of the polygamous host. With the Indians, numerous white traders and camp followers came, so that there was never likely, after that time, to be any uncertainty as to the value of this vast area of unreclaimed land. The Indians, as usual, scattered into lodges, making no progress in civilization. Left alone by other races, they would perhaps slowly work out some advancement; but confronted by a superior people with a better type of culture than they can approach, they shrink back into their pride and im- mobility, unable to appreciate the mo- tives of their friends, and constitution- ally incapable of understanding the mission of Christ to mankind. They could more easily master logaiithms than the mystery in question, and they have but little faculty to begin as little children, what they fail to grasp at once with the faculties of men. There is for the Indian nations only the same outcome as there was for the behemoth and the mastodon, extinction or ab- sorption into other races. The ances- tor of the frog of to-day was a huge batrachian, large as a buffalo ; but the Indians will die out; they have not the adaptive power which would make a miniature existence possible In their experience. United States troops came to this point in 1839, and at the same time a Catholic mission was established. There were no additions to the num- ber of settlers until the Mormons came, in the latter part of 1846, and almost immediately after that time the red men were removed once more. They went to Kansas. The Mormons in this region were at one time nearly eight thousand strong, and they remained there several years, under the leadership of Orson Hyde, whose descendants are among the prominent residents in Salt Lake City to-day. The colony which had gone forward had found their location in Utah, just where the Wahsatch looks down upon the valley of the Salt Lake. Footsore and weary, the pilgrims were not sure but ihat their journey must still be continued ; but the practical energy of Brigham Young saw that the territory adapted for his kingdom had been reached, and he commenced his hierarchical rule with a cheap miracle, which need not here be described. The shoeless and ragged prophet has become one of the wealthiest men in the United States, and his curious rec- ord, with the developments of his church, will some day find a place in our historical library ; but for the pres- ent it is enough to say that the word went forth in 1852, that all the faithful must assemble at Salt Lake. The message came, borne to the temporary camp by trusty emissaries, who could tell of sulphur springs steaming from the soil, at the base of the foot hills, all through the year ; of a valley al- ready full of fruit trees ; of a taberna- cle which dimly prophesied the exist- ing edifice, and the slowly rising temple ; of a region with mines of sil- ver and gold, from which the gentile could be ostracised, or in which, should he obtrude, it would be possi- 624 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. ble to hold him and his bond slaves and servitors for ever. This was a picture of life which could not fail to call oH the mass of the Mormons from Iowa. Numbers had gone in the first expedi- tion, and many had followed since; but soon after 1853, all were gone, save a few who abjured the leadership of the new prophet, Brigham.and, hating polygamy, kept their homes in Potta- wattamie county, and became more or less identified with the progress of the territory. . , ,. c The state of Iowa was in the line ot travel to the gold fields in California, and in 1849, there was a motley gath- ering at the principal points beyond the settled territory, where the adven- turous gold hunters could be beguiled to part with their capital and equip- merits, in some still wilder act of gambling. The deeds of violence which were enacted there, in and near the site of this county, were sometimes prompted by greed and lust, but some- times the exponents of rude justice, in a land without lawful administration, utilized the nearest tree and a long rope, to end careers assumed to be felonious. Along that line of march vigilance committees sprang into ex- istence with a terrible suddenness, and before the accused could realize their horrible predicament, they had gone to a fate worse than that of Absalom, for he was mourned, and they might hang there as high as Haman, a warn- ing to evil doers of every stripe, until the birds had removed from their pendent figures every ligament and tendon, and the bones fell disjointed to the repugnant earth. The county was organized in the year 1848, when the Mormons were yet in the land, and all the officials were members of that church. In the same year a post office was established in this county, but the mail service was very irregular, and settled institu- tions were somewhat slow in taking root. Kanesville was the center of population and the seat of justice, but very little is known of the record, and much of what is known refiects no credit on the times, and on the men who were mainly involved in the early history. Gentiles came into this curious camp very slowly. In the year 1848, there were some small beginnings, and these were increased somewhat when the gold fields became known, as a few, who were on their way to the gulches and placers where their bones might have been laid, succumbed to adverse circumstances, remained here on their route and grew up to be rich and pros- perous men, pillars of the state in the best sense. When the Mormons cleared out, they sold their claims at a great sacrifice, and the number of gentiles went on rapidly increasing so that most of the old farms were occupied. With that event, "A change came o'er the spirit of the dream," and settle- ment worthy of the name went on with some rapidity and success. During the years 1851-2, Pottawatta- mie county was surveyed, and the land office was located at Council Bluflfs during the following year. The work of preempting claims became a great business, nearly four thousand acres being thus secured in one month, and actual sales were efi'ected during the summer. The railroads were now projecting their several works across the conti- nent, and every track came this wot, so that the settler who had already purchased found himself much better oflf than he had supposed. He had "builded better than he knew;" but with the railway mania there came an order to cease land sales, so that, after 1856, there were no sales effected until the winter of 1858. During that interval, real estate was at an enor- mous premium. The men who held city lots within the limits of Council Bluflfs could work a better mine than their brethren who had gone over- land toward the Golden Gates. Specu- lation became rife, and, just when the colors of the bubble were irridescent with their highest beauty, the crash came so quickly that none could de- termine where the " thing of beauty," which was to have been " a joy for ever," had finally disappeared. The county was divided into town- ships in 1853, and from that time, un- til 1859, organizations proceeded with much rapidity. There were nine townships so organized at the date last menti(med, but we pass by those gen- eral developments to come down to the more particular growths which identify themselves with the history of the county. CoTiNciL Bluffs was originally known as Kanesville, that name being Sketches of Counties. 625 bestowed in honor of a general who was a visitor to the Mormon settle- ment. The city stands at the foot of the bluffs. Lord Castlereagh said of the Irish people, that "the time would come when Ireland would stand pros- trate at the feet of Great Britain." Council Bluffs stands at the foot of the bluffs, but it has not yet discovered how to " stand prostrate." The loca- tion is very beautiful, with the Mis- souri river forming an elbow at this point, and the distant hills, made yet more handsome by choice residences which have been there erected. On the farther side of the river is the city of Omaha, about the greatness of which George Francis Train used to wax eloquent in the days when that gentlemen assumed the airs of a mill- ionaire, and before his allotments had been sold for accruing taxes. The beauty of the prospect on the Nebraska side of the river can be seen from the bluffs, on which the hand- somest residences have been raised, and the prosperity which illumines Omaha acts as a very effective spur to the enterprise of the sister city. There is a very flue bridge across the Missouri, by which passengers from San Francisco and New York, and elsewhere, are transhipped, to continue their career from one side of the continent to the other, the one to roll on through Cheyenne, Laramie, Ogden and Sacramento, until he stands in the lovely city near the Golden Gates, and the other to continue his career along numerous lines until he hears the mighty roar of the Atlantic. The amount of business transacted in Council Bluffs would require statis- tics to properly set down the facts, but there is a power in arithmetic for the confusion of general readers, when they are not wise enough to jump the entry; and therefore we content our- selves with saying that merchants are prosperous here, doing a large trade wholesale, and that their brethren who come nearer to the wants of Individ- uals have good returns from their retail stores. This is the greatest cen- ter of railroad operations on the Mis- souri river, and that fact tells its own story. There was some confusion at one time, and for some years, in conse- quence of the city of Council Bluffs, or, to be more particular, in conse- 40 quence of Kanesville, having been set- tied and built upon before the land had been sold by the government, or even surveyed; but in the long run, by the exercise of strong common sense and much forbearance, the whole trouble was cleared up under an act of congress which was passed in 1854, without the many interests involved being to any ruinous extent depleted by the lawyers. The city in that year assumed the name of Coun- cil Bluffs, although properly that title belonged to a site twenty miles away, where the first comers, in 1804, inter, viewed the red men and smoked the pipe of peace. The corporation charter is so amended that it now holds good over a territory four miles square, and the city is very well governed, as it has been indeed since 1855. There are large iron works estab- lished in this city, and they have been in operation ever since 1866, under the auspices of a stock company, em- ploying large numbers of men. Pork packing has been carried on exten- sively here since the year 1859, and every year sees some addition to the business. Railroads have been specially iden- tified with the history of Council Bluffs since the year 1853, when the Mississippi and Missouri River rail- road company caused a line to be sur- veyed from Davenport to this point. The road which was then prepared for was afterwards constructed, and the same staff of engineers commenced the operations which eventuated in the building of the great Union Pacific railroad. In the same year another line was projected, which was to make this point its terminus, and to traverse the whole state, and so well was the scheme received that the county of Pottawattamie voted $100,000 in aid of the operation. The projector of that line became afterwards president of the Union Pacific road, and the other line was never built. The Cedar Rapids and Missouri River railroad was the first line that actually approached Council Bluffs from the east; and that event dates from the year 1856, when the first ground was broken, and a grant of 130,000, together with eighty acres of land, in aid of the line of road, were given by the citizens. 626 TuTTLlfs RiSTOBY OF loWA. The first locomotive entered the city amid a general triumph in 1861 j and the Chicago and Northwestern having leased the line, it has since that time been in steady operation, much to the gain of Council Bluffs. The next contribution from the funds of the city of Council Bluffs, toward railroad construction, was for the St. Joseph and Missouri line, which was surveyed in 1858, com- menced in 1859, and not finished until the end of 1867. The citv gave bonds for $25,000 and |40,000, from the sale of swamp lands, toward the enter- prise, and although the work of con- struction went on slowly, more than an equivalent for the outlay has been realized. The same year that the line was completed from St. Joseph, a locomo- tive crossed the Missouri on a trestle work bridge to assist in the work of forming the Union Pacific railroad, and the following year saw the per- manent bridge commenced, which now carries the travel and traffic of that line, connecting the city of Coun- cil Bluffs with the two oceans. The Chicago, Eock Island and Pa- cific railroad became au fait accompli, so far as the city of Council Bluffs was concerned, in the summer of 1869. The county voted $300,000 as a contri- bution to the stock of the Mississippi and Missouri River railroad, twelve years before, in consideration of this work, but the delays, and some dis- putes as to the legality of such a vote, resulted in much loss to the county before the work could be completed, and the line operated as at present. The Sioux City and Pacific railroad company, with numerous extensions, has connected the city with the city of St. Paul, and also with Dakota, re- cently. The court house at Council Bluffs is a very fine building, which cost the counfy about $50,000 in 1867. Prior to that time the edifice which had been in occupation for the same pur- pose, and also as a school house and hall of assembly, was a relic from the days of Orson Hyde, the Mormon leader, and had only cost the citizens $300. The school funds of the county suf- fered terribly in the years 1858-9, in consequence of the malversations of a county judge, who had fraudulently issued warrants, but there are excel- lent graded schools in Council Bluffs, well situated and admirably managed by first class teachers and superintend- ents. The churches, one of which, the Methodist Episcopal, dates from 1850, when the Mormons possessed the land, are some of them very prosperous, and they all have handsome edifices. The State Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb has been located at Council Bluffs, where it occupies an excellent site, only a short distance from the city. The institution is well managed by officials nominated by the authori- ties at Des Moines, and is very credit able to the state, as well as an orna- ment to its location. There is a county agricultural soci- ety organized here, which dates from 1858, since which time there have been annual fairs, and the association pros- pers. The newspaper press of the city of Council Bluffs is very extensive, repre- senting every shade of political, so- cial, religious and moral opinion, with a few besides which will not come un- der any such category. AvocA, so called, no doubt, in com- memoration of the vale in which Tom Moore celebrated the meeting of the waters, is a very lively town and ex- tensive shipping station on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, nearly forty miles from the Missouri river, by the route mentioned. The town was laid out in 1869, on a very beautiful site between two branches of the Nishnabotany river, which form a junction two miles be- low. There are fine groves of timber on the river, near this point, and that is no small advantage in a country where the supplies ai'e limited. Back of the town there are fine farming lands, which have commanded the at- tention of an intelligent and enterpris- ing class of agriculturists and are in very prosperous condition. The population of Avoca numbers about fifteen hundred, and the town has all the advantages which help to build up a prosperous community. Much produce, of various kinds, is sent off, east and west. There is a good local trade. The school accom- modation is ample, both as to build- ings and teachers, and the churches of the locality are well sustained. Sketches of Counties. 627 The shipping business is so exten- sive that two and sometimes more ele- vators are in active operation, and there is a very large steam flouring mill constantly at work. The eastern paxt of the county of Pottawattamie has desire to become a separate organization, and it is likely that whenever the change may occur the town of Avoca will be the seat of the new county. WAiiNTJT is a station on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Kailroad, a little more than six miles from Avqca, on a fine, high,, rolling prairie site, with a rich farming cotm- try surrounding it in every direction. Tiie shipping business which is trans- acted here makes a good local trade in supplying the wants of shippers. There is in tiiis town a steam flouring mill, and two grain elevators are in continual requisition. A very neat school house has been erected and is well managed, besides which Walnut has recently established a bank. Neola is about eighteen miles from the city of Council Bluffs, on the Chi- cago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail- road, and a fair shipping business is transacted here, besides" which there is a good local trade. MDTDEisr is the small beginning of a prosperous town, five miles east from Neola, recently laid out on the same line of railroad. Weston is only a station on the same road, and no town has yet been laid off, but there is a fine agricultural country from which much shipping may be expected, so that the probabil- ities are largely in favor of a town growing up on the site. There are numerous villages and postoflSces in the county which, like Canning's knife grinder, have no story to tell, so we append their names — Crescent City, Big Grove, Honey Creek, Downsville, Macedonia, Love- land, Taylor's Station, Parma, Wheel- er's Grove, Waveland and Living Spring. Poweshiek County is about half way between the old and the new state capital, the fifth from the Mississippi river at Davenport. This is one of the square counties in Iowa, being twenty- four miles each way. There are about eleven thousand five hundred acres of woodland, all the rest being streams or praii-ie. The principal watershed of Iowa traverses part of this county. Numerous small, streams rise in this county, flowing eastward on one side of the watershed, and south on the other. The north fork of Skunk river is in the southwest angle of the county, and this stream gives several sites for water powers, which will be improved as there is a dearth of such advantages in this county. The drainage is very good, as the streams which come down from the uplands have cut very deep into the rock formation. In some places, after abrading the drift, which overlies the whole county, alid in consequence, all the rains which sink down into the soil are carried off through the strata to the banks of the streams. The bot- toms of the sti'eams show a mixture of mud and gravel. The deep channels and occasional vallies along the water courses have the effect of varying the beauty of the county. The undulating prairie is bevelled into deeper depressions, tlirough which the streams rush to their rocky beds, and along the larger streams ar^ many handsome groves. Generally, the drift is very deep, and composed of soil which pennits of unlimited cultivation, and above that deposit a vegetable mould varies from two to six feet in depth. There is a fine clay under the drift, and in some places that material will be turned to a very good purpose, as with fair skill in manufacturej- it is well fitted for some kinds of pottery. Brick clay is comparatively common. Good well water can be found at easy depths, and the adaptability of the soil for pastoral pursuits makes the plentiful supply of water the more valuable. Along the banks of the Skunk river there are good exposures of limestone, which will be of value for building purposes and also for the manufac- ture of quick lime. There are some signs of coal in the formation along the Skunk river, but this is the outer- most limit of the coal measures, and it would be a strange phenomenon if there were workable mines opened in Poweshiek county. Nearly half the area of the county was under cultivation in the year 1874, since which time many new farms have been entered upon. There will 628 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. be much planting of wood in this county, for the sake of shelter as well as for profit, in other directions. Osage orange hedges have been largely- planted; as much as seven hundred miles being already in good condition. The planting of additional hedges and groves will much benefit the county. Poweshiek county has been advan- tageously placed for the realization of railway facilities. The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad, now known as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, was completed to Grinnell in the year 1863, and nearly twenty- six miles of the track run through this county. A branch is in contemplation which, when completed, will connect G-rinnell with Montezuma, and the advantage would very great. A com- pany is forming on that basis. The Central Railroad of Iowa was com- pleted in the year 1869, and that gives a track of twenty-three miles to Powe- shiek. This was part of the Sac and Fox lands, which the Musquaka Indians held until 1843, when it was opened for settlement under the new purchase treaty. Settlers came into this terri- tory along the trail of the military in 1843, and from that date the progress of the settlement has been continuous, with every indication of fitness for colo- nization on the part of the new comers. There was school kept in 1847-8, and in the following year the first post- offlce was established. The county was duly organized in 1848, and Montezuma was the name given to the location for the county seat. The county officials had at first some diflSculty in the procurement of a small loan for stationery, and their county buildings were primitive in the extreme, but the court house now in use is very handsome, and it cost $23,000. Gbinnbll was founded by a colony of men and women from New Eng- land, who wished to build up a com- munity specially devoted to intellect- ual and spiritual advancement. The location was settled upon by three clergymen, and they were principally influenced in their selection by the probability that they would not be likely to have their plans marred by the presence of strangers and persons indifferent to or unfriendly to their organization. The point chosen was near where the railway survey crossed the summit of the watershed between Des Moines and Iowa City. A rude camp was hastily formed, and the col- onists were not long in putting in an ap- pearance. The to,wn was named after the projector of the colony. The first preparation for the new arrivals was not particularly ornamental, nor was there any wealth of material with which to carry out larger operations, as the' site of 'the town was entirely treeless prairie. There was a school house erected in 1855, and the Congre- gational church, out of which the scheme had arisen, was duly organ- ized in the same year. The town of G-rinnell was platted in 1855, and the proceeds of all sales were given to educational purposes in trust forever. One of the provisions insisted upon from the first inception of the scheme, and religiously ob- served ever since, is, that if any mah holding property in Grinnell sells in^ toxicating liquors, he forfeits his claim at once. Hence there are no saloons established in Grinnell. Grinnell is incorporated as a city of the second class, and it is an inde- pendent school district, having been so organized since 1867. The school house was burned down in 1871, and the building now in use was erected at a cost of a little over $10,000. The edifice is capable of seating six hun- dred pupils, and the school is graded in seven departments, employing nev- er less than seven, and at some seasons eight teachers, besides the principal. The city is well supplied with churches, and the buildings are usually credita- ble, some of them being really elegant. The station at this point brings much business to Grinnell, as the city is surrounded by a prosperous farm- ing country, and the settlers are of a class with whom it is satisfactory to deal. The junction of lines here which run east, west, north and south, has had an immense eflfect on the de- velopment of the place, and the great intellectual, social and religious ad- vantages which are concentrated here have contributed to bring to this point a picked population from the eastern states and elsewhere. There are five grain elevators in the city, and they are well employed, be- sides which there is a foundry and machine shop, and there are three Sketcses of Counties flouring mills, of which steam is the motive power. The population is now a little over fifteen hundred. There are two newspapers published here, hut one of these is only a college sheet which appears during the ses- sions of that institution. The Grinnell University, which was to have been completed from the lit- terary fund to be derived from the sale of town lots, made a prosperous com- mencement, but before it became ready for operation, it was handed over to the trustees of Iowa College. The Iowa College had been obliged by adverse circumstances to remove fr >m its first location at Davenport, as the grounds occupied by the institution were encroached upon by the city on two occasions. The college asked for ofiers from other cities, and the au- thorities at Grinnell saw so good an opportunity to consolidate the reli- gious educational establishments of the state in this state of affairs, that proposals were at once made to endow the earlier formed institution with the building partly erected, and other val- uable gifts, equal to $40,000 in all. The conditions on which the liberal offer was based need not be recapitu- lated; the public is only interested in knowing that the proposal was ac- cepted, and thus the site at Grinnell became at once a college of old stand- ing for a new county in a new state. There are five chairs endow^ed, and three not yet endowed, in the Iowa College at Grinnell, the entire value of the property now possessed being $200,000. A sum of about $90,000 was raised by an appeal to friends of the movement in the eastern states, in and after the year 1863, and the col- lege, since its reopening at Grinnell in 1859, has been a marked success. The college contains all neccessary provision for thorough academic train- ing, and the curriculum is such as would satisfy the most exacting. The libraries and museums, in connection with different branches of study, and the scientific apparatus, are all of the best description. In the year 1873, the original building known as East Col- lege was destroyed by fire, and much valuable property was then lost, but all has been since then replaced, and the college is at least as well offaS ever in that respect. Iowa College deserves to be special- ly mentioned for an act in its admin- istration, having offered free instruc- tion and all the advantages which can be afforded by such an establishment, to disabled soldiers, whereby many bright and noble natures, which seemed to have been shut out from hope by bodily mutilation, found there- in a passport to the higher realms of intellectual and moral culture, which may enable them more effectually than in their best days of physical perfec- tion, to serve and improve the race. Grinnell has won the right to be first named and described in the list of towns and cities in the county which is honored and advanced by its devel- opments. Montezuma, was first settled upon in the year 1846, but the town was not platted until 1848, when the county seat had been lo.cated on that spot. For some time the town progressed very rapidly indeed, and great hopes were entertained that an enduring prosperi- ty had been reached, but after the pop- ulation numbered one thousand per- sons, there was a gradual collapse in consequence of the railroads, like the Priest and the Levite in the parable, passing by on the other side. The population numbers now about five hundred, but the men of Montezuma are not without hope that a Good Sa- maritan railroad company will set the town upon their iron horse before long, in which case the surrounding country can well support a large increase of the greatness of the county seat. There is quite a large local business transact- ed even now, and some very promis- ing works have been located there. The school house now in use is old, and somewhat unsuitable, but a new building is promised. This was the first school building erected, and it is now eigliteen years old, being built in 1857. The town has been an indepen- dent school district since 1867, and the school is graded in four departments. The attendance and tuition are alike excellent. There is but one newspaper pub- lished in Montezuma, but it is well fed, as it has swallowed every rival that has been started in the town, and appears to be well sustained. There are several excellent churches. Bkooklyn was platted in 1855, and residences were commenced immedi- ately. There had been a store on the 630 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. site of the town before it was surveyed. In the year after the town was laid oflF, a school building, brought from else- where, was set up in Brooklyn, and school has been taught there ever since. In 1869, the town was incorpo- rated, and in 1874, increased, by adding a section on the farther side of the rail- road track. The division station of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad is locuted at this point, and there is an engine house of considera- ble dimensions. Brooklyn is of much importance as a shipping station, as it requires the services of two elevators, besides one large elevator combined with a steam flouring mill, to dispatch the railroad business at this point. There are many important industries established here, which employ many hands. Several brick yards are in full work here, and an establishment which pros- pers amazingly is engaged in the man- ufacture of a building material known as Frear stone. There are two school houses here, both commodious, but neither of them handsome. The largest cost $10,000, the smaller one $3,500, and the schools are graded in four departments, gen- erally, but in five departments in the winter. The salaries paid to teachers are too small. There is a library asso- ciation in Brooklyn. Malcom stands between Q-rinnell and Brooklyn, on the same road as the last mentioned, and a good shipping business is the main support of the town, as a good local trade consequent thereon, maintains the four hundred persons that constitute the population. The town was platted in 1866, and in- corporated in 1873. There are several neat churches here, and a good school house which was built in 1869, large enough for three hundred pupils. There is a steam flouring mill in Mal- com, and a bank has recently been or- ganized. The town has the advantage of being surrounded by fertile farming land, and all the produce that can be raised, Malcom will ship. Searsboko is located on the line of the Central railroad of Iowa, and al- though the town is not incorporated, there is an excellent shipping business transacted at this point, the county be- ing fertile and prosperous. There are very promising villages at Deep River, Forrest Home and "Vic- tor, which will yet make their mark in the world. Ringgold County is in the southern tier, fourth east from the Missouri river, with a superficial area of five hundred and forty square miles. This county is abundantly watered and well drained; the Platte, several forks of the Grand river, and their tributaries, being arranged, as if by the hand of The Master, for these purposes. The general bearing of all the streams in Ringgold county is toward the south, as the drainage of this area falls into the Missouri river. There are many valuable water powers in this county, many very good indeed. There are springs along the banks of the streams, and occasionally they are found elsewhere, but good permanent water can be had anywhere by sink- ing wells on the uplands or valleys. This county is covered by the drift formation, and the, valleys are the larg- est of their kind in the state of Iowa. There is no rock to be seen anywhere except in one or two trivial Instances, although the valleys have been worn down by the action of water from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet. The drift formation is supposed to overlie the stratified rocks two hun- dred feet deep over this county, a grea- ter deposit than is found elsewhere in the state. In the valleys, and more especiallv near the streams, there are good belts and groves of timber, but elsewhere the surface is prairie in all directions. The valleys which have been hollowed in the general contour of this county, do not attract the attention of the trav- eler, as the depressions and the groves by which they are filled are all be- yond the range of his vision, until he IS almost upon the beautiful and pic- turesquely wooded streams. Marshes and stagnant water are un- known here. The drift deposit and the soil would carry away any quanti- ty of water that might accumulate, and the soil needs not be described after so much has been written as to this very remarkable forniation The crops common to Iowa flourish here. JVative grasses abound, but tame gras- ses will shut them out by and by Osage hedges are much cultivated on the prairies, and many of the settlers are planting groves. Willows are Sketches of Counties. 631 planted to make fences in some parts of the county and they grow well. The county being so deeply covered by the drift formation, stone is very rare in Einggold. There are only two exposures, both of limestone, which indicate that coal may be found by deep mining. The stone is not valua- ble for building, but it makes good quick lime. Bricks can be produced in any quantity, and builders must use them in their work. The first settlers in this county came here in 1844, and for two years there was only one white family in this ter- ritory. There was but little incre- ment until 1854, and even then there were only nine families, but thereafter many settlements were formed in rapid succession in various parts of the county. In that year the county was organized, the county seat being lo- cated at IJrbana, but to this hour no man knows where the stakes were set, more than he could point out the burial place of Moses. The commis- sioners did their duty so discreditably that nobody will ever say that Urbana was not the right name for the right place. However, the population was then too small for effective organiza- tion. In the year 1855, the county seat was located at Mt. Ayr, and organization was definitely established, but the business of the county was not trans- ferred to Mt. Ayr, the county seat, un- til the fall of that year, when a court house of hewed logs was erected as the seat of justice. Four years afterwards a more commodious building was erected at a cost of $3,500. In the year 1855, upon a suspicion of murder which attached to the Pot- tawattamie Indians, the settlers banded themselves together and compelled the tribe to leave the county, but the man supposed to have been murdered by them was found afterwards to have left the county of his own accord. The Pottawattamies left their old hunting grounds without bloodshed, and took up their abode in Kansas, but very of- ten afterwards they revisited their old home. The county set up an agricultural society in 1859, and the institution has attained a very prosperous condition with fair grounds and improvements near the county seat, equal to all the requirements of the time and place. Mount Ate is very near the center of the county, of which it is the seat.. The town stands on high rolling prai- rie near the head waters of Middle Grand river, and about one mile from Walnut creek. There is a fine grove about one mile from the site, and the view from Mt. Ayr is exceedingly pic- turesque. This town was first settled in 1855, and although there is at pres- ent no railroad, a very considerable business is transacted here. Education has always commanded the best sympathies of the people of Mt. Ayr, and their works attest the soundness of their judgment. They have excellent school houses, well ap- pointed and well officered by men and women whose labors are rewarded with a fair measure of success. The Sunday schools in this town are very well sustained. There are two news- papers published at Mt. Ayr, represent- ing the opinions of Ringgold county. There are pretty villages and post offices located at Caledonia, Clipper, Bozzaris, Eugene, Goshen, Cross, Ma^ rena, Ingart Grove, Ringgold City, Redding, Bloomington, Union Hill, Marshall and Tingley. Sac County, named after one of the tribes now represented by the Mus- quake Indians, stands third from the Missouri river, and fourth from the northern boundary of Iowa. It con- tains five hundred and seventy-six square miles, and is well watered by the North Raccoon and Boyer rivers, with their several tributary streams. Several branches of Maple river rise in Sac county and assist to drain the sur- face. Elk creek is one of the largest of these branches. Cedar creek is one of the largest streams running into North Raccoon river, Indian creek be- ing next in size. The Boyer flows across the county about the center, but in a southerly direction. The watershed ridge is in this coun- ty, some of its waters flowing to the Missouri, and others to the Mississip- pi, and on that table land several lakes, evidently the southern extreme of the lake system of this county, appear. These lakes are none of them large, but the largest is known as Wall lake. This body of water in the southern part of the county is in no place more than twelve feet deep, and the area covered is three square miles f)r there- 632 Tuttle's History of Iowa. abouts. The boulders around the banks look like actual building, hence the name, Wall lake. Sportsmen will make this little lakelet a place of re- sort, as it is well stocked with flsh, and at the proper seasons, great bodies of water fowl come to this region. There is another lake one-third of this size, the rest are smaller. The first white man known to have settled in Sac county came here in 1854, and located in Big Grove on North Raccoon river. The prairie land had no charms for the hardy woodman, nothing short of a farm in the midst of the timber would satisfy the herculean powers of his muscle. Organization was effected in 1856, when only thirty-seven votes were cast in the county. There were many hard- ships to be endured in a settlement where the nearest post office was fifty miles distant, and the nearest stores twice as far off as that, and the Indi- ans were still in the county. One man was found, when the surveying parties were out, shot through the back ; but no person in the settlement appeared to know him, and the murderer, if as is probable the man was murdered, was never found out. After the settlement was progressing, a great fight took place between a war party of the Sioux and a combined body of Pottawattamies and Maquo- keta Indians, the former party, which had commenced hostilities, being de- feated with great slaughter. Probably the onlookers may have thought with Tagoih.si.tyih.6\hev"Iloderigo kill Gas- Bio or Cassio, Roderigo, or each the other," the game of settlement would yet go on, and be the gainer. Sac City was the point chosen by the commissioners when the county seat was located, and the pleasant vil- age thus named is the oldest town in Sac county. Good water power and fine groves make the place charming for residence and for business in the near future, if only the railway mag- nates will look kindly in this direc- tion. The materials for the first house built here were hauled from Dubuque, a distance of two hundred and seventy miles partly over roads that would have worn out Job. There is a very substantial and decidedly handsome court house now in Sac City. Gkant Citt is a village in the south- east of Sac county, on the east bank of North Raccoon river, in a fine grove of timber, with good mill power close at hand. There are several mills, a school house and three churches here. The town was laid out in 1863. Scott County fronts the river Mis- sissippi, with a long boundary line of thirty-five miles constituting the line south and east, and the county is the fifth from the southern boundary of Iowa. The Wapsipinicon forms a boundary between Scott and Clinton counties, for some distance, conse- quently the water privileges of this region are many. The superficial area of the county is about five hun- dred square miles. The surface is rolling prairie to a very large extent, with a fair soil but in some places sand predominates. Along the principal rivers there are large bodies of timber, and on the smaller streams some valuable groves but the quantity of woodland may, and probably will be increased with much advantage. Along the streams there are exten- sive bottom lands, the most produc- tive in Scott county, near the Missis- sippi and the Wapsipinicon, there are Nile like inundations which would be inconvenient for the agriculturist but are not very objectionable to the graz- ier, seeing that a wide range of coun- try gives him extensive opportunities in all seasons. The soil generally is good and yields well. Coal was at an early day supposed to be one of the great productions which would enrich Scott county, but that expectation has been somewhat dampened by experience. There is coal and in some abundance, but not enough to become a standard resource. Good building stone has been quar- ried at Le Clair and in some other lo- calities. This county was organized in 1837, by an act of the Wisconsin territorial legislature. This was part of the cele- brated " Black Hawk Purchase," and Gen. Scott, whose name the county bears, was one of the contracting par- ties in that negotiation on behalf of the United States. The treaty was discussed and settled in the city of Davenport, or rather on the site of that city, on the ground now covered by the depot of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company. Sketches of Counties. 633 This was the site of the first claim located in the ceded territory, before the Indian title had expired and the name of the man is perpetuated in that of the city. The claimant main- tained a ferry at this point for some years and was a kind of factotum in Indian trade. The first actual settlement was on the site of BuflEalo in 1853, when the territory was duly opened and the po- sition rose into considerable impor- tance as a midway station between Burlington and Dubuque. The set- tler here mentioned, maintained a fer- ry across the Mississippi to Illinois, which was much used by new comers, and the ferryman was very serviceable in locating emigrants to the territory. He was boatman, miller, builder, pro- jector, and in 1836 he laid out the town of Buffalo, which became a very flourishing place and was once likely to become the county seat. Rival ferries, rival towns, conspiring speculators and venturesome lobby men destroyed the fair prospects of Buffalo, and her glory was very con- siderably dimmed, but it is now of very little importance, how these re- sults were brought about. The log rolling politicians combined to defeat Buffalo, and the location was secured by Davenport after a hard contest. RocKENGHAM was first settled in 1885, and this was one of the candi- dates for the honor and profit of hold- ing tie county seat. The trade of Rock river was to be commanded by this settlement and doubtless would have been, but for the circumstance that the river could not be navigated. The town was laid off in 1836,_and it attracted many settlers until it was found that every freshet of the Missis- sippi converted the site into an island with an unwholesome slough to be crossed to enable its residents to com- municate with the mainland. Many of the settlers cleared out at once. Some persons still remained, and Rockingham, had a small but growing trade. There were religious services for several denominattons in one small school house which was erected by subscription, and the sects took each their turn in using the common church of all parties. The first flouring mill erected in Scott county was built here, in the year 1837, and a ferry across the Mississippi was established here in the same year, communicating with the state road, up the south side of Rock river. Credit Island is a kind of delta, west of the main stream of the Missis- sippi. The name was given because the French traders established a post here and used to give the Indians cred- it. It is not recorded whether the ex- periment proved a success, but cash on delivery is usually thought the best basis of trade with the noble red man. The first contest for county seat was between Davenport and Rockingham, and the voting was veiy spirited, but the result was favorable to Davenport, and there were so many suggestions of unfair play that a new contest was or- dered by the duly constituted authority. Davenport was accused of having im- ported a supply of voters for the oc- casion, and it was supposed that such as could arrange the matter satisfactor- ily " voted early and voted often," on that day. The next poll was declared in favor of Rockingham, but after a delay, which was as mysterious as the first voting had been declared to be on this occasion, the majority for the town of Rockingham was pronounced to be a verdict of the public in favor of Daven- port, and that place was declared to be the county seat. Writs of mandamus, and legislative action followed in due course and a third election was order- ed, but by this time there were other " Richmonds in the field," so the old rivals made terms of reconciliation in the presence of the parvenu aspir- ants, Davenport winning honors, by tricks which were not vain. Rock- ingham " paled her ineffectual fires " after the battle was over, and the town soon passed out of recognition. In July, 1838, Iowa was separated from Wisconsin by an act of congress, and immediately thereafter this county was called to make new elections of oflicers, and the number of voters on that occasion proved that the popula- tion of the county was rapidly m- creasing. The improvement went on with rapidly accelerating speed, until in some parts of Scott county there seemed to be almost a velocity m the rush of immigration. In t\e year 1853, the first railroad company in this county, was organiz- ed as the Mississippi and Missouri 634 Tuttle's History of Iowa. railroad company. The work was of immense importance to the county and the appreciation of that importance may he seen in the fact that $100,000 of the required stock, one-sixth of the whole amount named, was raised by individual contributions, $50,000 by the county and $75,000 more by the city of Davenport. The days of the ferry boat and the stage coach were being numbered, the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad was opened in 1854, the Mississippi was to be bridged, the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad was to join the other road by that structure, and the work was well accomplished by 1856. There was some cause for Scott coun- ty to feel elated ; that one event was worth more than a coal mine that might underlie the whole area. Every town and every acre of the fertile lanS that might grow supplies for the hu- man family had now from this locality means of carrying its supplies to the best market. Every man that had in contemplation some work of accom- plishment, some enterprise that would pay had established by his share in this work as a citizen of Scott county, some claims to consideration in the republic of money, and to such help as the captalist might consider wise and safe. All the machinery of civil- ization became part and parcel of the governing power of that region from that hour. The public opinion of the largest communities came into opera- tion as a factor of thought in these se- clusions, which until now had known no press worthy of the name. With the railroad and the bridged river came an improved possibility in police control and order, came too, the elec- tric telegraph and that immunitj'frorn crime, which arises just in proportion as the probabilities of escape for the criminal are diminished, came the bet- ter organization of the honest and en- terprising class of merchants and tra- ders against the laud sharks who move from place to place, using specious ap- pearances and devilish audacity to de- stroy the confidence of men in each other. The old settlers who saw the opening of that bridge, might well feel elated by the triumph which had been accomplished by courage and skill, and self sacrifice, but they could not have Imagined by any power short of the gift ot prophecy how vast was the boon which the men of that time be- stowed upon their children. The City of Davenport, county seat for the county of Scott, stands op- posite Rock Island, Illinois, on the right side of the Mississippi river, be- low the upper rapids. There is some beautiful scenery around Davenport, and it is various. Back of the town is the broad undulating prairie, with its border of broken land, against which the great river might have hurled its waves long ago, when the bluffs were the natural boundaries of the stream, and when the channel had not been worn to its present depth in the strata. Below these broken lands the bluffs look down upon the plain where the city now shapes the desti- nies of thousands, but where, until very recently, there was a forest of tirnber crowded almost to the rivers brink. Where the city does not extend its stalwart arms and bear down the vegetation of half a century, there are still trees, and in some directions there are groves springing up, which owe their presence to the fostering care of the city, or the county, or are due to the cultivated love of the beautiful, which that community has fostered. Far away upon the high lands, are homes of young, lovely and brave men and maidens, who are en- abled by those clanking engines, and the perpetual roar of industry, to build up in their brain and heart those fac- ulties of thought and love, which, in a nation's extremity, may be worth more than battalions of armed men. The cultivated intellect resembles the dia^ mond cut into all the beauty which the lapidary can compass. There is not a ray of light, but some one of its facets will reflect it back again with added brilliancy. Thus it is with the mind. The clod looks out upon the flowing river, and the flower bursting mto bloom, but it has for him no les- son ; thewhole book of nature is to him at best, a mass of hieroglyphs confused and worthless; but the soul, awakened to Its highest power, finds in the same phenomena a voice, a token, a distinct command, which compels him to sink down in adoration, " &'??!"? tho jgreat world's alter-stairs, Whioli slant tErough darkness up to God." The Egyptian laborer saw, ten thou- sand times, the blades of grass which Sketches of Counties. 6S5 had formed their seeds, but from that significant suggestion he procured no hint of the vast granary of human sustenance which might be built up out of the tiny messenger of God's mercy. Other eyes, more capable of seeing, contemplated the phenomena, some one of the seers, perchance, who suggested the building of the truly oriental pyramids, for the better calcu- lation of the precession of the equi- noxes, and the seeds told him their story. They could be improved by selection, as the other vegetable foods of man had been, and the idea deserved an experiment. The largest seeds were planted, and, from their seeds, still the largest, for a long succession of seasons, until the lowly grass had become wheat, barley, oats and rye, and the granaries of Egypt attracted the famine stricken tribes from every land. The apple might have fallen a mill- ion times before the eyes of some dullard, but the theory of gravitating force which holds this earth in its place in the sun's system, the sun with all its planets in some larger system, and all these in some grander combi- nation, in endless extension, could never have gleamed in upon his mind. For him, as for Peter Bell in Words- worth's poem, there could be no reve- lation but the physical verity that touched the material sense in its rudest way — Tlie primrose by the river's brim, A yellow primrose was to him, And it was nothing more. Newton saw it, and his Principia had already taken form, because that won- drous intellect had been shaped and fashioned for his work. Thus, ever the progress and the struggle of one age, and one man, becomes the plane upon which succeeding generations commence their labors. Davenport is favored in situation, and it is still more fortunate in the type of its inhabitants, who are a pushing and intellectual combinatiou of all that is mostvalable in American city life. The population, which in 1839 was less than five hundred, had grown to two thousand in less than twelve years, and, within ten years from that time, was twelve thousand. In the year 1870, when the people were numbered, Davenport had a popular tion of more than twenty thousand and it is safe to say that, by the time the union has completed its centenni- al, there will be thirty thousand per- sons in and around that city. The appearance of the city is deci- dedly imposing, all the aspects of a commercial and manufacturing town strikes the visitor at the first glance. Vast business blocks, tall chimneys, thronged streets and a populace full of the affair of the moment, without time or inclination for the idle curiosity of the villager. The improvements of the age are here represented in their latest form — streets lighted with gas, traversed by street railroads, and re- ticulated with water pipes which will not allow the streams to escape from man's control, until the very topmost rooms in the greatest buildings have been visited to serve his needs. The railroads continue to favor their own interests and those of the city by making this place one of their main depots. