. Mm mmis^mm W"- -mmmmmw-"'' ■iiv";'l*. Book . ^g- .E^L- GoipghtN°___ COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT J. LORAN ELLIS ....Th- STORY OF NEVIN An Historical Narrative OF.... The Eariy Days ..OF THE.... New England Colony of Iowa .BY... .J».LoPAN. Elli^' COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY J. LORAN ELLIS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Two Copies Received AUG. 10 1901 Copyright entry y^M IQ. Ip f CLASS^ XXc. No. COPY B. A \v PREFACE. The writer of this short Story of Nevin has herein presented an account of facts and events occurring in the attempt to estabHsh in Iowa a new "Boston", together with brief biographic notes of the most prominent actors. The sources of information have been his own pri- vate journals, largely supplemented from the memories of himself and his wife ; also from the memories and records of other survivors of the old colony. For its preparation, he has no apology to make. The work was undertaken at the suggestion of a few remaining friends and pioneers of the place; and, although attended with considerable labor, it has been a pleasant diversion. It is dedicated to the entertainment and use of the de- scendants of those early day settlers, as well as to others who are interested in reminiscences of the beginnings of the New England Colony of Iowa. J. L. E. Dewey Lawn, May, 1901. THE STORY OF NEVIN. Chapter I, 1855-1856. THE PARSON'S VACATION. During the middle fifties, the pubHc interest in the question of the extension or non-extension of slavery to the Kansas country was intense. Emigration there from the east was rushing indeed. Rev. Edwin H. Nevin, the pas- tor of the Congregational (orthodox) church at Walpole, Mass., a few miles from Boston, having a desire to look in on the opening territories just beyond the Missouri river, took the occasion of his summer vacation in 1855, to visit that region. His trip westward was by way of Cleveland, crossing the Mississippi on a steam ferry, to Burlington. Then by mail hack he continued his journey to Afton. From Afton he was a passenger on Wm. Lock's mail rig, that ran weekly tO' Adair and Lewis postoffices. The route by way of the "Mormon trail," passed the northern limits of the later-on, Nevin lands, two miles away. From Lewis he went on by the four-horse Concord coach line running from the Mississippi to the Missouri. Upon getting tO' Nebraska, the Dr. inspected an Indian mission school at Bellevue; and then he visited the new settlements in Kansas, as well as some of the scenes of the conflicts in the territory, where the overwhelming numbers of the "free staters" finally, later on, secured the new state to freedom. Dr. Nevin returned to his Walpole parish in due season, filled with delight and enthusiasm from his summer outing. He was especially impressed with the native wealth of western Iowa's never-ending rolling divides, then so lux- uriantly covered with waving grass in a sea of green, and dotted with flowers of every hue; all tossing their radiant greetings to him in the gentle summer breezes. He ac- tually imagined that all nature was saying to him, "Come and settle the land! Come and build a city! Come and plant a new Garden of Eden! Come! Come! !" 6 THE STORY OF NEVIN. LAND SPECULATIONS. An early-day writer sayS: "The speculation-in-land spirit was rife in these early years; this was especially so amongst the Boston capitalists. The desire to accumulate riches speedily, induced many of them to invest largely in western lands; and then some of them, to lay out big towns, and town additions; more particularly was this last named speculation indulged in, in Iowa and southern Minnesota. They even built air-castles and 'paper cities,' selling the lots long before they themselves had seen the lands or had obtained land titles." Another writer says in reference to the times: "Cities were built (upon paper), railroads trav- ersed the county (in prospect). But alas for the hopes of the imaginary owners; not a trace of even the ruins of cities, or of railroads, can at present, (i860,) be seen. What the excavations of some future day may reveal, we cannot predict; but it is certain that if the cities themselves are not buried deeper than the ruins of Pompeii, the hopes of the founders are buried so deep that the sound of no res- urrection trumpet will ever reach them." Soon after Mr. Nevin's return to Massauchusetts, a business meeting was held at the office of Harris, Cowles & Co., stock and money