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad does a large business here, and the same may be said of the Davenport and St. Paul. The gen- eral government, uniting with the first named of these companies, has recent- ly, at a cost of $1,000,000, constructed a new bridge of wrought iron to re- place the bridge first constructed to unite Davenport with Rock Island. The present structure rests upon mas- sive piers and abutments of stone, and has been built to accommodate car- riages and pedestrians as well as for the use of the railroad, hence the share in construction borne by the gen- eral treasury. The city is one of the largest grain depots in the west, and the great water power available here, added to the many other causes which unite to make this an immense store- house for the industrial forces through- out Iowa, must force the growth of this metropolis to immense propor- tions. The site on which Davenport stands was first occupied by white men for purposes of settlement in 1833 and the town laid out in 1836. The city takes its name from an enterprising Eng- lishman, who came to this counti'y in the year 1804, and was connected with the army until after the war with his native land on the impressment ques- tion in the year 1812. When the Aaron Burr difficulty arose, he served under 636 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. Gen. Wilkinson at the Sabine. He was with the expedition which ascend- ed the Mississippi in 1805, to quell the disturbances among hostile Indi- ans, and when he retired from active service, Col. Davenport came into this region, making his home here from theyear 1818 until his death. He was a member of the American Fur Company for many years, and, when that company retired from the field of operations, he carried on the business on his own responsibility, leaving with ^ every person who came in contact with him in his career, a very excellent impression. He was murdered in 1845, at his home on Kock Island, by a gang of ruffians, some of whom suffered the penalty of the law. The first improvements made on .the site of Davenport bear drfte 1833, but there were only seven houses there af- ter a lapse of three years, and the post- master, who was also the ferryman, carried the mail in his pocket, earning as his first three months' salary, in his official capacity, less than $1. The town was incorporated in 1838, and the first brick house was erected there during the same year. The growth of the city could not be more satisfactorily attested than by the number and importance of the news- papers at this time. The mere publication of a newspa- per says very little for the status of a place; it may be a sheet of village gossip, printed under some wide- spreading tree, and distributed -by the winds, as the other dry leaves of the forest^are driven hither and thither; but when newspapers increase in numbers continuously, and are read by thousands of subscribers who are accustomed to a world-wide breadth ot thought, without a sense of vacuity in their well printed columns, there is positive testimony that the city which can sustain a press so well conducted, must have attained considerable growth. In that way, the newspaper press of Davenport may be called in evidence to show the type of town which it represents. The public schools are graded in four departments, and they are very well conducted, the greatest care hav- ing been exercised, irrespective of cost, to procure for Davenport the best tal- ent available in both sexes for the edu- cation of youth. The board of edu- cation and an able city superintend- ent preserve the most complete over- sight of the several institutions. There are many private schools in the place and they are well managed ; but the public schools still have the favor of raany of the wealthiest citizens who are anxious for the welfare of their children. The Catholic population in Daven- port amounts to somewhere about ten thousand, and the edifices of " the el- der church " are very handsome and commodious. In connection with their organization there is a temperance so- ciety which was much called for and has effected a great deal of good. The various protestant denomina- tions are also strong and very whole souled in their operations, but it would occupy too much of our space to give detailed mention to their several build- ings and organizations. Shelby County is on the Missouri slope, second county east from that river, and fourth from the southern boundary of Iowa, containing about five hundred and seventy-six square miles. The surface is generally rol- ling but along the larger streams there are valleys which have been deeply scored into the strata and there is also a large proportion of broken land. The hills are precipitous, in some places necessarily, where the valleys have been so completely hollowed. We have spoken elsewhere of coun- ties, parts of whose surfaces seemed to have been formed by a process similar to that which throws the waves of the sea into their wondrous shapes and configurations. Hej'e that type of country is seen in some of its most fantastic developments, as if the earth had rivalled the mobile sea, and ex- celled what it only sought to imitate. The soil of this hilly country is well suited for the cultivation of fruit trees of various kinds, but it is not precisely the form of surface which an agricul- turist would select for his farm. The lands slope toward the river banks, generally in the valleys of the several streams and along the west Nishna- botany; some of these river margins average nearly a mile across. There are fine belts and groves of timber along the streams. The bluff deposit prevails here with the customary ad- Sketches of Counties. 637 dition of vegetal deposit on the face, but the subsoil and understratum of clay are seldom found in Shelby coun- ty. The absence of clay materially as- sists the process of drainage in this re- gion. The native grasses are more prosperous here than any other, ' and corn may be looked upon as the staple, although all the cereals and vegeta^ bles flourish with due care as else- where in Iowa. The West Nishnabotany already mentioned many times in these pages, flows toward the south through the central township in this county, re- ceiving from its eastern affluents the Middle Nishnabotany, Whitted's and Indian creeks, very copious sup- plies. The affluents of Boyer river and of the Missouri eft'ectually drain the western part of the coimty, and the irrigation of that section is well se- cured by the Pigeon, Mosquito, Silver, and Picayune creeks. There is a small creek in the northwest, known as Mills creek, which finds its way into the Boyer after leaving this county. Near this creek one of the finest groves in tiie county is located; it con- sists of about one thousand acres of excellent growths. There are many considerable bodies of timber near the several streams, the varieties being those which are com- mon to other parts of the state and therefore not calling for more particu- lar description. The quantity is how- ever, much less than will be necessary for the development of Shelby county's agricultural resources. Lumber can be cheaply procured from a distance, but the shelter obtainable from groves and woodlands cannot be imported, but must be of native growth. The protected lands are now giving much promise of native wood which will doubtless come up rapidly under fav- oring circumstances, and settlers are planting choice varieties in positions most likely to assist their designs. Coal has been diligently sought on the surface of this countj , and among the exposures by the river beds, but up to this time without result. The forma- tion leads to the belief that the upper coal measure may be found at a depth of nearly three hundred feet, conse- quently there will not be much coal mining eflected here before the next centennary gathering. The supply of stone is limited, the boulders from the era of glacial de- posits being almost the only resource in that direction, but a serviceable clay is found, and from that material an unlimited supply of bricks can be manufactured. This county was at one time long be- fore actual settlement in great repute among trappers and hunters, but ac- tual organization only dates from 1853, when thirteen votes were polled in the election of offlcials. Shelbyville was made the county seat and a town was laid out at the point indicated, but the city lives now only in the memories of a few men and in the pages of some peculiarly musty records. Hablan is the county seat, and the town stands very near the geographi- cal center, about half a mile from the Nishnabotany river, near the point where the west and middle branches join in one mightier stream. The sec- ond bottom of the river serves as the site of Harlan, and the position is well chosen, commanding a very extensive and encouraging prospect of fertile prairies which roll and rise one above the other, like " Alps piled on Alps," in a miniature way, to a great emi- nence. The hills have the effect of sheltering Harlan from the rude winds, and the situation is much ap- proved for residence. There is one newspaper here, a good school, and there are several churches. The sur- rounding country is fertile but the town lacks preferment by the rail- roads. There are only a few miles of railroad within this county, but all the facilities desired for shipment of produce by the farmers are within easy reach outside the bounds of this organization. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific and the Chicago and Northwestern Eailroads run to and fro on the northern and southern sides, giving to agriculturists the choice of routes most congenial to their tastes. Sioux County is on the western boundary of Iowa, second from the northern line, containing seven hun- dred and ninety-two square miles. There are many fine streams in Sioux county, the Big Sioux river, Floyd and iCock rivers, and the west branch of Floyd river, are among the most considerable, and Indian and Otter creeks ai'e also good streams. Many 638 Tuttle's History of Iowa. of these streams have abundant tim- ber, and the Big Sioux has many- water powers which cannot fail to be improved to a great extent. Rock river runs through a beautiful valley, and is one of the Big Sioux's tributa- ries. Floyd river crosses the county in a southwesterly direction, and its western branch joining with the main stream, fed by many rivulets and creeks, carries the drainage of nearly half of the county. There are no swamps, and the land admits of very easy and eflfective cultivation, there being but little broken country in this county. As the valleys fall back from the river banks the ascent is very gradual in most cases until the uplands are reached, where the prairies roll and undulate until the next valley makes its graceful curve towards the sti-eam. The wild grass is very fine and abund- antly nutritious, and the soil gives an abundant crop always. The bluffs of the Big Sioux are high and steep, in some cases rising nearly two hundred feet, with some broken land beyond that altitude until the prairie level is reached. There is but little wood on these bluffs now, but there will be a plenty before many years have passed away. This is one of the drift regions, and there are no stones to be obtained except the glacial boulders, consequently there is a lack of building material, as trees are at a premium. The earliest settlement in Sioux county dates from about 1859, when the valley of the Big Sioux became the home of a few white men, but it was not until 1873 that any considerable population could be found in that re- gion. The census of that year showed a total of nearly three thousand. The apprehension of trouble with the red men seems to have prevented the country from going ahead, but it is now becoming much more prosperous and enterprismg. Until the year 1873, Calliope was recognized as the county seat, when that honor was transferred to Orange City, and has since remained there. Obange City, the seat of justice in Sioux county, is very beautifully situ- ated in a fine farming disti-ict, about three miles from the Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad. The town was laid out in 1870, when many families came here from the Netherlands, and the name is due to the admiration which the people still bear to the de- scendents of William the Silent of whom Motley has so eloquently writ ten. The population of the county had been almost at a stand until that time, when a colony came here from Pella, and was followed with little de- lay by the other body named. That gave to Orange City the eminence which robbed Calliope of its glory. The town stands on high and gently rolling prairie, has been well laid out, with a public square well planted, and wide streets in which are numer- ous shade trees. There is a school which serves present purposes, but it will soon have to be replaced by one larger and better adapted to the im- portant work of education. East Obakgb will by and by be- come part of Orange City, by the pro- cess of absorption, the distance being only three miles. The younger town has grown up near the railroad station of the Sioux City and St. Paid Com- pany, in the valley of the Floyd river, and there is a large shipping business transacted. In both of these places the Netherlanders predominate, and their care for the education and train- ing of youth is exemplary. HosPEBS is another railroad station on the same line in the same valley, in the eastern part of Sioux county. The Floyd river is a very small stream where the town is built, and the sup- ply of timber is somewhat limited here. Calliope, the original county seat, realizes the old promise that " the last shall be first, and the first last." Its pleasant and healthful situation on the banks of the Big Sioux river in the southwest of the counhr, will not atone for the absence of railway ac- commodation, and in consequence, al- though the country in all directions around is fertile and beautiful, there is and there can be no rapid growth for the town. Story County is very near the cen- ter of the state of Iowa, and contains about five hundred and seventy-six square miles. The Skunk river runs in a southeast course across the coun- ty, watering and draining seven town- ships, and has many confluents. The principal of these are Ballard's and Sketches of Counties. 639 Keagley's branches, and Squaw and Walnut creeks from the west,,' Clear creek, Wowall creek, and several smaller streams run to the same river from the east. Indian creek has two branches, east and west, with many tributaries, in the northern section of the county. Minewa has two branches in the east, and the Wolf in the southeast with numerous streams of less note, which serve to drain the county. These wa^ ter courses are all bright and pure, with numerous springs which feed them at all seasons of the year, and besides these a number of small lakes assist to make Story county a very de- sirable location for farmers and stock raisers. Wells come upon permanent water at depths varying from sixteen to twenty-flve feet. Skunk river will be the home of many mills and fac- tories, as it has several most desirable water powers. Except the central northern part of the county, there is a good supply of tiihber everywhere, and the aggregate shows about one acre of woodland to every five in this region, a supply more than ample to cover all wants. The farmers and graziers here have given much attention to grove plant ing for purposes of shelter, and the care bestowed on native woods in ad- dition will have the effect of making lumber a staple here. Undulating prairie would be pro- nounced the chief characteristic of the surface, but the groves and streams diversify the scene immensely. The courses of some of the streams are marked occasionally by broken land, which cannot easily be brought under tillage; but otherwise every variety of territory, mounds, lowlands and prairie, round the lakes, by the rivers, indeed, everywhere, with the excep- tion mentioned, will serve the best purposes of the farmer. The valleys are not so deep in this county anywhere, but that the groves within their limits are visible to the traveler on the uplands ; but some val- leys are much deeper than others. The succession of forest, river and prairie have a most pleasing effect. The soil varies in different parts of the county, but it is not bad in any place. Some localities have a pecul- iarly rich, deep, black loam, and every- where crops, from fair to good, can be obtained with moderate care. Stock raising must become one of the favor- ite pursuits here, and farmers are im- proving their breeds of cattle and tiorses. Sheep and hogs have com- manded much attention, and they give very considerable profit where the business of the farm goes on side by side with their care. Skunk river and Indian creek have become celebrated for fine quarries of sandstone and limestone, of much value for building materials. The supply of material for making quick- lime is unlimited. The agricultural college at Ames was built from the quarries on Skunk river. In the north of the county, a reddish limestone is found, quite peculiar in appearance. This exposure is not far from Indian creek, its head waters being four miles distant. This county lies within the coal beds of Iowa, but up to this time there has not been enough found to justify mining operations. Good clay can be found in large quantities, and bricks are extensively manufactured. Good sand is obtainable in the beds of some of the streams. Peat is found in some parts of the county, but such fuel is not likely to be in demand where timber is so largely cultivated and plentiful. There are two railroads running through this county, the Chicago and Northwestern and the Des Moines and Minnesota; the latter, narrrow-gauge, running from Ames to Des Moines, and the former traversing the center of the county, east and west, so that there is no settlement further than fifteen miles from an eligible shipping point. The two roads will, it is likely, extend their lines laterally when the centers of papulation and settlement render it desirable. The first white settler came here in 1848, but there was no considerable addition until 1851, after which time growth became continuous, and in 1853, organization became possible, and the county seat was located at a point which was named Nevada, not because it resembled the sierras, nor because it was thought to be aurifer- ous, but because one of the commis- sioners had been in California, and had passed across the country in which the Sierra Nevada is a God-placed landmark, which millions have gazed upon with awe. 640 TuTTLnfs History of Iowa. The first court house was built in 1856, and was burned down seven years later, but has been replaced by an edifice much too small for the busi- ness transacted at this point. Nevada is an incorporated city, with a population of twelve hundred persons, and it is the seat of justice for Story county. The Chicago and North- western railroad has a good station here, and the amount, of business transacted shows the prosperity of the farming district by which the county seat is surrounded. The grove which borders West Indian creek is one of the most noticeable features of Ne- vada, and the comfort of the citizens is increased, as much as their love of the beautiful is gratified, by its prom- inence. The first settlement of Nevada com- menced in the year 1853, and one family was all the population until nearly twelve months afterward. Two years later there was a population of four hundred, and the prairie was dotted with smiling farms, while many substantial buildings graced the town. Then there was a lull until the Chicago and Northwestern came here in 1864, and the impetus of that event still con- tinues. There is a very good graded school, well taught, and, as usual, where that is the case, well attended. Ames is a thriving town on the same line of road, and an excellent supping station, about nine miles west of Ne- vada. The Des Moines and Minnesota line was completed to this point in 1874. The town was laid out in 1865, and it is the site of the state agricultural college ; the fine building of that institution be- ing the greatest ornament of the locality. The country, is fine and the position beautiful. Two railroad lines from such a point, the one leading to the state capital and thence everywhere, the other ofiering facilities for travel and trafiic to all parts of the union, cannot fail to build up here a vast city in which education will become sub- sidiary to a substantial prosperity and high moral tone. CoiiO was laid out in the year 1867, on the line, and as a shipping station, on the Chicago and Northwestern Rail- road. A considerable local trade is transacted here, and the growth of the village promises to be rapid. The sur- rounding agricultural land is cut up into very prosperous farms, (m which much attention is given to stock rais- ing and dairy produce. Ontakio is another station town on the Chicago and Northwestern Rail- road, but in the west of the county. This town was laid out in 1868, and an excellent shipping trade is done. The farmers in this locality ship a fair average of live stock, and the local trade is largej considering the youth of the village. School accommodation is limited, but efforts are continuous toward improvement. lowA Cbntbk is a village which as- sumes to be in the middle of the state. It is seven miles from Nevada, in In- dian Creek township, and was laid out in 1854, but for want of an outlet, is still in its infancy. Cambridge is nine miles from Ne- vada, on the Des Moines road, on the west bank of the river Skunk, twenty- two miles from the capital of the state. The village will become a town when there are local facilities for shipment and trade. Tama County is in the center of Iowa, north and south, and fifth from the Mississippi river, having an area of seven hundred and twenty square miles. The streams vary the aspect of the county, which would other- wise be undulatory and gently rolling in all parts. There are bluffs along the Iowa river in the northwest and in the southeast, which rise precipitously in some places two hundred feet. Low bluffs are numerous west of Salt creek, and south of Iowa river; some are found also in the north and the west of the county. The bluffs first named may be ter- raced for some purposes of cultivation in years to come, but for the present, the farmer will leave them alone and the vigneron is not here in his best foam. The smaller bluffs or hills are all capable of cultivation, and in many cases they have been chosen as parts of extensive farms. The soil is not so deep nor so rich as in the valley bot- toms, but they are good in both respects and cattle prosper on them. Along the principal streams there are valleys or bottom lands which sti-etch in some places two miles across, narrowing in others to less than a quarter of a mile, where ob- stacles of some kind prevented the erosion of the strata. In some spots Sketches of Counties. 641 these bottoms are marshy, but, as a rule, ihey are capable of very high cultivation. The undulating surface of the re- mainder of the county gives good drainage and a soil which becomes very fine under cultivation, and gives very good crops. The most considerable stieam is the Iowa river, which affords a river fron- tage on each side to thirty-flve miles of country in its evolutions, traversing the county in a southeasterly course. Four-fifths of the county are drained by this river and its confluents, and there are many mills upon the several streams, but not a tithe of the availa- ble sites have been improved. Eich- land creek flowing from the south, travels nearly three-fourths of the way across the county before falling into the Iowa river. Beaver and Ravine creeks are from the south also. Salt, Otter, Deer, and Sugar creeks, are large streams which come from the north to feed the Iowa. Wolf creek flows across the north of the county, from west to east, winding a great deal in its course, and leaving this county before it joins the Cedar river. Other sti-eams, numerous, and in some cases large, which are fed by springs, empty into the creeks and rivers already particularized, and af- ford supplies of water always availa- ble, except in the depth of winter, for domestic use, and for stock purposes. The currents of these streams are not sluggish in any case, » although the county is not mountainous. The de- pendence of the settler is customarily on wells, which give excellent water at twelve feet in some instances, and seldom more than thirty feet in depth. Timber is plentiful and well dis- tributed in Tama county, but the southern townships are specially fa- vored with abundance. Some of the bluffs are perfect forests, one large body of wood extends from near To- ledo over nearly ten square miles to the western line of the county. Other groves of large extent, but inferior to the forest just mentioned, are found on the Wolf and elsewhere. The na^ tive timber alone is estimated to ex- ceed seventy-five thousand acres, and the groves which have been planted aggregate largely. The soil is good and various, being specially fertile on the prairies and 41 bottom lands. On the bluffs there is raore clay and less alluvium. All kinds of grain and corn are produced in this county, but wheat and corn are staples. Corn is raised in quan- tity for hogs and cattle, and sheep are extensively raised here. Fruit trees are usually prolific, and all the cus- tomary crops in Iowa do well. This county has an abundance of building stone, as well as much that can be used in making quick lime. In the vicinity of Orford and Indian Vil- lage there art- extensive and valuable quarries of Oolitic limestone which will take a very high finish, and can be quarried easily in almost any shape. The finest Carrara marble hardly ex- cels this stone in appearance, and in durability it is of a very high stand- ard. The variety of shades in this stone gives it speciaJ fitness for some works, and the quantity available is so large that every taste can be gratified. The demand for shipment is not very great at present, but eventually this quarry will bring much wealth into Tama county. There are boulders found in this county, but the presence of such visitors here is an intrusion which disarranges the theories of the learned, and they had better be classed under the title which Lord Palmers- ton bestowed upon dirt: "something in the wrong place." The first settlement recorded in this county occurred i n the year 1848, and after that time there were many en- tries of land. The first family settled in the township of Indian Village in 1849, and in 1853, the first separate or- ganization of the county took place, the county seat being located at To- ledo. Some of the Musquake Indians who were living near the western limits of Tama county before settlement com- menced, and who were afterwards re- moved with the other red men to the reservation in Kansas, subsequently came back, and having acquired rights to lands, have remained to culti- vate and improve a little more than four hundred acres. The general gov- ernment at first discouraged such ac- tion, but the poor fellows have been, and are good citizens, therefore, it is to be hoped that they will be allowed to continue on the beautiful spot where once they were monarchs of the soil. 642 Tuttle's History of Iowa. They should, at least, be permitted the same rights and privileges as other colonists. . The press of this county takes a very high position, some of the newspapers published in Toledo being well known and valued all over this continent. The next item in the successful ad- ministration of the affairs of a county or of a slate, if not first of all, is the augmentation of facilities for traffic and ti-avel by means of railroads. The Chicago and Northwestern goes through the southern portion of Tama county, connecting with Toledo indi- rectly through Traer, whence the To- ledo and Northwestern is operated by the same company, and close connec- tions are the rule. The Pacific di- vision of the Burlington, Cedar Rap- ids and Minnesota railroad makes its terminus at Traer, and in that respect the whole county is largely benefited. Toledo is a city in high repute, beautifully placed on high rolling ground in the center of delightful country, well occupied and highly cultivated. The railroads have al- ready been named in connection with Toledo. There are excellent graded schools, admirable newspapers, beau- tiful churches, and every facility for the shipment of farm produce via the Chicago and Northwestern railroad. The town is incorporated and an ex- cellent business is done here. The court house cost $25,000, and is very handsome. Nearly the whole of the cost was borne for the county by the citizens of Toledo, and the sti'uc- ture is an elegant addition to the archi- tecture of a rich growing city. Tama City contains about fifteen hundred inhabitants, and is located on the line of the Chicago and North- western railroad, thereby securing the best facilities for shipment. The Iowa river runs by the town half a mile from the business quarter, which is on high bottom land commanding an extensive prospect of fine territory with rich farming lands in abundance. The valley lands are very fine here, and the groves within easy reach are very valuable. This town was laid out in 1863, when the railroad was nearly finished the name then being luka, but that appellation was abandoned in favor of Tama City. There is a very hand- some school building here, very well conducted, and the other marks of progress keep pace with this. The Tama Hydraulic Company is one of the boldest movements of the kind attempted in this state, and it is being proved highly successful. The com- pany securing a fair elevation by go- ing about four miles from Tama City, commenced by damming the river Iowa, and then having consti'ucted au aqueduct, carried the water from their reservoir to manufactories which are operated by this constant and truly magnificent power. The work is yet new, but the advantage is being felt in the city, and surrounding country, and the example of Tama City will without doubt be very profitably fol- lowed. Tkaek has been mentioned in deal- ing with the railroad facilities of the county. There are two lines connect- ed with this town, the Chicago and Northwestern, and the Burlington, Cedar Bapids and Minnesota, which has here the terminus of its Pacific di- vision. The value of the surrounding country which is rich, fertile and well improved is much enhanced by the facilities for shipment afforded at Traer. The population is not large, but a heavy shipping trade is trans- acted here, and also a good local trade. Oxford is best known in connec- tion with its very fine quarries of Oolitic limestone, and without doubt that feature had something to do with the location of a railroad station at this point. Ljirge quantities of lime are manufactui-ed here for shipment. The town is in the valley of Iowa river, seven miles west of Tama City, and surrounded by very fertile land. Chelsea lies twelve miles east of Tama City, and is a railroad station at which large shipments are effected. The town was laid out in the year 1864, and buildings were commenced immediately. The town is beautifully located, and a good local trade is done here. Taylor County is third in the south- ern tier, and contains five hundred and thirty-six square miles. Undulating and rolling prairie constitute the bulk of this territory; but of course the streams and their valleys with attend- ent woodlands, make a beautiful di- versity in the surface. There are no large rivers here, but a number of Sketches of Counties. 643 small streams succeed In draining and irrigating the county so completely that there is no swamp to be found, and no aridity anywhere. The Platte river, the East Nodaway, and the East, Middle and West One Hundred and Two, are called rivers, but they are really small bodies of water in the southeast, the northwest and the cen- ter respectively ; still with their afSu- ents, these streams drain the county well. The streams divide the county with wondrous regularity, and they afford many valuable mill powers which can be turned to good account, when the banks of the streams are im- proved. There have been some mills located. The name of One Hundred and Two was given to the river because some surveyors who were aligning a road from the Missouri river, struck the oddly named stream at just one hun- dred and two miles from the starting point. There are other explanations offered, but they are not worthy of re- oapitulation. Woodlands are somewhat scarce in Taylor county, although some of the principal streams are well wooded. The southern section of the county has the best share. Honey creek hav- ing by far the largest body in any one place. There are heavy bodies of wood on the Platte, and along the West One Hundred and Two; and also bordering the East Nodaway. The exclusion of destructive fires from the settled districts will allow much wood to grow up in districts now de- nuded, and of course plantations will be proceeded with ; but notwithstand- ing, it will be necessary to eke out supplies in this respect with much economy, if population increases rap- idly in Taylor county. There are cottonwood trees now here which were only planted six years since, and are now nine inches in diameter, and although this wood is not first class, it is so rapid in growth that it soon makes a serviceable groye, where shelter is an object. As fuel, the wood is useful. Prairie fires used to sweep over this area every year, hence the scarcity of wood now apparent; but in every di- rection there are indications of young natural plantations coming rapidly on to make forests for the rising genera- tion of fai-mers, graziers and stock raisers. The bottom lands in the val- leys affe usually very dry, as the con- figuration sends every drop of mois- ture into the running stream, and the land gradually ascends until it reaches the crown of the " divide," where a plain of greater or less extent contin- ues until the descent to the next stream begins. About one hundred feet from the level of the stream is the altitude commonly reached by the uplands. This arrangement secures first class drainage, and provides good farming lands for the husbandmen. The soil belongs to the drift forma- tion, with from one to two feet of veg- etable mould, resting on a loose sub- soil, and that on clay, which holds water until it is wanted in superlative, ly dry seasons. This peculiarity of arrangement is of great importance to the farmer and stock raiser who can depend on needful supplies when oth- er producers are destroyed by drought. Live stock forms one of the chief arti- cles of shipment from Taylor county at present, but every kind of crop known in Iowa can be raised in this county, and farmers, as a class, prosper. On the East Nodaway river are many exposures of coal, and some banks liave been opened, one vein be- ing just fifteen inches thick, enough to pay for working in this primitive way, but not profitable for more ex- pensive mining. The quality is good and the coal is in good demand, but before the deposit can be worked ad- vantageously, better finds must be made. It is very likely that deep mining will reach the lower measures in this county, and if so, the supply would be practically inexhaustible. The process of reaching the lower measures at this point will prove ex- pensive, but even in that respect the scientist cannot be quite certain. There are four quarries for building stone opened on the east branch of One Hundred and Two river, and in some other rivet" banks similar forma- tions have appeared. The limestone found is valuable for building pur- poses, and has been largely used al- ready. Excellent quick lime can be made from this quarry. Blue lime- stone has been found on the East Nod- away, but some parts of the countjr have no stone except the drift deposit occasionally. Bricks can be made of good quality from some deposits. 644 Tuttle's History of Iowa. The white settlement in Taylor county dates from about the year 1844, but the date is problematical, and there were but few families there before 1851, when a permanent organization was effected, and the countj; seat lo- cated at Bedford in the following year. Most of the early settlers were south- erners, who believed they were in Missouri, and were addicted to the peculiar institution as far as circum- stances would permit. The railroads have been kind to Taylor county. The Creston branch of the Burlington and Missouri rail- road, which is operated by the Chica^ go, Burlington and Quincy railroad company, traverses the center of the county, with several stations very con- veniently situated, and the northwest of the county has facilities offered for shipment at different points just be- yond the county line. The common schools are in good condition here, and much improve- ment has been effected during the last few years in their management; so much so that the teachers are now persons of exceptionally good stand- ing as a rule. Two years since there were eight graded schools and eighty- six not graded, in the county. Bedford is the seat of administra^ tion for Taylor county, and is a town beautifully situated on a second bot- tom rising from the west side of East One Hundred and Two river. The .drainage of the site is naturally per- fect, and the town is near to good water, fine quarries, and extensive groves. The country around Bedford is very fertile, well settled, and pros- perous in every respect. The country around the county seat forms an am- phitheatre, which allows of some very beautiful residences being located in commanding situations, with exquisite effect on the scene visible from the town. Bedford was first built upon in 1852 ; but it was not until four years after that time that the town became of much note. At that date, 1856, there were about four hundred people in the town, many having come from the east to settle. The advice of Horace Greeley, to "go west, and grow up with the town," has been largely and beneficially followed in innumerable instances. A substantial school house was built here in 1868, and the educa- tional arrangements are, as nearly as possible, complete. The school will seat four hundred pupils, and the edi- fice is an ornament as well as of great utility to the town. There are flour- ing mills, saw mills, and a woolen mill established here, and other industries are slowly aggregating to this center. There are some few places of im- portance among the villages and postal stations, whose names are appended : Conway, Lennox, Mormontown, Siam, Buchanan, Dan, Gravity, Platteville and Holt. Union County stands eighth from the Mississippi, fourth from the Mis- souri, and second from the southern boundary of Iowa, containing an ag- gregate of four hundred and thirty- two square miles. The great water- shed, or " divide," crosses the north- east angle of this county, sending the waters on one side to the Mississippi, and on the other to the Missouri. The highest point is between Grand river and Platte river, which is nearly eight hundred feet above the river level at Burlington, and nearly thirteen hun- dred above the sea. There are considerable varieties of surface and of level, but the general features are high, gently rolling, well drained prairie with numerous groves dotting the scene, and much improv- ing the landscape. The lowest point in Union county is the Grand river bed, which shows a fall of three hun- dred feet from Highland. Grand river is the largest stream in the county, which is well drained and watered. The Grand runs through the county on a southeasterly com'se. Its main tributaries are, on the east Four Mile and Seven Mile creeks, and on the west Three Mile and Twelve Mile creeks. There was a Mormon settle- ment at Mount Pisgah, and the dis- tances of these creeks from their cen- ter, became the settled names by which they are yet distinguished. West Grand river waters the south, west and south of the county, being assisted therein by Middle and by West Platte. The numerous tributa- ries of these streams render them of much volume at some seasons of the year, but of the mills which were erect- ed on the Grand river, many were dis- continued in consequence of the sup- plies failing to run the works during a large part of every year. Even at Sketches of Counties. 645 Highland, the greatest altitude in the county, good wells can be made with- out deep sinking, and everywhere throughout the county, well water and springs abound. Timber is moderately plentiful, the principal bodies being found on Grand river. Twelve Mile and Platte, but there are fine groves on other streams. There ai-e two townships almost en- tirely denuded of timber, toward the northwestern extremity, but the lands are very fine and the prize in the lot- tery of settlement, fell to those who were reluctantly obliged to take the untimbered land. There is a tendency to send up groves over these lands wherever cultivation does not inter- fere, and of course the farmers are rap- idly planting trees to supply the de- ficiency. Game is still plentiful here, although more rare than a few years ago, still the sportsman can amuse himself with much profit at the proper seasons, and the streams are well supplied with beautiful fish. Izaak Walton would have enjoyed a visit to Grand river, but for the fact that he thought the Thames the loveliest, clearest and, of course, the greatest river in the uni- verse. About one-half the county west of Twehe Mile creek has a soil formed bj decayed vegetation, during centu- ries when the grass has not been eaten down by buffalo and elk, or burned by prairie fires, but in any case, under whatever changes, the substance still remained as increment to the soil which now produces magnificent crops of all kinds. East of that stream there is broken land and some gravel patches, but as a whole the land is fertile. There are many fine quarries on Grand river, and excellent building stone is found about eight miles from Afton. Quicklime of excellent quali- ty is made from this rock, and the quantity is inexhaustible. Coal has been found in some places, but in beds too thin for profitable working. Brick clay of inferior quality has also been found, but the bricks cannot be made of good appearance. They are of value for durability when well burned, but the show is not attractive. Mormons were the first white set- tlers here, and they came to the Coun- ty in the year 1846, when prairie fires came almost as regularly as the sea sons. The saints were on their way from Nauvoo to the land of promise, but the season was too far advanced for crossing the plains, so they made their home at Mt. Pisgah, and the temporary camp numbered about two thousand persons. The settlers were very poor, but very hard working and frugal, making the best of indifferent circumstances while they remained. The Indians and the Mormons have always been on very friendly terms, and they were thus amicably disposed toward each other in the country around Mt. Pisgah. Tears after, among other tribes, the same policy and the same results were visible, the red skin continued the ally of the Mor- mofii ; were the Danites to cut off a fly- ing fugitive, the Indians were ready- to cooperate with them in their work of death, and when the Mountain Meadow massacre occurred, the Indians, by their attack upon the camp of emi- grants, gave to the Nauvoo Legion the opportunity, so treacherously used, to pretend friendship and love as the pre- lude to the slaughter of more than one hundred unarmed, defenseless, unre- sisting men, women and children. The first white Gentile settlement was made in the" year 1850, the new comers buying out some of the Mor- mons, who were ready to continue their journey. There was a mill, and there were many other improvements which the Saints had made, and all these were sold at prices a little more than nominal, as the orders for mov- ing on were peremptory. The county was separately organ- ized in 1852-5, when the man elected county judge made his mark, being unable to write his name, and only eleven votes were cast in the county election. When the county court con- vened at Petersville, it was necessary for every man in the county to serve on the grand jury. The name for a county seat was determined by the legislature, but the commissioners nominated to locate the seat of justice failed to do so, consequently there was a name without a local habitation from 1853 until 1855. In the latter year, the legislature appointed a second commission, and Afton was selected and named by that tribunal, with much taste, after due deliberation. 646 Tuttle's History of Iowa. Highland appealed to the county against the decision of the commis- sioners, but a vote of the community supported the conclusion that the coutfty seat should be at Afton. High- land, soon afterwards, ceased to be a town, many of the buildings being re- moved to Afton and elsewhere. Schools were among the first ambi- tions encouraged in Union county, and almost every district has a neat, well appointed building for educa- tional purposes, in which school is taught on an average nine months m every year. Institutes, which have been held here, show a lively interest on the part of teachers and parents in all that concerns the education and culture of youth. When the census was taken, in 1873, there were eight graded schools in Union county, and seventy other schools, all in good hands, well attended and affording excellent results at a permanent an- nual cost of about $20,000, with a fund of $35,044. There were then more than two thousand pupils en- rolled, and one hundred and thirty teachers. Railways are pretty well distributed through this county. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Company op- erating the Burlington and Missouri River Kailroad, runs through the cen- ter of the county, east and west, with stations at Thayer, Afton, Creston and Cromwell, and the Creston branch runs southwest, having a station at Kent, in the southwest angle of the county. There is a good agricultural society now in operation, which was estab- lished here in 1858, but which failed to connect during the war time. Its fairs are now very successful and much good is done by its agency. There are many newspapers pub- lished in' the county, but they only aim at county usefulness, ana they have made the best proof of their utility in their success. Afton is very near the center of the county, of which it is the seat, the geographical point being only two miles distant. The site is very hand- some and the view such as must please the most fastidious. The Twelve Mile creek, which marks the distance from Mt. Pisgah, is the watercourse by which the town is located, and the view of that stream is charming. The country around is well im- proved agricultural land, which gives large shipments of produce for the Afton station to send forward. The town was platted in 1854, and half the lots were given to the county as the price of the location of the county seat, of course. The town is now ot considerable size, doing a large local and general trade. There are church- es, school houses, residences and busi- ness premises, all of good style and substantial, and it will be long before another sheriff will be elected in Union county, who must make his mark instead of signing his name. Cromwell is fifteen miles from Afton, near the western boundary of the county. The town was laid out in 1858, and the first cars came to the station in the summer of the follow- ing year. There is a good shipping business here and good local trade. Thayeb stands nine miles east of Afton, on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, just rising from the valley of Four Mile creek. The sta- tion was located in 1867, but the vil- lage was not laid out until 1868. The shipping business transacted here causes much local traffic. Kent has already been mentioned as a station on the Creston Branch railroad in the southwest of Union county. There is much shipping done here, as Kent stands in a good farming country, and other business is good in proportion. Creston deserves more detailed at- tention as it is the starting point of a branch of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad. The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Com- pany projected the town in 1869, as a place of traffic, and its connection with one of the towns in this county entitles it to be noted here as a town whose rapid growth in the past, guar- entees its progress in the future. Van Buren Connty is bounded on the south by the Missouri river, and is second west from the Mississippi, con- taining about four hundred and eighty square miles. This is one of the old- est counties in Iowa, and has many other claims on attention. The Des Moines river runs diagon- ally through this county having a water course of forty-five miles in its area, an average width of eight hun- Sketches of Counties. 647 dred feet and a depth -which is about uniform. Up this river went the lone with the troops that kept order among the settlers and natives after the Black Hawk Purchase treaty, and pending the timfe when settlement could legally be allowed. The current is rapid and the river's bed is rock, the scenery along the course of the stream being in many places surpassingly beautiful. Such a river might gladden a whole country, but Van Buren has many other streams such as the Holcomb, Cheq- uest, Bear and Indian creeks which flow into the Des Moines from the north, and the southern tributaries. Stump, Lick, Rock, Honey, Copperas and Reeds creeks. In the south the Pox rivers, Big and Little, flow into the state of Missouri and eventually swell the Mississippi with their modest volume. Big Cedar creek crosses the northeast of the county, draining some portion of this region. There is water at all seasons in all parts of Van Buren, many of the streams being fed by springs. Many of the streams give good powers which have been much improved. The Des- Moines was to have been much more largely used for navigation than it has been, the iron road having ^ut slow and tedious processes of transit out of date, but if railroads had not come into operation there would have been a great effort to make this beautiful stream a channel of commerce. The waters of the stream flow swift- ly and the sites of many dams indicate where mills and factories will go on increasing in value from year to year, as the population of this county is multiplied by the vast accretions from Europe and elsewhere, as well as by the slower process of natural increase. Along this river and along all the streams in this county there are bodies of timber, which skirt and sometimes fill the valleys with prodigal profusion as the area of Van Buren is about half prairie, half timber and stream. Much of the timber in this county is beauti- ful as well aa valuable, and the pro- cesses of natural planting in some cases and artificial planting in others, will not allow the quantity of woodland to decrease in the valley of the Des Moines for many years hence, or until the higher lands in the vicinity have been crowned with such growths as will more than compensate for the denudation which may become inevit- able in making room for majestic cities. The many streams traversing this county give to the surface att almost incessant roll, as the land rising from one river or creek dips to meet the next. None of the land is so much broken as to make cultivation impos- sible, and the drainage is so complete that there are no swamps in this county which interfere with the work of the husbandmen. Some of the bottom lands along the Des Moines, which were, at the first • settlement, covered with timber, have been cleared for cultivation, but the woodland al- ternates with farms along both sides of the beautiful stream. The soil is very productive, and so are the prairie soils generally. The supply of well water on tho prairies can be relied upon, but along the bluffs cisterns are in demand, al- though there are many springs of bright and pure water in those locali- ties. Generally the settlers in tdls county find no difficulty in procuring water for their stock, their farms, and for all domestic uses. ' This county is one of the districts favored with coal deposits, the veins being from three to four feet thick; but the quantity of timber available for fuel has prevented mining to any large extent for local use, and up to this time, mining for shipment has not been prosecuted on any considerable scale. The coal found is generally good, and the upper and middle meas- ures are clear of impurities ; but snl- phuret of iron is more plentiful in the lower measures. The three beds will afford employment to many thousands of miners, and will almost, as a mat- ter of course, lead to large manufac- turing interests being established in Van Buren county. Where the coal measures abound, stone can be relied on for buildings and manufacture, and these features are manifest in nearly every creek in this county. Sandstone is also found which hardens upon exposure, and is much used in building ; but limestone of the quality procurable here is in greater favor. The Washington mon- ument contains some of the "Iowa marble," as it is called, but really a very fine sample of highly finished 64:8 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. concrete limestone from Chequest creek. Similar stone has been found elsewhere in the county, but it_ con- tinues rare enough to be highly prized. ' . Limestone from these quarries in Van Buren county makes fine paving stone, and can be worked easily to the required thickness. There is only one stream. Fox liver, on which the mate- rials for quicklime cannot be found in plenty, but even there a moderate sup- ply can be odtained. Clay and sand fit for bricks, and a very fine stratum of fire clay, five feet thick, have given employment to hundreds, for many years past; the productions from ■these deposits being ot excellent qual- ity. There are iron ores found in many localities, but not enough to make it probable that the manufacture .of iron and steel will become staple industries. There is an artesian well near Farm- ington which, some years since, reached a subterranean river seven hundred and forty feet from the sur- face, after passing through a bed of pure white marble forty feet in thick- ness, at about one hundred feet below the river bed.' The well has continued to throw a stream of water some feet above the surface, ever since the bore was completed ; and as the stream has a strong flavor of Epsom salts, and is generally an unpleasant beverage, it is supposed to be very good for invalids, and for that large class of persons giv- en to the study of medical works for the better supply of symptoms for the diseases with which they think they are afflicted. The manufacturing power which lies idle in this county, waiting for suitable investments, will build up an immense area of industry and wealth within the next quarter of a century. There are some large establishments in Van Buren county, but they do not constitute one hundredth part of the number and force of production which the hydraulic velocity of the Des Moines alone would keep in perpetual activity. Add to these facilities for an unsurpassed development, the wealth of force which lies buried in the coal measures waiting for capital to carry on the work of exhumation, and it will be seen at a glance that there is a wonderful era before this county, whenever men and money can be found to do the work which solicits attention. The fruit growing capacity of this county has been proved long since, as the county is one of the oldest in the state, and the farmers. have pushed their opportunities to very good ac- count. Apples and an immense va- riety of small fruits can always be shipped early from this region. The soil is good in all parts, and the pro- ductions are various ; but enough has been said already to show what are the climatic and other features of this county, and it must suflBce to say, in conclusion, that whatever crops can be raised anywhere in Iowa can be bettered here. Van Buren was separately organized in the year 1836, by the legislature, but the limits were' not strictly de- fined, and it was not until 1839 that the county seat was located at Keosau- qua. There had been a great rivalry among the several towns of the coun- ty before that conclusion was arrived at, as almost every center of popuhi- tion was supposed to be peculiarly eligible for the honor of representing the administrative and judicial focus of the whole community. Enterprises of greal pith and mo- ment were in the meantime command- ing the best energies of the best men ; there were mines to be tried, quarries to be opened and worked, rivers to be dammed, mill sites to be secm-ed and improved, manufactories to be started, farms to be cultivated and permanent- ly improved, churches to be raised and organized, schools to be set upon a good foundation for the proper care of the young, and society itself to be built up from its foundation into such forms as would make its moral tone and mental force more operative for the general good than any conceivable or- ganization of police. All these works, in all their multitudinous ramifica- tions were set about by the citizens of Van Buren, and the herculean task was very fairly accomplished. The railroads have traversed this county from an early day, and the shipping facilities are good. The Des Moines Valley Railroad, now better known as the Keokuk and Des Moines road, was the first to come into this territory, running about thirty iniles up the Des Moines valley, and giving facilities for shipment at seven Sketches of Counties. 649 iiaiious over a track which runs in botli directions, south and east, from the Gate City of Iowa. There are also six stations on the Turlington and Southwestern Railroad, whiph runs through the southern townships, cross- ing the Des Moines river and the track of the other railroad at Farmington, making close connections with Chil cago on one side and with Burlington on the other. The necessity for schools was. one of the points on which all classes were agreed from the first, and there are now normal and graded schools, and common schools in every town- ship, enough to satisfy all demands. Teachers hold institutes every year, and not only are the educators of the children thus moved to a glorious emulation, but the parents of the young ai-e made to see in and through such gatherings how they may best cooperate with tutors in making school life attractive and eflBcient for the best development of the mental powers of that important class, which is now studying citizenship in the examples of our men and women. There are twelve graded schools in the county, and one hundred and two not graded, which employ two hun- dred and twenty-one teachers, one hun- di'ed of the number being males, and the school property is valued at $131,000, the permanent school fund, $24,000, and the annual cost about $38,500. There are some fine public buildings in Van Buren county, besides the school houses and churches. The soldiers who fell during the great re- bellion are commemorated by a mon- ument, near the court house at Keo- sauqua, which was dedicated in 1868. The court liouseand the jail are not handsome, but they are substantial, and the prisoners have an opportunity to see a very beautiful country, from ■which they are temporarily secluded. The bridge over the Des Moines at Keosauqua is a very handsome struc- ture of iron, over six hundred feet long, and the cost was $40,000. The press of the county is marked by a fair average of ability, but there need not be puch said on behalf of the fourth estate which is so well able to speak and act for itself. Keosauqua is the county seat of Van Buren county, and it is located on the north bank of the Des Moines, near the great bend indicated by its name. Keosauqua stands four miles south of Summit station, only seven miles from the Missouri boundary, and off the line of the Keokuk and Des Moines railroad. The first settle- ment on its site took place in the year 1835, on the river bank. There were many other white settlers in the im- mediate vicinity, and in the year 1839 the town was finally surveyed and platted. During the same year a flom-- ing mill was erected, and a dam built across the river, where a mill is stand- ing now. The Keosauqua site is pleasant; part of the city sits on the bottom land, and the remainder on a rounded bluflF, overlooking the valley of the river. The residences of the principal citizens are very handsome, and there is a substantial appearance in the business houses. The school house is of brick, and is a fine edifice, which cost when fljst erected, $15,000, with all the best mod- ern impi-ovements, and the manage- ment of the board of education is as good as could be desired. But for the unfortunate fact that the city of Keosauqua is four miles dis- tant from railroad accommodation, the place must have become a great cen- ter of population and of enterprise. The bend of the river makes direct commitnication an impossibility. The city is naturally off the line of the road by reason of its situation on the bank of the stream. The difSculty might have been over- come in part by a short branch of rail- road ; but many of the earlier settlers are not inclined to run risks for the sake of posterity, and therefore there will be a further reign of inertia until the population is improved in tone to an extent which will call into opera- tion all the advantages which must make Keosauqua a vast depot of man- ufactures. There is not a better place on the Des Moines river for water power, and the further endowments of the city, with wood in abundance, coal for the winning, stone in exhaustless quarries, and clay for pottery and the manufacture of bricks, will, in the long run, necessitate the inclusion of this old town in the iron circle which girdles the world. Fakmington, by its name, attempts 650 TuTTLti's History of Iowa. to tell its story. The surrounding country is richly agricultural, and the position of the town, just at the point where the two lines join and diverge, the Keokuk aiid Des Moines railroad crossing the Burlington and South- western, on the left bank of the Des Moines river, secures for the trading center a vast shipment of produce, bringing in its train a local trade which makes the town largely a par- ticipant in the successes of the farming and grazing communities. The churches are numerous and well supported, some of the buildings being conspicuous for elegance. The public schools in Parmington testify to the public spirit of the people. The buildings are commodious, and the management excellent. Birmingham stands in the north of Van Buren county, about eleven miles from Keosauqua, and although it bears the name of the great button manu- facturing city in England, the aims of the citizens have not gone in that di- rection. The town is surrounded by good farming country on rolling prai- rie, with wood, water, and coal, in limitless abundance, and the farmers in the locality are among the most prosperous in the state The main dependence for water supply for do- mestic purposes is the unfailing stream, percolating through the strata at about twenty-flve feet from the sur- face. The beauty of the town has been much an object with its citizens, who have expended much time and taste in the ornamentation of a well fenced park, with forest trees and ornamental shrubs. When public gatherings are held in this neighborhood, and the weather will permit of " all outdoors " being the locality for the assemblage, the public park affords a rostrum from which the debate of every pro- ject may be disseminated far and wide. Oratory has a basis of educa- tion in Birmingham which makes the local wittena gemote all the more at- tractive. The schools established here are very well attended, and the attain- ments of the pupils have been, for years past, presided over by educators of consummate ability. Two public schools and a college afford to both sexes first class opportunities for the development of brain power, and the preparation of their faculties for the larger education which comes only by contact with the world. Benton's Port is of course a station on the river Des Moines, and it is also a shipping point on the Keokuk and Des Moines railroad. It is the trading center of a very wealthy farm- ing circle, on the left bank of the Des Moines, but the semicircle of hills which bounds the range of vision, as the river is left, makes the seclu- sion apparently as great as that which was enjoyed by Rasselas in his Hap- py Valley. When the visitor has pas- sed the hills he can see at one glance whence the wealth of Benton's Port must continue to come during a very prosperous future. The town does not depend entirely on its shipments, as there is a large amount of water power made availa- ble by a dam at this point, but for the present, comparatively little use is made of these great advantages. Flouring operations and machinery of various kinds, driven by the Des Moines, give promise of much more extensive industries in future years, and the trade of the town is large. The town is an independent school district, and there is a fine building for the accommodation of pupils in schools which are well graded, under a corps of very efflcient teachers. There are very well organized church- es in Benton s Port, and many of the edifices would do credit to places much larger. There are other railroad stations around which villages are slowly growing, and many villages which are waiting for shipping facilities only, to- become considerable towns, but our limits oblige us to confine ourselves to their enumeration. The principal of these are : Doud, Kilbourne, Inde- pendent, Willets, Summit, Buona- parte, Cantril, Mount Sterling, Mil- ton, Portland, lowaville, Pittsburg, Vernon, Pleasant Hill, Lebanon, Win- chester and Pierceville. Wapello County is named after an Indian chief whose authority imme- diately preceded the advent of white settlement, and was concurrent with- its earlier days. The Des Moines river divides the county almost equally, the stream crossing diago- nally from northwest to southeast. The soil of Wapello county is not so Sketches of Counties. 651 ■well calculated as that of many other districts for withstanding drought, but supposing the seasons favorable it will give excellent crops of cereals. The northeast of the county is better suited for farming operations. Roll- ing prairie predominates, and the soil does not so readily bake under the fervent heat of the summer sun. Hills and wooded country render the south- west less valuable for farms, but there are some spots in which all the condi- tions combine to make stock raising, grazing, and the production of cereals especially, successful. The crops common to Iowa flourish here, and fruits ai'e moderately successful. Bituminous coaJ underlies nearly half of this county, and the deposits are undoubtedly very extensive, if not absolutely ine^austible. In one part of the Des Moines river the river bed consists partially of a vein of coal. The village of Eddyville has an in- stance of the kind indicated, and all along the river there are outcropping coal deposits. Twenty-four coal banks have been opened and worked in Wa- pello county. The black diamond is found in most of the smaller streams, and the hills south of the Bes Moines river give many excellent indications of the mineral wealth which under- lies the surface. The coal is very near the surface, and the veins are thick, consequently the work of the miner can be prosecuted more advan tageously here than in many other counties of whose coal deposits we have written. The several railroads which sur- round and penetrate Wapello county draw much of their coal supply from these coal banks, and the local con- sumption otherwise is very large; many hundreds of persons find em- ployment in meeting these demands, and an early increase may be ex- pected. In summing up the mineral treas- ures of this county, it is proper to ob- serve that limestone of the best kinds has been found in abundance, alike suited for buildings and for manufac- tures, and as is usually the case where the coal measures are found, there is a fine quality of clay fit for the manu- facture of Are bricks, and the supply of sand and clay which may be used for brick making on a large scale is ample for all purposes. Facilities for transit are essential to progress. The old times when vil- lages and towns lived in perpetual an- tagonism, and the famine of one re- gion scarcely prevented wasteful ex- tra-\-agance in dealing with food sup- plies in another, have happily gone by. That development was European rather than American, and it is dying out everywhere. The condition of so- ciety which permitted Robber Barons to dominate their special regions in Germany and elsewhere, which en- couraged the adventurous Northmen to settle down in France, calling their conquest Normandy, which assem- bled within a few miles of each other hostile camps of Danes, Saxons, Celts and Britons, watchful of every move- ment and fearful of surprises, could not fail to consolidate at length into communities peculiarly jealous of lo- cal interests and suspicious of stran- gers. They had always in their lives, if not in their words, the maxim which the poet rendered : Timeo Da- naos et dona ferentes, and not only to the Greek, but to every foreigner, they applied the distrustful rule: "Be watchful of the Greeks, when they come bringing presents." Every vil- lage not born within the sound of their cow bell was an en enemy, if not a Greek. There are parts of Eng- land even now, where a new face calls forth some expression of hostility, similar to that which was heard half a century ago, in spirit, if not in lan- guage: "Bill, whoas he?" quoth the ruling spirit of the petty dominion. "Ah doant know," said the hench- man, " but he's a stranger." " Well 'eave 'arf a brick at'im," was the con- clusion of the colloquy. Halves of bricks are not so applied in our western country. Strangers are taken in and done for in a more commercial spirit, and railroads are valued as much for the people they bring, as for the produce which they convey to market. Wapello has sought and obtained much favor from the magnates who conduct the railroad enterprises, hold- ing in their hands the life and death of commercial centers. The Burlington and Missouri river division of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad gives communi- cation with the eastern states as well as with Burlington and Chicago. The «52 TvTTLsfs History of Iowa. northern division of the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern Railroad which terminates at Ottumwa, con- nects the county with St. Louis, and with a wide range of country to the southeast and southwest. The valley of the river is traversed by the Keo- kuk and Des Moines Railroad, and this line crosses the road of the. Iowa Central Company in the adjoining county of Monroe. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad sends its southwestern division across the corner of the county, and the Ce- dar Rapids and St. Louis Railroad, not yet completed, will still further assist the beneficent network with which science and commerce are covering this favored region. ■ Hundrds of men had settled in this locality before the Musquake Indians had actually abandoned the lands which they had formerly ceded. The settlement by a white population was only to become legal after May 1, 1843, had dawned ; but long before that time the more masterful and venturesome spirits were already in the new terri- tory. , Wapello as a part of that settled, un- settled country, was held in this way, before claims could be marked out. Some encamped upon the borders ot the land of promise, waiting for the signal that the grand rush could be commenced. The work of claim mak- ing, so hurriedly done in the darkness and by firelight during the night and mornmg of that first of May, led al- most of course to numerous difficul- ties among rivals. Customarily all such disputes were adjudicated upon by a committee, with powers to en- force their decisions, and as a rule there was submission. The most nota- ble instance in which there was an attempt to defy the verdict of the ar- bitrators arose on a claim which from tlie first was without even a show of justice. The Dahlonega war, as the dispute in question was called, proba- bly because forces were levied, blood was spilt and lif ■, lost in the quarrel, resulted at last in the will of the com- mittee prevailing, and dry law which might have been uncertain, was put aside by rude justice. The county of Wapello was organ- ized in the year 1844, and the first election took place on all fools' day in that year, the seat of justice being located on the site where Ottumwa stands. Ottumwa, still the seat of justice in Wapello county, stands but a few miles south of the geographical center, and is the point upon which three lines join and diverge. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Keokuk and Des Moines, and the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern Railroad, have each a depot in Ottumwa. The bank of the river on which the city stands is perfectly level, but it is placed too high to be in danger of in- undation, ana that portion of the site is used principally by the railroads and by manufacturers for whom the river and its water powers are desid- erata. Private residences of the better class are located on a range of hills back of the business part of Ottumwa, and many of the houses thus located are palace like in design and propor- tion. The scene in which these homes become a part, and the scenery visible from their altitude must arrest the at- tention of every visitor who has a taste for the beautiful. The town was first laid out in the year 1843, by a company of specula- tors, who took possession immediately upon, if not before, the departure of the red men, and one half of the citj' lots were given to the county on con- dition that Ottumwa should become •the seat of administration. The com- missioners who located the county seat named the town Louisville ; but the company objected, and after a prolonged attempt on the part of the officials already named, the name was abandoned in the following year, the present name being retained because of its fitness to describe some one or several of the qualities of the site, about which nobody appears to be very certain. In the year 1844, there were only nine log cabins on the site of the pres- ent city, but great improvements were being projected. The Appanoose Rapids Dam and Milling Company came into active service in the following year, and the value of the Des Moines began to re- ceive due attention. Prom that time the growth of Ottumwa became more assured, and its prosperity steadily in- creased, although n>any of its most enterprising citizens were carried off] hy the gold fever to beyond the Sierra' Skktches of Counties. 65a Nevada in 1849, when California was making the whole world dream of gold, and a crusade more momen- tous than that for the redemption of the holy sepulchre was coming into force. The city was incorporated in 1851, and in the following year several meetings of railroad men were held, calling attention to the claims of the county seat, as a depot for the opera- tions of such magnates. The first railroad constructed to assist the de- velopment of this county was com- pleted as far as Ottumwa in 1859, pas- senger traffic commencing in August of that year. The Burlington and Missouri River railroad was followed by the Keokuk and Des Moines road, under a different name, in the follow- ing year, and during all the time that has since elapsed there have been con- tinuous advances in numbers and in wealth. The railroad companies which were the first to enter this terri- tory were liberally aided by the bonds and funds of Wapello county, and the bread cast upon the waters came back in valuable forms of bounty before many days had elapsed. The rapids at this point in the river have immense promise for the manu- facturing future of Ottumwa. There is a company now at work carrying out a large scheme of water supply for works of various kinds in the city, and it is reasonably certain that good returns will be obtained. The supply will give motive power to numerous works on a small scale, as well as to some majestic undertakings, and in addition to these advantages the city will have water available for public uses, such as the extinguish- ment of fires and numberless other pur- poses. The whole of the works, dams, head and tail races and all besides ne- cessary to the realization of the scheme are being effected without the issue of one bond, or the company incurring debt. Cash subscriptions from private hands $75,000, and $25,000 from the city will cover all the outlay. The schools of Ottumwa are admir- able institutions, well lodged in ap- propriate buildings. There are three buildings ; a high school, capable of accommodating nine hundred schol- ars, and two ward schools which have cost an aggregate of $30,000. The high school cost $30,000 and it occu- pies with Its grounds about four acres ot land on one of the most beautiful elavations of the city. Much care has been bestowed to make the schools ornate and attractive as well as beneficial in other senses, as the cul- tivation of taste demands that school buildings should affect the minds of the young, as worthy templars devoted to the highest aims of psychology. There are several private schools and academies, devoted to like pur- poses, except that they seem to sub- stitute narrow, sectarian or personal aims for the greater objects of the public school. Tet with all those drawbacks a school is a benefaction to- the race. Better that the children should be taught the rudiments, even though they come tinctured with Fetish worship, because in most cases the expanding intellect will purify it- self from such degradation, but the untaught and untrained capacity for culture finds but few openings for ex- pansion. The population of the city amounts- to about eight thousand, and there is a fine library association, by way of set off to a small police force, an excel- lent fire department, and all the etcet- eras which are required to make up a prosperous community, fully impres.s- ed with the responsibilities of self government and protection. The county has a court house which cost $13,000, and a jail which was built in 1857 cost $9,000; neither of these edifices can be considered suitable for the sites which they oc- cupy and the city which they serve, but the citizens are slow to increase expenditure in that direction. There is a fine area devoted to the fairs of the agricultural association, and a very poor provision in the shape of a poor house or farm or both, for those who must look to public charity. The newspapers of this city are numerous enough to meet the wants of the county, and the management is generally good, but more than a page would be necessary to describe the fortunes and the virtues of the several candidates for public favor, so we content ourselves with the statement, that Ottumwa gives a fair measure of support to its press. Eddyvtllb is a border village, part being situated in Mahaska county. The position of this village, on fine 654 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. lajid, on the Des Moines river, with the Keokuk and Des Moines Railroad running through it, forming a junc- tion here -with the Central Kailroad of Iowa, cannot fail to prove a pass- port to success. The founder of this village was an Indian trader, who kept in advance of civilization to enable him to select his location ad- vantageously. He laid out the plat in the year 1843, when the Indian title expired, and for some time it seemed doubtful whether Ottumwa or Eddyville would lead. There are. saw mills, grist mills, a woolen mill, wagon manufactories, pork packing establishments, and better than all these together, a good graded school, well managed, which cost |20,000 for its erection, and which is maintained in a very high degree of eflaciency. The population of Eddyville is less than 1,5C0, but there is an opera house, and theatrical representations are occasionally well supported. Agency City is a station on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail- road, about seven miles from Ottum- wa. The name was given because the town grew up when the Indian agency was located, when the frauds daily practiced upon the red man, were the principal evidences of civili- zation in this territory. There are several mills here, and a population of nearly one thousand. The arrange- ments for schooling in this city are moderate, but they suffice to meet all demands at present. KiKEVTiiiB is eleven miles north- west from the county seat, and it has a population of four hundred, for which there are more churches and schools, but the village will come to greater note when there is a better opportunity for the shipment of pro- duce. EuJON is a station on the Keokuk and Des Moines Railroad, where the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, by one of its divisions, crosses the line of the first named railroad company, in the southeast of Wapello. The town came into exist- ence merely as a point for shipments, but the population is already_ as great as that of Kirkville, and it is patent to every observer that its growth must be still more rapid. The arrange- ments for a good common school education have not yet been brought to a very high pitch of perfection. Blakbsbubg will become identified with the coal production in Wapellc county. The town is fifteen miles from Ottumwa, on rolling prairie ad- joining some heavy woodland. There is a population of three hundred and fifty, and almost unlimited oppor- tunities for the employment of labor and capital in winning coal from the mines. There are several mills in the village and some manufactories, and the agricultural prospect is first class. Dahlonega is named from the dis- trict of Georgia, whence most of its earliest settlers came, but for some time the place was known as Shell- bark. The town was famous early in the history of the county and rivalled Ottumwa itself as a candidate for the county seat, but it has now a popula- tion of two hundred only. Chillicothe stands on the south bank of the Des Moines river, eight miles from Ottumwa, with several mills and a population of two hundred. Bladensbttrg is ten miles north- east of the county seat, with a popula- tion of two hundred and fifty, and several mills and other industries. There are numerous small villages which can only be enumerated and named. They are : Ashland, Port Rich- mond, Marysville, Point Isabel and Ormanville. All of them are places of promise. Warren County not then defined nor organized was first settled in 1843, when a saw mill was erected at Mid- dle river, under the warranty and pro- tection of the military force stationed at Racoon Eorks. The Indian title did not expire until two years later. There were many other persons tret- tied in {he county, but organization was not effected until 1849, and the county seat was located at Indianola in the following year. The county contains about four hundred and seventy square miles, ly- ing immediately south of Polk, and being drained by the Des Moines river and its numerous affluents, many of which are large enough to give good mill powers, and the main river stands unsurpassed for such facilities. There is no lack of springs and and streams, all the streams going Sketches of Counties. 655 northeast toward the Des Moines, and the county gives unrivalled opportu- nities to the farmer. Timber is plentiful in this county except in the southwest, where the val- leys only are wooded heavily, but even there, now that flres are no longer of annual recurrence, more wood is springing up on the prairies. The valley of the Des Moines is filled in this county by what might be de- scribed as a forest; and along the streams everywhere, there is an abund- ant supply of wood, the groves reach- ing far up the ascent to the uplands. Between the streams the prairies un- dulate in the east, but in the west the lines of demarcation are more abrupt, and the surface rolls considerably. There is broken land along "Wolf creek, but the area is not large. The soil is of dark loam, deep and fertile, except in the northeast where the drift has been abraded by rains, and the atmosphere, leaving the stra- tified rocks of the coal measures vis- ible. The quality of the soil varies very slightly where the decomposed shales mix with the loam as the result is still very fertile and productive. Warren county is within the region of coal deposits, each of the three meas- ures being well represented in its ai'ea, and the general result must give great wealth to the hive of industry congre- gated within its boundaries. Several mines are being worked in this coun- ty, and the thickness revealed will pay for working in the best style known to the scientific men of to-day, the quality being equal to that of the Des Moines valley. First class building stone is rare, the coal measures in Warren county giving a soft sandstone which hardly repays the care requisite to quarry it. Some of these will har- den after removal, but that feature is not common. When the stone har- dens on exposure, it supplies a good material for buildings. Limestone is found in many cases, but it disinte- grates rapidly, and is of little value ex- cept for the manufacture of lime. Bricks will be the main reliance of builders here and the materials for their manufacture are superabundant. iNDrAUOLA is the county seat and also the chief town in Warren county. The geographical center is one mile distant from the town, which is placed about a mile from South river, on the high prairie land, amidst a well set- tled farming population, whose in- dustries and wealth are reflected in the comfort, not to say splendor, of the traders who attend to their ship- ments and supply the wants of that locality. The educational facilities in this county are very well represented in Indianola. The county of Warren has one hundred and twenty schools, and the buildings are valued at |90,- 000,. the teachers receiving about $25,000 annually for their services. Contingent expenses bring up the gross total to nearly $45,000, every year, and the permanent school fund amounts to nearly $28,500. The school building in Indianola cost when fur- nished, in the year 1867, about $20,000 ; and the schools are well graded. There is a centenary college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis- copal church in this city, which takes very high rank among educational establishments. The institutions of the city, as well as its public building, indicate sub- stantial prosperity as the character- istic of Indianola; but the great rail- roads pass by on the other side, and but for the fact that a branch of the Chicago, Rock Island and Paciflc road runs up to this place from Des Moines, there could be but little exten- sion of its trade. Produce of all kinds and live stock are shipped from this station in very considerable quan- tities, and the local trade is propor- tionately good The town was located in the year 1849, and the first building was erected early in the following year, a small beginning of a great city. The court house cost the county $45,000, in the year 1868, and is a very handsome building. There are three papers in the city, but they rely mainly on their county oirculation for support. AcKWOKTH is the seat of an acad- emy which found its origin among the quakers, and is by that body still mainly supported. There are only about fifty pupils and two teachers, but the system pursued is excellent. Lacona is but a small village, but it has an excellent private school which is well sustained, and produces 656 Tuttle's History of Iowa. fair results in its completion with the puhlic school system already men- tioned. _ , .„ Carlisle, Hartford, Hammondsville, Liberty Center, Lawrencehurgh, Mar dora, Lathrop, New Virginia, Pal- myra, Norwalk, Saint Marys, Rose Mount, Schonberg, Sandyville, Spring Hill, Sharon, and Summerset, are vil- lages and post-oflaoe towns which de- serve much more extensive notice than our pages will permit at the present time. Washington County was first set- tled by an immigration from Illinois. The men came to this territory in 1835, when an Indian trader was the only white man in the unsettled region besides themselves. .The new comers were satisfied that they had found the right place, but they went back to their old home to procure company, and after a very deliberate process of preparation, the little colony finally settled in their new homestead in the fall of 1836. Thus the foot print of civilization came. into the fertile prai- ries and bottom lands of Washington county, and the march, if not rapid since that time, has been steadily pro- gressive. Organization of this section of the territory, then part of Wisconsin, seems to have been meditated when an uncertain locality was described as the county of Slaughter. This was in the year 1837, but no business followed the attempt. The name was not much favored by the people, and after much petitioning ad mterim, the first legis- lature of Iowa territory changed the abhorrent appellation to Washington county. The seat of justice was then located at Astoria, but it was consid- ered only a temporary act; and so very untimely was the location that no person can certainly point out when the one unfinished log building was erected, which was all the town and county seat for a time, and was called the court house. The final location of the seat of justice was determined and named Washington in the year 1839, and that happier augury has been followed by moderate fortunes, which occupy the golden mean between poverty and affluence. Washington has an area of five hun- dred and seventy-three square miles. It stands second from the Mississippi river, and third from the southern boundary of Iowa. There is admirable drainage and ir- rigation for Washington county, the watershed, so often named as determin- ing whether the streams- should flow to one great highway of waters or to the other, is seen in this county, stretching its table land at the center nearly southeast, and from this "di- vide" the streanis fall away toward the rivers which carry them to their destination — this to the Missouri, that to the Mississippi, but all eventu- ally to the last named river, which rolls down the turbid torrents of a continent toward the Atlantic. The large streams give many in- valuable mill sites, and the whole of the water courses afford a bountiful supply of water for stock and for do- mestic use. Some of the_ larger streams have excellent fish in con- siderable variety. While on the sub- ject of water supply, it may be as well to state here that wells bottom on a permanent supply at various depths, according to the surface, seldom less than twenty, and just as rarely more than forty feet. Springs are often found bursting from the rocks and the various strata of the soil along the banks of the streams. Skunk river and English river have large bodies of timber, and Crooked creek is also abundantly supplied; indeed, it may be generally afiBrmed that, throughout the county, there is enough of native varieties for fuel, fencing and building. The plenitude of timber does not change the fact that the large propor- tion of the area of Washington county is prairie. There are vast regions which were at one time supposed to be irreclaimable prairie, on which no person would locate, and now the land thus discouragingly indicated is bet- ter settled, by a more prosperous class than even the fertile bottom lands, which, in some respects, distanced all competition. Bottom land and prai- rie, broken land and the fine belts and groves of timber, alike find their mas- ter in man, and to him they surrender the treasure which is his inheritance. Building stone is not very plentiful, but enough has been found for all present needs along the principal rivers, and limestone fit for manufao- Sketches of Counties. 657 ture is quite abundant. Sand and clay- can be found everywhere in the drift formation, consequently the builder, at & loss for stone of the best quality, can procure just as many bricks as he may require, of the finest quality. Coal is the great requirement in this state, and, in that respect, Washington is not -well furnished. There have been indications found which might deceive the half-informed, but the " find " near Brighton is clearly not a part of a great bed which might be mined. There is but very little coal here, and that little, if painsfully sought, would resemble the grains of wheat in a bushel of chaflF, whereof Shakspeare waxes eloquent, and be not worthy of the necessary search. This town was first built upon in the year 1839, and for the two years next ensuing, there was but a slow and desultory growth; indeed, its pro- gress has never been very rapid. About the year 1853, a newspaper was established in Washington, and for nearly two years it fought hard, but then "By the wayside fell and per- ished, weaiy with the march of life." The year following, another paper was inaugurated, and that lives to the present day, a respectable piece of journalism. Soon after 1855 commenced, a bank was started in the city of Washington, and other such institutions followed, as a rival and eventually as a succes- sor to both the first mentioned. We have spoken of the city as if it had long since been incorporated, but in fact it was not incorporated until the year 1863. The schools here are well graded and excellently organized, under a very able corps of teachers of both sexes. Kext to that fact, the most significant circumstance in the growth of Washington occurred in the year 1858, when the Mississippi and Mis- souri Railroad was finished to this point, and since that date there has been a visible acceleration in its growth. The shipping business is very large, and various as extensive, bringing with it, as its almost unfail- ing complement, a large local trade which cements all classes in general prosperity. Bbiohton is about eleven miles southeast from Washington, near the Skunk river, which supplies first-class 43 mill sites. The facilities for shipment on the Chicago and Southwestern Railroadj which are afiorded at this point, bring much produce from the surrounding fertile country. Timber is abundant along the Skunk river, and so also is stone; consequently, Brighton has most of the conditions for a very prosperous career. Among the other villages, towns and postal stations are : Clay, Ains- worth, Crawfordsville, Dutch Creek, Daisy, Lexingjton, Richmond, Middle- burgh, Riverside, Wassonville, Valley, West Chester, Yatton and White Ash. Wayne County contains about five hundred and twenty-five square miles, and it stands in the southern tier of counties, fifth from the Mississippi river. Like most other counties in the state of Iowa, this county has a com- plete system of natural drainage which hardly admits of improvement by art. The watershed in this counU' 'nmg nearly due east, and the South Fork of Charlton river flows to the east, fed by numerous small streams on both sides, on its way to the Missouri. The Grand river has numerous tributaries which flow southward to their destina- tion through the southern townships. There is a stretch of prairie in this county varying from six to ten miles wide, and travelling right through the county. This divide was for many years known as the " Mormon Trail," because the saints -passed along that way when they levanted from Illinois in 1846. There are other patches of prairie, but they are broken by valleys and by bells of timber which diversify the scene most pleasantly. The longer stretches of prairie where they are not brought under cultivation are also beginning to put on the aspect of a. juvenile forest. The drift deposit with all its pecu-- liarities of soil and surface predomi-. nates in this county, consequently the^ rivers and streams on their way down, from the high prairies have cut their- way eagerly down toward the stratified! rocks and in some cases the river bed lies more than a hundred feet below the surface level, where the stream flows through a narrow valley with sides more or less declivitous. Again in some regions, the sides have be- come disintegrated until the valleys 6$8 TvTTLsfs History of Iowa. rise by gradual transitions to the up- lands which are generally rolling. Except on the declivities which are few, the surface admits of easy and profitable cultivation. The soil pecu- liar to this deposit ia too well known to need description, and the crops pos- sible in such a country cannot require further elucidation here. Some coal has been found in this county, and many of the exposures in Walker's Branch, and in the town- ships of Wright and South Fork, have been mined, but, unless very deep shafts reveal more profitable measures, there will not be much value for labor or capital in the coal mines of Wayne county. The supply of building stone is limited, but lime can be manufac- tured in abundance, and brick clay will supply all needs. Timber is not very abundant, but it is not very limited and the native growths springing up will soon meet Svery demand. Hedging is in great favor here and fruit trees of many kinds are becoming very plentiful. Every hedge that is planted gives an incentive to further enterprise in the same line, and groves as well as orch- aj'ds will soon command general at- tention. The first settlers in Wavne county came from Kentucky and settled in Orand Eiver township, making their home in their wagons until better provision could be inade, but the sup- position then was, that the territory was in Missouri. Wayne county was separately organized in the year 1851, when only thirty men voted, and the year's income was less than sixty-five dollars. The county seat was located at Corydon, the site of an unsurveyed town where some dusky Phillis might have listened to the love song of her Indian admirer, but otherwise the name would become a mysteiy to some dry-as-dust archaeologist a few centuries hence, and we hasten to re- move disquieting doubts from the yet unborn intellect by saying that the name was borrowed from Corydon, Indiana. CoBYDOiir stands near the center of the county on dry, rolling prairie, and its geographical position entitled it to be selected as the seat of administra- tion. There are several newspapers published here, and they all deserve notice. The school accommodation suflSces for the present. The Charlton river, and its fine groves of timber, are only four miles from the county- seat, and other groves, not quite so extensive, still nearer, consequently fuel and materials for inexpensive buildings can be procured with great ease. There is considerable business transacted in the town, and generally there is an aspect of comfort among the people, but a railway would large- ly add to their enjoyment, by afibrding outlets for their produce. AIjLerton is four miles southwest of Coiydon, on the line of the Chicago and Southwestern Railroad, which is really a branch of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific road. Situated just as pleasantly as Corydon, it has facilities for traffic which can only be secondarily availed of by the county seat, hence although still young, it is increasing very rapidly. The men who come here with their produce, take hence their supplies, and the commercial value of that fact needs no enforcement. Grain elevators, ware- houses, stores, workshop's, mills, are all multiplying their demands for la- bor, and the thrifty earth is able to give bread to all comers. The provision for schools in Aller- ton is really ?ood, and the children exhibit an alacrity in their tasks which, better than any words, must bear witness to the efficiency of the system under which the children are brought en rapport with their teach- ers. Churches are well supported here, and newspapers are maintained in good running order. LiNEViLLE was born in 1848, and is thus one of the oldest towns in Wayne county, but until the Chicago and Southwestern Railroad passed through the place, there was an air of drowsi- ness over the place such as might have been noticed in Sleepy Hollow, before Rip Van Winkle sank into his fateful slumber, and awoke to find that Schneider was no more ; that his mus- ket was no longer worthy of the name, that his clothes were in ribbons, and his constitution completely broken. Lineville was aroused in season, and it is now fully up to the demands of the age. Business is disposed of with alacrity, schools are sustained with cheerfulness, and every good work is pushed ahead with vim. There are schools for the young, newspapers Sketches of Counties. 659 for the adult, and churches for all classes. HUME8TOI7 stands on the Leon Branch of the Burlington and Mis- souri River Bailroad, in the center of the northwestern section of the coun- ty, surrounded by fine farms and a finer population, which will extend the village to a great town, through the mediun of its facilities by trade and shipments. Seymour is on the the Chicago and Northwestern Bailroad, near the east- ern boundary of the county, and may be described as a thriving little town, full of business, with churches and a school, and a very enterprising news- paper which deserves all the support that it asks for. Clio is only a village, but it has a railroad and a post office to supply the needs of a tiiriving agricultural community ; hence it is bound to be- come a place of wealth and import- ance. The Chicago and Southwest- ern Bailroad runs through this village en route from Allerton to Lineville. Kkiffin stands on the same line of the railroad between Allerton and Sey- mour, and it contains a post office which draws some business to the vil- lage. There is a fair share of ship- ping business done here. Confidence is a village with a post office, but no railroad station, being situated on the prairie in the north- east of Wayne county. Bethlehem, situated in the north of the county, can be described in the same terms with Confidence. There are some other villages and post offices, such as: Genoa, Lewis- burg, Cambria, Promise City, New York, Warsaw and Peoria. Webster County is a beautiful com- bination of all that is required to make a territory charming to the tourist and delightful to the farmer. Away from the margin of the streams the country is sufficiently undulating to relieve the scene from being mo- notonous, and to secure adequate drainage, but near the water courses, which intersect the surface at frequent intervals, there is broken land and hill and bluff in perpetually chang- ing contour. The bluffs are cut through by ravines which are slowly widening into valleys; the bottom lands are changing their native grass for other growths, better adapted to the purposes of man. The streams are margined on every hand by belts of native wood, and wherever some natural protection intervened to save the woodland in byegone years from destruction by swift-leaping flame, the trees have massed their splendor to produce a forest which in the sun- set glories of autumn seem to mimic the glowing colors of the destroyer. Nearly one-tenth of the surface of Webster county is woodland, and the supply is well spread over the area so that no portion suffers from even com- parative scarcity, and no region com- plains of too much. The soil on the uplands averages from eighteen inches to two feet deep, and in it a black vegetable mold, mixed with sand in small quantities, just enough to make the surface easy for tillage and drainage, secures to the farmer all that he could desire in such a position. The bottom lands are even more fertile, and the amount of moisture which can be stored in the soil and subsoil suffices to guaranty this section of country from any se- vere visitation of drought. The sub- soil can be brought to the surface with advantage whenever the agricul- turist desires a change. Good springs of water bubble from the rock and from the greensward in a thousand places, and wells seldom require more than twenty feet sinking to bottom on permanent supplies enough for stock and domestic pur- poses all the year through. Tet with all this wealth of moisture, there are but few patches of wet land, and these when some purely local cause of obstruction has been removed be- come the best soil ever broken by the plow. The Des Moines, the Boone rivers, and the Lizards, North and South, are the principal streams in Webster county. The first runs from north to south through the middle of the coun- ty, but with many river like convolu- tions. The Lizards, North and South respectively, run from northwest to southeast and from the southwest to the northeast until near Fort Dodge the two join, running east to fall into the Des Moines. The Boone runs in a westerly direction in the southern townships, emptying into the Des Moines. There are many smaller 660 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. streams which go to make up the sum total of drainage and water supply for Webster county. When the Sioux and the Musquakas ceded twenty miles each of their ter- ritory to the United States as a kind of guaranty that they would allow the authorities at Washington to keep the peace between them, Webster county was part of the land so handed over into military possession. Before the Indian title had become extinguished, the legislature of Iowa had laid out and named counties in the wild lands where the red men still had their lodges; but the names at first adopted were abandoned at a later date, and fresh lines were drawn, changing the boundaries at first set- tled. The troops abandoned Fort Dodge in 1856, and the region was given over to the civil arm of authori- ty, after which there was quite a rapid growth of population. When the county was first organ- ized, the seat of justice was located at Homer, in the year 1853; but three years later a popular vote transferred that honor to Fort Dodge, and a court house was erected there in 1858, at a cost of nearly $40,000. The custom- ary quarreling about the county seat caused much loss of valuable time and not a little expenditure In law. The early population in Webster coun- ty was much addicted to law, as there were endless conflicting claims which eveiybody wished to buy or sell, and to which clear titles could seldom be given. Coal can be found underlying about four-fifths of the area, consisting mainly of the lower coal measures, with very well developed beds, which are mined by drifting from the ravines generally, but will pay for more ex- pensive operations. Some of the beds are eight feet thick, and very few are less than two feet, the quality being particularly good. When the census of the past year was taken, there wers nineteen beds of coal being partially worked in Webster county. Iron ore which will pay for smelt- ing, has been found in this county, and an immense deposit of gypsum has been found near Fort Dodge, be- sides which there are valuable beds of sandstone in some places, disrupting the coal beds. There is In Webster county an unusual proportion of min- eral wealth : the ochre beds are heavy and the clays suited for fire brick and for pottery will give employment to many thousands. Numerous mounds of various kinds have been explored in this county, and they have respectively been used for burial, for sacrifice, for observa- tion and for defense, but the Indians are unable to give any information concerning them, as they assert that the mounds were in existence before their people came to the country. The early days of this settlement, after the soldiers had been withdrawn, were disturbed by the peculations and outrages of the Indians, but it is much to be doubted whether the red men were not more sinned against than sinning. Fort Dodos, the county seat, is on the east bank of the Des Moines, about eighty miles from Des Moines cit^, and on the Iowa division of the Illi- nois Central Railway, the terminus of the Des Moines and Fort Dodge Kail- road being located here. The city is built on a plateau of three terraces, rising at the highest point nearly one hundred and fifty feet above the river level, and, the site is beautiful. The Des Moines river is very clear at this point, and the Lizard river, which empties into the greater river on the east side of Fort Dodge, gives excellent water power. The two creeks. Soldier and Deer, are also near the city. In the year 1856, the United States land office was opened here, and dur- ing the same year the first railroad was located here, since which time there has been rapid growth, the pop- ulation now being nearly four thou- sand. The buildings of the Illinois Central Railroad Company here are very fine, and the town has numerous industries which give extensive em- ployment. The public school buildings are good, and the system of tuition adopt- ed gives general satisfaction. There is a Catholic educational establish- ment here, which has usually about two hundred pupils, and the newspa- pers and churches, as well as the busi- ness interests of the place are flour- ishing. DtTNcoMBB is a town nine miles from Webster City, which was laid off by the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Rail- Sketches of Counties. 