brokers, at Nos. 9 and 11 Kilby street, Boston, to consider the question of planting a colony of New England people on the open prairies of southwest- ern Iowa, as suggested by the Rev. gentleman, who was present. Among the business men present was Mr. Ros- well W. Turner, a mortgage broker, who resided at New- ton, Mass., and Mr. Richard B. Smith, of West Roxbury; the junior member of the firm of Harris, Cowles & Co. His father, Alvin Smith, the financial support of the son in the future venture of the colony, was also present. The men named, accepted and agreed to the proposi- tion of Dr. Nevin. The scheme was: That Mr. Turner and Mr. R. B. Smith should each furnish one-half of the money needed to float and manage the intended specula- tion. Dr. Nevin's name was to be given to the place, and he was to give the project his moral support, but was to put no money in the concern. It was understood that Mr. Nevin was to receive a present of a i6o-acre lot in the colony lands when located. Mr. Turner was supposed to be manager-in-chief, though on the surface he and Mr. Smith were equal. The men planned to buy land warrants to the amount of twenty- five sections, if they could be had for about one dollar per THE STORY OF NEVIN. 7 acre. Ex-Mexican soldiers U. S. government land war- rants were then on the market for sale. With the war- rants, they expected in due time to locate land for the colony, in the land offices at Chariton and at Coimcil Blufifs. The men soon after, commenced buying their needed land warrants, wherever they could be had at a satisfactory price. But for some reason they stopped buying for them- selves, when they had but about sixteen sections. They now turned their attention to a plan of laying out the land into lots and streets, on a big scale; developing a town or city four or more miles square. There were to be 160-acre lots on the outer margin of the tract; some 40-acre lots in- side next to the i6o's; then, lo-acre lots; inside of which would be a large number of 2 1-2 acre lots; and a common, or public square in the centre. In September, Turner and Smith employed one Solo- mon Brown as their agent to help boom the enterprise, and to visit Maine, where he formerly had lived, and to do other needed field work. This Mr. Brown was a retired Maine farmer, then living at Walpole, Mass., with his two old-maid daughters as housekeepers. He was a deacon in Dr. Nevin's church, and was also the dispenser, or retail- selling agent of the town, for spirituous liquors to be used for mechanical, medicinal and sacramental purposes, under state laws. In October, or thereabout, Mr. Brown went to Gorham, Maine, where he formerly lived, and to Portland; where he had advertising notices printed in poster-bill form. These bills he posted along the coast towns, all the way from "way down east" to Boston. Later, in the early winter, he posted more at Walpole, and perhaps at other towns. The following is a copy of one of Mr. Brown's adver- tisements posted at Walpole, in December, 1855: "NEW ENGLAND COLONY OF IOWA. The subscriber is now receiving names of applicants for this colony, of those who wish to become — Actual Settlers — in this healthy, fertile section of country; and the object of this colony is to have a settlement of entirely New England people to settle down together ON 16,000 ACRES OF LAND! ! more or less in a square, as shown by a plot by the Agent; of lots of 160 acres, of 40 acres, of 10 acres and of 2 1-2 8 THE STORY OF NEVIN. acres, with a large common or public grounds in the centre. We want mechanics of every trade, school teachers, phy- sicians, ministers. Sabbath school teachers, and anyone wishing tO' do good, to get good, and to make themselves and their families independent, are invited to go. "The Agent will be at Walpole through January, 1856, where he will give all information in regard to the Colony. Those wishing to become members of the Colony are re- quested to call as soon as possible, as it is fast filling up. "SOLOMON BROWN, Agent." During the late winter and the early spring, the Colony project was advertised in the weekly "Boston Recorder," then the leading paper for Sunday reading amongst the Congregationalists of New England. During April adver- tisements appeared also ■ in the Boston dailies. We will here give a copy of one clipped from the Boston Traveller of April, just after Mr. Brown and his company had started for western Iowa: "NEW ENGLAND COLONY OF IOWA. "This Colony consisting of