661 road Company in the year 1869. The shipping effected at this point is con- siderable, and the local trade is good, hut there are no prominent industries. Where coal is being worked there are many small villages, but there are no features of interest which call for notice, except in an itinerary or work of that kind. Winnebago County stands in the center of the northern tier, and con- tains about four hundred square miles. Lime creek, a confluent of the Shell- rock, is nearly one hundred feet wide in some places as it flows through Winnebago county. There are good fish in its waters, and many excellent mill sites invite larger improvements than have been so far. There are some beautiful lakes here, but not very extensive. The Twin lakes are so called because of their location near together ; and Rice lake contains an area of about one square mile. Springs are numerous, and wells give permanent good water at from ten to twenty feet. Undulating and rolling prairie, with occasionally in the southeast land bro- ken and well timbered, will stand as the general description of Winnebago county. To the west the soil is good, but the rolling prairie has very little timber. The soil is loam, with sandy intermixture, such as we have de- scribed elsewhere. The timber on Lime creek is heavy, and Coon grove, near the center oit the county, is a very fine body of wood. The boulders on this range of coun- try are the main reliance of builders, who use them for foundations, and some of the boulders make a good quality of quick lime. There are about two thousand acres of peat land in this county, which will be useful for fuel, but the land is not a prejudicial swamp. The earliest white settlement in this county dates from 1855, when Eice - lake attracted favorable notice, and after that time other settlers came ■ slowly in. The quantity of game in the county was then very large, most of the early comers who were skilled - in the use of the rifle being able to supply their tables abundantly. Bears were seen here as late as 1856. The organization of the county was effected in the year 1857, and the seat of justice was located in Forest City. FoBBST City stands on the west bank of Lime creek, near the southern boundary of the county, on high rol- ling ground, with timber to the east and northeast, but prairie stretches west and south as far as the eye can reach, and the agricultural resources of the county are all but unbounded. The town was laid out in 1856, and a mill was soon after erected. The court i house was built in the year 1861, 1 and subsequently increased and im- proved. There was a school building erected in 1873, and there is a well graded school which is well conducted. There is a newspaper in goods hands in Forest City. Laeb Mills is a small town near Rice Lake, about fifteen miles from Forest City, in a fine grove, and sur- rounded by beautiful farming land. The first beginning of- the town dates from 1869, but there had been a post office there some two years or more before that time, and several mills. The village has suffered from fire, its school house and its mills were de- stroyed, but the people roused them- selves, and the evil was made condu- cive to greater movements in the same direction. The school is very well conducted, and there is a very good weekly paper. Benson Gbove is on the east side of Lime creek, six miles from Forest City, with a fine body of timber back of the town, and some excellent farm- ing land. The town was laid out in 1867, but it waits for railroad developr ment, and a road has been graded which is to supply that desideratum. The public school is a credit to the locality. Winneshiek County is likely to become a first class agricultural sec- tion, the surface alternates between timber and prairie,, but along the streams there are many bold bluffs, and the scenery is much diversified. There are many excellent streams, some of which afford water powers of great value, and many mills are in operation. The Upper Iowa river is a fine stream, which flows over and through a large area of country. The Canoe river flows north of the Upper Iowa, giving many mill sites, and the TvTTLifs History of Iowa. Turkey river is nearly as large as the "Upper Iowa. The Milwaukee and St. Paul rail- road, with its branch from Conover to Deoorah, supplies the shipping de- mands of this county in an exceptional manner. The stations are at Ossian, Castalia, Conover, Calmar, and Ridg- way, and an immense aggregate of business is transacted. This territory was occupied by the Winnebagoes until the year 1848,_but a mititary post was erected here eight years earlier, to protect the peaceful residents on the soil from more war- like and predatory tribes. Every in- ducement that could be offered was tried, to civilize the red men, but nothing could wean them from the chase and the forest, so that the Chris- tian mission and the Washington of- ficial found no fruit from all their la- bors. Eventually the tide of settle- ment surged over the land, and the red men were taken elsewhere. County organization was effected in the year 1851, when permanent settle- ment had been in operation about three years, and Decorah was made the county seat. There were many dis- putes about the location, but Decorah succeeded in retaining the nomina- tion. The county was among the most patriotic during the great rebellion, and its school record has been of the most praiseworthy description from the earliest days. The court house which now stands with the jail in its basement, cost $18,000 in the year 1858, the land having been given to the county for the purpose. The City of Decobah stands on the upper Iowa river, and is the seat of administration in Winneshiek coun- ty._ It is claimed that Winneshiek, a chief of the Winnebagoes, once occu- pied the site of Decorah before white settlers came here. Decorah was also a chief of the same tribe, and it is well that the names of those few good men, who have left a good record among the red men who have come into contact with the white race, should be remem- bered in naming our new cities. ■ Decorah is beautifully situated among the bluffs of the Upper Iowa, and it has built up quite a considera- ble business, sustaining a population of about four thousand, and the resi- dences of people of wealth are very handsome, while public buildings challenge admiration. Many of the settlers here are Norwegians, and the Luther college is one of the mdrks of their regard for education and free thought. There are good water powers in and near Deoorah, and most of them are improved to some extent, so that there are five flouring mills, a paper mill, two woolen mills, and numerous fac- tories, which have caused investments to the tune of more than $500,000, and give employment to large numberd. Shipments from Decorah aggregate immensely. The branch line from Conover, which connects with the Mil- waukee and St. Paul railroad, has the eflect of making that city a terminal station. The line was opened in 1869, and since that time the general busi- ness of the city has largely increased. The banking accommodations in Decorah are metropolitan, in the num- ber as well as the size of its establish- ments. Schools have been mentioned al- ready, but the special value of this department of the public service re- quires more notice. The graded school occupies a building which cost. When first erected, without furniture, $20,000, and there are nine grades through which pupils are expected to pala, concluding with the high school and its library and philosophical appara- tus. There are ten teachers and sii hundred pupils enrolled. There are other establishments besides the pub- lic school, but they are only subsidiary to that institution, in the eyes of the public. The newspapers of Decorah are a legion, and their value, as a whole, very considerable; but we are pre- cluded from entering into details. There is a literary club in this city, known as the Winneshiek club, and it is very successful. The club supplies all the purposes of a reading room, and it is peculiarly adapted to meet the wants of young men, although the Benedicts of Decorah are largely rep- resented in the management. Woodbury County is on the western border of Iowa, in the third tier from the northern boundary, embracing an area of eight hundred and thirty-two square miles. Missouri river bottom, of great fertility, makes up about onei third of the whole area of Woodbury Sketches of Counties. 663 county. Some of these botttm lands range from six to ten miles in breadth, and although level, are well up above high water mark, and the soil admits of very easy cultivation. The soil holds moisture without de- generating into swamps, and back of me valleys the bluffs have some broken ground, not adapted for cultivation ; but the rolling prairies soon terminate that belt, which is well fitted for wood- land. Timber is scarce because of the fires which have raged on the prairies, but there are signs that native woods will speedily spring up in vast groves. The streams have plenty of timber, still the quantity for the whole territory is too moderate for the convenience of settlei's. The bluff deposit, so often mention- ed, prevails in this county, and in con- sequence there are few exposures of stone ; but there are some quairies on the Big Sioux river, and the supply of materials for brick making is ample. In the year 1804 an expedition un- der orders from the war department, explored the Missouri river, penetrat- ing the northwest and holding coun- cils with the Indians in Nebraska and elsewhere. That journey first brought white men within sight of Woodbury county, or rather of the place now known by that name. Forty-four years later the first white settler came to the same region and was speedily followed by relatives, who formed a little colony. A town was laid out on the spot selected by the first settler, and the county seat was located here in 1853, but in spite of all that could be done, the town failed for want of a site on which to build it, and for want of a landing place from the Mis- souri river. The county seat was re- moved to Sioux City, by a popular vote, in 1856, and there is no building on the site of Thompsonstown to re- mind the traveller of a greatness too early prayed for, too soon erased. SiOTJX City is on the Missouri river two miles above Big Sioux river, and near the mouth of Floyd river, that stream being named to perpetuate the memory of the first white man that died in the region through which it flows. . The highest floods never reach the city, and as the river bank recedes, it gradually ascends towards the uplands, and many elegant resi- dences have been located with good taste. The river gives facilities for navigation and trade, and the rail- roads center here, consequently Sioux City is in good hands for push- ing ahead. The Illinois Central rail- road ha;s here a terminus, and from this point Chicago, Dubujiue and indeed all points can be easily reached. In the year 1868, the Sioux City and Pacific road was completed to this point, and four years later the Sioux City and St. Paul railroad came into operation. The Dakota Southern railroad makes this city its starting point, and the SiouX City and Pembina road will soon be furnished with its iron ribbon and its rolling stock. The high school building cost $35,000, and there is another school recently erected at a cost of |11,000, consequently there is no lack of ac- commodation for teachers and taught. In other respects the arrangements are as satisfactory as the buildings, the high school being attended by five hundred scholars from whom good reports are customarily presented. There are several newspapers, many fine churches, an academy of music which cost ip45,000, and will seat one thousand persons, hence it will be seen that whether for educa- tion, enterprise, religious training, or for recreation, Sioux City deserves a good word. Smithville stands thirty-five miles from the county seat, on the Little SiouX river, and was one of the earliest settlements in this county. The Spirit Lake massacre had its rise in quarrels which commenced at this point, and culminated in the decima- tion of Dickinson county. CoBKBCTiONViLLE was a village when Sioux City was only a camp, yet it is only a village now, and the city is rapidly becoming a metropolis. The village will some day find scope for its energies and an outlet for its produce. WooDBtTRY stands where Sergeant's Bluff Railroad station tells the story of the town's origin. The town is iust six miles from Sioux City, and it has some fame for the pottery manu- factured here. Sloan is fourteen miles from tne place last named, on rich land, which must finally build up the town. Worth County stands fifth from the 664 TuTTLEfs History of Iowa. Mississippi river in the northern tier. The surface of the county undulates in the east, and rolls in the west, be- ing somewhat hilly in the southwest ; hence there is considerable diversitj', and the natural drainage of the coun- ty by the Shellrock and the minor ti-ibutaries of the Cedar could hardly be improved. The drift formation almost entirely overlies this county, and only in a few places has rock been exposed, the quality there being poor, but some tolerable stone has been quarried, and the materials requisite for brick making are abundant. The drift formation has peculiar ad- vantages for the art of the agriculturist, and this county excels in every respect as a raiser of stock or of cereals. Timber is scarce, but there is enough for the present, and more is springing up. Peat is found in many places, but it is not in favor as a fuel. Shell- rock river and Lime creek give excel- lent water powers, some of which have been improved. This county labored under many disadvantages in its earlier years, most of its best lots being bought up in 1857 for speculative purposes, conse- quently there were only eight hundred people at the end of 1860 in the whole county; The population now is over five thousand. The Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad passes across the southeastern angle of Worth county, having been completed in that section in 1870. The Central' Railroad of Iowa has had a terminus at North- wood since 1871, and the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Compa- ny have a line in the Shellrock valley which will be pushed on to Minneapo- lis through Northwood. Worth county commenced its sepa- rate organization in 1857, and North- wood found Bristol a dangerous com- petitor for the location of the seat of justice. Bristol was made the county seat in 1858, and it was not until five years later that Northwood attained the honor so long desired. A colony of Scandinavians began the settlement of this county in the year 1853, and the settlers were beset by many diflaculties which have since disappeared. Northwood is built on the high bank of the Shellrock river, well laid out, the streets broad and well graded, the houses of business and many of the residences substantial as well as elegant. The town was platted in 1857, and the railroad communication which now includes this town in the circle of commerce, has afforded a well grounded hope that_ the rich country in which the town is located, will secure for it rapid and permanent growth. N o r t hw o o d is an Independent school district, and the graded school is the finest building there, the attend- ance evincing the good understanding which subsists between the teachers and children. There are good church- es here, and two newspapers well sup- ported. Bbistol stands near the head of Elk creek, a little more than twelve miles from Northwood, on prairie quite high and well drained. The am- bition of this town was very near being gratified by the permanent establish- ment of lie county seat here; but Northwood won the game at last The first school was taught here in 1858, and in the following year a school house was erected. The town is not so great as it once was, but it is still a place of some importance, and there are several very good church or- ganizations. Kensbtt is only a railroad station, six miles from Northwood, but a town was platted in 1872, and will event- ually become a place of much im- portance. Wright County commenced its or- ganization on the Boone river, in the year 1855. The county contains five hundred and twenty-six square miles, and the soil is very fertile as well as being well watered. In every way fit- ted for stock-raising. Creeks, streams and lakes make the scenery of this region delightful. Along the western townships the Boone river flows to the south, and through the eastern townships the Iowa river is the great beauty of the country. The banks of these rivers and the lesser streams are adorned with timber, and it is no- ticed that the area of woodland is steadily increasing. The center of the county is prairie, ranging north and south, and the fertility of the land IS almost equal to that of the valleys and bottom lands. Lake Gertrude, now more generally known as Twin Lake, about two miles Sketches of Counties. long by about half a mile wide, and joined by a smaller lake, stands just a little north' of the center of the coun- ty. Cornelia and Elm lakes are fur- ther to the south, and both very beau- tiful, being much resorted to by pleas- ure parties. Wall lake owes its name to a wall of boulders, which the waters have arranged in a semi-circle on the northwest of the lake. The di- mensions of this body of water are about three miles long by two miles in width. The south bank of the lake has a very fine grove, and the beaches of sand and g:ravel offer great tempta- tions to tourists and visitors, being highly valued by the settlers in the surrounding country. This county has no railroads, but before long the want will begin to be supplied aa. the Iowa Pacific Kaitroad Company have already graded a road on which the rails will soon be placed and the beneficent influences of com- merce be allowed, like a second sun- shine, to vivify and enrich the earth. The first white settler came to Boone river in the year 1854, and in the fol- lowing year a saw mill and a grist mill were erected by him. After that time the flow of settlement was slow but steady. When the Spirit Lake massacre occured, there was some alarm among the settlers, but they or- ganized themselves into a military company and waited for develop- ments. There are in the county fifty-seven school houses, and many new build- ings are being erected. The cost of maintaining schools in the year 1874 was just $16,750, nearly sixty cents for every acre of land then under cul- tivation. The fact is significant. CiiAsiON is the seat of justice in Wright county, of which it is the geo- graphical center. Liberty was the county seat until 1865, when the site of Clarion was selected for its special fitness, and a court house was erected there in the following year. Build- ings of every kind are now springing up somewhat rapidly, and should the railroad make this village a station for shipment, the horn of Clarion will be exalted. There is a news- paper published here, but the popu- lation is very limited. Bblmond is a large village built on both sides of the Iowa river in the northern part of the county. It is the largest center of population in this county. When first laid out in 1857, the place was called Crown Point, and several mills were established in succession. There was a good school house built in 1856, and the education, al wants of the district liave always been carefully studied from that time. When this town was first platted game was very plentiful on the prairies and in the groves, but that feature of the county has given place to other more indicative of progress and civiliza- tion. The population of Belmond is over three hundred, being three times as g'eat as Clarion. Wall Lakb is a township on the border of the beautiful piece of water whose name it bears. The first settler came to this region in 1856, and for many years he was the only resident in that region, but the country will soon be populated much more largely. There are now nearly three hundred persons. WooiiBTOOK is on the southern bor- der of the county, and the township has a population of more than two hundred. Eagle creek and White Pox creek run through this township, and there is good. timber in many lo- calties. The first comers here date from 1858, but it was not until 1868 that a township organization was ac- complished. Pleasakt is a township in the ex- treme northeast with the Iowa river forming its western boundary. The first settlers came here in 1855. There are nearly five hundred persons in this township, and the streams, bordered by beautiful groves, add charms to the fertile prairie and to the comfort- able farms. Iowa township joins the village of Belmond, and the river whose name it bears flows through the center of the township, sustaining numerous groves of heavy timber which are much val- ued by the settlers. The post office is at Fryeburg, near the center, for the convenience of the farmers, whose beautiful residences and vast estates dot this section of the county in all directions. The population of Iowa township is about three hundred. Vernon is the southeastern town- ship, with the Iowa river for the east- ern boundary, and its banks are cov- ered with good timber. There are fifty acres of fine peat in this town- TUTTLlfS HlSTOBt OF lOWA. sliip, according to the state geologist's statement on that subject, visirying from six to eight feet deep. There are two post offices in this section — Otis^ ville and Dry Lake, and the popula- tion is nearly three hundred. Teoy township was first located in 1854, when Bach grove, an area of about three thousand acres of fine timber, lured first one and afterwards many settlers. There is a post office at Bach Grove now, and a population in the township of over four hundred. The early settlers suflfered very many privations. Eagle Gbove is a township in the western tier, and the Boone river passes the western frontier of the ter- ritory. There arc fine groves of timber along the Boone. It was in this town- ship, in the log cabin of the first per- manent settler, that the meeting was held when it was determined to organ- ize "Wright county. The provisions for the colony there had been hauled three hundred miles, and the nearest post office was thirty miles away. Where Eagle Grove post office now stands there was once an Indian vil- lage of five hundred braves ; but the present population of the township al- together is less than three hundred. LiBEBTY township is supposed to have been the site of the first white settlement here. The village of Lib- erty stood near where Otter creek empties itself into the Boone river, near the western border. Goldfield is the name of the post office, and the population is about three hundred. The village was platted in 1855. Boone is the northwestern town ship, and the first settler came here in the year 1855. The population is less than two hundred, but the country must command extensive settlement. Along the Boone river there are splen did groves of timber, and, back trom that stream, an unbroken prairie, fully ten miles in extent, helps to make up the largest township in Wright coun ty. The agricultural resources of this township might feed a German prin- cipality. CHAPTER XLVIII. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Brief Biographical Sketches of the Pioneers and Prominent Meu of Iowa. Chief Justice Miller. William Ed- ward Miller, the present chief justice of the supreme court of Iowa, was born October 18, 1823, near the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. His father, the venerable Samuel Miller, Sr., was born in Somerset county, but removed with his parents, when a child, to West- moreland county, where he was reared, and where he became an active and prominent business man, distinguished for his energy, public spirit and integ- rity, and also for his zeal as an " old fashioned Methodist." He ti-ansferred his residence from Peunsylvania to Johnson county, Iowa, in 1854, where he and his wife, five years ago, cele- brated their golden wedding. Judge Miller is the second son of a large family, eight of whom are now living, and several of whom have become dis- tinguished, in the church, the army, or the law. In his earlier youth. Judge Miller lived and worked on his fath- er's farm, laboring in summer and at- tending school in winter. When he had attained his fifteenth year, his father having relinquished farming and gone into the foundry business at Mount Pleasant, manufacturing stoves, plows, and various kinds of machin- ery, youn§ Miller engaged in this business with his father. In 1844, he married Miss Mary, daughter of Ja;mes Robinson, Esq., of the neighboring countv of Fayette, her father himself an old settler of Iowa, having been a purchaser at the government sale of lots in Iowa City in 1841. On his purchase then made he built some of the largest buildings here at that day, and subsequently some which still stand, and are counted with the most permanent business structures of Iowa City. Although Judge Miller had not the advantage of a university course, he has a good English education, ob- tained in the select schools of his early home, for the common school system of Pennsylvania had not yet been established in his youth. In 1846, he began the systematic study of the law, which for three years he applied himself to incessantly during his leisure hours and at night, supporting himself meantime by working at his trade, as a moulder in his father's foundry. -He also, at the same time, with diligence, extended his study of ancient and modern history as collat- eral with that of law. He has ever been a hard student ; the acquisition of one kind of learning acting as a stimulus for others. In 1849, young Miller was elected to the office of jus- tice of the peace, by the "Young America" party of Mount Pleasant. He was also elected and commissioned captain of the " Jackson Blues," a company which formed part of the " uniformed militia " of the state. From April, 1849, to September, 1853, he held the office and discharged the duties of justice of the peace, pursuing more closely his law studies. In the latter year, he started with his family for Iowa, making the journey by steamer from Pittsburgh to Keokuk, and thence by stage to Iowa City, where he arrived on the 10th of Octo- ber. On his arrival here, his unac- quaintanoe with the Iowa code, com- bined with other, circumstances, de- cided him to defer for a time entering upon his profession, and to accept the offer of the two Iowa City papers, to report for them the proceedings of the senate. The following May (1853), he was admitted to the bar, and at once opened a law office in Iowa City. He soon won a place in the front rank of the profession of his town, and laid that foundation on which his eminent reputation as a jurist now rests. In August, 1854, he was elected prose- (667) TxjTTL^B History of Iowa. outing attorney for Johnson county. The duties of this office he discharged for the full term of two years. In 1857, he was selected as one of the republi- can candidates for representative in the legislature from the district then composed of Iowa and Johnson coun- ties, but was defeated. At the October election of 1858, the first held under the present constitution, he was elect- ed judge of the eighth judicial dis- trict, comprising the counties of Ben- ton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Tama, and entered upon the duties of the office Jan. 1, 1859. In 1862, after a service on the bench of nearly four years, in which the pub- lic were well and faithfully served, and the bar well satisfied, he resigned his judgeship, to accept the colonelcy of the 38th Iowa volunteers. The arduous services and exposure of which this regiment had a peculiarly large share, laid the foundation of that disease which finally compelled Col. Miller, on the entreaty of friends, and the recommendation of surgeons, to resign his command, which he did in March, 1863. His constitution was very much impaired, and it was not till long after the war that it recov- ered its pristine strength. In the spring of 1864, he resumed business as a legal practitioner at Iowa City, and about this time began to prepare "A Treatise on Pleading and Practice ■in Actions and Special Proceedings at Law and in Equity in the Courts of Iowa under the Revision of 1860," the first edition of which was put)- lished in 1868, and, though a large one, has already been exhausted, and a new one, revised to meet the changes resulting from recent litigation, is now in course of publication. In 1868, he was again called to the bench as judge of the circuit court in the eighth ju- dicial district, and entered upon the discharge of his duties in January, 1869. In 1870, he was nominated by the republican state convention, for the ofBce of supreme judge, to fill a vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Judge Dillon. In view of this nom- ination. Judge Miller was appointed by the governor, and in October, chosen by the people to this office, the term of which will expire in January, 1876. Since the beginning of the pres- ent year (1874), Judge Miller has filled the exalted position of chief justice. and will be required to do so till the expiration of his term. Hon. D. C. Bloomer. Among the early pioneers of western Iowa is I). C. Bloomer, the subject of this sketch. He was born at Aurora, Cayuga coun- ty, N. T., on the 4th day of July, 1816, of Quaker parents. In 1833, he re- moved to Cortland county with his parents. In 1838, he removed to Sen- eca, N. T., in the meantime attending such common schools and academies as were within his reach. At an early age, he acquired a fondness for books and newspapers, but they were scarce, and he was not always able to gratify this taste. When eighteen years of age, he became a school teacher, and for nearly three years, continued in that profession. In 1836, before the advent of railroads, he visited Michi- gan, his mode of conveyance being canal boats, and steamers on Lake Erie. After his return home to New York, he commenced, in 1837, at Sen- eca Falls, the study of law. In the spring of 1838, he was appointed clerk of the village in which he resided, and held the office for three years. The same year he became the editor of a whig newspaper at Seneca Falls, ana was connected in that capacity with the paper for fifteen years. During this period he spent a great deal of time in the interests of the whig party, aside from his editorial labors, — at no time, however, losing sight of his early Quaker teachings, that American slavery was a cruel wrong that sooner or later must be removed. As a pub- lic political speaker he had few supe- riors. His voice was clear, his dic- tion concise and accurate, and his manner affable and attractive. In 1841, he was appointed a commissioner in bankruptcy, under the act of con- gress then in existence. From 1841 to 1849, a large and lucrative practice in his profession as a lawyer, rewarded his industry, when he was appointed, by President Taylor, the postmaster of Seneca Palls. This place he held for four years. At the expiration of Fill- iQore's presidency, Mr. Bloomer re- moved to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and for a year edited the Western Home Visitor. In 1855, the western fever took hold of him, and he determined to make west- ern Iowa his home. Locating that year in Council Bluffs, he at once em- Biographical Sketches. C69 barked in the practice of tlie law, and in the real estate and insurance bus- iness. He brought to Iowa his whig anti-slavery principles, and when the whig party made a wreck of itself, and the republican party in 1855 be- gan to crystallize itself into an organ- ization, Mr. Bloomer and others or- ganized republicanism in Pottawatta- ■ mie county. In 1856, he again took the editorial pen as editor of the Chromotype, the first republican news- paper ever published in the state west of the Des Moines river. In 1856, he served as an alderman of the city. In 1857, he was the republican candidate for mayor of Council Bluffs, and was defeated. In 1858, he was the republi- can candidate for county judge, and defeated, and in 1859, ran as a repub- lican for representative, and was de- feated. In 1861, he was appointed re- ceiver of the United States land office, and held the place twelve years, and until the office was abolished by the removal of the records of the district to Des Moines. In 1860, he was elect- ed a member of the state board of ed- -acation, and served in that capacity imtil the board was abolished by law. Por nine years he held the office, elec- torally, of president of the school board of Council Bluffs, and during that time, and under his personal su- pervision, all the school houses, of which the city is so justly proud, were built. Twice, after the city had at- tained a population of more than ten thousand inhabitants, he was elected its mayor. During the war of the re- bellion, Mr. Bloomer was the presi- dent of the Union League of Council Bluffs, and took an active part, in en. ergy and money, in the raising of troops for the suppression of the in- surrection. A quarter of a century ago, he became a member of the Pro- testant Episcopal church, of which he has ever since been a consistent mem- ber. In 1840, he married Miss Amelia Jenks, an estimable and talented lady, a sketch of whose life forms a separate paper. Mr. Bloomer is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows, and his pen has for years contributed to its best literature, and even now (1874), he is a contributor to the Annals of Iowa, and an editor of a local journal of wide influence. AmeUa Bloomer. Amelia Bloom- er, wife of Hon. D. C. Bloomer, was born ii^Homer, Corttaud county, N. T. Her maiden name was Jenks. Her education was mainly acquired in the district schools, and for a short time previous to her marriage, she was a teacher in the public schools in her own neighborhood. Her heart has always been with the free schools of the country, and with the cause of general education. She was mar- ried to Mr. Bloomer in 1840, and with him took up her residence in Seneca Falls, N. Y., where they re- mained until the fall of 1853. In 1848, Mrs. Bloomer became a member of the Protestant Episcopal church, and has ever since remained a sincere member of thai society. A woman of decided views on temperance, slavery and other questions, she gave utterance to them first through the columns of her husband's news- paper, and latterly from the lecture platform. In January, 1848, she com- menced the publication of*a temper- ance newspaper called "the lAly, and for six years, she alone, with success and energy managed its columns. The Lily was the first newspaper in the country that took the advanced platform of woman's rights. Re- form in dress was one of the ideas seized by Mrs. Bloomer, and in her journal she advocated a style, which is known by her name, that has never been adopted except by a few. To say that Mrs. Bloomer has been a remarkable woman would be inade- quate. It is impossible for her to be idle. When the Woman's Suflrage Society of Iowa was organized, she was its vice president, and at its second meeting its president. Ever since, she has been in the front rank of the movement, ready and willing at all times to aid the cause. During their residence in Mount Vernon, Ohio, she was associate editor of the Wtitem Home Visitor, a weekly jour- nal of extensive circulation. In the winter of 1856, she addressed the legis- lature of Nebraska, on the right of women to the ballot, and the tern- rial house of representatives shortly afterwards passed a bill giving women the right to vote, but it failed in the council. For thirty years Mrs. Bloomer has shared her husband's fortunes and misfortunes, and still lives to bless his home. Without children of her own. 670 TUTTLlfS HiSTOBY OF lOWA. she has always had an adopted family of little ones around her, to give tone to her -warm and generous heart. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer are highly respected by all who know them, and are regarded as having contributed greatly to the advancement of the in- terests of their adopted state, and of the city of which they, at an early date, became inhabitants. Hon. James arant. James Grant was born on a plantation near the vil- lage of Enfield, Halifax county. North Carolina, Dec. 13, 1812. He was the second of eight children, and of his early years there is little of special interest to narrate. At thirteen he was prepared lor college, and taken to the university of his native state, at Chapel Hill, to join the freshman class; but he was so small that the venerable president, who had taught his father, advised the latter to retain him at home for two years, and then have him join an advanced class. This advice was followed, and James entered the sophomore class of 1828, and graduated, with a class of thirteen others, in 1831. It will be seen that Grant graduated while he was under eighteen. After graduating, he taught school three years at Raleigh, and emigrated to the west when he was twenty-one. He reached Illinois in December, 1833, obtained a license to practice law in January, 1834, and settled in Chicago, then a village of five hundred inhabitants, in April, 1834. He remained in Chicago until June, 1838, when he discovered that the lake winds impaired his health, and he removed to the territory of Wisconsin, selecting Davenport, in Scott county, for his future home, on the 18th of June, 1838. In 1841, he was elected a member of the house of representatives of the fourth Iowa ter-' ritorial legislative assembly, from the district composed of Scott and Clin- ton counties, his colleague being Jos. M. Robertson. In 1844, the people of Scott county elected him to represent them in the first constitutional con- vention, and in 1846, he was sent to the second constitutional convention ; and in both sessions he drew up the section embracing the bill of rights. After th(i adoption of the constitution in 1847, under which Iowa was ad- mitted into the union as a state. Grant was elected, April 5, 1847, a judge for the district composed of the counties of Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Buchanan, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Jackson, Muscatine, Scott and Winneshiek, and held the office during the term of five years, declining a reelection. The title of judge has clung to him, however, ever since his elevation to the bench. In 1852, he was again a member of the house of representatives in the Iowa legislature from Scott county, and was elected speaker. Since that time he has kept aloof from office. From 1853, until now, he has been engaged in the largest and most lucrative prac- tice of any attorney in the northwest. On the 28d of June, congress created the territory of Iowa. On the 8th of July, 1839, he married his first wife, Sarah B. Hubbard, who gave birth to a daughter who died in 1841 ; and the mother followed her to the grave in 1842. In January, 1844, he was mar- ried to Ada C. Hubbard, who died in June, 1846, leaving a daughter who survived her mother a year. On June 10, 1848, he was married to his present wife, Elizabeth Brown Leonard, with whom he has spent twenty-five years of wedded life. The celebration of their silver wedding took place at Davenport, and was celebrated on a grand scale, and participated in by a vast multitude of friends. Without children of their own. Judge Grant has always had his house filled with them, of relations on both sides, and upon them he lavishes his large in- come, prouder of them than many fathers with the best of children. Few women can be found like Mrs. Grant, willing to devote their whole lives, as she does hers, to the care of other women's children. Judge Grant has met with great success in his pro- fession. In 1834, he was appointed, by Gov. Duncan, prosecuting attorney for the sixth district of Illinois. In June, 1886, he resigned this office, finding it interfered with his home business. Gen. Jonathan Emerson Fletcher. Gen. Jonathan E. Fletcher was a na- tive of Thetford, Vermont, and came to Muscatine in the summer of 1838, when Iowa was made a separate terri- tory. He attended the first land sale Biographical Sketches. mi in the territory, in November, 1838, at which he bought lands six miles west of the city, upon which he located in the fall of 1839, and went to farming, having previously returned to Ver- mont and married his surviving wife. He had resided a few years in Ohio before he came to Iowa. Gen. Fletcher held many responsible offices in this territory and state. He was a member of the convention which framed the old constitution, taking an important part in the formation of our funda- mental law. In 1846, he was ap- pointed, by President Polk, an Indian agent for theWinnebagoes, and served in that capacity eleven years; few agents were ever better calculated to manage a tribe of Indians. The Win- nebagoes, Sioux and Chippewas were frequently at war, and he was often insti'umental in saving much blood- shed. With quiet apprehension, de- cision and firmness, and great courage to face and surmount all difficulties, his valuable services in his long ca^ reer as Indian agent, to the govern- ment, and to the country, are incalcu- lable. Gen. Fletcher returned to his farm, one mile west of Muscatine', la., 1858, where he resided till his death. He left a wife and eight children, his eldest son a practicing physician at Detroit, Mich. Col. Nathan Boone. There is one name, which, whenever it is mentioned among military men and old frontier men, is always mentioned with re- spect, and that name is Nathan Boone. On account of his father. Col. Daniel Boone, of Kentucky, the fame of his son is not as widespread as it should be. He was born in Kentucky, in 1783, in the settlement made by his father; lived there till he was grown to manhood, and then moved to the territory of Missouri, where, at thirty years of age, and on the 35th of March, - 1813, he was made, by the president of the United States, a captain of - mounted rangers. These rangers, of which there were seven companies, were raised during the war with Great Britain, for the protection of the fron- tier of the United States against the Indians, and were to serve on foot or on horseback, as the exigencies of the service might require. He served through the whole war, his company being made up of frontier men from Missouri territory. He was promoted major of the Missouri mounted rangers, on the 10th of Dec, 1813; continued as captain in 1814, and his command was finally disbanded when the whole army was cut down at the close of the war, in June, 1815. By nature he was cool and daring, com- bining the superior knowledge of the white man with the cunning of the Indian. He had the passion peculiar to his family, for the chase, and often went off on long and lonely marches in pursuit of the denizens of the for- est. After leaving the army, he was sometimes employed as a surveyor, and laid off many Indian boundaries in the territory north of Missouri. His home he moved beyond the Ozark mountains, where, in a beautiful val- ley and far in advance of civilizatidn, he made it cheerful and happy. There he lived until the breaking out of the Black Hawk war, when he was again called upon by the president to servo his company in the field. A battalion of mounted rangers was raised and placed under the command of Maj. Henry Dodge, one of the companies of which was commanded by Nathan Boone. Capt. Boone's commission was dated June 16, 1833. This battal- ion rendered good service during the Black Hawk troubles, and after the war closed, it was sent west of the Mississippi, and served in the Indian country. Here Boone's knowledge of woodcraft was invaluable, and he was known to be one of the ablest woodsmen that ever belonged to the U. S. army. In August, 1833, the battalion of rangers was reorganized as the 1st regiment of U. S. dragoons, Maj. Dodge having been promoted colonel; Stephen W. Kearney, lieut. colonel; and Bichard B. Mason, major. "While a captain, Boone was stationed at Fort Des Moines, and at Leavenworth, but every summer his company made long expeditions far out in the Indian country. He was the favorite pioneer captain of Ool. Kearney, who had the most implicit confidence in his knowledge and sagacity. In the settlement of the Osage Indian difficulties, in 1837, and those of the Cherokees, in 1839, Boone acted a conspicuous part. During the Mexican war he was kept on tne plains in the Indian country; he was promoted major in the 1st regiment 4 :»■ 672 Tuttle's Hjstobt of Iowa. on the 15th of February, 1847, and served as such until July 25, 1850, •when he was promoted lieot. colonel of the 2d dragoons. Feeling that old age was wearing upon him, and that he was no longer able to keep the field, he resigned his position in the army, July 15, 1853, and died at his home in Missouri, in January, 1857, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. To him, as a successful pioneer in the great west, belongs much credit that has been given to later explorers. He had unflinching perseverance, i)er. sonal courage, and an integrity which nothing could shake. In personal ap- pearance, he is said to have strongly resembled his celebrated father — Daniel Boone, the first settler of Ken- tucky. Theodore S. Parvin. Theodore Button Parvin was born Jan. 15, 1817, in Cumberland county. New Jersey. His father was a seafaring man, and his early training fell mainly to his mother, a devoted lady of the Presby- terian faith. In November, 1829, he removed with his father's family to Cincinnati, Ohio, and soon afterward entered Woodward College at that place. In the fall of 1833, having meritoriously passed through the col- lege course, he commenced the study of law with the Hon. Timot^ Walker. Uniting the benefits of office study with the more illustrative teachings of the school, he entered the Cincin- nati Law School, from which he was graduated in 1837, and immediately admitted to practice. In the spring of 1838, Robert Lucas, who had been governor of Ohio, was appointed by President Van Buren governor of the young territory of Iowa. On his way from his home in Ohio, and passing through Cincinnati, he met young Parvin at the tea table of a mutual friend. Being greatly pleased with the young man, he immediately appointed him his private secretary, which office he retained until promoted to that of prosecuting attorney. At the end of two years he resigned that position to be elected, for three consecutive terms, judge of the probate court. Previous to this he had held the office of secre- tary of the legislative council during the session of 1840-41. Upon the or- ganization of the United States district court for the district of Iowa, Judge Parvin was appointed its clerk, a po- sition he held for ten years. In 1856, he was elected register of the state land office, and therefore resigned the clerkship of that court. Indebted to the public school system of Ohio for a liberal education, Mr. Parrin has al- ways been an enthusiast in the cause of public education. He brought or- der, to the free schools of Muscatine, out of chaos, when the present school code was adopted in Iowa, serving as president of the school board of that city. At the initial steps of the or- ganization of the state university, in 1854, he was made one of its trustees. He was again elected trustee in 1858, but resigned the next year upon his election as " curator and librarian," a position giving him the powers and duties but not the title of president or the university. At the end of 1859, Mr. Parvin exchanged his title for that of professor of natural history, a chair which he held for eight years. Politi- cal economy was the last chair filled by Prof. Parwin, but the general elec- tion of 1870 developed party feeling, which found its way within the uni- versity, and the board of trustees, on an extravagant impulse, voted away the chair and the professor of politi- cal economy. Since that time. Prof. Parvin has devoted himself almost exclusively to the promotion and ex- tension of the Masonic order, of which we may say he was the founder in Iowa. For twenty-nine years, and ever since its institution, he has been fraud secretary of the grand lodge of owa, except one year, when he held the more exalted but not more respon- sible office of grand master. In 1843, Prof. Parvin was married to Miss Ag- nes McCuUy. They have six children, two of whom are married. The eldest daughter was one of the first three la- dies to take the degree of A. B. in the state university. In 1850, Prof. Parvin united with the Presbyterian Church, in which body he is an honored and useful member. Prof. Parvin was one of the institutors of the State Histori- cal SocieW, in Jan., 1857, serving as curator of the first and subsequent boards, until Dec, 1863, when he was elected corresponding secretary, and reelected in 1864. In 1865, he was again elected a member of the board of curators, and, in 1866, one of the vice presidents of the society. Dur- BlOGBAPHICAL SKETCHES. 673 ing the two years he was correspond- ing secretary, he edited the Annals of Iowa. Prof. Pai'vin's residence has heen in Iowa City since 1860. Here he devotes himself to collecting ma^ terials for history, and embodying the records of ancient Masonry. In early life an accident entailed upon him permanent lameness, which has proved a blessing in disguise, tui-ning his at- tention away from outside occupations, toward the cultivation ot letters and the study of books. Serranns Clinton Hastings. Ser- ranus Clinton Hastings was born Kov. 33, 1814, in Jefferson county, N. Y. In early youth he passed six years in study at Gouverneur Academy, and from this time to manhood, passed through various difficulties arising from pov- erty, in his attempts to prosecute his studies. At the age of twenty, he be- came principal of the Norwich Acad- emy, in Chenango county, N. Y. After one year's successful teaching, he resigned this position, and com- menced the study of law with Charles Thorpe, Esq., of Norwich. Here he continued his studies but a few months, and in 1834, emigrated to Lawrence- burg, Indiana, where he completed his legal course with Daniel S. Majors, Esq. He did not, however, enter at once upon his professional labors, and in 1836, during the bitter presidential contest, we find him editing, in the in- terests of the democratic party, TJie Indiana Signal, which gave spirited and effective support to Martin Van Buren. His editorial career of six months closed with the triumph of his candidate. Mr. Hastings resumed his journey westward in Dec, 1836, and on reaching Terra Haute, Indiana, ably sustained the test of a severe le- fal examination at the hands of Judge 'orter. His next move was still fur- ther west, until he reached the " Black Hawk purchase " (now the state of Iowa), and arrived at Burlington in Januaay, 1837. The following spring he took up his abode on the west bank of the Mississippi, where has since sprung up the city of Muscatine, Iowa, and here resolved to practice the pro- fession for which he had prepared himself, having first been examined by Judge Irwin; and admitted to the bar. At that time this vast stretch of coun- try was attached to the territory of 48 Wisconsin for judicial purposes. Shortly after his admittance to the bar, Mr. Hastings was commissioned a justice of the peace by Gov. Dodge, of Wisconsin, with jurisdiction ex- tending over the country between Bur- lington and Davenport, a distance of ninety miles. On June 13, 1838, Iowa was created a separate territory, and Judge Hastings soon after became the democratic candidate of his district for the first legislature to assemble un- der the territorial government. To this position he was elected, after a very spirited contest ; and from time to time thereafter, and untjl 1846, when Iowa was admitted into the union, he continued in public life, rep- resenting his constituenti either in the house or council. Mr. Hastings took an active part in what was called in Iowa the " Missouri war." Shortly after the termination of this serio- comic campaign, he was appointed on the governor's staff, with the rank of major of militia. Early in 1846, a convention of the people of Iowa as- sembled at the capital and accepted the boundaries proposed by congress for the new state. Maj. Hastings was unanimously nominated for congress, and subsequently elected. In Janu- aiy, 1848, Maj. Hastings was appoint- ed chief justice of the supreme court of Iowa, which position he held a little over a year, immediately before he emigrated to California. He ar- rived in that state in the summer of 1849, and settled in Benicia. From this time he has been prominently in- terested in, and identified with, the growth and prosperity of his adopted state. Hon. PhilUp Viele. Judge Viele was born at the Valley, now Valley Falls, in the town of Pittstown, Rens- selaer county, N. Y., Sept. 10* 1799 His great ancestor, on his paternal side, was Arnaud Cornelius Viele, a Frenchman by descent, and a Hol- lander by birth, who emigrated to America and settled in Schenectady, on the Mohawk river, in the latter part of the 17th century. The parents of Judge Viele resided on a farm at the time of his birth, and he remamed with them until his fifteenth year, when he was sent to the academy in Salem, Washington county N. ^•, where he remained three years. ±ie 674 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. entered Union College at Schenectady, N. T., in 1817, and there for several years, pursued his studies with zeal and success under the instruction of the learned and distinguished Dr. Nott. He commenced the study of the law in October, 1821, in Waterford, Sara- toga county, N. Y., and was admitted to the. bar of the supreme court of that state in 1824. Judge Viele was pos- sessed of many qualities which must necessarily have raised him to an ex- alted position as a jurist and advocate, had he confined his attention to law studies and the practice of his profes- sion. , But like many others, he left his Blackstone and Coke to slumber in his office, while he was drawn into the excitements of politics. At the presidential election of 1824, Judge Viele caught the enthusiasm of the hour, and took the stump in behalf of " Old Hickory." His youth and splen- did speaking ability soon gained him a wide reputation as the " Boy Orator." Such were his services to his party, and so highly were his merits esteemed that De Witt Clinton, then governor of New York, tendered him the office of surrogate of Bensselaer county, , which he accepted in 1827, and held it until 1831, when he was reappointed by Gov. Throop, and then held until 1835. In Juno, 1828, he married his wife, Catherine G., daughter of Isaac Brinck- erhoflf, of Troy, a most estimable lady, whose death which occurred a few years since was a very severe loss to her husband and to all who knew her. Having become security for a relative for a_ large amount of money, and the relative felling in business, he honora- bly yielded up his property even to his homestead, and with his wife, started westward. After a tedious travel of a month or more by stages and steamboats, he " pitched his tent " at the place where now stands the thriving city of Tort Madison, then in the territory of Wisconsin, on June 2,1837, where he has ever since made his home. The place soon grew into business and legal importance, and for six or eight years the Judge con- tinued at the bar with a growing busi- ness. But he still had a lingering love for the excitement of politics, and in 1836, the Judge took the stump for Gen. Harrison against his old associate Van Buren. In 1846, he united in a political movement of a local charac- ter,, which once more separated him from his profession, to which he never again returned. The Judge with some other friends, conceived the idea of dropping the whig name for a sea- son, and calling on the honest men of all parties to unite for the redemption of the county under the name of the " Union Bletrenchment, and Beform Party of Lee County." The masses of both parties gladly responded to the call and a meeting of the citizens, ir- respective of party was held to nomi- nate county candidates in 1846. The whole ticket was elected at the fall election of 1846, by a large majority. He was eleclfid three terms succes- sively on the reform ticket, as judge of probate of Lee county, and gave universal satisfaction in the perform, ance of his duties. In 1852, he was nominated by the whigs as candidate for congress for the 1st congressional district of Iowa, but running in a party garb, was defeated. Judge Viele is a very highly valued-citizen of Fort JMadison, and in addition to various places of responsibility and trust, has been four times elected mayor of the city. Gov. Robert Lncas. Robert Lucas, the first governor of Iowa, was the fourth son and ninth child of William and Susannah Lucas, and was born April 1, 1781, in Jefferson valley, at Shepardstown, Jefferson county, Vir- ginia, a few miles from Harper s Fer- ry, where his ancestors settled more than one hundred years ago. His father, who was descended from Wil- liam Penn, was born Jan. 18, 1743, and his mother, of Scotch extraction, Oct. 8, 1745. His father, who had served as a captain in the continental army during the revolutionary war, and had distinguished himself at the battle of Bloody Run, emigrated with his family to Scioto county, Ohio, at the beginning of the present century. In leaving the slave state of Virginia for the free embryo commonwealth of Ohio, which had not as yet been ad- rritted into the union, the elder Lucas generously freed every one of his adult slaves who wished to remain in Vir- ginia, and provided for the -younger ones till they became able to support themselves. The early education of Gov. Lucas was obtained chiefly before Biographical Sketches. 675 leaviug Virginia, from au old Scotch teaclier named McMuUen, who taught him mathematics and surveying, the latter affording him remunerative em- ployment in the new country of Ohio. On the 3d of April, 1810, Gov. Lucas was married, at Portsmouth, the coun- ty seat of Scioto county, to Elizabeth Brown, who died Oct. 18, 1813, leav- ing an infant daughter who still sur- vives, in the person of Mrs. Minerva E. B. Sumner, of West Liberty, Mus- catine county, Iowa. He was remar- ried, March 7, 1816, to Friendly A. Sumner, by whom he had four sons and three daughters, of whom two sons and two daughters are (1870) liv- ing, namely: Edw. W. Lucas, late lieutenant colonel of the 14th Iowa volunteers; Robert Lucas; Mrs. Su- sannah F. Smith and Miss Mary Lu- cas. The first oflSce held by Gov. Lucas was that of county surveyor of Scioto county, in 1803, and Dec. 16, 1805, he was commissioned a justice of the peace for Union township, for three years. His first military ap- pointment was that of lieutenant of militia, and dated Nov. 14, 1803. His commission, issued subsequently, was as lieutenant of the third company of militia in the county of Scioto, first brigade, second division, and was dated the 34th of May, 1804. He was subsequently promoted through all the military grades to major general of Ohio militia, which latter promo- tion was conferred on him in 1818. The breaking out of the war of 1812 found Robert Lucas a brigadier gen- eral of Ohio militia, and as such he had much to do with raising troops and encouraging enlistments for Gen. Hull's northwestern army, then organ- izing for its disastrous march to De- troit and Canada. About the same time he received notice of his ap- pointment as captain in the regular army, and afterwards (July 6, 1813), was commissioned and assigned to the nineteenth infantry, but in the meantime he had obeyed the com- mand of Gov. Meigs, of Ohio, to turn out of his brigade twelve hundred men to march to Detroit, and for him- self, with a company of men, to re- pair to Greenville to watch the move- ments of the Indians, and subsequent- ly to visit Detroit previous to the army marching. His chief employ- ment during that campaign was that of a spy, though we find him acting in various capacities. By the terms of his commission as captain in the regular army, he took rank from the 6th of July, 1812, and resigned his commission as such, Jan. 3, 1813, be- cause of its accompanying duties being incompatible with affairs he had undertaken as a military officer of Ohio, in which capacity he thought he could render the country better service. His resignation was accept- ed, but he was very soon afterwards appointed a lieutenant colonel, and subsequently colonel, in the regular army,but again receiving orders which he conceived to be inconsistent with higher duties, he again resigned. The civil appointments to which Gov. Lu- cas was called by the executive, or the people of the state of Ohio, were many, and some of them the highest in the gift of that commonwealth. At the time of his second marriage, in 1816, he was, and had been for some time, a member of the Ohio legisla- ture, serving successively in one or the other branch of the general as- sembly, and in the course of his legis- lative career, presiding over first one and then the other branch. In 1820, and then again in 1838, be was elected one of the presidential electors of Ohio. In May, 1833, at Baltimore, Md., he presided over the first demo- cratic national convention. In 1883, he was elected governor of Ohio, and reelected in 1834, and declined a third nomination for the same office. Under an act of congress " to divide the territory of Wisconsin, and to es- tablish the territorial government of Iowa." approved June 12, 1838, the subject of our sketch was appointed by president Van Buren, governor of the territory of Iowa ; a position which carried with it, ex officio, the addition- al duties of superintendent of Indian affairs. His commission, transmitted to him by John Forsyth, then United States secretary of state, bore date the 7th of July, 1838, and reached him at his residence in Piketon, Pike county, Ohio, ten d ays afterwards. Gov. Lucas, with characteristic promptness, wrote his letter of acceptance the same day, saying that he would start in a few days for the new territory. A journey however, from the interior of Ohio to the banks of the Upper Mississippi was then a matter of weeks instead of 676 Tuttle's Eistobt or Iowa. hours, and it was not till nearly the middle of August that he reached Burlington. The political history of Gov. Lucas' times has already been referred to in the early part of this volume, and cahnot be dwelt upon in this connection. In person, he was tall, active and wiry. Though stern in camp and council, in private life he was exceedingly gentle, pleasant and kind, an indulgent father and af- fectionate husband. All who knew him, even those who differed from him on questions of public polity, ac- corded to him native ability of a high order, incorruptible honesty of pur- pose, and unswerving patriotism. From early youth. Gov. Lucas had been a devoted and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His death was not the result of dis- ease, but from exhaustion and the ■weight of years. He died Feb. 7, 1853, at the ripe age of nearly 72 years. Gen. John Edwards. Gen. John Edwards was born Oct. 34, 1815, in Jefferson county, Kentucky, almost within the present boundaries of the city of Louisville. Hia father was one of the earliest pioneers of that vicini- ty, had acquired a large and valuable property both there and in Lawrence county, Indiana, which last he gave his son when 18 years of age. Shortly after his removal to Indiana, young Edwards was wed to Miss Eliia, daughter of Marcus KJnight, an early pioneer of Lawrence county. Soon after his marriage. Gen. Edwards re- moved to Bedford, and was for several years engaged in the shipment of cat- tle and produce, by flat boat, to New Orleans. Finding it unprofitable to carry on his farm and live at the coun- ty seat, he soon after removed to Law- renceport, within one mile of his farm, where he resided till 1849. In 1849, he took four young men, fitted them out, and went with them to Califor- nia, where he arrived with the first ox train that reached the El Dorado that year. He remained in California, performing the functions of a judge, or in law practice with his partner, Ellis, until 1853, when he was called home to Indiana by the illness of his wife, which, continuing, prevented his return to the Golden State. The same year that he returned from Cali- fornia, the whig party in Lawrence county nominated him for the state senate, and he was elected. Previous- ly to his going to California, he had been elected to the lower branch of the Indiana legislature. In 1853, Gen. Edwards removed from Indiana to Iowa, and established his home in Chariton, Lucas county, and in 1856, was elected to represent the ninth senatorial district in the constitution- al convention, which met in Jowa City, Jan. 19, 1857. Gen. Edwards also served three terms in' the legisla- ture of Iowa, and was speaker of the house at the breaking out of the war. In June, 1861, Gen. Edwards received a commission as aid-de-camp to Gov. Kirkwood, with the rank of lieutsnant colonel, his chief duties being to keep the rebels on the southern borders of Iowa in subjection. So well did he perform this difllcult task, that a year later he was made a full colonel, and given him command of the 18th Iowa infantry. His ervice ascolonel of this regiment was mostly performed in Missouri, where he rendered valuable assistance to the Union cause. Com- manding a brigade, he took a valiant part in many of the affairs fought in Arkansas in 1864, in recognition of which he was niade brigadier general. Gen. James A. Williamson. James Alexander Williamson, a brigadier general of volunteers from Iowa in the war of the rebellion, was born in Columbia, Kentucky, Feb. 8. 1829. There were no incidents of special m.oment connected with his early life. He grew up as most boys of " poor but respectable " peo- ple grew up, having considerable work to do, and getting such rudi- ments of education as the schools of the times afforded. By great per- severance and industry he succeeded in giving himself a course of classic- al and mathematical study at Knox College, and having completed his collQgiate studies, he went to Lancas- ter and studied law. Mr. Williamson was admitted to practice in Lancaster, but removed shortly after to the pres- ent capital of the stats. With the question of removing the capital from Iowa City to Des Moines, Mr. Wil- liamson had much to do. Mr. W. practiced law with success at Des Moines, taking less part perhaps in politics than is usual with members BlOGBAPBICAL SKETCHES. 677 of that profession. He continued in fellowship with the Democratic party till the breaking out of the rebellion, when entering the army, he eschewed for the time the subject of politics, but in the course of a year or more be- came a radical republican. Not long after tlie firmg on Fort Sumter, Mr. Williamson volunteered as a sol- dier of the union. The fourth Iowa volunteer infantry was at this time be- ing organized, and Mr. Williamson became the adjutant of the regiment., Not loig after the battle of Pea Eidge, Col. Dodge was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, and the lieutenant colonel of the regiment re- signing about that time. Adj. William- son was promoted to that rank. He was still further promoted in a few weeks, receiving the commission of colonel. From this time forth un- til near the close of the war, he served with his regiment commanding first it, then a brigade, and then a division, of which the fourth Iowa formed a part. It was one of the most dis- tinguished of the distinguished regi- ments which the state of Iowa sent to the field. The life of Gen. William- son is interwoven with the record of his famous regiment, to which refer- ence has been made in another' pai-t of this volume. CoL John A. Garrett. John Alex- ander Garrett, was horn Nov. 15, 1834, on a farm adjoining the town of Car- lisle, in Sullivan county, Indiana. He had all the advantages of an early ed- ucation that the country could afford, his parents sending him to the best schools of the section. In November, 1841, he was sent to Hanover Collge. Here, among his teachers, was Prof. Jacob Ammen, a West Pointer, a noted mathematician, an accomplish- ed drill master, a general in the late war. Here Col. Garrett received that severe military training in a college company which laid the foundation for his future reputation as company and regimental commander in the war of the rebellion. In 1847, he was pursuing his studies at the university, when the sound of the recruiting 4rum enticed him away for the war against Mexico — the only student en- listing — in company G, 4th Indiana Tolunteers. In July, 1848, he returned to his native town, and for a time act- •ed as clerk in a dry goods store« Thence until 1853, he was engaged in business with Peter Hawk and his brother. In 1853, the Garrett brothers went to California shipping cattle. While in California, James H. mar- ried the oldest daughter of Orson Willard, and Feb. 17, 1857, at Terre Haute, Ind., John A. was married to the youngest daughter of Mr. Willard. The day following his marriage, he started for Iowa, and Aprjl 18, 1857, landed at Burlington. In February, 1859, he moved to Newton, and went into the dry goods trade. ' In August, 1861, he raised a company in Jasper county, which on Sept. 6, and 7, was mustered in as company 1, 10th Iowa infantry, Col. Perczel. While at Jacin- to, Mississippi, in September, 1863, Capt. G. was promoted to the lieuten- ant colonelcy of the 33d Iowa. While on the way north to join the 33d, he learned of his appointment as colonel of the 40th Iowa, then form- ing in Iowa City. The history of this regiment is one of heroism and en- durance, and Col. Garrett's record is one of great gallantry. Space forbids a detailed account of his military his- tory. Daring the winter of 1864-5, Col. G. had most of the time com- mand of a brigade. In February, 1865, the regiment moved to Fort Smith. Here Col. G. again command- ed a brigade numbering 5,000 men. Shortly afterwards, Maj. Gen. Blount having been relieved from the com- mand of south Kansas, Ool. G. was assigned to the command of that dis- trict, and in the administration of its affairs won golden opinions from those around him. Col. G. retained this command, embracing all of the In- dian territory and part of Kansas, un- til Aug. 3, 1865, at Fort Gibson the regiment was mustered out and started for home. Hon. Charles Negus. Chailes Ne- gus, the author of the articles written for the "Annals of Iowa," on the Early History of Iowa, is a native of Massachusetts, and was a boy of con- siderable genius — marked out his own course of life, and is indebted to no man for his fortune. Charles, when an infant, was left without paternal care, and lived most of the time in the families of one or the other ot his grand parents till in the ninth year ot 678 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. his age. This year was a sad one for him, for during that year, his father's mother and his mother's father died, and both of the families of his grand parents were broken up, and his mother was married again. Charles, no longer having a home with his grand parents, went to live with his stepfather, and his relations with him were not altogether pleasant. His stepfather was desirous of keeping him at home for the services which he could perform, and by the laws of the state, had the right to control him till he was fourteen years old, when at that age, Charles chose a guardian and left his steptather. From that time he managed his own aflfairs, and shaped his own course. The example of his stepfather, and the associations thrown around him, were not such as to improve the morals of a youth. When in his seventeenth year, there was a great religious revival in the neighborhood where Charles lived, and many became converted. Among others he joined the church, and a freat change was noticed in his life, 'rom that time he became a hard student. He attended the Wesleyan academy at Wilbraham, Mass., a little over two years, and by dint of teach- ing, etc., worked his way through college, graduating in 1838, from the Wesleyan university at Middletown, Conn., with honor. After leaving col- lege, his first intention was to become a teacher, and he engaged in a high school in New London, Conn., but soon changed his plans and com- menced the study of law. In 1840, he was admitted to the bar. He started for the west and came to Iowa when most of the present territory of the state was Indian country, and the population only forty -three thousand, and settled in Fairfield in the spring of 1841, where he resided permanently, and was identified with the growth and prosperity of the state. Gov. John Chambers. John Cham- bers, the second governor of Iowa territory, was born October 6, 1780, at Bromley Bridge, Somerset county. New Jersey. His father, Rowland Chambers, was born in .Pennsylania, of Irish parentage. According to a tradition in the family, their remote ancestors were Scotch, and belonged to the clan Cameron. Having refused to join the rebellion of 1645, they mi- grated to Ireland, where, by an act of parliament, on their own petition, they took the name of Chambers. Rowland Chambers espoused with enthusiasm the cause of American independence, and was commissioned a colonel of New Jersey militia. At the close of the war, reduced in circum- stances, he immigrated to Kentucky, and settled in Washington, then the county seat of Mason county. John Chambers, the youngest of seven children, was then fourteen years old. A few days after the family settled in their new home, he found employ- ment in a dry goods store, and the following spring was sent to Transyl- vania seminary, at Lexington, Ken- tucky, where he remained for less than a year, and returned to his home. In the fall of 1797, Mr. Chambers became deputy to Francis Taylor, Esq., clerk of the district court. The duties of his office being light, he devoted him- self to the study of law. In Nov., 1800, Mr. Chambers was licensed to practice law. In 1803, having now entered upon a career of uninterrupted professional prosperity, he was mar- ried to Miss Margaret Taylor of Ha- gerstown, Md., a sister of the gentle- man in whose office he studied law. She lived but about three years, and in 1807, he married Miss Hannah Taylor, the sister of his first wife. In 1843, Mr. Chambers was chosen to represent his county in the legisla- ture, and would have been returned at the next session but declined. The waa' with Great Britain had begim, and Gen. Wm. Henry Harrison, then governor of Indiana, was invited to take command of her troops, then being organized to defend Ohio from the forays of the British, aided by their savage allies. After the defeat of Winchester, Gov. Shelby ofi'ered Mr. Chambers a place on his staff, which he was compelled to decline, having previously promised Gen. Har- rison to accept a position on his staft". Being summoned by the gen- eral to the front, he joined him about the first of September, at Camp Seneca, on Sandusky river, and was announced as aid-de-camp to the commander-in- chief, with the rank of major. He remained with Gen. Harrison until the close of ihe campaign, rendering efficient service. Biographical Sketches. 679 In 1815, Mr, Chambers was again elected to represent his county in the state legislature (lower house). He did not enter political life a.gain until 1828, when he served out the unex- pired term of Gov. Metcalfe in con- gress, but refused to be a candidate for reelection. From 1830 to 1832, he was again called to serve in the state legislature. In 1832, he was offered a seat on the bench of the supreme court of Kentucky, but declined it. Again, in 1835, he was nominated by the governor to the senate for the same office, and confirmed, but was obliged to resign before he had taken his seat, because of his health. In 1832, he had suffered the loss of his wife. She was a lady of cultivated mind and elegant manners, and had made his house a happy and attractive home. In 1835, he was again elected to rep- resent his district in congress. He was reelected in 1837, and served until the close of the 25ih congress, in March, 1839. It is a sufficient compli- ment to his ability and industry as a legislator to say that he succeeded the Hon. Elisha Whittlesey, so long and favorably known in that position, as chairman of the committee on claims, one of the most laborious and respon- sible positions in the national legisla- ture. Between 1815 and 1828, Mr. Chambers held, for several years, the office of commonwealth's attorney for the judicial district in which he lived. He was, during that period, at the zenith of his reputation as a lawyer and advocate. He met the giants of the Kentucky bar in important civil and criminal trials, and his efforts were attended with great success. Mr. Chambers closed his congression- al career in 1839, with the purpose of resuming the practice of law, but, at the earnest request of Gen. Harrison, he accompanied him throughout that memorable canvass during the presi- dential campaign of 1840, and pre- 'sented the claims of his old command- fer. He afterward accompanied the Ipresident elect to Washington, and ternporarily performed the duties of his private secretary. While in Wash- ington, Mr. Chambers was urged by President Harrison to accept some office requiring his residence there. This he declined, but afterwards ac- cepted the appointment of governor of Iowa. On the 13th of May, 1841, he entered upon the duties of his of- fice. His success in his administra- tion of the affairs of the territory was well attested by the approbatioH of the people, and by the hearty commenda- tion of those m authority in Washing- ton, especially for his management of Indian affairs. In 1844, his term of office having expired, he was reap- pointed by President Tyler, but was removed in 1845, by President Polk, for party reasons. Gov. Chambers' infirm health forbade his engaging in any regular employment after his re- turn to Kentucky. His latter years were spent mostly with his children, whose affection and respect were the chief conditions of his happiness. During a visit to his daughters, in Paris, Ky., he was taken sick at the house of his son-in-law, 0. 8. Brent, Esq., and, after a few weeks, breathed his last on the 21st day of Sept., 1852, in his seventy-second year. Prof. D.Franklin Wells. D.Frank- lin Wells was born in Oneida county, N. Y., June 22, 1830. Conceiving his mission to be that of an educator, and resolving to make this his life work, he entered the State Normal School at Albany, N. T., from which he was graduated in 1852, and entered at once upon his chosen profession. In 1853, through the agency of Prof T. S. Par- vin, he was induced to come to Iowa, and assumed the principalship of one of the public schools in Muscatine. After organizing and grading the school, he conducted it most success- fully until 1856, when he was elected principal of the narnial department of the State University, which position, together with that of professor of theo- ry and practice of teaching, he held for ten years; and, to quote from a biographical sketch in the Jov/rnal of Education, " his success was most re- markable ; clearly demonstrating that such a department, wisely conducted, can accomplish the professional train- ing of teachers as well as an independ- ent normal school." Pi-of. Wells haa been closely and intimately identified with the educational interests of the state for twelve years, and it is but simple justice to say that the labors of no other of our educators have been crowned with more marked success, and productive of more lasting benefit to the race. He was active in organ- 680 Tuttle's History of Iowa. izing and conducting teachers' insti- tutes, and in lecturing upon educa- tional subjects. He was a member and officer of the first state teachers' association, and was elected president of the present association in 1855, and again in 1859. On the resignation of Prof. Faville, causing a vacancy in the office of superintendent of public in- sti-uction. Prof. Wells was appointed to the position by the governor. A. little later the people ratified the ap- pointment by electing him to the office. It was while engaged in the duties of this position that he contracted the disease of which he died. His funeral occurred Friday, November 37, 1869. Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood. Samuel Jordan Kirkword was born Doc. 20, 1813, in Hartford county, Maryland, on his father's farm. His father was twice married, first to a lady named Coulson, by whom he had two sons, and, after her death, to Mary Alexander, by whom he had three children, all sons, the youngest of whom is the subject of these notes. The father of Gov. Kirkwood was a native of Maryland, his ancestors having settled thei-e previous to the revolutionary war; his mother was born in Scotland, and both pai'ents were strict members of the Presbyter- ian church. When ten years old, young Kirkwood was sent to Wash- ington city to attend a school taught by a relative named John McLeod. He remained at school four years, when he entered a drug store at Wash- ington as clerk, in which occupation he continued till after reaching his majority, with the exception of about eighteen months spent in teaching. In 1835, Gov. Kirkwood left Washing- ton, and settled in Richland county, Ohio, where he assisted his father and brother in clearing a farm. In 1841, he entered, as student, the law office of Thomas W. Bartley, after- ward governor of Ohio, and in 1843, was admitted to the bar by the su- preme court of Ohio. He there en- gaged in the practice of law with his tormer preceptor, Mr. Bartley, forming an association which continued for eight years. Gov. Kirkwood in the meantime attaining a high standing at the bar of Ohio. From 1845 to 1849, he served as prosecuting attorney of his county. In 1849 he was elected to represent his county and district iu the constitutional convention, and served as an active and influential member. In 1851, Mr. Bartley, his partner, hav- ing been elected to the supreme ju- diciary of the state,, Kirkwood formed a copartnership with Barnabas Barns, with whom he contihued to practice until the spring of 1855, when he re- moved to the west. Up to 1854, Gov. Kirkwood had acted with the demo- cratic party, but the Kansas-Nebraska act had the effect to drive him as was the case with many others, out of the party. In 1855. he came in a quiet way to Iowa, and settled two miles northwest of Iowa City, and engaged in the milling business, but soon en- tered into the political interests of the day. In 1856, he was elected to the state senate from the district com- posed of the counties of Iowa and Johnson, and served through the last session of the legislature held at Iowa City, and the first one held at Des Moines. In 1859, Kirkwood was made the standard bearer of the repub- licans of Iowa, and, after a stern con- test with as able and popular a com- petitor as Gen. A. C. Dodge, he was elected governor of Iowa by a majori- ty of over three thousand. In Octo- ber, 1861, he was with comparatively little opposition, reelected governor — an honor accorded for the first time in the history ot the state — his ma- jority having been about eighteen thousand. We cannot enter into de- tails respecting Gov. Kirkwood's ad- ministration, which have been more fully brought out in a former part of this volume ; suffice to say, that as gov- ernor during the darkest days of the- rebellion, he proved himself an able, as well as a loyal executive. During^ his second term, he was appointed' minister to Denmark, but declined the position. In January, 1866, he was a prominent candidate before the legislature for United States senator. It happened that the legislature had two terms of United States senator to fill — a short term of two years, to fill Harlan's unexpired term, and a long term of six jrears to succeed this. Ul- timately, Kirkwood was elected for the first, and Harlan for the second term. At the close of his senatorial term, March 4, 1867, he resumed the practice of law, which he has lately relinquished to accept the presidency Biographical Sketches. 681 of the Iowa City Savings Bank. Gov. Kirkwood was married in 1843, to Miss Jane Clark, a native of Ohio. They have no children. By the people of Iowa, or by the general govern- ment, he may yet be recalled from the retirement he delights in to hon- ors higher than he aspires to. [Since writing the above bloeraply, I am in receipt of the intelligence that Mr. Kirk- wood has been reelected to the office of gov- ernor of Iowa, by the largest vote ever given for a candidate for governor of Iowa.-C.E.T.] Col. John Q. Wilds. John Q. Wilds, was born at Fort Littleton, Pa., Octo- ber 24, 1823. Although unable to ob- tain a classic education, he secured for himself, by perseverance and hard study, a general knowledge of the common English branches, which, combined with sound judgment and good business tact, was the talisman of his success in after life. His earlier years were spent as a tiller of the soil. From 1850 to 1854, he was successfully engaged in mercantile pursuits at his native town. But he soon became restless and turned his gaze westward. Iowa was his choice among all the northwestern states, and he soon found himself within her borders. Settling in the village of Mount Vernon, he engaged in selling goods and specula- tion in lands and met with great suc- cess. In 1857, he was married to Miss Rowena Camp, who, with their two children, died in the fall of 1864. Sometime during the summer of 1861, he was elected captain of company A, 13th Iowa infantry. Serving with this regiment but a short time, he resigned to accept the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 24th Iowa infantry, sometimes called the "Iowa Temperance Regi- ment," or "Methodist Regiment." In 1863, Col. E. C. By am was compelled to leave the service by reason of ill health, and Lieut. Col. Wilds took his place. At the battle of Cedar Creek, Col. Wilds was mortally wounded, and his death occurred at Winchester, November 18, 1864. For account of his military services, see " Iowa in the Rebellion." Gen. Marcellns Monroe Crocker. Macellus Monroe Crocker was born Feb. 6, 1880, in Johnson covmty, Ind., where his early life was spent. In 1844, he removed with his father's family, to Fairfield, Jefferson county, Iowa, and two years later, received from Senator A. C. Dodge, the appoint- ment of cadet in the United State Mil- itary Academy at West Point. After two years creditably spent at the ac- ademy, he was suddenly called home by the death of his father. Seeing his mother but poorly provided for, he at once resigned his cadetship, that he might better assist her in the support of herself and his sisters. In 1850, Crocker, then 20 years of age, entered upon the study of the law, and was also married to a young lady whose heart he had won. He was admitted to the bar the following year, and opened an office in Lancaster, where he pursued his profession honorably and successfully till 1854, when he re- moved to Des Moines, and was soon afterwards recognized as one of the leading lawyers of the state. When the rebellion broke out, Crocker was among the first to respond to the pres- ident's call, by raising the first mili- tary company organized in Central Iowa, which was incorporated into the 2d Iowa Infantry, of which he be- came the first major, and the following September, when he was promoted to the grade of lieutenant colonel. On the 30th of October, 1861, he was com- missioned a full colonel, and given the command of the 13th Iowa Infantry; he remained in command of his regi- ment till tlie battle of Shiloh occurred, when the commander of the brigade to which the 13th was attached, being wounded and disabled early in the action of the first day, Crocker, as the next senior officer, took his place. On the 39th of November, 1862, Crocker was appointed a brigadier general, but the confirmation of his appointment by the senate was deferred till the following March, up to which latter date he remained in command of the Iowa Brigade. Gen. Grant's army was about moving for the rear of Vicksburg when Crocker received his commission as brigadier, and he was immediately put in command of the 7th division of the 17th Ai-my Corps, which, under him, greatly distin- guished itself at the battle of Jack- Ion, on the 14th of May, and bore a conspicuous part at the battle ot Champion Hill, on the 16th of May, 1863. He accompanied Gen. bner- man in his expedition to Harri- 682 TuTTLnfs History of Iowa. son's Landing, La., in the early part of 1864; trom Vioksburg to Meridian, and in the spring of the same year began the Atlanta campaign with the 17th corps. However, his health failed and he was obliged to leave the field ; with the hope of improving it, how- ever, he accepted a command in the department of New Mexico. Here his health improved, and at his own re- quest, he was ordered to report to the commander of the department of the Cumberland in the spring of 1865. His anxiety to return to the field and to active duty, induced him to start from New Mexico too early in the season, and his health became worse than ever. On the 6th of August, 1865, he started for Washington, and oa the 26th of the same month he died at Willard's Hotel, in that city, of Con- sumption, the disease which had for many years harrassed and hindered him. Mai. Gen. F. J. Herron. Francis Jay Herron was born at Pittsburgh, Pa., Feb. 17, 18B1; was educated at the Western university of Pennsyl- vania, graduated in 1853, and two years afterwards took up his resi- dence at Dubuque, Iowa, where the beginning of the war of the rebellion found him engaged in the busines of banking. He seems to have had a love for the discipline and exercises of military life, for, long before the war he helped to organize, and was in command of the " Governor's Greys." Early in December, 1860, he made a tender of the company to the govern- ment. This was the first offer of troops made to the government, as ap- pears from the letter of Hon. Joseph Holt, in his acceptance of the com- pany. No requirement of duly was made, however, but on the 14th of May it was mustered into the U. S. service, as company I, of flie Ist regi- ment of Iowa volunteers. One month from this date commenced the actual campaigning in the west. Through- out this campaign, Capt. Herron was in command of his company, and always on duty. He was mustered out, with his regiment, Aug. 33, and very soon after commissioned by Gov. Kirkwood, lieut. colonel of the 9th Iowa infantry, and immediately took the field. Very soon after joining his regiment the command of it devolved upon him, in consequence of the ab- sence of its colonel, Vandever, who had not yet been relieved of his duties in congress, and who, upon his return to the army, was assigned to the com- mand of a brigade. " Of the bravery of Lieut. Col. Herron, in immediate command of the Iowa 9th, too much cannot be said," was the report made of him by the brigade commander. Col. Vandever. In July, 1863, he was commissioned and confirmed a brigadier general, and soon afterward assigned by Gen. Schofield to the com- mand of a brigade, stationed at Bolla, Mo. Nov. 29, 1862, Gen. Herron was commissioned major general. He was, we believe, at the date of this commission, the youngest officer of that rank in the army. Having been the first to offer his services to the government, having participated in the first determined and brilliant fight made by the union forces, with the lamented Lyon, he was also the last federal officer to receive surrenders from the enemy. The first troopa offered to the government were his, and the last rebel flag surrendered to the government was received by him. He resigned his commission July 16, 1865, and returned to civil life, closing a military career of remardable activ- ity, and full of heroic incident. Maj. Gen. S. R. Cnrtis. Samuel Ryan Curtis, U. S. Pacific Bailroad commissioner, and first general of vol- unteers from Iowa, was born in Ohio, Feb. 3, 1807, and graduated at West Point July 1, 1831. After a brief ser- vice in Arkansas as brevet 3d lieuten- ant in the 7th U. S. infantry, he re- signed to engage as a civil engineer, both on the national road, and as chief of the Muskingum river im- provement in his native state, where he also commanded various military bodies, and engaged in the practice of the law. At the opening of the Mexi- can war, he was made adjutant general of Ohio, and soon afterwards colonel of the 3d Ohio volunteers. In Mexico, he served with distinction, with his regiment, as military governor of con- quered cities, and on the staff of Gen. Wool. In 1847, he removed to Keo- kuk, Iowa, always afterwards his home. In Iowa, he was long chief en- gineer of the Des Moines river im- provement, and here also he practiced Biographical Sketches. 683 law. From 1850 to 1853, he was chief engineer of St. Louis city, where he left a lasting monument of his abilities by connecting Bloody Island with the Illinois shore, thus saving St. Louis from becoming an inland town. Sub- sequently he acted as engineer for va- rious railroads through Indiana, Illi- nois and Iowa, and for these compa- nies in 1853, he indicated the line of a Central Pacific Railroad, as subse- quently adopted. As an original re- publican, he was thrice elected to con- gress from the 1st congressional dis- trict of Iowa, serving in the 35th, 30th, and 37th congresses. Here he was member of the committee on military affairs, and chairman of the commit- tee on the Pacifljc Railroad. He intro- duced a bill to construct this road on a plan substantially similar to the routes since adopted. He represented Iowa in the great " peace conference," which failed to prevent the greatest of civil wars. In the fall of Sumter, he left his home, and was one of the first to arrive in Washington, piloting the New York 7th regiment to the city as volunteer aid to its commander. , Re- turning, he was unanimously elected colonel of the 2d Iowa infantry, and leading his regiment, the first from Iowa to follow the flag below the state boundary, he seized the line of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, thus virtually capturing half the great state of Missouri^ then in incipient rebellion. Having completed this movement, he hastened to attend the extra session of congress, called July 4, 1861, and while in attendance, was present unofficially at Bull Run. Re- signing his seat in congress, he was made a brigadier general from May 17, 1861, and repaired to St. Louis, where, under Fremont, he organizea the " camp of instruction," first at Jefferson, and afterwards at Benton Barracks. Under Halleck, he first held the important command of the St. Louis district. He was ordered to assume command of the department of the Missouri, Sept. 24, 1862. This command he held for eight months, during the most gloomy period of the war. His position was one of vast re- sponsibility and importance, in which every duty was discharged to the sat- isfaction of the patriotic north. At the end of his eight months' adminis- tration, he was removed by Pres. Lin- coln, "not for any fault," but at the instance of a clique of Missouri poli- ticians. On Jan. 1, 1864, Gen. Curtis was assigned to the department of Kansas, including all of his old terri- torial command except Missouri and Arkansas. On Feb. 16, 1865, Gen. Curtis assumed command of the de- partment of the northwest, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Dakota, and all north of Nebraska. This de- partment was dissolved July 36, 1865. In the fall of 1865, the general went far up the Missouri as commissioner, to treat with the Indians, and effected some important treaties. He was also appointed U. S. commissioner to in- spect the Union Pacific Railroad. He had just completed an inspection of the last thirty-five miles, terminating three hundred and five miles west of the Missouri river, signed the report at Omaha, walked over the river on the ice, stepped into a carriage in appar- ent perfect health, and died within half a mile of the river bank. His re- mains were brought to their last rest- ing place in Keokuk, escorted by Gen. J. H. Simpson, Dr. Wm. White, Pa- cific railroad commissioners. Col. R. H. Hunt, of his former staff, and oth- ers. Gen. Wm. Vandever. Gen. Wil- liam Vandever is a native of the city of Baltimore, and was born March 31, 1817. When he was ten years of age his parents removed, or rather re- turned, to Philadelphia, their former place of residence, where they re- Inained until young Vandever had grown to man's estate. His education was received in the public schools of that city. At the age of twenty-two, that is in 1839, he emigrated westward, anrf locating at Rock Island, 111., he remained there until 1851, when he took up his residence at Dubuque, Iowa. During his residence in Illi- nois, he was for several years engaged in the survey of the public lands, and part of the time owner and editor of a paper published at Rock Island, called the Northwestern Admertiter. At Dubuque his first two years were spent in the surveyor general's office. Afterwards he was admitted to the bar, and commenced the practice of law in that city, in partnership with Hon. Ben. M. Samuels. In 1858, he was nominated by the republican 684 TuTTLBfs History of Iowa. party to represeut the second congres- sional district in congress. The can- vass was a spirited and close one, his his competitor being his former part- ner, Mr. Samuels. Mr. Vandever was elected, and in 1860 reelected by near- ly ten thousand majority. In 1861 commenced the war of the rebellion. Curtis and Vandever both offered their services to the goyernment, were accepted abandoned and their seats in congress lo share in the strife. They retained their seats, however, until after the extra session of that year. Veiy soon afterward, Mr. Vandever tendered to the war department a reg- iment to be recruited by himself from among his constituents. The offer having been accepted he set about raising his mert without delay. This work WIS soon accomplished, and tak- ing command in person, Col. V. re- ported at St. Louis with the 9th Iowa infantry in September, accompanied also by the 3d Iowa battery. In 1863, he accompanied Gen. Curtis in his southwestern campaign through Mis- souri and Arkansas. In November, 1863, Col. V. was commissioned brigadier general, and having been ♦ransferred to the department of Mis- souri, was placed in command of the second division of the old army. In 1863, he took part in the siege of Vioksburg, and, after its capture. Joined in an expedition to Yazoo City. Returning froBi this place his next field of service was the department of the gulf, accompanying Gen. Banks in his first expedition to Texas. From Texas, he returned in December, and reported to Gen. Grant at Nashville ; served with Grant, and afterwards with Sherman, on the line of opera^ tions to Atlanta, and subsequently from Savannah to Richmond. At thg battle of Bentonville, N. C, the general won distinction, and for it, afterwards, a brevet major generalship. He was mustered out of the United States service in September, 1865, after over four years of brave and faithful service. Gen. Gyrus Bussey. Cyrus Bussey, major general by brevet. United States volunteers, came to Iowa in the sum- mer of 1855, then a young man of twenty-two years of age ; located at Bloomfleld, Davis county, and entered into mercantile business. He was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, Octo- ber 5, 1833. His father was a Meth- odist minister in poor circumstances, with a large family. His early educa- tional advantages were very limited, but his native ability, joined with hab- its of persistent study, have largely made up for these drawbacks of his youth. The war found him a success- ful and thriving merchant. Up to this time he had been an earnest and effi- cient democrat; a member of the state senate in 1858, a delegate to the Charleston and Baltimore conventions of 1860; but the signal gun having been fired at Sumter, he stepped out of the ranks of his party, no longer a partisan but a patriot. Gov. Kirk- wood had not failed to notice the in- telligence and energy which Senator Bussey had shown since the 'opening of the war, and sent him a commission as aid-de-camp, with rank of lieuten- ant-colonel, and assigned to him the control of the militia of the southeast part of the state. About this time Col. Bussey was authorized bj; the United States government to raise a regiment of cavalry, which he set about with his usual energy and suc- cess ; and, by the 30th of August, had his regiment, the 3d Iowa cavalry, in rendezvous, having been commis- sioned its colonel on the 10th of the same month. In 1863, he became in- corporated with the arniy of the south- west, and was assigned the command of a brigade of cavalry. On the 10th of July, 1862, he was assigned the command of the third brigade of Gen. Steele's division, of the same army. On the 11th of January, 1863, was ap- pointed to the command of the district of Eastern Arkansas, which he filled until the following April, when he succeeded Maj. Gen. Washburn in command of the second cavalry divis- ion, Army of the Tennessee. At his own suggestion, he was relieved and ordered to report at Vicksbm-g, then the most active field of military oper- ations in Ihe west. Soon after his arrival, he was appointed chief of cav. airy, and, until the fall of Vicksburg, commanded all the cavalry engaged in that famous seige. January 5, 1864, he was commissioned brigadier gen- eral, United States volunteers, for "special gallantly." His promotion found him at Little Rock, where he remained until the winter of 1865. When Gen. Reynolds took command Biographical Sketches. 685 of the department, relieving Gen. Steele, G-en. Bussey was assigned to a new and very important command, embracing western Arkansas and the Indian territory, and the third division of the seventh army corps. Gen. Bus- sey was commissioned major general by brevet, March 13, 1865, remaining in command of his district until the 1st of October, of the same year, when, the war having ended, he was mus- tered out of service. , Brig. Gen. James M. Tuttle. James Madison Tuttle is a native of New York; was born on the 24th of Sept., 1823, near Summerfleld, in Monroe county. His father emigrated to Fay- ette county, Indiana, when James was ten years of age. Here he remained until grown to years of maturity. His opportunities for education were the common schools. Soon after arriv- ing at his majority, he came to Iowa, and located at Farmington, Van Bu- ren county, where he engaged in mer- cantile pursuits. In 1855 he was elec- ted sheriff, and two years afterward, treasurer and recorder of the county. On the opening of the war, he was among the first to respond to the call for volunteers, and, closing his busi- ness, recruited a company of which he was elected captain. So deeply was the patriotic sentiment stirred, and so rapid the response to the call, that Capt. Tuttle and his company were of the surplus volunteers who were unable to be mustered in. But biding his time patiently, h's com- pany was in the following May {1861 ?) assigned to the second Iowa Infantry, and mustered into the service on the 27th of that month. The rendezvous of the regiment was at Keokuk. Here Capt. Tuttle was elected Lt. Colonel, and further pro- moted to the rank of colonel, Sept. 6, Col. Curtis having been appointed hrigadier general. His intrepidity at Fort Donelson, and cool self-posses- sion at Shiloh, won him promotion, and on the 9th of the following June, he was commissioned brigadier gen- eral. During the fall of 1862, and the following winter, he was in command of Cairo, Illinois ; but in the spring of 1863, he was relieved from this comparatively idle position, and as- signed the command of a division of Gen. Sherman's corps, participating in the campaign against Vicksburg and the capture of Jackson, Missis- sippi. In the fall election of the year, he was the democratic candidate for governor of Iowa, but failed of elec- tion probably because he was not the candidate of the dominant party in the state, etc. Returning to the field, he performed efficient duty until the spring of 1864, when he was mustered out of the service. Antoine Le Claire. Antoine Le Claire, the subject of this memoir, was of French and Indian descent, his father being a Canadian Frenchman and his mother being the granddaugh- ter of a Pottawattamie chief. His father was with the early adventurers among the Indians when they were al- most the only inhabitants of the northwest territory. As early as 1808, he established a trading post at what is now Milwaukee, Wis,, for the pur- chase of furs from the Indians. In 1809, he was associated with John Kinzie, at Fort Dearborn, now Chica- go, 111., conducting the business of the trading post. During the war of 1812, and while many of the Indians ■Ttere hostile to the United State? through British influence, he was loyal, entered the American service, and was taken prisoner in the conflict at Peoria. He was confined, with others, at Alton, hut was released the same year of his captivity. Antoine Le Claire, his son, was born on the 15th of Dec, 1797, at what is now called St. Joseph, in the state of Michi- gan. Little is known of his early youth, except that, about the time of his father's captivity during the war with Great Britain, at the instance of Gov. Clarke, of Missouri, when some fifteen or sixteen years old, he was taken into the American service, and placed at school that he might learn the English language. In 1818, at twenty-one years of age, he served as interpreter to Capt. Davenport at Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, Ills. In 1820, he went to Peoria, where he married the granddaughter of A-co-qua (the Kettle), a Sac chief. Her father was Antoine Le Page, a Canadian. The same year Mr. Le Claire was sent to Arkansas to watch the movenients- of the Indians in that region. In 18<57, he was again stationed at Fort Arm- strong; and, in 1833, he was present TuTTLlfs ElSTOBT OF lOWA. as interpreter, at the Indian treaty by which. that part of the country west of the Mississippi river, known as the Black Hawk purchase in Iowa, was obtained from the Indians after the Black Hawk war. As the cholera, so prevalent throughout the United States that year, was among the troops at Fort Armstrong, the council at which the treaty was formed was held on the west side of the Mississippi, in the marquee of Gen. Scott, used for the purpose, where afterwards was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Le Claire for many years, until it and the ground around gave place to the depot of the Mississippi and Missouri Bailroad, in Davenport, as it now is. In this treaty, the chiefs of the Sacs and Foxes re- served one section at the Rock river rapids, where Davenport is now situ- ated, as a gift to Mrs. Le Claire upon condition of her house being placed on the spot where the treaty was made ; and also a section at the head of the rapids, on which the town of Le Claire is built, was reserved for Mr. Le Claire. The Pottawattamies, also, in the treaty of Prairie du Chien, presented Mr. Claire two sections in Illinois, on which reserve the flour- ishing manufacturing village of Mo- line is now situated. The treaty with the Sacs and Foxes was ratified by congress in the following winter, and, in the spring of 1833, Mr. Le Claire erect«d a small building in what was then the village of " Morgan," where these Indians had lived for years. In 1833, Mr. Le Claire received the ap- pointment of postmaster and also of justice of the peace, being deemed a ver^ suitable person to adjust any difficulties with the Indians. His ju- risdiction was the largest of any jus- tice of the peace in Iowa, embracing the whole Black Hawk purchase. As early as 1836, he established a ferry across the Mississippi, and, it is said, used to carry the mail in his pocket as postmaster. *Mr. Le Clair was a remarkable lin- guist, considering his early opportui- ties for study, speaking a dozen dif- ferent Indian tongues, besides French and English, and served as interpre- ter in some seven different Indian treaties. In 1835, he sold to Col. George Davenport a portion of the town which bears the name of Daven- *A2iiials of Iowa, 1868. port; and from time to time he made additions to the original plat, till he became one of the greatest pr6prietors in Iowa, perhaps the largest, inolud- ing the site of Le Clair, which also grew to a large town. In 1836, he built the hotel which bears his name, to which, addition to addition has been made, including the whole side of the block. And to every branch of business, he has extended aid by helping worthy and enterprising men, as also to the churches of the city, for to them he was particularly liberal, es- pecially to those of his own creed, he being a Roman Catholic. Mr. Le Clair died on the 25th of Sept., 1861, suddenly, at last, with a third attack of a paralytic disease. His funeral was attended by a multitude of citi- zens and old settlers of the county. Geo. L. Davenport, Esq.— George L. Davenport is the oldest son of Col George Davenport, being bom on Rock Island, in 1817, and the first white person born in this region. His earliest playmates were Indian boys, whose language he learned almost as soon as bis mother tongue, the Eng- lish. He was very early adopted among the Sac and Fox Indians, ac- cording to the custom with favorites, and named "Musquake." After one year's schooling away from home, in Cincinnati, at ten years of age, he was put into the store of the American Fur Company, at Rock Island, where he continued ten years, and till it was removed to the Des Moines river. He made frequent trips thither, and to trading posts along that river, with goods; and, in 1837, accompanied the Sac and Fox delegation of Indians to Washington, and other eastern cities. The first " claim " in Iowa was made by him, in 1833. On his return from the east, he resided on it, to secure the right of preemption ; and, in 1838, entered the store of Messrs. Daven- port and Le Clair. In 1839, he was married, and began business for him- self, which he pursued constantly for several years. In 1850, with Mr. Le Clair, he erected the first foundry and machine shop in the city of Daven- port, but subsequently sold liis inter- est and retired from active business. As a capitalist, he has done much for the improvement of the city of Dav- 1 enport, by building a fine block, by a Biographical Sketches. 687 liberal encouragement of every good enterprise, by courtesy and informa- tion ffeely bestowed on visitors to this country. His acquaintance with In- dian tongues must have made him serviceable to the United States gov- ernment, and the country, in quelling the Indian troubles in Minnesota, and in averting the savage warfare of the Indians against the white population. Willard Barrows, Esq.* Willard Bai'rows was born at Munson, Mass., in 1806. He received a thorough edu- cation in the common schools and ac- ademies of New England. In 1827, he settled in Elizabethtown, N. J., where he taught school for several years ; and was married in 1833. Se- lecting the pursuit of engineering and surveying, he engaged in a contract with the government to finish the sur- veys of the Choctaw Indian Purchase, in the cypress swamps and canebrakes on the Yazoo and Sunflower rivers. In 1837, he was occupied in the first surveys of Iowa by the government, and spent the winter on the Wapsi- pinicon river, and in July, 1838, he settled with his family in Bocking- ham, five miles below Davenport. In 1840, Mr. Barrows sm"veyed the islands of the Mississippi, from the mouth of the Bock river to Quincy, 111. In 1841-2, the public surveys being sus- pended, he engaged in farming, and held the ofiSce of justice of the peace, of postmaster and notary public, at Bockingham, in which he continued till 1843, when he entered upon the survey of the Kickapoo country, north of the Wisconsin river. Afterwards, Mr. Barrows traversed northern Iowa, then in possession of the Indian tribes, with a view to a knowledge of the re- gion. " Barrow's New Map of Iowa, with Notes," was published, in 1854, by Doolittle & Munson, Cincinnati, and it was considered of so much im- portance that the legislature of Iowa ordered copies of it for the members of both houses, and also for the state officers. This work, together with let- ters published in the Davenport Bemo- erat, from California, whither he went in 1850, by the overland route, endur- ing almost incredible hardships, and returning by Mexico and Cuba, and also some communications for the press, of a scientific character, consti- * Annals ol Iowa, 1863. tute, along with the History of Scott county, Iowa, published in the Annals of Iowa, the chief literary productions of Mr. Barrows, all descriptive of new parts of our country. At intervals, Mr. Barrows has turned his attention to land business, with success. His sub- urban residence and grounds are situ- ated southwest of Davenport, where he enjoys the fruits of his past activity and enterprise. Hon. Hiram Price. Hon. Hiram Price, of Davenport, Iowa, was born the. 10th of January, 1814, in Wash- ington county Pennsylvania. At five years of age he was taken to Mifflin county ; and three years after to Hun- tington county in the old Keystone state, whence in the autumn of 1844, he removed to Davenport, which has ever since been his place of residence. On coming to Davenport, his capital of trade, as a merchant, was only one hundred dollars. But his business talent, his stern integrity, his resolute perseverance and entire temperance, made him successful in accumulating a handsome fortune from his small pecuniary beginning, continuing his mercantile pursuit only until 1848. In 1847, he was elected the first school fund commissioner of Scott county, which office he held for nine years. In 1848, he was chosen recorder and treasurer of Scott county, filling that position for eight years, and then de- clining a reelection. Mr. Price was connected from the first, with the en- terprise of the Mississippi and Mis- souri railroad, procuring the right of way along the route from Davenport to Council Blufis, and raising up friends for the great undertaking. For several years he was treasurer of the corporation, having in charge its con. struction as well as director of the same, being one of its original corpo- rators. In 1862, he was the success- ful candidate for representative to congress, in the district where Daven- port is located. Mr. Price is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a firm supporter of re- ligion and all benevolent institutions of the day, as well as of the temper- ance cause, in which he has been an early and efficient actor. Col. D. S. Wilson. Col. D. a Wil- son was born at Steubenville, Jeflerson 688 Tuttle's History of Iowa. county, Ohio, in 1823, and emigrated to Dubuque, in the territory of Iowa, ■while a boy. Before the age of twenty- one, he was the editor of the Miners' Utepress, one of the earliest papers pub- lished in Iowa. Just after reaching his majority, he was elected to the house of representatives of the territo- rial legislature. He served several sessions while the capital was at Iowa City, always being placed as chair- man on important standing commit- tees, and acting a prominent part in the legislation of lie state. In 1846, in connection with others, he raised a company of volunteers, and tendered their services to go to Mexico. Being unable to get this company into service for the Mexican war, it was sent to Fort Atkinson, in Iowa, where they relieved the late lamented Gen. Sumner, who then went with the regulars under his command, to Mexico. Col. Wilson and his com- pany remained at Fort Atkinson, in charge of the Winnebago Indians, for two years and several months, and re- moved these Indians to Long Prairie, Minnesota. Several of our respected citizens were at Port Atkinson with him, then Lieut. D. S. Wilson. Lat- terly Col. Wilson has devoted himself to the practice of law at Dubuqne, and the law Arm, with which he has been connected as senior partner, has done as laige a business as any in the state. From 1860 to 1863, Col. Wilson repre- sented Dubuque county in the senate of the State. In the revision of the code in 1860, he took an active and important part. In the extra session of 1861, after the breaking out of the rebellion. Col. Wilson, with other democrats, rose above party, and pat- riotically voted for all supplies deemed necessary to carry on the war. Col. Wilson was commissioned by Secre- tary Stanton to raise a regiment of cavalry in Iowa, and was sent to the warfare with the hostile Indians, on the western frontier. For this he was admirably fitted by his acquaintance with Indian character and military experience. Brig. Gen. Benjamin Stone Rob- erts. This oflcer was born in Man- chester, Vt, on the 18th of November, 1810. His father, Gen. Martin Kob- erts, was a native of the same town. He is descended directly from revolu- tionary sires, his grandfathers on the father's and mother's side having been soldiers in the war of the revolution. Gen. Roberts was educated at West Point, graduated in 1835, and was commissioned 3d lieutenant in tlie 1st regiment of dragoons. He resigned in 1839, and was appointed by the governor of New York principal en- gineer on the Ogdensburg and Cham- plain Railroad. In 1840, he was ap- pointed assistant geologist of the state of New York, and assigned especially to the mineralogical survey of Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. He entered the law office of Gen. Skinner at Plattsburg, N. Y., and there devot- ed all his leisure hours to the study of law, with a view to that profession for life. In 1843, he was induced to visit Russia, under assurances that his ser- vices would be accepted by the em- peror on the great railroads then in process of construction, but Gen. Roberts could not make satisfactory terms with the Russian government owing to the requirement of the oath of allegiance. In the spring of 1843, he completed his law studies, and the following year was admitted to the practice of law, and established him- self at Fort Madison, Lee county, Iowa, and thus became one of the first and oldest settlers and citizens of Iowa. In 1846, at the breaking out of the Mexican war, he was by President Polk, appointed 1st lieutenant in tlie regiment of mounted riflemen. With that regiment that bore a more than notable share in theliardshipa, glories and successes of Gen. Scott's cam- paign and conquest of Mexico, he was not the least distinguished of its officers. Gen. Roberts was brevetted a major and lieutenant general in the regular army, by President Polk, in consideration of his services in Gen. Scott's campaign. He was presented by the legislature of Iowa, in 1849, a resolution of thanks for his services in the capture of the city of Mexico, and afterwards with a sword of honor, pre- sented by its representatives in con- gress at the Capitol in Washington. At the breaking out of the rebellion, Gen. Roberts was on duty with his regiment in New Mexico, and by his prudence, energy and foresight, the designs of the commanding officer of that department and his traitorous ac- complices, to turn that country over Biographical Sketches. 689 to the southern confederacy, with its troops, arms, forts, and supplies, were defeated. Our limits forbid our en- tering into the details of the military history of Gen. Roberts. The follow- ing extract from the official report of Gen. Pope will show in what estima- tion his services were held, during that memorable campaign of the army of the Potomac, in eastern Virginia, in which Gen. Roberts bore so con- spicuous a part. "To Brig. Gen. Roberts, in particular, I am indebted for services, marked throughout by skill, courage, energy and judgment, and worthy of the solid reputation as soldier, he has acquired by many pre- vious years of faithful and distin- guished militaty service." Hon. G. C. R.. Mitchell. Judge Mitchell was born December 26, 1803, at Danbridge, Jefferson county, East Tennessee. He was educated at East Tennessee College (now "East Ten- nessee University "), in Knoxville, Tenn., and was a member of its first graduating class in the fall of 182S. His parents having removed to Law- rence county, Ala., he proceeded thither after graduating, and com- menced studying law with Judge A. F. Hopkins, now of Mobile, and was admitted to practice in 1835. He practiced in Alabama until 1834, and spent a winter in a tour among the eastern cities, and in the spring of 1835. came west, after visiting St. Louis, Chicago, Galena and Dubuque. Liking this portion of the country, and anticipating the results of its ad- mirable location, he purchased a squatter's right, the tract of land upon which he at present resides. He erect- ed a cabin, which stood en Fifth street, just west of De Soto street, and resided in it until 1837, or two years. At that time, what now constitutes Iowa was attached to Michigan, and until Wisconsin was formed, there were neither laws nor officers of any kind west of the Mississippi. For several years the principal profession- al business of lawyers in the territory was limited to litigation in regard to claim titles, or "squatters' rights." Judge Mitchell added to this species of practice, somewhat, in the courts of Rock Island county, which were at that time organized. In 1843, he was elected to the house of representa- 44 lives of the Iowa territorial legisla- ture. He was nominated as congres- sional representative from the state in 1846, but was defeated. He was elect- ed mayor of Davenport in 1856, and in April, 1857, was nominated by a meeting of the bar, and elected judge of the 14th judicial district, composed of the counties of Scott, Clinton and Jackson. He was elected to this office by a handsome majority, although the republican party nominated and ran a party opposition candidate, and had a large majority upon almost every one of their ticket. He filled this office until the fall of 1857, and then resign, ed, owing to ill health, and with a de- sign of removing to a warmer climate. Judge Mitchell was always a whig un- til that party dissolved, or became in- ducted with free soilism, and other of its modern characteristics ; since then he has acted with the democratic par- ty in full faith in its nationality. As a jurist. Judge Mitchell takes a high position — he is profoundly discrim- inative, a keen, careful analyst, and one whose deductions are always re- liably correct. Capt. Hosea B. Horn. Capt. Hosea B. Horn was born near Harrodsburg, the seat of Justice of Mercer county, Kentucky, on the 3d of December, 1820. His father, named John, and his grandfather, Phillip Horn, were of German descent, and natives of Frederick county, Maryland. Both were farmers, the grandfather having fought in the army of the Revolution, and both of them were one year in the war of 1812, and at the battle of New Orleans, after their removal to the country near Harrodsburg, Ky., where the family settled, in the year 1800, when John was sis years old. The mother of Capt. Horn was the daugh- ter of Turner Bottom, of English pa- rentage and birth, in Henrico county, Virginia, whence he emigrated to Mercer county, Ky., in 1794, where she was born the following year. As Ken- tucky afforded but few facilities for education, during young Horn's boy- hood, he never had the advantages of common school education, nor of at- tending any school, being chiefiy in- structed by his mother at home, and self taught by reading and study, till apprenticed to Mr. Jesse Head of Har- rodsburg, Ky., in the printing bus- 690 Tuttle's History of Iowa. ioess, at the age of fifteen. Id the printiDg office, he had some assistance from others in the same employment, and hy personal attention to books through early life, he acquired what may well be termed self education. His father having removed to Indiana, in 1839, being a young man of nineteen, he entered the office of the clerk of the circuit court of Bartholemew coun- ty, in that state, where he remained about five years. In the spring of 1844, with Mr. H. C. Child, he edited and published a weekly political news- paper in Columbus, Ind., devoted to the cause of the whig party, and advo- cating the election of Henry Clay to the presidency of the United States. In the autumti of 1845, he disposed of his interest in that paper, removed to Davis county, Iowa, where he was ad- mitted to the bar. He was married Dec. 9, 1847, to Miss Margaret Weaver, daughter of Judge Abram Weaver. In 1850, he made a trip overland to California; his notes of travel were publishsd as " Horn's Overland Guide to California." On his return to Bloomfield, Davis county, Iowa, he engaged in mercantile business till 1860. In 1852, he was honored. with the nomination for the office of state treasurer. In 1854, while engaged in merchandising, he found leisure to prepare and publish a Form Book for Justices of Peace and Constables, the first work of the kind issued in this state. In 1855 and 1856, Mr. Horn also edited the American Newspaper at Bloomfield, and the republican paper there in 1858. During the sum- mer of 1863, when the southern border of the state was in danger of 'invasion. Gov. Kirkwood gave Mr. Horn spe- cial authority to organize the militia, of Davis county. And immediately after, the general assembly authorized the or^nization of the "Southern Border Brigade." Mr. Horn was com- missioned as captain of company A, in the second battalion, and the com- panies composing that battalion se- lected him as major, or officer of the highest rank in the brigade. But Gov. Kirkwood, from motives of economy, etc., concluded to have no higher rank than captain commissioned. It may be added that Mr. Horn held the office of postmaster at Bloomfield, and has been justice of the peace there; com- missioner to superintend the draft in Davis county, in 1863, and enrolling officer in 1863. Brig. Gen. Samuel A. Rice. Samuel Allen Eice was born in the village of Clean, Cattaraugus county, N. T., Jan. 37, 1838. He was the sixth of a family of eight children. His preparation for college was chiefly acquired at an ex- cellent seminary at Wheeling, W. Va., and he entered the state university of Ohio, at Athens, and graduated in reg- ular course. He then attended Union College, at Schenectady, N. Y., and graduated in 1849. His choice of a profession was that of law, and he at- tended Fowler's Law School, and af- terwards read law in the office of Z. Jacobs, Esq., at Wheeling, Va. Hav- ing acquired sufficient knowledge of law to enter upon his profession, he went to Iowa, in 1850, and commenced to practice at Fairfield, in Jefferson county. Here he also edited, or as- sisted in the editing of a journal which advocated the principles of the whig party. In 1852, he went to Os- kaloosa, then a small village, and made that place his home. Here he entered into partnership with Lieut. Gov. E. W. Eastman, and speedily gained an honorable position at the bar, and a lucrative practice. In 1854, he was married to a daughter of the Rev. James Alexander. Upon the for- mation of the republican party, he at once identified himself with the new organization. In 1856, and again in 1858, he was elected attorney general of the state. In 1863, he was nomi- nated as candidate for congress, but was defeated. He received the com- mission of colonel of the 88d Iowa infantry, Aug. 10, 1862, and within a month the regiment was fully organ- ized. We have not space to give Gen. Rice's military history in detail, but refer the reader to Annals of Iowa for Jan., 1865, for further information. His death, which occurred July 6, 1864, was the result of wounds received at the battle of Pine Bluflf. James L. Langworthy. The an- cestors of James Lyon Langworthy were originally from Wales, in the west of England. His father. Dr. Stephen Langworthy, resided at Windsor, in that state, and James, the eldest of his children, was born there on the 20th of January, 1800. While Biographical Sketches. 691 a youth, his parents removed to St. Lawrence county, N. T., thence to Erie county, Penn., subsequently to Ohio, and, in the year 1830, to Ed- •wardsville, 111. James accompanied the family in these several migrations, but though cooperating thus far, cheerfully as a pioneer with his father, he longed to start out in life for him- self, and try his fortunes in the far west. Leaving the parental roof in 1821 or 1822, young Langworthy en- tered upon a career of his own, thus manifesting at an early period, that enterprise, activity, decision, and en- ergy, which afterwards formed the distinguishing traits of his character. In 1824, having learned of the lead mines of the northwest, he made his way to Galena, performing a large part of the journey on foot. Galena was then a small settlement, contain- ing four or five houses and a few shanties, all occupied by miners. Mr. Langworthy immediately engaged in mining, and thence forward identmed himseU' with the mining interests of the northwest. In 1827, Mr. Lang- worthy was employed by the U. S. government to visit the different bands of Winnebago, Sac and Fox Indians, at the portage of the Fox and Wiscon- sin rivers, for the purpose of negotiat- ing a treaty with Uiem, and to induce them to remove to other hunting gounds westward of the Mississippi, e accompanied Gen. Henry Dodge, who was subsequently governor of Wisconsin, and senator in congress from that state. The Indians assem- bled, and a treaty was entered into, which secured to the United States all northwestern Illinois and south- western Wisconsin. Mr. Langworthy returned to Galena, and engaged in mercantile pursuits, and afterwards in mining and smelting at Buncome — an almost forgotten locality, a few miles northeast of Galena, and sixteen miles from Mississippi river. In the latter business he was associated with his brother-in-law, Orrin Smith, Esq., afterwards known as one of the most successful pioneers in steamboat com- merce on the upper Mississippi. In 1829, Mr. Langworthy resolved to visit the famous Dubuque mines. Crossing the Mississippi at a point now known as Dunleith, in a canoe, and swim- ming his horse by its side, he landed at a spot now known as the Jones street levee. Before him spread out a beautiful prairie, on which now stands the city of Dubuque. Two miles south at the mouth of Catfish creek, was an Indian village of Sacs and Foxes. Thither our adventurer pro- ceeded. Employing two young In- dians as guides, he traversed the whole region lying betwen the Ma- quoketa and Turkey rivers. In 18S0, James L. Langworthy, his brother Lucius, and others, with the consent of the Indians, crossed the Missis- sippi and commenced mining in the vicinity around Dubuque. They con- tinued to work successfully until the winter of 1831, when the government ordered the miners to desist, and to remove from the territory west of the Mississippi. Mr. L. and his co-labor- ers obeyed the order, and abandoning their claims for a season, went to Galena. The Black Hawk war soon after broke out, and Mr. L. immedi- ately joined the volunteer force under Gen. Dodge, and rendered valuable services as a scout. He served through the whole campaign. After the treaty of Rock Island, Mr. L. and his brother pioneers took possession of their well earned mineral prospects and their homestead claims. In 1840, Mr. Langworthy married Miss Agnes Milne, a native of Edinburgh, Scot- land. The issue of this marriage is a son and three daughters, all of whom survive. From his permanent settlement in Dubuque, in 1833, he has been identified with every move- ment that was wisely designed to pro. mote the prosperity of our city. His death was sudden, unexpected, and occurred March 14, 1865. Gen. G. M. Dodge. Grenville M. Dodge was born April 12, 1881, at Danvers, Massachusetts. He had the advantages of the common schools during the winters, and between the ages of ten and seventeen, ijrorked in the summers at gardening and farm- ing, and as clerk in a general mercan- tile store. He occupied his leisure hours, during these seven years, in fitting himself for college, and, m 1847, entered the Norwich Military Univer- sity, of Vermont. In 1851, at the con- clusion of his studies, he emigrated to the west, and settled at Peru, Illinois, as a civil engineer. He participated in the construction of the Illinois Cen- 692 Tuttle's Histobt of Iowa. tral, Chicago and Bock Island, and Peoria and Bureau Valley railroads, and in 1853, was appointed assistant engineer of the Mississippi and Mis- souri railroad of Iowa, now the Chica- go, Bock Island and Pacific railroad. He made the preliminary surveys of the latter road, across the state of Iowa, under the direction of Peter A. Dey, and upon the completion of the first line, moved into the state and located at Iowa City. In 1853, he made a reconnoissance west of the Missouri river, with a view of deter- mining the location of the great Pa- cific railroad of the future. So well satisfied was he of the course of the road, and its starting point on the Mis- souri river, that he determined to make his permanent location in Coun- cil Blufis, Iowa, and November 11, 1854, he moved there with his wife. In the same month he made a claim, and opened a farm on the Elkhorn river, at the old ferry and 'military crossing, moving there February 1, 1855, and remaining until August 1, 1855, when the Indians drove him out, and he returned with his family to Council Bluffs. During portions of 1855, 1856 and 1857 he continued the survey and construction of the Mis- sissippi and Missouri railroad. In the mean time he took a prominent part in the growth and prosperity of Council BluflFs, where he was engaged in banking, real estate and mercantile business, and during his residence tliere he organized a military com- pany, called the Council Blufls Guards. At the breaking out of the war in 1861, Capt. Dodge tendered the services of this company to the governor, as the nucleus of the 1st Iowa infantry. The governor declined to take any troops from the exposed western border of the state, but accepted his individual services, and sent him to Washington to arrange for the armingand equip- ment of the Iowa troops. His mission was successful, and while there, the secretary of war offered him a regi- ment. The governor of the state ap- proving, he raised the 4th Iowa in- fantry regiment, of which he was commissioned colonel, and also the 2d Iowa (Dodge's) battery. He marched in July, 1861, with this com- mand to northwestern Missouri, to drive out the confederate leader, Poin- dexter, who was threatening southern Iowa and the Hannibal and St. Joseph railroad with a considerable force of insurgents. The expedition waa sue- sessful, and Col. Dodge returned to Council Bluffs, perfected his organiza- tions, and reported, with his regiment and battery, in August, 1861, to Qen. Fremont, at St. Louis. He was soon ordered, with his regiment, to Bolla, Mo., and commanded that frontier post until the organization of the arm^ of the southwest, under Gen. Curtis, when be was assigned to the command of the fourth brigade, and led the advance in the capture of Springfield, Missouri. He took a prominent part in the celebrated battle of Pea Eidge, where the rebel power was broken in Missouri and northern Arkansas, had three horses killed un- der him and was seriously wounded. He was made a brigadier general, at the request of Maj. Gen. Halleck, for his gallant conduct in this battle. Af- t^ recovering from his wounds, he was designated to command the dis- trict of Columbus, Kentucky. While holding this command, he defeated Gen. Villipegue, on the Hatchie river, captured Gen. Faulkner and his com- mand, near Island No. 10, and took many prisoners. Immediately atter the battle of Corinth, in the fall of 1863, he was assigned to the command of the 2d division of the army of the Tennessee in the district organized and commanded by Gen. Grant. Soon after, he was assigned to the command of the the district of Corinth, Miss., opening the campaign in the spring of 1863, by defeating the confederate forces under Forrest, Boddy, Fergu- son and others; also fell upon Van Doren's column at Tuscumbia, on its march north to Bragg's army. Combining the education of a civil engineer with that of a soldier the rebuilding of several railroads was added to his other duties; he also raised and equipped large numbers of colored troops, and in April, 1868, made the notable campaign up the Tennessee valley to the neighborhood of Decatur, in the rear of Bragg's army, destroyinff its supplies and connec- tions, and aiding in the retreat and destruction of that army. July 6, 1863, he was assigned to the command of the left wing of the 16th army corps, with headquarters at Corinth, Missis- sippi. His forces made a raid on Biographical Sketches. Granada Miss., in connection with a movement from Vicksburgh, which resulted in driving the enemy south of that place, and capturing fifty-five locomotives, and a thousand cars. While at the head of the 16th army corps he joined Gen. Sherman in his march to Chattanooga, and wintered with his corps on the line of the Nash- ville and Decatur railroad. In the spring of 1864, he was entrusted with the advance of the army of the Ten- nessee, one of the three armies consoli- dated for the Atlanta campaign. His corps took part in the battles of Gen. Sherman's forces in the march from Chattanooga to Atlanta. In recogni- tion of his services in this campaign he was made a major general by the gen- eral government, his commission bear- ing date June 7, 1864. He was in the rear of the extreme left of Gen. McPherson's army when the Confed- erate Gen. Hood, moving around At- lanta, attacked Gen. Sherman in the rear, on the 22d July, and his corps bore the brunt of that fierce attack in which Gen. McPherson was killed. The enemy, confident of success, had thoroughly calculated all the advan- tages of the situation; Gen. Dodge, by promptly bringing his corps into line, while on the march and attacking Hood's army, saved the army of the Tennessee from a threatened defeat; the enemy was driven from the field leaving his dead and wounded behind. Eight battle flags were captured and a large number of prisoners, among them the private who had killed and had in his possession the effects of the unfortunate McPherson. At the same time he detached an entire brig- ade to assist the 15th corps to retake and hold the works from which the enemy had partly driven it. Another brigade defeated the enemy at Deca- tur and thereby saved the commissary and ammunition supplies of the army of the Tennessee. In this campaign his corps lost more men, in killed and wounded, in proportion to its strength, than any other in Sherman's command. A few weeks after the battle of Atlanta, the army still be- sieging that city. Gen. Dodge re- ceived a gunshot wound in the fore- head, while standing in the rifle pit on the skirmish line superintending an advance. This was on the 19th of August, 1864. When able to be moved. he was sent north ; reporting again to Gen. Sherman when fit for duty. His commanding officer thought it imprudent for one in his physical condition to make the fatiguing march to the sea, and he was ordered to the district of "Vicksburgh, and be. fore he had reached his headquarters, was assigned to the department of the Missouri, by the President of the United Stales, relieving Gen. Rose- crans. Missouri was overrun with guerillas L and marauders and the national troops were in bad discipline, and condition, but Gen. Dodge soon brought order out of anarchy and was successful in driving out and breaking up the bands of guerillas. Kansas and Utah were merged into his command, giving him increased trouble and responsibility. The In- dian forces had united in a warfare on the settlements, from the Red river of the north to the Red river of Texas. It was midwinter, but his_ troops were promptly put in motion, invaded the country of the hostile ti'ibes, and made them sue for peace ; and an equally vigorous fight was made on the gueril- las of Missouri, Arkansas and the In. dian territory. He received the sur- render of 4,000of Kirby Smith's army in Missouri, and of the confederate Gen. Jeff Thompson, with 8,000 offi- cers and men in Arkansas. He made an ineffectual attempt to have the whole Indian policy of the govern- ment changed, which had been so long a failure, advocating the handing them over to the war department to be treated as wards of the nation, and as no longer independent, treaty making powers. The war now being closed. Gen. Dodge's command was changed so as to include the Indian country of the west and northwest, embracing Kansas, Kebraska, Colorado, western Dakota, Montana and Utah. In June, 1866, at his urgent request, he was relieved, and his resignation accepted. On retiring from the army, he was appointed chief engmeer of the Union Pacific Railroad, then building Mr. Lincoln manifested great interest in this enterprise du- Fing his visit to Council Bluffs m 1859; and subsequently, in 1863, when president, telegraphed General Dodge to leave his command at Cormtn, Miss., and repair to Washington. An 694 TUTTLlfS HlSTOBT OF lOWA. interview resulted, -wlierein Mr. Lin- coln decided that the Pacific Railroad should begin on the western boundary of Iowa, and at the town of Council Bluffs. In recognition of his military and state services, the republicans of the fifth congressional district of Iowa nominated G-en. Dodge for congress, in July, 1866, and he was elected over a popular competitor by 4,908 major- ity, 3,000 more than the district had ever given before. He served on the committee of military affairs, and paid special attention to the reorgani- zation of the army and to the reim- bursement of Iowa for expenses in- curred in the war, as well as in de- fending the border against Indians. He declined a renomihation, and re- turned to the plains to push forward the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, to which work he bent all his energies, supervised its relations with the government, saw that the law was adhered to, and the work con- scientiously done, having no connec- tion with the road outside of his official duties as chief engineer, no interest in the construction company, its contracts or profits. The ablest of ' the engineers of the government and commissions of eminent citizens have examined the road under the direction of the executive department and con- gress, and have paid high compli- ments to its excellent location, econo- my of distance and little curvature. While engaged in the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, Gen. Dodge made a successful effort to bring the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Rail- road, now under the Northwestern Rail- road, to Council Bluffs as a terminus ; and it is due to his pertinacity and untiring efforts that Council Bluffs has been made the connecting point With the Union Pacific Railroad for all roads coming into the state from east to west and from north to south. As chief engineer of the Union Pa- cific Railroad, Gen. Dodge made the plans for the great iron bridge which spans the Missouri river between Council Bluffs and Omaha, having charge of its construction until the time of his leaving the road as chief engineer. The road was completed in 1868, and very soon afterward Gen. Dodge disconnected himself from the enterprise and became chief engineer of the Southern Pacific, now the Tex- as and Pacific Railroad, where he took control of the surveys and con- struction, and from July, 1873, to De- cember, 1873, he completed the sur- veys along the thirty-second parallel of latitude, from Sherman and Tex- arkana, Texas, to the Pacific Ocean, at San Diego, 1,900 miles in all. He also put under construction 500 miles of the road and had it nearly completed when the panic of 1873 cailsed a suspension of the work. Since then he has been connected with the management of the Union Pacific and other western railroads. Gen. Dodge was married May 39, 1854, at Salem, Mass., to Miss Ajinie Brown, of Peru, 111. They have three daughters, Lettie, born June 17, 1855, and married to Mr. R. E. Montgom- ery. Ella, born Dec. 13, 1858; Annie, born March 7, 1866 ; they occupy a beautiful residence on the western slope of the bluff, commanding a fine view of Council Bluffs and Omaha. He has liberal religious views, and is not a member of any church. He is a member of the society of Odd Fel- lows, and takes an interest in whatever develops his state, American society and the country at large. His char- acteristics are great energy, industry and persistency in every work he un- dertakes ; his honor and integrity are unimpeachable; of nervous te.mpera- ment and quiet disposition." One marked trait in Gen. Dodge's charac- ter is his generosity and unselfishness, always ready to help his friends, sparing neither time nor money to further their interests. Unobstrusive and undemonstrative, caring nothing fbr display, he chooses the most di- rect and effective means for the ac- complishment of ends, leaving the re- sults obtained as the monument of his deeds. Hon. Smiley H. Bonham. He was born in Belmont county, Ohio, on the 39th of May, 1814. His father was a soldier in the war of 1813, and at the close of the war, removed to Knox county, Ohio, where two years later he died, leaving a family of seven chil- dren, of which the subject of our sketch was the youngest. His educa., tional advantages were limited; but the best the schools of that place af. forded were given him. In 1838, at BioaRAPHiCAL Sketches. 695 the age of twenty four, he was mar- ried to Miss Susan Fry, and in the fall of 1839, removed with his father-in-law and family to Johnson county, Iowa. Mr. Bonham was foreman of the first grand jury that sat in Iowa City. He served for several years as justice of the peace, and also as town clerk, in what was then known as " Old Man's Creek precinct." He was a candidate for delegate to the first constitutional convention, and defeated by thirteen votes. Was also a candidate for the territorial legislature, and defeated by a small vote. Was elected to the ter- ritorial legislature in 1846. The ter- ritory having been admitted into the union as a state, Mr. Bonham was elected a member from the district composed of the counties of Johnson and Iowa, to the first general assem- bly; and also was elected from the same district to the second state gen- eral assembly. At the meeting of this body, he was chosen speaker of the house, and received credit for being an able and impartial presiding officer. After a residence of thirty years in Johnson county, Mr. Bonham, in the spring of 1869, removed to Clarke county, Iowa, where he at present re- sides, following tho avocation of a farmer. In 1873, he was elected on the anti-monopoly ticket to represent Clarke county in the 15th general assembly. He was a member of the railroad committee during this session of the legislature, and took a very ac- tive part in its labors, which resulted in the passage of the present railroad law, in the state of Iowa. Mr. Bon- ham is a member of tJie church of Christ, known in some localities as Campbellites. He is a member of, and an earnest worker in, the order of Patrons of Husbandry, and is always ready to shiver a lance with any one who opposes the grangers. Since Mr. B.'s residence in Iowa, they have had born to them nine chilpren, and all raised without a doctor's bill. He is a firm believer in the climatic influ- ence of growing timber, and has given much attention to the growing of for- est and fruit trees. Hon. Napoleon B. Moore. He was born " at London, Madison county, Ohio, Sept. 7, 1833. His father was one of the pioneers in that county. Young Moore was brought up on a farm near the place of his birth, and was educated at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. His health failing him before completing a collegiate course, he entered actively into agricultural pursuits. In 1855, he removed to Iowa, and first settled at Eddyville Here he read law in the office of Homer L. Ives, Esq., and was admitted to the bar at Albia, Monroe county, in June, 1856; removed to Bedford, Taylor county, in Sept., 1857, and commenced the practice of his profession ; and in Sept., 1860, removed to Clarinda, Pag? county, where he has since resided In July, 1866, he established the bank- ing house of Moore and Mclntyre, and succeeded them as sole proprietor in May, 1871. In August, 1873, he or- ganized the First National Bank of Clarinda, and was president of the same until July 1, 1875, when he re- signed in order to devote his time to his profession. In politics Mr. Moore is a republican, and was elected by his party, county judge of Page county, in 1861, and to the state senate, in 1867. He is a member of the M. E. Church and an active worker in the church, and well known in the state as an active Sabbath school man. He is recognized throughout the state as a leading financier and able lawyer. George L. Brooks. Mr. Brooks was fcorn at Lawrence, Mass., September 37, 1848. When he was four years of age, his parents removed to Philadel- phia, and three years later to the state of Iowa, settling on a farm near Inde- pendence, in Buchanan county. At the age of 18 he commenced school teaching. When 20 his father gave him " his time," and with $15 in his pock- et he started out in the world. After spending several months in Illinois, Indiana, and Ktentucky, he returned to Independence and engaged in book keeping. In 1871, having acquired a few hulidred dollars in money, he re- moved to Corning, Adams county, Iowa, and there engaged in the gro- cery business, and the following spring started a small store at Lenox, Taylor county. Lenox, at this time, was decidedly in the embryo state,— a depot and two or three dwelhngs comprised the sum total of improve- ments, and the country for miles around was without inhabitants. ±Jut believing that so fine a country, when TuTTLifs History of Iowa. properly settled, would make a good town of Lenox, Mr. Brooks resolved to make this his home, and use his energies to bring that event about. Accordingly he went to work to get control of the town and a large por- tion of the country adjacent, that spec- ulators might be kept out, and actual settelrs and business men be induced to come in. By this means, in the short space of three years, he suc- ceeded in establishing the town on a firm basis, and of selling to actual set- tlers nearly all the oountiy tributary to Lenox. Mr. Brooks has gained the confidence and esteem of the inhabi- tants of the county, which he regards of greater value than all the property he has acquired. In 'the spring of 1875, he established a banking house, in which business, together with real estate, he is at present engaged. He is a republican in politics, in all business transactions honorable, of temperate habits, and liberal towards all charitable projects. He is not a member of any church, but believes in advancing its interests, and subscribes liberally towards its support. He be- longs, and is in good standing with the masonic fraternity. He was mar- ried in 1873, to Miss Charlotte E. Wil- son, an English lady, from Toronto, Canada, and they have had one child, a daughter, born to them, which has recently been taken from them by death. Their house is pleasant and attractive, and one of the finest fin- ished and furnished residences in the country. George E. Clarke, of Algona, was born in Sangerville, Me., March 19, 1845. He was educated at Eoxcroft Academy, Foxcroft, Me ; commenced teaching at an early age in order to meet the expenses of his education. In 1865, he came west, on account of poor health, and after teaching a year, studied law and commenced practice. He was admitted to practice as an at- torney and counselor at law, in 1869, at which time he was located at Web- ster City, in Hamilton county. Early in 1870, he removed to Algona, where he still resides, engaged in the prac- tice of law. He has gained a fine reputation as a lawyer, and is well known throughout northwestern Iowa. He has a large practice, which is yearly increasing. As an advocate before the jury and in chancery cases, he has been eminently successful. Mr. Clarke is of social disposition, active, energetic character, having warm friends and bitter enemies. In religious faith, he is a Universalist. He is both a Mason and an Odd Pel- low. He was married July 6, 1869, at St. Charles, 111., to an estimable lady, who died July 7, 1875, leaving to his care two motherless children, aged respectively foiu: and a half years, and four months. Hon. Charles Henry Lewis, judge of the district court of the 4th judi- cial district of Iowa, is a native of New York, born in Erie county, Oct. 17, 1839. In the spring of 1840, his parents, with their family,' consisting of six children, removed to Boone county. 111., where in June, 1843, his mother died. In the fall of 1851, his father removed to Independence, Bu- chanan county, Iowa, and three years later to Quasqueton, same county. Here the subject of our sketch worked on the farm with his father during the summer seasons, and taught school in winter, until the spring of 1859, when he was sent to Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa, to complete is educa- tion. In 1862, he returned home from college, and at once enlisted for the war as a private soldier. He was mus- tered into the United States service at Dubuc[e, Iowa, with the 27th regiment, Iowa infantry volunteers, in Oct. 1862 — his being company H. He served as private about one year, when he was appointed sergeant major of liis regiment, which position he filled un- til Aug. 3, 1864, when he was com- missioned as first lieutenant and adju- tant of the regiment by Gov. Stone, of Iowa. This position he continued to hold until the close of the war and the regiment was mustered out of ser- vice. Returning to his home in Quas- queton, he was married on the 31st day of March, 1866, to Miss Emma E. Kellogg. In 1868 and 1869, he at- tended law school at Iowa City, and studied under Prof. W. G. Hammond, Hon. C. C. Cole and Hon. Geo. G. Wright. In May, 1869, he settled in Cherokee, Cherokee county, Iowa, and commenced the practice of law ; in the fall of 1870, was elected to the office of district attorney of the 4th judicial district of Iowa, then comprising Biographical Sketches. 697 twenty-two counties; held this posi- tion for the full term of four years. He was nominated by the republican convention, held June 30, 1874, for the office of district jud^e for his district, with but one dissenting vote, and was elected at the following election by about 3,500 majority. He has been on the bench since Jan. 1, 1875, and has discharged the duties of that of- fice in an able and satisfactory man- ner. Judge Lewis has a comfortable home, a convenient farm house, sur- rounded with porches and piazzas, and yard filled with ornamental, shade and fruit trees. Hon. Samuel Merrill. He was born in Turner, Oxford county, Me., Aug. 7, 1832. He is of English an- cestry, being a desce'-dant, on his mother's side, of Peter Hill, who came from the west of England and settled in Saco, Me. (now known as Bidde- ford), in 1653. On his father's side, he is a descendant of Nathaniel Mer- rill who, with his brother John, came from Salisbury, England, and settled in Newburg, Mass., in 1636. He was married to Catherine Thomas, who died in 1847, but fourteen months after their marriage. In Jan., 1851, he was again married, his second wife bemg a Miss Hill, of Buxton, Me. To tiiie union there have been four children, only one of whom is still living. At sixteen years, he moved with his parents to Buxton, where his time was mostly engaged in turns at teaching and in attending school until he attained his majority. Having determined to make teaching a profession, he set out, for that pur- pose, toward the sunnyjsouth ; but, as he says, he was " born too far north " for his political comfort. Suspicion having been raised as to his abolition- ist proclivities, and finding the ele- ments not altogether congenial, he soon abandoned the land of the palm and palmetto for the old Granite State, where he engaged for several years in farming. In 1847, he moved to Tam- worth, N. H., where he engaged in the mercantile business in company with a brother. In this, as in all his indus- trial enterprises, he was quite success- ful. Not being satisfied with the limited resources of northern New England, he determined to tiy his good fortune on the broad prairies of the new and more fertile west. Ac- cordingly, in 1856, he turned his face toward the setting suu. He made a final settlement at McGregor, Iowa, where he established a branch house of the old firm. McGregor was then but a queer looking village, with but a few scattering houses, and surround- ed by a country with a sparse popula- tion. But immigration poured in rap- idly, new farms were opened, and the barren prairies made to blossom as the rose. With increased population, their trade augmented, until their house became one of the most exten- sive wholesale establishments on the upper Mississippi river. This result was owing to his correct and energetic business qualities. During all these years of business, Mr. Merrill took an active, but not a noisy part in politics. In 1854, he was elected, as an aboli- tionist, to the New Hampshire legis- lature, at the same time Gen. N. B. Baker was governor of the state. In 1855, he was returned a second term to .the legislature, during which time he voted for James Bell, for United States senator, and for John P. Hale, to fill the unexpired term of Wm.. Atherton, deceased. This was during the Kansas - Nebraska excitement, when political evolutions were sud- den and fiery, in the beginning of Pierce's administration; but Mr. Mer- rill performed his duty quietly, doing faithful service in the place assigned him by the people. In Iowa, he was also as fortunate in securing the in- telligent approval of all who knew him. Those who dealt with him found him strictly honest in business, fair in all his dealings, social in his relations and benevolent in his dispo- sition. He took an active interest m the prosperity of the town, and ever held an open hand to all needed chan- ties. These traits of character had drawn around him, but not intended by himself, a host of personal admi- rers This good will resulted m his being nominated for a seat in the state legislature, and the only one elected on his ticket. The session convened in Jan., 1860, and was composed ot the very best minds the state could produce, which fact was permanently stamped upon the vast amount ot la- bor thoroughly performed. An extra session wafcalled, in 1861, to provide for the exigencies of the rebellion, in Tvttle's Histobt of Iowa. ■which Gov. Merrill rendered timely service in providing for the defense and perpetuity of our nation against the hand of treason. He continued in business at McGregor until the sum- mer of 1862, when he was commis- sioned as colonel of the twenty-first Iowa volunteer infantry, proceeding immediately to Missouri, where active service awaited him. Marmaduke was menacing the Union forces in central Missouri, which called for prompt action on the part of Union o-enerals. Col. Merrill was placed in command of a detachment of the twenty-flrstlowa, a detachment of the ninety-ninth Illinois, a portion of the third Iowa cavalry, and two pieces of artillerv, with orders to make a forced march "to Springfield, he being at Houston, eighty miles distant. On the morning of Jan. 11, 1863, they having come across a body of rebels, found them advancing in heavy force. The colonel immediately prepared for battle, and brisk firing was kept up for an hour, when the enemy fell back. He then moved in the direction of Hartsville, where he found the rebels in force, under Marmaduke, from six to eight thousand strong, with six pieces of artilleiy, while Col. Merrill had but eight hundred men and two pieces of artillery. This was the first time the twenty-first had been under fire, and, considering the numbers en- gaged, was one of the most remarka- ble engagements of the war. Says Lieut. Col. Dunlap in his report, " I make mention of none as having dis- tinguished himself above another. Every man was brave, cool, active and a hero. Too much praise cannot be accorded them." The regiment was engaged in the battles of vicks- burg. Port Gibson, and in the charge of Black River Bridge. It was in the latter that Col. Merrill was severely wounded, which closed his military ' career. He then resigned his com- mission, and returned to McGregor, where, after some months of suffer- ing, he resumed his fornier business. ( During the gubernatorial career of Gov. . Merrill, extending through two terms from Jan. 1868, to Jan. 1873, he was actively engaged in the discharge of his official duties, and probably no incumbent of that office ever devoted himself more earnestly to the public good, standing by the side of Gov. Fairchild of Wisconsin. He rendered very efficient service in placing the slackwater navigation between the Mississippi and the lakes, in the way of ultimate and grand success. In his message to the thirteenth general assembly, direct reference was made to the subject, placing it in a veiy in- telligent manner before the minds of the people. The thirteenth general assembly had provided for the build- ing of a new state house and nfade an appropriation of $150,000. The work was begun, and on Nov. 23, 1871, the corner stone was laid in the presence of citizens from all parts of the state. On this occasion, the governor deliver- ed the address, which was an a,ble production, giving a historical review of the incidents culminating in the labors of the day. It was replete with important facts, indicating patient re- search — was logical and argumenta- tive — full of eloquence with the fire and genius of American patriotism, worthy the occasion, reflecting credit on its author. Thus have been re- viewed the leading features in the record of a busy life, and there can be no more fitting conclusion, than the closing words of his last public mes- sage, on the eve of surrendering the robes of office to his chosen succes- sor. He says: " I cannot close this my last message without expressing to the people of Iowa, my grateful ac- knowledgment for the generous confi- dence they have reposed in me. Dur- ing the four years of my service to the state, I have received from them a support, a sympathy and an encour- agement which have greatly aided me in the discharge of my official duties. While administering the office of chief magistrate, I have been filled with increasing respect for the institutions of the state. No one so well as he, who upon this post of ob- servation, has been called to keep con- stant watch of the whole field,' can grasp in thought and feeling the history and growth of our com- monwealth. While discharging my duty, to be diligent in aiding the development of our state, to labor for the success of our schools and chari- ties, and to temper mercy with justice, it has been my privilege to realize the intelligence, justice, and humanity of our people. In severing my connec- tion with the state government, I can- BlOGJRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 699 not close this communication with- out bearing my willing testimony to the fidelity, zeal and industiy of the various officers of the state, and those associated with me in the diflferent agencies of the government dur- ing my administration of its affairs. I shall ever carry with me in my re- tirement a grateful remembrance of the friendship and courtesy which have always marked our ofilcial rela- tions.* To have served the state at this time of its greatest prosperity, and to have been permitted to aid, in an official station in laying the founda- tions of her future greatness, may justly be regarded as an honor. But there is an honor, too, in being a pri- vate citizen of such a state ; and as I pass from the one station to the other, permit me to unite with you in dedi- cating ourselves, our commonwealth and our country anew to freedom and to God." George W. Cleveland. He was born in Georgia, Franklin county, Vermont, Dec. 1, 1816. His father was a farmer, and young George performed the healthful discipline of farm labor during the years of his minority. His education was confined to winter terms of the district school, and two or three terras at St. Alban's Academy. At this place he received the cordial friendship and encouragement of Lu- ther B. Hunt, a prominent lawyer of the place, which is remembered with gratitude by his ward. At the age of twenty-one, he engaged as clerk in the house of Geo. M. Kidder, of Highgate, Vermont, with whom he remained two years. He then went to Phillipsburg, Lower Canada, where he continued his labors for two years asclerk in a gen- eral merchandizing store, after which he engaged in business for himself, and married Miss Adelia Walbridge, of Vermont, but at the time residing in Canada with her parents. Subse- quent to this event he went to Mon- treal where he engaged in business for a little more than two years, when he returned to Stanbridge, where he had been married, and engaged in exten- sive business, moving forward with an intelligent zeal which was crowned with grand success. In the spring of 1855, he disposed of his business inter- ests, and started westward, arriving in Des Moines, Iowa, on the 11th of April of the same year, and engaged in land and brokerage business. He invested largely in real estate, and the financial crisis of 1857 found him ill prepared to meet the new demands oc- casioned by changes in the financial world. For five years he was consid- erably embarrassed, being reduced al- most to poverty; but finally succeeded in liquidating every claim. It was during this period of adversity that he lost his truly faithful wife, whose pres- ence would have cheered, and whose counsel would have directed his mind through the darkest clouds of the com- ing years. Being left with a family of two children, his misfortunes were doubly heavy to be borne. From 1862 to 1865, he was engaged in various speculations with tolerable success. In the spring of 1865, he was elected mayor of Des Moines, in which posi- tion he served for three successive terms. At the beginning of his term of office, there was a large indebted- ness on the city, which, prior to the expiration of his second year, was very much lessened. During his term of office, the cemetery was largely im- proved, and Mr. C. labored with his own hands several months without compensation. As mayor, he was ever faithful to his trust, and consci- entious in the performance of every duty. He has ever been an active re- publican, and was a delegate to Iowa City, 1856, at the organization of the party in Iowa. In 1872, he was one of the first in Des Moines among the republicans to espouse the liberal movement, and at the nomination of Greeley and Brown, was prepared to give them his hearty support. He was a delegate to Davenport for the organ- ization of the liberal party, and also a delegate from the state to the Cincin- nati convention, which placed a lib- eral ticket in the field. Mr. Cleveland was called to fill these and many other honored positions, because in him was recognized the ability for the same, and in no case did he ever beget, in the minds of the people, an unfavor- able disappointment. Like other men, he has had his trials, but never failed to secure their benefits. His zeal, industry and integrity of charac- ter, as manifest by the general tenor of an upright life, have drawn to him very many friends. 700 Tuttle's Histoby of Iowa. Henry Bascom Hendershott was born in Miami county, Ohio, May 15, 1816. His father, David Hendershott, was a native of New Jersey and of German extraction. His mother was a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, of Welch ancestry. His parents moved from Ohio to the then territory of Illinois in the fall of 1816, settling in the county of Madison. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and was early innured to those habits of industry and toil which have charac- terized his whole life. His father having settled in Illinois at so early a day, young Hendershott was deprived of the benefits of other than the most common schools. There he attended during the winter terms, frequently walking thereto two and three miles. His early education was, therefore, necessarily limited. In the fall of 1835, he, unaided and alone, started on foot, with litte means, to Illinois col- lege at Jacksonville. On his way to college, after he had been on the road a day and a half, he overtook a mover, Mr. DoUarhide, who was going to Burlington, then called " Flint Hills," in Iowa. DoUarhide was moving with an ox team, and seeing our young hero traveling afoot and alone, and learning that he was on his way to college, he invited him to share bis method of traveling and camp life, which he most gladly accepted. He remained with Mr. DoUarhide until he reached Jacksonville. On reaching the college our subject had but $2.50 in the world, and a scanty wardrobe. He at once presented his case to the college officials, the president then be- ing Rev. Edward Beecher, by whom''he was told at once to regard himself as a student at college. With the col- lege, at that time, there was connected a large farm as also a work shop. On this farm and in the shop he toiled at such hours as he could spare from his studies, receiving a credit, on college expenses, twelve and a half cents per hour. He thus worked and studied, keeping up with his classes until the fall of 1837, when finding it necessary to engage in some employment from which to realize the means of support, he left the college and went to Bur- lington. At this place he clerked in the post office, under Dr. Enos Lowe, for some months. He then wrote in the recorder's office for John M. Gar- rigness. During his clerkship in these offices he occasionally, as he could find time, read law under the guid- ance of Judge David Rorer and M. D. Browning, then and yet of Burlington. On the 6th of May, 1839, at the age of twenty-three, he was appointed dep- uty clerk of the district court of Des sfoines county, under John S. Dun- lap. This appointment was conferred upon him by Hon. Chas. Mason, then judge of that court. He remained in this office about two years, continu- ing the study of law under the same instructors. He was admitted to the bar in 1841. The year following be went to Mt. Pleasant, in Henry county ; remained there but a short time. From here he went to Fairfield, Jef- . ferson county, remaining in this latter place until Dec, 1843, when he settled at Agency City, in the county of his present residence. On the 16th of Feb., 1844, he was again appointed by Judge Mason clerk of the district court of the county of Wapello. He held this office until September fol- lowing. Dec. 19, 1845, he was ap- pointed by James Clarke, then gov- ernor of Iowa, to the office of district prosecutor, for the seventh district of Iowa. On the 17th of Sept, 1846, Gov. Clarke commissioned him colonel of the 2d regiment, 1st brigade, 4th divi- sion of the Iowa militia. Mr. Hen- dershott settled in Ottumwa, where he resided. May 16, 1844; and as clerk of the court it became his duty, under an act of the legislature, to organize the county, which he did that year. On the 10th of April, 1847, he was commissioned by Hon. Geo. W. Jones, then surveyor general of Wisconsin and Iowa, as one of his deputy sur- veyors. While holding this post he subdivided six townships of govern- ment land into sections. At the De- cember term, 1848, of the supreme court of the United States, he was ap- Eointed by that court to the highly onorable and responsible position of commissioner for Iowa to act in conjunction with Mr. Jos. C. Brown, commissioner on the part of Missouri, in running and making the boundary line between the states of Iowa and Missouri. Mr. Brown died, and Robt. W. Wells, then judge of the United States district court for Missouri, was appointed to succeed him. Judge Wells, finding that the duties of com- Biographical Sketches. 701 missioner would interfere with those of his judgship, resigned, and Hon. Wm. G. Minor was appointed to suc- ceed him. This boundary was run and marked by the commissioners in the spring and summer of 1850, and a report of their work was made to the states and the court in the fall of this year. This report was entirely satis- factory to the states concerned and to the court, and was in all respects con- firmed, and was the final act of settle- ment of the vexed boundary difilculty between Iowa and Missouri. The subject of this sketch was elect- ed in the summer of 1850, to represent the counties of Wapello, Monroe and Lucas in the state senate, in which he served four years. He was a member of the committee on judiciary of the senate, and took an active part in the work of forming the code of 1851. January 21, 1851, he was elected a member of the Iowa Historical and 6«ological Society. He was clerk of the city council of Ottumwa in 1852 and 1853, and in 1855, and again in 1859, was made a member of the city council. He was elected judge of the district court for the 2d judicial dis- trict in 1857, in which office he served with great credit to himself and ac- ceptably to the bar and people. It may be said without disparagement to others, that the reports of cases de- cided by the supreme court of the state will show a less proportion of Judge Hendershott's rulings reversed than those of any other judge in the state. He was an honest, painstaking, hard working judge, and brought to the discharge of the duties of his oflBce strong practical sense, clear judgment, and a settled purpose to be right. On retiring from office, the bar tendered to him a complimentary supper, at -which resolutions complimentary to the services of the judge were passed. Since 1850, with the exception of the time he was actually engaged in the duties of state senator, and during the term he acted as judge of the court. Judge Hendershott has been actively . engaged in the practice of his profes- sion, and is now engaged therein, standing at the head of the bar in his county, and ranks as a safe, able, and honest lawyer among the bar of his district and state. In the many sta- tions he has filled, both professional and official, he has brought to their duties integrity, industry, and ability. His honesty as an officer, lawyer, and citizen, has never been questioned. As a speaker at the bar, or on the stump, he is fluent, earnest, and forcible, and though not flowery, he carries convic- tion to hearers, whether court, jurors, or people. Judge Hendershott was married on the 8th day of June, 1845, to an accomplished lady. Miss Mary W. Jeffries, daughter of Judge Paul C. Jeffries. He is the father of seven sons and one daughter, all of whom, as also his wife are living. As a citi- zen he is highly esteemed, and as a lawyer he is implicitly trusted; and while he is not rich in this world's foods, he is in easy circumstances. That he is, and what he has, are the fruits of his own energy, industry and ability, save and except that aid and encouragement which have been con- tributed by his affectionate, intelli- gent and frugal wife, and a kind and confiding people. In society, he and his family hold a high position. In politics Judge Hendershott has always been, and is yet, a democrat of the old school. Politics with him is not a trade, but a principle. In his younger days, he was always actively engaged in political canvasses — in the thick- est of the fight — but now and for many years back, he has not engaged actively in political strife, and in fact it might be said that he has retired from that arena. He is not a church member, but is understood to lean stronly to the belief in the ultimate salvation of all mankind. This brief sketch presents a career which the youth of the country may safely and profitably emulate. George B. Smyth was born at Ris- ing Sun, Ohio county (formerly Dear- born), Indiana, on the 14th day of Oc- tober, 1838, at the home of his grand parents, at which time his father was engaged in the wholesale dry goods business in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. In the year 1837, his parents moved south to Bayou Sara, West Fe- liciana Parish, Louisiana, at which point they died in the year 1840, and he entered as U clerk in the wholesale house of John C. Morris. Esq., an Irish gentleinan of large means, who did at that time a large and successful bus- iness, where he remained until 1843, when he obtained a situation as sec- 702 TuTTLlfS BiSTOBY OF lOWA. ond clerk on the steamer "Belle of Arkansas." She was then running from New Orleans up the Oulchita river to Camden, Arkansas, occasion- ally making a trip up Bayou Bai-thol- omew, and on such trips you could stand upon the hurricane deck and break the branches off the trees, from either side of the boat, and to turn the boat ai'ound, her stern was backed in- to a little creek, a hauser or line put out, down stream, from the bow of the boat, several turns made around the capstan, while the crew, with the live- ly "heave, o, he," would merrily turn the capstan. When the cotton season was over, the boat would make an oc- casional trip to St. Louis. After leav- ing the river, he returned again to Rising Sun, where he remained for one year, teaching, as assistant teacher, with Prof. Barwick, in the seminary there, after which he made two voy- ages to Ne.w Orleans, on what was called " broad horns," in those days, now better known as flat boats, re- turned again to Rising Sun, and was engaged there in merca,ntile pursuits, as clerk, until the spring of 1849, when he emigrated to Keokuk, Iowa (where he has since, and still resides), land- ing there on the morning of the 15th of April, and at once entered into a clerkship, in the largest mercantile house in the place, viz, with Messrs. C. Garber & Co., maMng his first trip through the interior of Iowa, during the summer of that year, for that firm, on horse back, traveling through some fifteen counties, which were thinly populated, but Keokuk being situated at the foot of the lower rapids, was then the distributing point for nearly one-half of the state of Iowa, as far northwest as Ft. Dodge, which was then a government post. In the fsill of 1850 (October 1), he was married at Fort Madison, Iowa, to Martha M. Chambers, daughter of John and Sarah Chambers, formerly of Zanesville, Ohio. In the spring of 1851 (May 1), he joined Mr. A. L. Connable and Richard Cunningham, in the purchase of the stock of groceries, then owned by H. W, Sample & Co., commencing the wholesale grocery business under the firm name of Connable, Smyth & Co., under which firm name, and that thatof Connable & Smyth, a large and successful grocery business was con- ducted for fifteen years, then the larg- est business of the kind done in the state, during which time he made an- nual, and sometimes semi-annual trips by private conveyance, through up- wards of forty counties in Iowa, and hence, has seen that portion of the state rise from its wild state ; first, the pioneer hut, yet hospitable home of the weary or belated tra/oeler, with its small fields, and good cheer; then the palatial farm house, with its broad acres, and large fields, the fruit of honest indus- try, until the Interior of the state now buds and blossoms as the rose ; rich in soil and agricultural productions, and teeming with a restless, industri- ous, and energetic class of farming population who, with their successors and emigrants, who are continually making Iowa their home, bid fair to make Iowa one of the most prosper- ous states in the union, as it is now one of the most prosperous in the northwest. In 1864, he engaged, in the pork and beef packing business, and, with Mr. Cunnable, erected one of the largest packing houses in the west, built of stone, with.the improve- ments added to it, in 1871, that of ice department arid ice houses, fitting it for summer curing as well as winter, it is now one of the most complete packing houses in the west; has a ca. pacity to pack one hundred and fifty- thousand hogs per annum, winter and summer, and in the years 1873 and 1874, ninety thousand hogs were cut there, forty-six thousand of them in the summer, and the balance in the winter. In 1868, Mr. Connable retired from active business, and he purchased his interest in the pork house property, and has since and is still conducting that business, packing now largely for the European markets, under the firm name of Geo. B. Smyth & Co. Besides being an active business man, Mr. Smyth has always felt, and taken a live- ly interest in public matters, mu- nicipal, local, state, and national, real- izing that our state, and even our coun- try (which is yet scarcely one hun- dred years old), were in a formative condition, and willing, so far as he could, to lend his aid to give form to our institutions, that would tend, in education, and in all directions; to the elevation of the masses of the people, and the establishine of all our institu- tions on the basis of integrity and morality, which are the only true base BlOGBAPBICAL SKETCHES. 703 to build upon, and however political policy may at times waver from them, the voice and wisdom of the people should make them their sheet anchor. In the early history of railroads in our state, Mr. Smyth took an active interest in their mception and con- struction, as corporator, solicitor for subscriptions, with which to build them, director, and he was for several years president of the Des Moines valley Railroad during its construc- tion and while it was under lease and contract. Tears after, when this road became embarrassed, and it was de- termined by the bondholders and other parties in interest to commence foreclosure proceedings he was elected vice president of the compa- ny, and the executive and general management of the company was placed in his hands during the two years of litigation previous to the en- tering of the foreclosure decree of the court, during which time he had to protect the rights and interests of the bondholders against many conflict- ing claims, which were persistently pressed by opposing counsel, and as this was in the prosperous days of railway construction, before the panic, many intricate points and questions arose, that we were without precedent to govern, making the position both a very responsible and laborious one, during which time he executed deeds for upwards of two million and a quarter of dollars' worth of land, all the remaining lands in a grant of four hundred and sixty -six thousand acres, into which a large majority of the bondholders funded their bonds. When the foreclosure decree was en- tered, he was appointed, by the court, special receiver, in which capacity he served until the road was sold out, and bid in by the respective partiesin interest. He is now connected with the northwestern part of the same road, now the Des Moines and Fort Dodge Railroad, as director, and has charge of the land matters connected with that road, as land commissioner. Through his efforts in Washington City, some fifty thousand acres of ad- ditional lands have been obtained, as belonging to that interest, and he is now striving on a liberal basis to har- monize all the conflicting interests that have grown up in connection with this old land grant, which is the oldest and most complicated grant in the state. Last year he settled upon very liberal terms, with some seventy settlers in Webster county, who had made improvements on some ten thousand acres of the company's lands. In the organization of schools, before the days of our present public school system, he took a prominent part, and more recently was one of the corporators, and is now one of the trustees of the Parsons College, at Fairfield, Iowa, which promises to be one of the best educational insti- tutions in our state; also was promi- nent in the organization of banks, in- surance companies and other local or- ganizations. In 1858, he connected himself with the Presbyterian church and has been an active member there- of since that time, both in a private and oflScial capacity; was chairman of two building committees that su- pervised the construction of two churches for that body, the latter one of the largest and most complete church buildings in the state, of which the talented and very able Dr. Willis G. Craig, D. D., is pastor, and has been for the past thirteen years. Du- ring the troublous times of the rebel- lion, Keokuk, lying on the Missouri state border, and having, with Lee county, the county in which it is situ- ated, previous to that time generally given large democratic majorities, and Mr. Smyth having up to the breaking out of the war afllliated with the democratic party, and a very intolerant feeling having grown up in the minds of the people in the year 1863, he was nominated for mayor and elected by a large majority, and was instrumental in bringing about a more tolerant state of feeling during the war; and since its close, Mr. Smyth has acted with the republican party and voted the republican ticket. In 1868, the settlement, by compro- mise, of the large municipal indebt- edness of the city of Keokuk, created mostly in behalf of aid to railroads centering there, Keokuk having al- ways been a large railroad center, and now is one of the largest railroad cen- ters in the state, was placed in his hands, without any solicitation upon his part, and almost plena/ry autJumty was given him relative to same. Alter spending the larger portion of two years in New York city, during 70i TvTTLsfs History of Iowa. •which time he inaugurated a plan of settlement and so far overcame the in- terests and prejudices of many of the prominent banks and bankers, as well as many prominent citizens in New England and elsewhere, he succeeded in making compromises with them for cash, or in new compromise bonds, on a basis that will ultimately result in the funding of that debt into manageable proportions, and the res- toration of the credit of that city upon a sound basis. In the spring of 1875 he crossed the Atlantic, spending some time in the principal cities of England and France, and during a stay of three weeks in London, Eng- land, negotiated a settlement with the executors of the estate of a large iron master and coal dealer, deceased, which was being settled up under the direction of the high court of chancery, and with their aid, and that of their solicitor, obtained the approval of that court to the settle- ment, returning again to Iowa in June. And while he saw many things of interest in the old world, and there found a reverence growing up in his mind for antiquity, he re- turned to America, more impressed with its magnitude and its i»omise of future greatness, and to his own state, the state of Iowa, impressed with the feeling that her broad prai- ries and rich valleys cannot, for fer- tility and productiveness, be surpassed elsewhere in the world. [Contri1]Tited.J Michael Donahue. " I mean rail- road." The labors of the biographer are too frequently bestowed on those whose lives have been spent rather in retarding than assisting progress, and while haughty aristocrats and ambi- tious generals are embalmed in print, modest merit is left to shiver in the shade. Very often, too, the biography of those men who have enlightened, entertained or done other good ser- vices by their labors, is barren of in- cident and devoid of interest; but the lives of earnest workers, men in the vanguard of improvements, to whose clear heads and strong arms the great west owes so much, can never be un- interesting or fail to instruct. The life of Michael Donahue; to whom Davenport owes so much, is an in- stance corroborative of this observa- tion. Far away, on the sounding banks of the Clyde, amidst the war of its furnaces, the din of its forges and the reek of the tall smoke stacks of Glasgow, Michael Donahue was born of Irish parents, Feb. 9, 1818. From earliest boyhood energetic and deter, mined, he, in 1831, accompanied an uncle to the new world, who settled in Duchess county, N. T. In 1835, his parents followed him to this coun- try, and, while they were residing in Patterson, N. J., he worked in the Union Works as moulder. Although paying strict attention to his mechani- cal duties and becoming a flrst-olass workman, the sjjirit of enterprise was strong within him, and on the termi- nation of his apprenticeship, he shipped before the mast, and visited the West Indies. Soon weary of a sea life, he returned home ; then went to Cold Springs, opposite West Point, and, in the fall of 1841, became a moulder on the Croton water pipes, on their completion, he went to Cin- cinnati as moulder, where he re- mained until the breaking out of the Mexican war, when he became a vol- unteer, enlisting in company A, first regiment of Ohio volunteers, under Col. Mitchell. A taste of actual ser- vice at Monterey, Saltillo, Buena Vis- ta and Seralvo, where their train was attacked by thousands of Mexicans, and they for three days besieged in the town until relieved by the third Ohio regiment under Col. S. B. Curtis, late of Iowa, and general in the Union army, satisfied his desire for military flory, and he again became a son of 'uloan, starting a foundry for the government at the mouth of the Rio Q-rande, where he was chiefly em- ployed in repairing government boats. The war ending, he returned to New Orleans, from whence he made a trip up Red river to Alexandria, and con- tinuing ma El Paso and San Diego on to San Francisco, there to join his brothers James and Peter, who were already there, and who had engaged in blacksmithing and boiler making, at a place known as " Happy Valley." Success attended industry, and, ere long, an extensive foundry and ma- chine shops were added, and the works _ called, in honor of the shops in which they learned their trade — The Union Foundry. At these works they claim the honor of melting the Biographical Sketches. 705 first iron fused on the Pacific coast, witli whicli was made a block for holding a propeller shaft, and was exhibited as a relic of early California enterprise at the eighth Industrial fair in San Francisco. Ever anxious to patronize home industry, the skill and energy of the Donahues were at once acknowledged, and their establish- ment became one of the most exten- sive foundries in the far west. At this foundry were also made the first quartz mill ever erected in the states, and the printing press which gave to the people the paper announcing the admission of California into the Union, in 1850. In 1852, the brothers Donahue con- ceived the idea and obtained the fran- chise for lighting San Francisco with gas, and Peter and Michael are still stockholders in the company then formed. Coming cast in 1853, Mr. Donahue remained for a short time in New York, and visiting Davenport in 1854, he became, by purchase, the owner of the Le Clair foundry, which he has conducted with consummate skill, and which he is successfully running at tlie present day. Daven- port may be proud of the day which numbered Michael Donahue among its citizens, for he has ever been on the alert for its best interests, and indefati- gable in carrying out every scheme likely to be advantageous. The first steam fire engine in Iowa was the "Donahue" of Davenport, and its first engineer, the subject of our me- moir. His name is still on the rolls, and the late gathering of firemen from our own and neighboring states ac- knowledged, by a well deserved ora^ tion, the services of their old chieftain, to whom the fire department of Iowa's metropolis owes so much. Always de- lighting to honor its best citizens, Davenport, in 1868, made Donahue its mayor, an honor beheld for two terms, and it was during his mayoral ity that he strenuously and successfully advo- cated the adjustment of the city debt, and the building of the Davenport and Saint Paul railroad. The words which appear at the head of this arti- cle, and which have become proverbial in Davenport, were spoken by him, and the writer well remembers with what homely eloquence and hearty fervor they were delivered. His in- cisive arguments and practical logic 45 were given with all the force of a dead stroke hammer, and clinched as firm- ly as one of his boiler rivets, and years to come, Davenport will reap the rich benefits of traffic which owed its in- ception greatly to the wisdom, expe- rience and grit of Michael Donahue. The latest grand undertaking in which Mr. Donahue has been engaged is the Davenport water works, which, carried to a successful result a- against much opposition from ignor- ance, old fogeyism and greed, are the crowning glory of his busy life, and will ever remain a monument of his energy, skill and indomitable enter- prise. It was in 1873, after much agitation and the conflict of opposing systems, that Mr. Michael Donahue, with his brother. Col. Peter Donahue, of San Francisco, undertook, with the perfect confidence of the people, the great enterprise of supplying 25,000 people with pure water. The compa^ ny was organized, Jan. 13, 1873, and the two brothers personally controlled the entire financial and mechanical details, and in less than twelve months the inestimable boon of limpid water was percolating the iron veins and arteries with which their energies had meshed the streets of Davenport. This is no place to go into details; suffice it to say, that mainly owing to the vim of Michael Donahue, a mag- nificent system of water supply now oflTers to the intending settler, a grand inducement to settle in a city whose artificial advantages are only exceeded by the beauties of its situation, and the prosperity of its trade. Still in the prime of life, our worthy citizen lives among us, blessed in wife, weans, an' warld's geer, and sure of a hearty welcome and cordial greeting where- ever he comes. Social in his habits, charitable and benevolent, a kind em- ployer, a faithful friend, and a merry companion, looking on life from a philanthropic stand point, and ever ready to assist in all good works, whether for private welfare, or the public benefit; and, that he may live long to reap the reward of a well spent lifefcrowned with well deserved po- pularity, is the hearty wish of every one who knows Michael Donahue, the father of the Davenport water works. Lauren Fletcher Ellsworth was 706 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. born in Winchester, Guernsey county Oliio, June 7, 1833. His father is a native of New York. He was married in Pennsylvania to a Miss Catharine Irish, when they removed to Ohio previous to 1815. To this union there were given five children — four boys and one girl — Lauren and Leroy W. being the only surviving sons of the family. Lauren was raised to work on a farm, attending school part of the time in the old classic log cabin, but the last three of his school years, enjoying the benefits of a graded school. At the age of seventeen he developed a taste for painting and lymning, and sought the consent of his father to' learn the trade. His father dissuaded him from his purpose, believing the poisonous qualities of paints was contra indicated by what, at that age, appeared to be a feeble constitution. He at once commenced the study of medicine under The. James Campbell of Middletown, Ohio. After three years' study he obtained a complimentary certificate from his preceptor, and also a certificate from the board of censors of the state med- ical society, and commenced practice with Dr. Wilcox, a man who was re- garded as a fair average of American physicians, and whose practice ex- tended over a large area of country. In addition to his medical studies he pursued a pretty thorough course of the natural sciences and the course of study in theology as prescribed by the general conference of the M. E. Church, he having united with that branch of the church in his eighteenth year. At the age of twenty-two he married Miss M-ary Oglebay, an es- timable young lady of Calais, Ohio, whose fidelity as a wife, and devotion as a mother, has abundantly demon- strated the wisdom of his choice. He here located and pursued his chosen profession for twenty years. Believ- ing that his sons should be raised to habits of industiy, and ti-ained for usefulness, he concluded to emigrate west and locate on a farm. Accord- ingly, in 1864, he removed to Iowa, and located in Mahaska county, where he has since resided, engaged in the practice of his profession, his sons carrying on farming. At the age of twenty-four he was licensed to preach, and sustains the relation of a local preacher, he having passed through the official gradations of deacon and elder, the highest official position at- tainable by the local ministry. In 1844, he cast his first vote for Henry Clay for president. From this date he acted with the free soil paWy, and, as a free soiler, was selected as a dele- gate to the convention that met at olumbus, Ohio, in 1855, which gave birth to the republican party. With this party he has acted unwaveringly to the present time. He has filled many local offices, and in the fall of 1871, was elected to represent, in part, Mahaska county in the fourteenth general assembly. In this capacity he was appointed on the committee on schools, and chairman of the com- mittee on medical institutions. As a legislator he strove to be faithful and just to all. To corporations and cap- ital he was just, without sacrifice ; in expenditures of the public moneys he was economical without parsi- mony; in his labors and sympathies he was for the people, of whom he was and whose servant he is. A writer at the time said : " He is a good talker and a logical reasoner, and commands respect and his full share of influence on the floor of the House." Col. Warren S. Dnngan was born Sept. 12, 1833, at Frankfort Springs, Beaver county, Pennsylvania. His father, David D. Dungan, was a farm- er, and the son, like most farmer's boys of the eastern states, received a training on the farm to habits of labor and industry, which necessarily char- acterized his whole afterlife. His ad- vantages of education, prior to arriv- ing at the age of seventeen, were such as the subscription schools of the neighborhood afforded. The public school system had not then been in- troduced. At the age of seventeen, he commenced attending the Frankfort Springs academy, conducted and ^ taught by the Rev. Jas. Sloan, D. D., and the Hon. Thos. Nicholson, both of whom are now deceased. These were very popular teachers, and drew together a large number of the young men of the surrounding country. This academy flourished for five years, and was one of the most popular institu- tions of the kind ever established in western Pennsylvania. Mr. Dungan attended all the winter sessions of tliis Biographical Sketches. 707 academy during its continuance, and here acquired a thorough knowledge of all the English branches of educa- tion usually taught in such schools, including the higher mathematics. In the summer season he had to remain at home to work on the farm. In the winter, mornings and evenings, he at- tended to feedug a large amount of stc>ck, and doing other fai'm chores, and then walked a mile and a half to the academy. Most of his lessons had to be studied at night after work was done. His Saturdays were generally spent in hauling wood and coal, and going to mill, labor very familiar to fanners' boys the country over. The boy thought this system of labor and study a pretty severe ordeal ; but after- wards found that it was not without its advantages. It was his intention to take a thorough collegiate course ; but in this he was disappointed, finan- cial reasons interfering to check his laudable ambition in that direction. He remained with his father on the farm until the fall of 1851, teaching a portion of the time, but devoting the greater portion to farming. During the last two years he remained on the farm he was allowed the control and management of affairs, according to his own judgment, and succeeded to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. The study of the law had always been his ambition, and he now concluded that it was time he should begin to provide some moans by which he would be enabled to prosecute his fa- vorite study. The winter of 1851-3, he spent as tutor in a private family in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The two following years he spent in teach- ing a select school in Panola, the county seat of Panola county, Missis- sippi. During the latter of said years he commenced the study of law with Col. Calvin Miller, a leading lawyer of north Mississippi. Col. Miller made the proposition that he and his pupil should open a law office in partnership in the state of Texas, and, although considered a flattering ofler. Col. Dungan declined it, mainly on account of the existence of slavery in that state, believing that he saw the in- evitable conflict in the near future, which, even sooner than he antici- pated, deluged the country in blood. Besides, he had been in the state of Iowa a number of times, and was a great admirer of its beautiful and fer- tile prairieg, and bad concluded to make that his adopted state, prior to going south. He returned to Pennsyl- vania in the fall of 1854, and went into the law office of his cousin. Col. Rich- ard P. Roberts, in Beaver, Beaver Co., Pa., where he remained until the 10th day of March, 1856, at which date he was admitted to the bar, and on the 14th day of June, 1856, he opened a law office at Chariton, in Lucas coun- ty, Iowa, where he has remained ever since, and is in possession of an ex- tensive and lucrative practice. In the fall of 1861, he was elected a member of the state senate, from the seventh senatorial district, comprised of the counties of Monroe and Lucas, for the terih of four years from Jan. 1, 1862. He served at the regular session of the 9th genera] assembly, with entire sat- isfaction to his constituents. It is said that the senate journal will show that he never missed a roll call during the entire session. He was an active mem- ber of the judiciary committee, serv- ing on others, among which was that on elections. He served also at the extra session of the legislature in Sep- tember, 1862, convened for the purpose of providing by law for taking the vote of Iowa soldiers in the field. As chairman of the committee on elec- tions at that session, he introduced the bill which passed for that purpose, which bill had however been drawn by an eminent Iowa jurist, in antici- pation of the meeting of the legisla- ture in extra session. Mr. Dungan had, prior to the meeting of the legis- lature in extra session, recruited a company, of which he was chosen captain, by acclamation, for service in the suppression of the rebellion. Tliis company- was afterwards mus- tered into the United States service as Co. K, 34th Iowa Vol. Infantry, at Burlington, Iowa, on the 15th day of October, 1862, Mr. Dungan was, at its organization, commissioned as lieu- tenant colonel of said regiment, in which capacity he served during the war, and received at its close, a com- mission as brevet colonel of United States volunteers, for " gallant services in the rear of Mobile, Alabama." Col. Dungan was married April 3, 1859, to Miss Abby K. Proctor, who was raised in Middleborough, Mass., to whom six children were born, all 708 TvTTLifs History of Iowa. still living except one. In religious matters he very naturally retains the teachings of his fathers, and still marches under the banner of the Presbyterian church, in which he is a ruling elder. In politics, a whig, un- til the dissolution of that party, when he aided in organizing the republican party, and has ever since been an earnest and eloquent advocate of the principles upon which that party was founded. Col. Dungan, while in command of his regiment, which was about one-third of the period of its service, took great pride in both theo- retical and practical company and regi- mental drill, and no regiment serving with it, surpassed it in this respect. This regiment bore off the honors in brigade drill at Barancas, Floridfi, in February, 1864, in competition with some of the best disciplined regiments in the department of the gulf Col. Dungan was an elBcient and gallant officer, and though a strict disciplinar- ian, yet kind and considerate to all. He had the unbounded confidence of those under his command. Of a san- guine, nervous temperament, and sus- ceptible to excitement, yet his cool- ness rose as dangers increased, and he was always calmest in the midst of the greatest perils. As a lawyer. Col. Dungan is an honor and an ornament to his profession. His deep and per- severing researches into the law, the thorough mastery of his cases, his clear and keen analysis of the law as applied to the case in hand, together with his earnest manner of speaking, and his forcible and convincing argu- ments, render him, at the bar, a for- midable antagonist. He is strictly honest in all his dealings with his fel- low men, and has the unbounded con- fidence of his clients, and of the com- munity in which he lives. He is a man of strong feelings and affections. A kind and loving husband and father, and delights in the society of his fam- ily. A man of true principles, and correct business habits, and unswerv- ing in the performance and accom- plishment of what he believes to be his duty. On account of his many social qualities, and his strict integrity, he has hosts of friends. As a citizen, no one is more highly respected, never losing sight of the interests of the community. And his energy, ac- tivity and zeal usually place him fore- most in all acts of benevolence and public enterprise. As a public speaker he has few superiors in the state. Rev. Stephen H. Taft was born in Volney, Oswego county, N. T., on the 14th of Sept., 1825. He is of the sixth generation from Robert Taft, who came from England, and settled in Mendon, Mass., in 1680. Mr. Taft's father, Stephen, when twenty-five years of age married a Miss Vienna Harris, and moved from Richmond, N. H., to Oswego county, N. T. In the midst of severe labors and priva- tions, Mr. and Mrs. Taft brought up a family of seven children, to whom they were able to give but very lim- ited educational advantages. Stephen H. was their fifth child (the eldest of three brothers), and when sixteen years of age, engaged to work on a farm for six months at ten dollars per month, his wages being all devoted to the use of the family, with the excep- tion of four dollars, which his father allowed him to retain in lieu of at- tending fourth of July festivities. With this money he bought a Bible, a cheap copy of Shakspeare and a couple of biographical works, which formed the nucleus of his library. He attended school occasionally, winters, and when eighteen years old; taught school at ten dollars per month, " boarding round." From this time, by alternately teaching and attending school, he not only made good pro- gress in his studies, but was also able to aid in the support of the family. When nineteen, he united with the Wesleyan Methodists, and a year thereafter was licensed by that body to preach. In 1849, he was appointed and acted as agent for New York Central college, which institution he afterwards attended. In 1853 he mar- ried Miss Mary A. Burnham, of Madi- son county, N. T., by whom he is the father of six children: George B., Wil- liam J., Frderick H., Sidney A., Mary v., and Elvin S., all, except the eldest, of whom are living. About this time, becoming convinced that sectarian divisions in the church tended to engender a spirit of bigotry and strife, Mr. Taft took the position of an inde- pendent preacher, holding himself responsible only to his conscience and his God, and this position he has ever since maintained. Soon after his Biographical Sketches. 709 marriage he removed to Pierrepont Manor, Jefferson county, and became I>astor of an independent congrega- tion, where he remained three years. Thence he removed to Martinsburg, Lewis county, where, for five years, he preached to a large and interesting Christian Union Society. While here, some of the published sermons of the Rev. Frederick W. Robertson came to his notice, and led him to a clearer understanding of some portions of scripture than he had before attained. As a result of this deeper spiritual insight, some of his religious views underwent a change, noticeable among which was his belief in the Trinity, and the doctrine of a commercial scheme of salvation based upon - a vicarious atonement. This change in his theology wrought also a change in his plans of life, as b^ it he became deeply desirous of doing all in his power to extend a knowledge of what to him seemed a truer conception of God and his government of human character and destiny. In seeking a broader field of labor, his first thought was to establish a colony in iN'ebraska ; and with this object in view, in the fall of 1863, he came on to Chicago and attended a convention of those con- templating the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, intending to accompany the surveying corps, which was to have been organized. But as this project, on account of the war, for the time fell through, he changed his course, and purchased of the state of Iowa six thousand four hundred acres of land situated in the Des Moines valley, in the county of Hum- boldt, and thither, in the spring of 1863, moved with a colony of upwards of forty persons. Here, near the center of the county, between the two branches of the Des Moines river, he laid out the town of Humboldt (formerly Spring- vale), and erected a saw and flouring mill, some stores, a hotel and several other buildings. Upon the arrival.of the colony a Christian Union Church was organized, under the nastorate of Mr. Taft. In 1866 he established the " True Democrat " (the first paper in the county), which is now conducted by one of his sons, as the " Humboldt Kosmos." From the beginning of his colony enterprise he entertained, as his ultimate purpose, the founding and building up of a Liberal Christian college, and in the year 1869, after surmounting many obstacles, he was able to enter directly upon this work. Through the aid of eastern friends and capitalists, he erected a beautiful and substantial college edifice (Humboldt college), costing upwards of $40,000, which was first opened for the recep- tion of students, Sept. 18, 1873. The institution is under the control of a board of trustees, who are chosen by an association made up of those who i have contributed to its support. Its I character is set forth in the following extracts from the articles of incorpo^ ation : " We, whose names are hereto sub- scribed, recognizing the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of Man, associate ourselves for the purpose of encouraging liberal education by the establishment and maintenance at Sprin^vale, Humboldt county, Iowa, of an institution for the education of youth in literature, science and en- lightened Christian morality, without regard to sex, race, or religious sect. The fundamental object of this asso- ciation is to establish and maintain an educational institution which shall be forever free from sectarian control, and no change shall ever be made in its character in this respect without the expressed consent of all its donors and the return to all contributors, their heirs, executors, or assigns, who shall request the same, of all funds by them contributed, together with legal interest on the same." Mr. Taft was elected president of the college, and has devoted himself to its interests with an energy that knows no decline, and a faith that forbids the thought of failure. In the genial work of build- ing up the town, and advancing the interests of society, he has been nobly seconded by his western friends and associates. Mr. Taft was an active abolitionist, and spoke and did much in the advocacy of freedom. He at- tended many abolition conventions, among others the Pittsburg conven- tion of '53, which put in nomination Hale and Julien. In this work he became acquainted with many promi- nent abolitionists, among them Gerrit Smith, John R. Giddings, Henry Wil- son, and others. Among his published discourses which have attracted con- siderable attention, are " A Discourse on the Character and Death of John 710 TvTTL^s History of Iowa. Brown," delivered on the occasion of his execution in 1859, and "A Dis- course on the National Crisis," de- livered in August of 1861. In the Grant and Colfax campaign of 1868, he was the republican elector of the sixth district, and as this was the " banner district," at the meeting of the electors in Des Moines, upon be- ing presented with the banner for his district, he was called upon for a speech, which was afterwards printed in the State Begister. Although pre- vious to entering upon his college work in 1869, he had been an active political worker, he has never sought or held any public office. Being still in the vigor of middle life, and de- scended from a long-lived ancestry, he has good reason to hope for yet many years of active career, in which to carry forward his chosen and bene- ficent life work. Hon. B. P. Gue. The subject of this sketch, oldest son of John and Catherine Q-ue, was born in Greene county, N. T., Dec. 25, 1828. In 1834, hia father removed to Farmington, Ontario county, and settled down on a farm, about a mile from the Friends' meeting house, where the family lived until the autumn of 1851. When Benjamin was ten years old, his father died, leaving six children, all but one of whom were younger than Benja- min. "With a family of small children to support, on a farm rented, and with no other resources, the mother, Catha- rine Gue, by the most untiring work and rigid economy, managed to pro- vide for the wants and give what was then considered a libei'al education to her six children. In the fall of 1851, the farm was sold, and the family left the old homestead, separatea, and went out into the world to provide each for himself and herself. Benja- min went with some members of the family back to their native county on the banks of the Hudson river, to visit relatives and find some opening for business. Nothing better turning up, Benjamin took a school ana taught one term. Early in the spring of 1852, he determined to go west, and as Iowa was then beginning to attract some attention, he, with his brother next younger, packed up their carpet bags and started for Iowa. There were then no lines of railroad completed between the far west and the eastern cities, and they were near- ly three weeks making the trip from Albany, N. T., to Davenport, Iowa, where they first stopped, on the22d of March, 1852. After inquiring for cheap lands, and getting some infor- mation that led them to the northwest corner of Scott county, they purchased a quarter section near what is now called Big Bock. Paying out their last dollar for a team, wagon and plow, they had nothing remaining to pay for board until they could raise a crop, and no resource was left but to " keep bach," as it was termed. Fixing up an old log cabin that stood on their claim, they got a cook stove and lived in the cabin, cooking and doing their own housework, raising corn, wheat, sheep, cattle and hogs for several sea- sons. In a few years they had saved enough to enable them to buy more land, when they divided up the pro- ceeds of their years of toil, Benjamin taking the Scott county farm, and his brother moving on to the Cedar coun- ty land. In the autumn of 1855, Ben- jamin married Miss Elizabeth R. Parker, who was a young lady school teacher in that vicinity, and also a New Yorker. They began married life in the old log cabin containing but two rooms, and furnished chiefly with articles of their own manufac- ture. As the years went on, Benja- min, whose father and mother were " Quaker abolitionists," became deep- ly interested in the anti-slavery move- ment that was then beginning to as- sume considerable magnitude in the politics of the country. Identifying himself, from a boy, with the most radical of the " abolitionists," Benja- min took a deep interest in the organi- zation of the Republican party, and was chosen a delegate tc the state con- vention that met at Iowa City on the 22d of Feb., 1866, which organized the Republican party of Iowa. In the fall of 1857, he was nomin- ated and elected by the republicans of Scott county, one of the represents^ tives for the lower house of the state legislature, and was one of the young- est members of the seventh general assembly. He was on* of the authors of a bill to establish a state agricul- tural college, a measure which en-' countered stnong opposition, and itj 1 was reported back from the committee! BioasAPSiCAL Sketgees. 711 of ways and means, recommending that " it do not pass." At a council of the friends of the bill, Benjamin F. Gue was chosen to lead in the fight which had to be made against the ways and means committee. When the adverse report came up, the bill was warmly contested hj J. F. Wilson and Judge Seevern against, and B. F. Gue and Ed. Wright for it. Upon calling the roll it received a majority of the votes, and in a few days after passed the senate, and became a law, under which one of the most success- ful agricultural colleges in the country has since been organized. In 1859, Mr. Gue was reelected to the house by an increased majority, and was made chairman of the committee on agricul- ture. In 1861, he was elected to the senate, serving in that body one extra and two regular sessions, during the ensuing four years. While a member of the senate, he, with Senator Clark- son and Gov. Kirkwood, devised and procured the adoption of the plan fo^ disposing of the college land grant, which has since brought to that insti- tution the munificent annual income of $35,000. He was also largely in- strumental in procuring appropria- tions for the erection of the college buildings. At the close of his term in the senate, he moved to Fort Dodge, having purchased the newspaper es- tablishment of the Fort Dodge Bepub- liean. Under his administration the paper was soon enlarged, and the name changed to The Northwest. It rapidly acquired a large circulation, and for many years was the leading advocate of republicanism, temper- ance and womens' sufiirago in north- western Iowa. In 1864, its editor was appointed postmaster of Fort Dodge by President Lincoln, and in 1865, he was nominated for lieutpnant governor by the republican state convention, and elected by about 28,000 majority. He presided over the senate during the session of 1866, and was chosen one of the trustees of the agricultural college by the general aijsembly at the same session. Upon the organization of the board of trustees of the college, he was elected president, and chair- man of the executive committee, which positions he held during the three years of erecting the college building. In 1857, he was made chairman of the committee on organi- zation, and in that capacity visited and examined into the plan and work- ings of all the industrial colleges and and universities in the country, gath- ering the information upon which an elaborate report was made, proposing a plan, which was subsequently adopt- ed, for the organization of the Iowa agricultural college. He also recom- mended the selection of Hon. A. 8. Welch, then a United States senator from Florida, for president of the col- lege, a choice that has proved most fortunate for the young institution. In 1871, he sold The Northwett, and moving to Des Moines, the capital of the state he assumed editorial control of the Iowa Homestead. He was after- wards chief editor of the Daily State Journal for several months, but having been appointed by President Grant, United States pension agent, he re- tired from newspaper work and has since given his entire time to the du- ties of that ofQce. Capt. E. Cummins. Moravia, Ap- panoose county, Iowa, was settled by a German colony of Moravians, from Salem, N. C, in the year 1850, eighty- acres of land being purchased for a town site and parsonage. They have a beautiful church and parsonage in a prosperous condition. Among Mo- ravia's first settlers was Capt. B. Cum- mins, who was born in Spencer coun- ty, Ind., in the year 1832; he came to Iowa in 1848, and moved to Appa. noose county, with his father, Daniel 'Cummins, in July, 1849, and settled on the land he now occupies when he was 17 years old, and for a time was engaged in farming pursuits. Having no extra advantages of school, he only received a common school education, and in 1854, he engaged in the mer- cantile business, and followed it until the spring of 1863, when he raised a company for the 8th Iowa cavalry, and was commissioned captain of company F, in said regiment. He served in all the engagements from Dalton, Ga., to the close of the war, and was severely wounded near the Einesaw mountain, in Georgia. At the close of the war he again engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, and is now one of the heaviest merchants of the county; in fact, in southern Iowa, having accumulated a small fortune and commenced business on less than $100. He can say more than 712 Tuttle's History of Iowa. most men at his age; he has never been a candidate for any office, or sought the nomination. He has held the office of post master for the past ten years, and is still post master, also local banker and broker. Hon. Anstin Adams was born in Andover, Windsor county, Vt., May 34, 1836. His boyhood was spent on a farm. A.t the age of seventeen he commenced fitting for college, and two years later he entered Dartmouth college a year in advance, where he graduated in 1848. He had some years before determined to enter the legal profession, but his pecuniary circum- stances were such he found it neces- sary to engage temporarily in teach- ing. He accepted the principalship of West Randolph (Vt.) academy, which position he occupied for four years, pursuing his legal studies dur- ing his vacations. His academy be- came prominent as a classical school, and was resorted to from all parts of the state by young men who were de- sirous of preparing for college. Upon leaving the business of teaching he entered the law school of Havard Uni- versity, where he remained one year. Before applying for admission to the bar, he spent six months in the law office of ex-Gov. Coolidge, of Wind- sor, Vt. He was admitted to the bar in his native county, in January, 1854, and on the day of his admission, formed a law partnership with ex-Gov. Coolidge. Windsor, Vt., is one of those quiet, elm covered villages of New England, which afford a delight- ful retreat from the turmoil of busi- ness, and was precisely not the place for a young man like Mr. Adams. This he soon saw. Accordingly he resolved to try his fortune in the west, and in the summer of 1854, he removed to Dubuque. There he opened an of- fice without friends or acquaintances, but after the first few monUis he found himself fully employed. He con- tinued in the uninterrupted practice of the law until he was elected judge of the supreme court of Iowa, in Oct., 1875, as successor to the Hon. William E. Miller. Mr. Adams never held a public office before, except that of regent of State University, which of- fice he still holds. Asa Horr, M. D., was born Sept. 2, 1817, at Washmgton, Ohio, of parents of New England stock. The family name was originally spelled Hoar. His father was an early settler in the " Black River " countjj of New York, where he made a new farm, then with his family removed to Ohio, engaged in mercantile pursuits, lost his proper- ty by fire,and in 1837 removed to Jeffer- son county, N. Y., where he soon died, leaving a wife and nine children, with almost no means of support. For sev- eral years, Asa labored at farming with relatives for his board, clothing and the privilege of attending district school three to four months in the winter. Up to the age of ten, he had been kept almost constantly in school, which formed his taste for study and laid the foundation of his future education. Geography, grammar and arithmetic, had been already gone through with after the fashion of teaching in those days. He cannot remember having learned to read, though his memory of Inany events extends back to the time he was three years old. He always had a habit of reading instead of play- ing in leisure hours, and was fond of working by tasks, so as by activity to gain time to be devoted to study. For several years he pursued, with an old- er brother, the business of house- building in Canada West, and was en- trusted with the superintendence and building of houses, the best required in that region. At the age of twenty, he withdrew from the business with his brother and sought the counsel and assistance of a cousin — a physi- cian of wealth and eminence in Ohio — under whose guidance and assis- tance, he read medicine, attended two medical schools ; graduating at both, the last at Cleveland, Ohio. After six year's practice in Ohio, under the au- spices of an old practitioner of medi- cine, he removfed to Iowa in 1847, and has pursued his profession continu- ously in Dubuque up to the present time. His tastes have led him, some- what, to investigate the sciences col- lateral to medicine. Botany was pur- sued with some ardor and success, in his early life. He was one of the " first class observers " for the period of 31 years, for the Smithsonian Institution. He is president of the Iowa Institute of Science and Arts, at Dubuque. He is a member of the Iowa State Medical Society, and of several of the BlOGBAPHICAL SKETCHES. 713 learned societies in this region ; also of the American Medical Association. He was the chief instrument in ob- taining the city clock for Dubuque. He has a fine astronomical transit with which the true longitude of Du- buque was established ten years ago, and which furnishes the standard of time at this point, has always main- tained an honorable reputation as a man and a physician, and has ever been ready to tsike a step in advance, when sanctioned by the improvements of the age. Surgery, in its more im- portant relations, has for many years, ' occupied a large share of his atten- tion, patients often seeking his advice from a distance in this, and from ad- joining states. Hon. Joseph Barns Yonng is a na- tive of Erie county, Penn. He was born Feb. 18, 1832. He is of Bnglish- Qerman-Irish ancestry. John Young, of England, received a grant of land from £e king to a large tract in Mas- sachusetts. He settled on this grant in thfi early days of colonial history, at or near Salem. From him sprang the progenitors of the subject of this sketch. His great grandfather, John Toung, was quite a noted man in his day for his freedom of thought on re- ligious subjects. He was intellectual, and an author of considerable repute. The father, Eev. Alcinus Toung, Whose record is given on page 229 of the Life Boat, is a Methodist of long standing, and honored by all his brethren for his faithfulness as a shep- herd in the house of Israel. May his last days be as peaceful as his life has been fruitful of good works. J. B. Toung resided with his parents until his majority, attending school, includ- ing a term each in Madison and Washington Colleges, and two and a half years in Asbuiy University, at Greencastle, Ind., where he graduated in 1851. At the age of fourteen years he came with his parents to Iowa, and after graduating, Mr. Toung began the study of law under the direction of Judge Carleton, of Iowa City. In 1853, he was admitted to the bar, and began practice in Marion, Linn coun- ty, where he has since resided. Dur- ing his practice he has served as pros- ecuting attorney, and in 1861, was electea as representative in the state legislature. He served through the session of 1862, and in 1863 was elect- ed to the state senate, and reelected in 1865 to fill his own vacancy, occa- sioned by his entering the army. During his term he spoke but seldom, and then to some purpose. One of his most characteristic efforts was in support of the resolution requesting our senators and representatives in congress to use their efforts to secure the enactment of a law providing for universal emancipation, etc. On Fri- day evening, Feb. 14, 1862, the house of representatives resolved itself into committee of the whole on federal re- lations. The following are the re- marks of Mr. Toung: " He affirmed that slavery was the cause of this war, the source of our national Calamities, the fountain from which flow the bit- tor waters of rebellion; that for many years slavery had been the con- trolling spirit in this government — the supreme dictator of the whole commonwealth; that had laws been made at its bidding and construed ac- cording to its direction; that it had been the legal adviser of many of oui chief magistrates — the guide and ruler of congress — the idol of the na- tion ; that every important interest in the government had been subservient to its Will ; that the very altars of its sanctuary had been prostituted to its worship ; that, though a bitter foe to free institutions, it had been the favor- ite guest at democratic banquets — the bosom friend and companion of the devil, it had sat by special invitation of false priests at the Lord's table. Slavery had exercised a controlling influence over national affairs, extort- ing the most humiliating concessions from the north, by fierce denuncia- tions and threats, awing thousands into silence, and by a magic peculiar- ly its own, paralyzing the efforts of its adversaries. So eflectually was the whole nation at one time fascinated by the magnetism of its terrible eye, that the two great political parties vied with each other as to which should be most obsequious in its pres- ence, and which should do most to establish its dominion. Its power culminated in the thraldom of those parties, and its magic spell was bro- ken in the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. No institution or sys- tem that cannot live under the burn- ing light of truth should be tolerated 714 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. in a free government. Slavery dreads exposure, shrinks from investigation, and cannot live under the scorching rays of outspoken truth. Our gov- ernment was founded on free princi- ples, and the logical and inevitable conclusion to which every mind must come is, that slavery should not be protected by, or tolerated in it. We are told that we must be conservative. Conservatism is the watchword of every proslavery man. It has been the cause of defeat to our armies — the great obstacle in the way of the successful prosecution of the war. It disheartens the lovers of freedom, par- alyzes the efforts of the government, and, as sure as its counsels prevail, will bring utter rain upon the coun- try. Truth is not conservative. With- in its own territory, it rules with an absolute sway. It yields no rights, makes no treaties, enters into no com- promises. It is essentially progress- ive, and, as the stream of time moves on, sails majestically through the channel, bearing the great and good of all nations, while conservative in- tellects are floating on the eddies or lie rotting along the shore. The trumpet of freedom's great battle has been sounded, and the armies of mind are rallying around the standard of liberty. Slavery is doomed. The year of jubilee is coming when the stars and stripes will wave in triumph over the whole national dominion, and freedom shall be proclaimed to all the inhabitants thereof." In 1864, he was appointed paymaster in the army, and served to the close of the war. In 1868, he was one of the elect- ors at large on the republican ticket. In June, 1869, Mr. Young was ap- pointed pension agent for the north- eastern district of Iowa. He has nearly 3,000 pensioners on the roll. Their ranks are being thinned, and in a few more years the heroes who were so brave where the shot and shell flew so thick and fast on their mission of death, will have passed away, and the silent pages of history will be all that is left to repeat the story of heroic bravery. Mr. Young was married in 1855, to Miss Jane M. Carter, a native of Massachusetts, and daughter of H. A. Carter, of Hopkinton, Iowa. They have a family of five children — three in the earth.life and two in the land of the hereafter. Joseph R. Standley, M. D. Dr. Joseph R. Standley was born in Hend- ricks county, Indiana, December 32, 1831. He attended school in his boy- hood in the old log school house, m the neighborhood where he was bom. The country was at this time in its infancy as regards wealth, and the de- velopment of its resources. There were no railroads in those days, and but little else than " beech roots and poor people." Young Standley spent his early years, when not in school, working on the farm with his father. He used to go, when from 8 to 10 years of age, a long distance to mil], on horseback, with his sack of corn. Wheat was a scai'ce article among the early pioneers, and wheat bread was seldoca used in his father's house. The subject of our sketch removed with his father to Pike county. 111., in 1845, and five years later to Davis county, Iowa. He commenced the study of medicine at the early age of 16, and at the same tiine engaged in school teaching to provide the neces- sary funds to bear expenses. *As a teacher, Mr. 8. acquired a fine reputa- tion, both in this state and in Illinois, where he first engaged in the work. Dr. Standley graduated from the Med- ical university of Iowa, at Eeokuk, in February, 1855, with the highest hon- ors, and a special compliment by J. C. Hughes, dean of the faculty. In the spring of 1855, he settled in Jefferson township, in Taylor county, Iowa, where he has ever since resided. Here he commenced the practice of medi- cine, and at the same time opening up a farm. In about two years business so accumulated in connection with his farming operations, that he quit med- icine, and turned his attention wholly to stock raising and farming, until 1866, when he added the mercantile branch to his other business. Mr. S. has been a large stock shipper, not un- frequently loading a whole train in his shipments; also he has been large- ly engaged in the real estate business. It is said that he has built more houses, broken more prairie and fenced the same, than any other one man in his county. He has over 1,000 acres at the present time in cultivation ; owns real estate to the value of $60,000, and personal property to nearly the same amount. Among the items of his per- sonal property are three fine stores, BlOGBAPHICAL SKETCHES. 715 175 head of cattle, 25 mules. Accord- ing to the last census he was the 'wealthiest man in his county. Mr. Standley is generous, obliging and charitable ; is a member of the I. O. 0. F., also of the I. O. G. T.. and mas- ter of a grange. He married Miss Bachael Hornback, in Fittsiield, 111., July 4, 1854. From this union they have been blessed with two children, a girl and a boy. On his estate of a thousand acres, adjoining the village of Platteville, with good and tasty .buildings, fine orchard, etc., Mr. Stand- ley, with his family, lives in the en- joyment of a parad.ise home, — and is justly regarded as ono of the reliable and substantial men of his section. H. E. J. Boardman. This leading lawyer, of Marshalltown, was born in Danville, Vt., June 21, 1828. He is a son of Kev. E. J. Boardman, a Con- fregational minister well known in ermont. H. E. J. received a thor- ough education in Dartmouth College, N. H., graduating in 1850. He subse- quently spent several years in the southern states, principally as profes- sor of languages in East Tennessee TJniversity. He was admitted to the practice of law in Tennessee, but shortly after removed to Iowa in 1856. Mr. Boardman is well known through- out the state as devoted to the science of law. He has stood much aloof from politics, though often nominated for judge of the district in which he resides, and solicited to become can- didate for the office of supreme judge, declining, however, to accept any nomination. For a long time he has been one of the trustees of Iowa College at Grinnell ; is one of the di- rectors of the Central Railroad of Iowa; also president of the Farmers' National Bank, director of the City Bank at Marshalltown, president of the Marshalltown Hotel Company, the Harden and Mahaska Coal Company, and the Coal and Lumber Narrow Guage Railroad. His success in pri- vate and public undertakings, and his final recoveries in litigated cases, in- volving abstract legal principles, are marvellous. This is due to extraordi- nary powers of generalization and analysis, a subtle perception of what human nature will do under certain circumstances, and an industry that never tires. He is solicitous that his acts of charity and beneficence be known only to himself, and is one of the most modest and retiring of men. Isaac Mosher Preston was born April 85, 1813, at Bennington, Vermont. In 1814, his father and family removed to Onondaga county. New York, where he resided till his death in 1849. Sarah, his wife, died in November, 1832. The father of Isaac M ., was a farmer, with a large family, engaged in the clearing up of a new farm, in the then wilderness of New York. He was in moderate circumstances, with no facil- ities for educating his children. He served for a short time before the treaty of peace as a volunteer in the revolutionary war. Isaac Mosher Preston, at the age of 16 years, was given his time to provide for himself. Thus thrown upon his own resources, without means or education, he learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, and worked at this business till 1840, when he resolved to study law. He was married in Seneca county. New York, Aprils, 1886, to Mary Jane Fa- cer, daughter of Charles Pacer; emi- grated to Iowa with his wife and two sons, Joseph H. Preston and Edmund C. Preston. He first stopped at Iowa City; from thence removed to Mar- ion, in Linn county, in November, 1842, where he still resides, and has the proud satisfaction of enjoying the confidence of the community where he has lived for the last 31 years. He studied law with Asa Calkin, of Iowa City; was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law Octo- ber 36, 1842, in Marion, Linn county,. Iowa, where he has continued the practice from thence to the present time. On the 19th day of December, 1845, he was appointed by James Clark, governor of the territory of Iowa, district attorney for the 18th district of Iowa, and discharged ttie duties of this office for two years. On the 17th day of February, 1846, he was appointed and commissioned by James Clark, governor, colonel for the 3d regiment, 2d brigade, 2d division of the militia of Iowa; assisted in organizing troops for the Mexican war; but his regiment was not called for, nor engaged in actual service. In 1843, he was elected probate judge for the county of Linn, and reelected in 1846, discharged the duties o4 tJiis 716 TuTTL^s History of Iowa. office for six years, and declined a re- election. On the 3d day of March, 1847, by the advice and consent of the United States senate, he was appointed and commissioned by James K. Polk, President of the United States, dis- trict attorney for the state and district of Iowa, and discharged the duties of this office till the close of President Polk's administration. In 1848 he was elected to the house of representatives of the general asssembly of Iowa, and discharged the duties of a member of the house of representatives for two years. In 1830, he was elected senator for the senatorial district, composed of the counties of Linn, Benton and Tama; discharged the duties of sena- tor in the general assembly for four years, and participated in the memor- able contest which resulted in the first election of Hon. James Harlan to the United States senate. During his legis- lative term his associates in the sen- ate and house of representatives con- sisted of such members as W. P. Cool- bagh, Alvin Saunders, afterwards gov- ernor of Nebraska, James W. Grimes, late senator of the United States, Hon. J. M. Love, now U. S. district judge, Hpn. James Grant, Maturin L. Fisher, W. E. Lefflngwell, George W. Wright, now United States senator. During the session of 1851, the legislature composed of such men, adopted and enacted the code of 1851, which su- perseded the common law forms of practice, and changed the entire ju- dicial system of the state. Ezekiel E. Cooley was born in Victory, Cayuga county. New York, on the 13th day of January, 1837, where he resided, enjoying excellent school advantages until the'age of thir- teen years. His father, who was aBap- tist clergyman, then removed to Her- mon, St. Lawrence countjr, N. Y., and afterward to Denmark, Lewis county and thence to Brownsville, Jefferson county, where he died in June, 1846, holdmg the pastoral charge of the Baptist church there. During the last three years of this period, the sub- ject of this sketch was most of the time in attendance at the Black River L. & R. Institute in Watertown, N. Y where he prepared himself for eni trance into Hamilton College. The death of his father frustrated this plan for the time being, and the idea of a college course was finally aban- doned. At the age of seventeen, he commenced teaching, and in August, 1847, he went to Kentucky to engage in that vocation, locating in the town of Cynthiana, with a cash capital of seven dollars, all told. Here, too, he commenced the study of the law, un- der the pupilage of Judge Trimble, and in June, 1849, was admitted to the bar. Returning in August, 1849, to St. Lawrence county, N. Y., he re- sumed teaching for a time, taking tem- porary charge of one of the public schools in Ogdensburg, and reading law at the same time, in the office of Hon. A. B. Janes, devoting the last six months exclusively to the office, and on the 3d of September, 1850, was, on examination, admitted to the bar of that state. Up to this time, life had been with him a struggle. The con- test between poverty and ambition had been a severe one, but the latter aided by an indomitable will, indus- try and frugality, finally conquered. He at once entered upon a successful practice at Hermon, remaining there two years and then removing to Og- densburg and forming a copartner- ship with George Morris, Esq., under the firm name of Morris & Cooley. This copartnership continued two years, and in October, 1854, being then the only surviving member of his family, he struck out for the west and finally located in Decorah, Iowa, then a small town of twenty houses and ^reat expectations. He at once identified himself with the town and county, and took an active part in pro- moting their interests and growth. Selecting at an early day the spot for his own future residence, he acquired the title to it as soon as convenient, and has since erected a home upon it, acknowledged the mogt delightful in that lovely "Gem City." Through his representations, many acquaint- ances in ihe east were induced to come here and locate and contribute to the business, growth and prosperity of the town. In September, 1855, he formed a copartnership with Wm. L. Easton and Leonard Stranding, both from Lowville, N. Y, in the banking and real estate business, under the firm name of Easton, Cooley & Co., from which has since grown the First National Bank of Decorah, a highly prosperous and creditable institution. Biographical Sketches. Ill At the April election, 1855, he was elected prosecuting attorney for Win- neshiek county, for the term of two years. In the first organized move- ment for the cousti'uction of a railroad from McGregor, made in 1856, he took a leading part, rendering eflfl- cient aid in the organization of the company known as the Northwestern K. R. Co., and in securing subscrip- tions to the capital stock, and was giv- en the attorneyship of the company. ■ A survey was made and work was commenced. During the first year of its existence the eflorts of the com- pany were quite successful, and the prospects of a railroad to Decorah were flattering indeed. But the finan- cial crisis of 1857 was a crusher upon all these, and the enterprise went down. It was again revived and again went down and so on, until fin- ally the fifth effort was crowned with success, and in September, 1869, De- corah had a railroad, which has prov- ed itself alike profitable to the com- pany and the city, beyond all pre- vious expectations. The occasion of its completion was one of much re- joicing in Decorah, upon the celebra^ tion of which event, Mr. Cooley was called upon and delivered the oration. In Feb. 1856, an effort was made to remove the county seat from Decorah to Freeport, then the rival of Decorah and situate three miles distant. Un- der the statute authorizing h a peti- tion was presented to the county court (Hon. David Reed county judge), signed by about 400 of the friends of Freeport, asking an order submitting the question of relocation to the voters of the county at the then ensuing April election, and naming Freeport as the point. It was evident to the people of Decorah that if a vote were ordered, she would lose the county seat. Mr. Cooley was chosen their attorney, and upon the presentation of the petition, represent- ed them in opposition, with a remon- strance signed by about double the number of names contained in the petition. Judge Williams of Clayton county, and L. Bullis of Decorah, op- pearing for Freeport. The attorneys fur the petitioners argued to the court, that under the terms of the statute, it was imperative on the court to order an election, while on the other side it was claimed as the people were e;^pressly given the right to remon- strate, and as a remonstrance was pre- sented, the ordering of an election be- came discretionary with the court, and that under all the circumstances of the case, as shown to the court, the making of such an order would be but the abuse of discretion. The con- test was a bitter one, but the court, ap- predating the force of the Decorah argument, denied the order, and his decision was afterward afSrmed by the district court on eertiorwri. And so Decorah retained the county seat. The following year a fine court house was erected and this vexing question was put to rest. In June, 1857, Decorah was incor- porated as a town, the legal proceed- ings for which were had under Mr- Cooley's supervision, and in the or. ganization of the town corporation Siat followed thereupon, he was, with- out opposition, elected president of its board of trustees. In October fol- lowing, he was elected on the republi- can ticket to represent Winneshiek county, in the seventh general assem- bly, which, being the first under the new constitution of the state then but recently adopted, was one of much labor and importance. Here he served, as chairman of the committee on fed- eral relations, and as a member of the judiciary committee, and the com- mittee on township and county organ- izations ; on the latter of which he op- posed, as premature for Iowa, the township supervisor system that was by a subsequent legislature adopted, and afterward tried and repudiated. He also served on many select com- mittees, in all of which positions he was active and eflBcieut in the dis- charge of duty. In 1861, he was ap- pointed postmaster at Decorah, which office he held two years and resigned. He afterward offered his services in the army of the union, and, in Sept. 1864, he was appointed by President Lincoln, commissary of subsistence in the volunteer service, with the rank of captain of cavalry, which position he held until, in October, 1865, he was, on the recommendation of the commissary general, for meritorious services, brevetted major, and com- missioned by President Johnson, and in November following, received an honorable discharge. Afterward, in 1868. and again in 1870, he received the earnest support of the republican 718 TvTTL^s History of Iowa. party of Winneshiek county for tlie congressional nomination of the party, but the rival claims of competing candidates prevailed, and, -without re- gret on his part, he was permitted to remain in private life. He afterward stumped his congressional district for the republican nominees. As a law- yer, he has quick perceptions, reasons closely, and enjoys a reputation for soundness and reliability. He is ar- dently attached to his profession, and has a high regard for its purity and bonor. Through habits of steady and strict attention to business, he has es- tablished a successful and remunera- tive practice, and taken a front rank in his profession. In his religious views he indulges liberal sentiments, not perhaps quite orthodox, entertain- ing great respect for the teachings of the Bible as the foundation of true_ re- ligion and civilization, and deferring kmdly to the religious belief of others. He was early disciplined to the habit of self-reliance, and this feature ex- hibits itself in all his affairs. He pos- sesses an ardent nature that draws to him many friends, while it often, in the heat of county politics, has made him enemies. To the former he adheres firmly — he was never known to turn his back upon a friend — toward his enemies, he is sometimes implacable. He, nevertheless, has a forgiving dis- position, and is ever ready to overlook a personal injury. His surroundings, so far as they are under his control, indicate a refined taste. Through in- dustry and foresight, aided by econ- omy, without parsimony, he has ac- quired a competence; at the same time it can be truly said of him that he has lived and given his best exer- tions to the good of others, more than to himself. In March, 1856, he mar- ried Miss Jane M. Rhodes, then of Dubuque, and has two sons. His social connections are pleasant, and his domestic relations the happiest. Whatever success in life he has had, he ascribes largely to his observance of the adage, " whatever is worth do- ing at all is worth doing well." Pres- ent address, Decorah, Winnesheik Co., Iowa. Hon. Clabonrn C. Wilson was born in Hardin county. Ken., July 23, 1833. (This is the same county in which Abraham Lincoln was born.) He was raised on the farm until he was twelve years old, when he was taken with white swelling, find went on crutches for four years. He was educated in the common school and in the semi- nary, and was quick to learn. He commenced life as a school teacher, at 17, was married at 19, and became a dry goods merchant. Being inexpe- rienced, he failed in business, and, in 1856, he came to Keokuk county, Iowa, where he struggled with pover- ty for a time, but, by dint of ener^, arose to competency and to position in society. He quarried stone, acted as scribe, and was again and again justice of the peace. In 1861, he commenced the study of medicine, and began to practice in Springfield, Keokuk county (his present home), in 1865. He is now president of the Medical Association of Keokuk coun- ty; has been postmaster at Spring- field for the past nine years; was elected to fill a vacancy in the legisla- ture in the fall of 1873, and was thus a member of the extra session in the winter of 1873. He began to sell dry goods in Springfield, in 1865, and has two stores in operation, and prosper- ous. In character, he is positive and independent ; quick to anger ; full of Kentucky blood to resent an insult, but is ever ready to forgive and forget; is a Mason ; is not a church member, but is a^Baptist in faith. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Har- ned. They have seven children, have a pleasant home and a bright outlook for the future. Hon. Joseph C. Rnapp was bom in Yermiont and educated there ; came to Keosauqua, Iowa, in 1843, where he commenced the practice of law. He has resided in the same place since that period. He was appointed judge of the third judicial district of Iowa (then composed of the counties of Van Buren, Davis, Wapello, Mahaska, • Keokuk and Jefferson), in 1851 ; was appointed attorney of the United States for the district of Iowa, in 1852, and again in 1856; was the Demo- cratic candidate for judge of the su- preme court, in 1870, and the candi- date of the same party for governor, in 1871; was elected, for four years, judge of the second judicial district of Iowa (composed of the counties of Van Biu-en, Davis, Appanoose, Wayne, BlOGBAPHICAL SKETCHES. 719 Lucas, Monroe and Wapello), in 1874; ■was married to Miss Sarah A. Ben- ton, niece of Senator Geo. G. Wright,, Dec. 10, 1849. They have three daugh- ters, the two eldest of whom are mar- ried and gone from the parental roof; the youngest is yet with the parents in their beautiful and finely furnished home. Hon. Martin Lather Edwards was born at New Milford, Litchfield coun- ty. Conn., Nov. 6. 1810; removed with the family to Wanoick, Orange county, N. T., in 1821, and to Canfield, Mahoning county, Ohio, in 1826. His early advantages for education were only moderate, but well improved. He also engaged, when young, in the activities of life; worked with his father at chain making and painting; taught school and read law as the years passed along; went to Indiana, m 1837, and engaged in the business of raising silk; became a minister of the Universalist denomination, and preached from 1841 to 1851, a part of the time in Ohio, and a part in Henry and adjoining counties, Iowa. On his removal to Iowa, in 1847, he settled at Mt. Pleasant, where he now resides ; was elected judge of Henry county, Iowa, Aug., 1851, and served four years. He was admitted to the bar of the same county in 1864, but being otherwise engaged, has practiced very little. As member of the city council and mayor of Mt. Pleasant, as well as trustee, secretary and member of the board for the Insane Hospital of Iowa, through many years, he has done a noble work. He has a mild and even temperament, is active and accurate in business, and reliable and faithful in trusts committed to his care. He was married in June, 1844, to Miss Lucy Loring, daughter of Hon. O. E. Lo- ring, of Washington county, Ohio. They had no children that lived to any age, and his Lucy left him for the land beyond time's troubled tide. May 29, 1870. He now has a comfortable and quiet home, and calmly waits the rewards of the better world. Hon. Edward Gee Miller was born in Cornish, York county, Maine, Sept. 3, 1840. He early attended school ; but obtained the best help from the in- structions of his well cultured step mother, during vacations ; remoyed to Dane county, Wis., in 1851 ; attended school winters, and worked on the farm summers, until 1858, when he en- tered the state university at Madison, in which he remained most of the time (teaching school winters) until April, 1861, when he enlisted in Co. K, 1st Wis. volunteers; was appointed to recruit the 20th Wis. volunteers. May, 1862; raised a company and was commissioned captain the following August, a position he held until mus- tered out, July, 1865. On hia return home he was appointed deputy clerk of the county court in Madison. In. 1867, he was married to Miss Mary J. Klinefelter, and removed to Lincoln township, Black Hawk county, Iowa, where he often held county and town offices, and in 1873, was elected state senator from his district, for the full term of four years. He is a prohibi- tionist, is in favor of woman's suffrage ; but not in favor of the restoration of the death penalty. His mother, Sa- rah Gee, who died when he was four years old, was an English lady, with " blue blood " in her veins, and second cousin to Lord Byron. He has a plain but comfortable residence, a noble wife, three children, one gone (not lost), and two living; a son and a daughter. Dr. Edward H. Hazen was born in Elyria, Ohio, April 13, 1834. His early advantages for education were good and well improved, and he wished to complete a full college course; but being physically frail, this object was abandoned for a more practical course of study, mixed with manual labor, tending to develop physical strength. At length he stud- led medicine in Ohio, and attended medical lectures at Ann Arbor, Mich., in the winter of 1860-61; joined a Michigan regiment in the early part of the war, was honorably discharged, and entered the regular army as hos- pital steward, and served in the gen- eral hospitals three years, under sur- feons Porter, Summers and Page, was isoharged June 22, 1865; attended the medical college in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated therein m the spring of 1866; practiced one year in Buffalo, N. Y.; came to Davenport, Iowa, in 1867, and opened an office and attended to general practice; but made a specialty of diseases of the eye 720 Tuttle's History of Iowa. and ear; was lectnirer In the state university, on oplithalmology and otol- ogy. He traveled in Europe during the summer of 1873, seeking new phases of these diseases and new rem- edies for them, and has since estab- lished an infirmary in Davenport for the care and treatment of eye and ear patients. The buildings are tastefully built, and happily adapted to the end in view. He has been president of the Bcott county Medical Society, vice- president of the Iowa and Illinois Ontial district Medical Association (secretary of both for years), and pres- ident of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences. He pays his debts, is strictly religious, and is attached to the Congregational form of church fovernment. He married Miss Sullia 'reeman of Lancaster, Ohio, in 1874. They have two little ones of even age in the land of the blest ; have an in- come ample for all the calls and needs of life and hope in the outlook of the future. Theodore W. Barhydt was born at Newark, N. J., April 10, 1835. His parents removed the same year to Schenectady, N. Y., where the family relations had resided for years. His grandfather, Barhydt, was a sol- dier of the revolution, and/^ quarter- master in the war of 1812. Mr. T. W. Barhydt was favored with a good com- mon school education, and also two years of instruction at the Schenectady Academy; after which he worked with his' father at the boot and shoe business, until he obtained a clerkship in a store. He removed to Iowa in 1855, and was appointed post master at Burlington in 1856. In 1859, he engaged in the boot and shoe business, and was very successful ; so much so that in 1870, he, with a few others, or- ganized the Merchants National Bank of Burlington, of which he was elect- ed president; a relation he has held up to this time, and under his man- agement the bank has been one of the most successful in the state. Quite young he married Miss Eleanor Chris- tiancy, of Schenectady, to whom he pays a fine compliment in saying that " he owes very much of his success in life to her admirable counsels." They have no children, but usually have a crowd of friends to enjoy their beauti- ful home and the cheerful bounties of their lavish board. He is wealthy in gold, brick blocks and goods; but wealthier in good nature, friends and business thrift and credit. Like his forefathers, he is a Presbyterian, and has no time to try the paths of poli- tics. Eoderick Rose was born at Smiths Falls, Ontario county, N. T., May 5, 1838. He received a good academical education, and engaged in mercantile life, in which he continued until the " panic " of 1857, when he was thrown out of employment, and came west to Davenport, Iowa. Failing there to obtain a situation to suit him in his former business, he engaged in school teaching, and employed his leisure time in reading law. In 1871, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in 1873, in which he still con- tinues. In 1871, he was elected county superintendent of common schools in Scott county, and resigned the office shortly after his election. In 1875, he was elected mayor of the city of Dav- enport, Iowa. Lawrence McCarty was born in Ireland, April 37, 1838; had very poor educational advantages, although his father, as a farmer, was in com- fortable circumstances. He removed to America in 1857, and engaged in the grocery business in Dubuque till 1863, and afterward followed the same business in Manchester, Iowa, until 1867, when he removed to Sioux City to prosecute the same business. As city treasurer, director of the Sioux City Savings bank, and the chamber of commerce, as well as a worker in city improvements and in the interests of education, he has acted a noble part. In religious belief he is an earnest Catholic, and as a business man, hon- orable and reliable. In 1863, he mar- ried Miss Eliza Clinton, of Manches- ter. They have an active and intelli- gent family of children, and a quiet and interesting home. Prof. Geo. F. Magoun was born in Bath, Maine, March 39, 1831 ; grad- uated at Bowdoin college in Septem- ber, 1841 ; studied theology one year at Andover theological seminary, and one at Tale; taught in Plattville academy one year, and then studied another year at Andover; preached Biographical Sketches. 721 at ShuUsbm-g, Wis., and Galena, 111., from 1847 to 1851; removed to Bur- lington, Iowa, in 1853, and became the settled pastor of the Congregation- al church In Davenport in 1855, and pastor of the Congregational church in Lyons in 1860; was elected president or Iowa college in 1863, yet acted as pastor at Lyons until July, 1864. Here a cloud came over his home, in the death of his companion and a dear child; and while he accepted the presidency of the college, he had leave to visit Europe until March, 1865; saw much of England, Scotland, Bel- gium, Holland, Prance, Germany and Switzerland; was inaugurated presi- dent of the college in July, 1865 : has taught logic, political economy, meta- physics, evidences of Christianity, etc., preaching a large part of the lime on Sabbaths in pulpits destitute of pas- tors in Iowa and Illinois since that period. The financial prospects of the college have brightened under his hand, until now its . valuation is $206,113. He is an earnest Congrega- tionalist, attached to the New England theology ; is a tireless worker in the interests of philosophy and education, but no lover of secret associations or societies. The maiden name of his former companion was Miss Abby A. Hyde, of Bath, Me., and that of his present, Elizabeth Earle, of Bruns- wick, Me., the latter a lady of fine cul- ture and attainments. They have a beautiful home near the college build- ings, and an honored place in the hearts of those who know them well. Daniel M. Miller was born in Parke county, Ind., Nov. 35, 1841, and resid- ed on the farm with the family until 1853, when they removed to Monroe county, Iowa. He improved his early advantages of common school well, and began to teach when 16 years of age, in which employment he was very successful. He removed to Albia, Iowa, in 1863, and acted as clerk in a dry goods store; enlisted and went out with the 46th regiment, Iowa vol- unteers, in 1864 ; acted as deputy clerk in the district court in 1865-6, and 7 ; since which he has been a part of the firm of Miller, Duncan & Miller, in the dry goods business, has been an active citizen of his city; is a member of the Masonic order, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, but not a 46 member of any religious society ; at- tends the Presbyterian church, and is religiously inclined. His wife's name is Alevilda. They have a convenient and pleasant residence, and a little daughter to cheer their home. He now holds the position of cashier of the Monroe County Bank. A. W. Cook was born in Boston, Mass, Nov. 33, 1814, and enjoyed many early advantages, although he lost both his parents before he was eight years old. He has tried cabinet mak- ing, music teaching, and merchandis- ing at difierent times, with various shades of success; was a slave owner for awhile ; but for the last decade has turned his attention to stock of vari- ous kinds, importing and raising the finest specimens of the horse, ox, cow, pig, etc ; is nicely located in Charles City, Iowa, near his stock farm, and attributes his success in life to indus- try, integrity and honesty. The maid- en name of his charming wife was Martha Home, and his religious beliet seems to be comprehended in thanks to a kind Creator, and good will to- ward men. Hon. Aylett R. Cotton was born in Austintown, Ohio, Nov. 39, 1836 ; enjoyed fair educational advantages in early life; attended the Ellsworth Academy, Ohio, in 1843, and had charge of the public school at ElLs- woi-th, in the winter of 1843 and 1844. With his father, John Cotton, he re- moved to Iowa, in May, 1844, with but little means, and hence was thrown upon his own resources for a liveli- hood, and upon his own tact to pave a path to success and fortune. He taught school in Younestown, Ohio, in the winter of 1844-5'; attended Alleghany College, Pa., the following summer; went to Tenn. in January, 1846, and taught in the Union Academy, return- ing to De Witt, Iowa, August, 1847. He read law in Davenport until ad- milted to the bar in May, 1848; went the overland route to California, and turned miner in 1849. He returned to De Witt, and to the practice of law in April, 1851; was elected county iudge the August following, and re- signed that office in April, 1853; was appointed prosecuting attorney or Clinton county, and served one year; removed to Lyons, Iowa, in Novem- 722 TuTTLifs History of Iowa. ber, 1854, and was elected mayor of that city in 1855; was elected a mem- ber of the convention to amend the constitution of Iowa, in 1856; was elected representative to the general assembly in 1867, and made chairman of the judiciary committee of the house; was reelected in 1869, and at the session of 1870, was speaker of the house; was elected to congress in 1870, and reelected in 1873. In all these responsible public positions and trusts, he has been active, faithful and prompt. He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow ; a patron of public improve- ments, agriculture and education; a successful lawyer, and a reliable and faithful friend. James Harvey Greene vas born in Dearborn county, Indiana, Jan. 6, 1829, and resided in Aurora on the Ohio river, until 31 years of age. He was licensed as a competent pilot on the river when 17 years old and suc- cessfully followed that business until he came to Iowa in the summer of 1850. He crossed the plains to Ore- gon in the spring of 1851 ; dug gold in the mines of California nearly three years, and returned and settled as a jobbing grocer in £eokuk in 1854. During the war, he furnished large amounts of forage at various points, for the animals used by the army, and for the last six years has been engaged in shipping large amounts of grain to the eastern mar- kets. He is very quiet and unassum- ing in manner; has a large heart, a broad view of things and meets re- verses with a calmness peculiarly his own ; belongs to no religious denom- ination, but is strictly moral ; was mar- ried to Miss Lizzie Blair, daughter of J. T. Blair, Esq., of Lee county Iowa, in 1856. They have three daughters, Annie E., Mattie and Gracie ; have a beautiful residence finely furnished in Keokuk, and have reason to be very grateful for the multiplied comforts of their happy home. Hon. Geo. W. McCrary was born in Vanderburgh county, Ind., Aug. 39, 1835. In 1836, his parents removed to what is now Iowa (then Wisconsin territory), and settled in Van Buren county where he was raised on a farm and educated in the common school, and academy ; came to Keokuk in 1854, and studied law with Rankin & Miller two years, when he was ad- mitted to the bar and began business in the same city ; was elected to the lower house of the legislature of Iowa in 1857, and to the senate in 1861, where he acted in responsible posi- tions and did important work; was elected as the republican candidate for congress in 1868, and reelected in 1870-72 — 74, and is now a member of the 44th congress. In all these years of public life he has brought to his work the ample resources and ac- tivities of his mind and fulfilled the duties of his honored positions with fidelity and promptness. He is a Unitarian in belief and is a member of the Unitarian Church in Keokuk. In 1857, he was married to Miss Helen A. Qelatt of Bentonsport, Van Buren county, Iowa. They have five children and reside in a beautiful resi- dence with attractive surroundings. John J. Bell was born in Knox county, 111., January 33, 1845. In 1850, the family removed to Farming- ton, Fulton county. 111., where the most of its members now reside. His father died in 1851, and his six sisters have since married and settled near Farmington. His early school privi- leges were fair and well improved. After he was twelve years old, how- ever, he only attended school in the winter months, laboring on the farm in summer, until 1864, when he taught a neighboring school during the win- ter. In February, 1865, he enlisted and became first sergeant of company F, of the 47th Illinois volunteers, and doing active and noble service, he re- mained in that relation until mustered out in February, 1866. He then studied law, and graduated in the law department of the Michigan Univer- sity in March, 1869 ; went south in the fall of 1869, and spent three years in traveling in the south and west; came to Orange City, Iowa, in the fall of 1873, and in December, 1872, com- menced the practice of law; has con- tined the practice of law since that period with marked success, owning and editing from 1873 to 1875, Tlie Sioux Gounty Hwald. which was dis- posed of for want of time to look after its interests. He is an active and careful republican in politics, al- though not an ultra partisan. He is Biographical Sketches. 723 quite liberal in religion, yet inclines to the orthodox faith; is not' a mem- ber of any church. He places a high estiijiate upon character; has a fair disposition ; Is a good financier, and has met with fine success in his busi- ness. He was married to Miss L. H. Watson, of Manchester, N. H., Decem- ber, 20, 1874. They have a new and beautiful home, with pleasant sur- roundings. Robt. Alex. Sankey was born Sep- tember 22, 1837, at Potter's Mills, Cen- tre Co., Pa. He was raised on a farm, and educated at Dickinson Seminary as a lawyer, and admitted to the bar at Bellefonte, Pa. ; went into the Uni- ted States service in April, 1861 ; was subsequently discharged on account of ill health. In 1864, he settled at IJ'ewton, Iowa, where he still resides ; has never held any public offices; has been active in his own business affairs, and interested in the prosperity of his city. He is of the Unitarian belief, a member of no church; was married in June, 1867, to Mary Emily Rodgers, an estimable lady of Newton. They have no children. They reside in the southwestern part of the city, and he has spared nothing to make his house and grounds beautiful and attractive. His business efforts have been crowned with success, and he is now in easy circumstances. Beqj. B. Woodward was born in Ontario county, N. Y., Aug. 7, 1817, and removed with the family to Cin- cinnati, Ohio, in 1819, where they re- mained until 1825, when they removed to Preble county, Ohio. His early years were spent in school, and on leaving school he entered his father's store as clerk, and in 1838, he became a partner therein. In 1842, he accom- panied his father to Davenport, Iowa, and settled on a farm about three miles out from the city, and remained there until 1850, when he removed to the city and engaged in the mercan- tile business, .uist prior to the panic of 1857, he closed out the store and entered as teller of a newly established private bank, where he remained one vear, or until the state bank of Iowa was established, of which he was elected cashier. In this position he remained until 1865, when the bank was merged into the Davenport Na- tional bank, where he was cashier un- til 1875, when he was chosen presi- dent of the institution. He is an ac- tive Odd Fellow, having passed all the chairs of the subordinate and grand lodges, and twice represented the grand lodge of the state in that of the United States ; is a man of unim- peachable integrity, of active and thorough business habits, and of cool and sound financial ability, as well as benevolent, kindly and social in heart. He is a trustee of the M. E. church. He was married in Daven- port m 1845, to Elizabeth E. Morgan, of Waynesvillc, Ohio, They have a pleasant home. Dennis A. Cooley was born in Lis- bon, Grafton Co., N. H., Nov. 7, 1825 ; fitted for college at Newburg, Vt., while a part of the year he taught in southern Vermont. Afterward he stud- ied law with Hon. N. C. Stoughton, of Chester, Vt., and two years with Tracy, Conwell «& Co., Woodstock, Vt. ; came to Iowa in the spring of 1853, and en- tered upon the practice of law, and enjoyed a lucrative practice. In 1864, he was appointed, by President Lin- coln, commissioner to South Carolina, and held a relation to the colored peo- ple under the law of 1861, until 1865. In the summer of 1864, he was elected secretary of " N. R. Congressional Committee," and did the compiling and scattering of nearly 7,000,000 doc- uments ; and in various other ways he has ably served the country since that period, both in Washington and else- where. Presley Saunders was born in Plem- init county, Ky., in 1809, and removed to Springfield, 111., in 1827; was in the Black Hawk war in 1881 and '32. And when the Black Hawk purchase was made in 1833, he entertained a high opinion of the territory acquired, and in 1834, he was the first settler where Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, is now lo- cated—the first white man to drive a slake out in the wilderness of that In- dian hunting ground (the land was yet unsurveyed), and make a home among the savages. Mt. Pleasant had its be- ffinnings on his claim, late in lado, Snd in 1836, he opened the frontier store of that region, on that spot, lie has continued the same business in the same place up to the present time; 724 Tuttle's History of Iowa. has been president of the First Na- tional Ban]! of Mt. Pleasant, from its organization until now, and borne an active part in the progress of the town through all the intervening years of its history. He has a good wife and five cliildren, all of whom are still members of the family qircle and share the comforts of his pleasant home. Wm. R. Smith was born in Barne- gat, Ocean county, W. J., December 30, 1828. His father died when he was 7 years old, and he went to reside with his grandfather, until he was 16, generally attending school about three months in a year. By consent of jhis grandfather, he went to New Ybrk city to learn a trade in 1844, and moved to Macon, Michigan, in 1846. Here he taught school and worked at his trade. In the summer of 1850, he began the study of medicine and re- turned to New York city and attended medical lectures at the old college of physicians and surgeons; returned to Macon, Michigan, in the sprmg of 1853 and commenced the practice of medicine; removed to Sioux City, [owa, in 1858, yet not fully settled there until the spring of 1858, when he engaged in regular practice; was 1st lieutenant of frontier guards in the spring of 1861 ; was chairman of the vigilance committee to guard against Indians during the fearful Indian ex- citement in 1862, and just after the terrible massacre in Minnesota; was also government surgeon most of the time from the fall of 1861 to the spring of 1863; was mayor of Sioux City from March, 1868, to March, 1864 and was appointed by President Lincoln surgeon of the board of enrollment for the 6th congressional district in May, 1863, and sei-red two years- has been appointed receiver of the United States land office again and again, and been active in the cause of schools, railroads and city improve ments. And in all these as well as many other public position? of trust which have fallen into his hands, he has shown an energy and unflinching integrity which commend themsehes to every friend of good order in so- ciety. He attends the Protesant Episcopal church with his wife who IS a member of that church; yet he himself inclines to the simplicity of the "Society of Friends," and is rather Unitarian in his belief; is a free mason, though not an active one, also an odd fellow and a granger. He is genial and frank in society "and hates sham, formalism and affectation. He was married to Miss Rebecca Os- borne, of Macon, Michigan, July 12, 1859. They have three boys living and three that have gone to the other shore; have a competency and a beautiful home, with beautiful sur- roundings, just in the suburbs of Sioux City. James J. !^olerton was born at Sa- lem, Columbiana county, Ohio, June 22, 1840. He was raised on a farm, and hence, by work thereon, devel- oped a fair physical frame; attended the common school until it was deemed best for him to go to the academy located in Salem, where he soon fitted for college. Being thrown on his own resources, he was obliged to teach school in winter to pay his way in college. He entered Allegha- ny College, at Meadville, Pa., in 1861, and graduated (A. B.) in 1864. He then procured law books from the law library of Hon. F. S. Wood, and stud- ied at home until he completed what is termed a two year course, and then, in 1866, removed to Cedar Falls, Black Hawk county, Iowa, and began the practice of law in the midst of stran- gers. By strict attention to business, however, he soon had employment in his profession, and by his^entlemanly manners, won himself ffiends. He has little taste for political life, and hence has never given any time to the strategy of politics ; he has, however, labored faithfully to develop his adopted state, and to enlarge and beautify the town in which he lives. The lessons taught him by a good mother have tended to make him firm in what he deems to be right, and dil- igent in the callings and labors of life. He share,