persons from the New Eng- land states is located in the southern part of Adair, and in the northeastern part of Adams counties, in the town of Nevin. It lies near to two railroads, is well watered. Some farms and lots are yet offered for sale at a very low price in order that they may be put within the reach of actual set- tlers as early as possible. Farms three dollars per acre, half in advance, and balance in two years. A school house and hotel are to be put up immediately. Emigrants who wish good society and Christian privileges will do well to secure homes in this Colony. The prices of lots and con- ditions of sale can be learned from Solomon Brown, Esq., on the ground, or Rev. E. H. Nevin, care of Harris, Cowles & Co. Nos. 9 and 11 Kilby St., Boston. Tu. Th. S. 4w. April 24. There were other advertisements in the Boston Re- corder later on in 1856. See pages later on. GETTING THE LAND. Going back to the events of the first of March, Messrs. Turner and Smith started from Boston about March i, 1856, with their sixteen or more sections of land warrants, to locate the land. They had ascertained that the largest body of unentered land in southwestern Iowa, was to be ■^^ COLOMY The snbscribcr Is now receiving names of appll* rants for this Colony, of those who wish to become ACTUAL SBTT&ERS 111 this healthy, fertile section of eountrj i and the object of this Colony is toliare a settlement of entire- ly New England people to settle down together lis 16,000 ACBES OF lAND ! ! Wore or less in a square, as shown by ^ pfot by the Agent, of lots of 1«0 acre's, of 40 acres, of »»»"•«« and of a 1-a acres, with a hirge COWMOl^ or Public Grounds in the centre. We wui.t Me. lianic of every trade, 8el)»ol Teachers. Physicians. Ministe^, S.b- bath School Teachers, and anj( one wishing Ip do good, to get good, and to make theniatJlvea and their families In- dependent, artlnrited to go. / , The Agent will be at ^^M^ ^^^^ Z^*^^^'^'^ wh^re he will gif/*! information in reg«rd> this Colony. '•'''»?^/i''''"Mf^^,*'fr* men,l.er. o he Colony are requested \ call as soo» a. JH.—We. as .t is fast filling SOLOMON BROWN, Agent *u«l« • by>I.'a<»k ud iob r^n. M • 101 mdiU. mint. »<>rtl»*. Reduced facsimile of advertisement posted at Walpole in December, 1855. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 9 found in the northeast township of Adams county and in the edge of Adair county adjoining on the north. So, they had decided to locate their land warrants on this land, and in a square form as near as practicable. Adams county was then in the Chariton land district, and Adair was in the Council Bluffs district. The men arrived at Chariton, where about half the warrants were located in the name of R. W. Turner, on March loth; then going on to Council Bluffs, they there entered the balance, most all in the name of R. B. Smith, though one or two tracts were in the name of Mr. Turner. This was on March 12th and 13th. There were some tracts of land within the limits of their proposed four miles square that had been entered by others previously: 320 acres in section 2, 160 acres in sec- tion II, and 120 acres in section 10; all in Twp. 73 of R. 32, Adams county. And 240 acres in section 35, 40 acres in section 26 (the northwest corner), and 40 acres in section 2^; all in Twp. 74 of R. 32, Adair county. Consequently their 16 1-4 sections of land warrants covered about 960 acres of land outside of the four mile square area. The men made a superficial inspection of their new lands; but, as it was yet early in March, they could not see in the base, brown surface of the country, all the enchanting views that Dr. Nevin had seen seven months previous; but doubtless they in their imagination, had bright visions, as they pictured these dark, bleak ranges; transformed into great fields of waving wheat and golden corn; peopled with hosts of live Yankees in their new and happy homes in the "El Dorado" of the west. PLANNING THE CITY. Turner and Smith having returned from Iowa, now directed their attention to the starting of a party west as soon as possible. Arrangements were made to have a meeting at Harris, Cowles & Co.'s Boston ofBce, on the 15th of April, of those proposing to settle in the new colony at once, and also of all who wished to secure choice of lots at that time, expecting at some future time to settle there. Messrs. Turner and Smith had previously fixed upon the price of lots and terms of payment, as follows: i6o-acre lots were $3 per acre; 40-acre lots, $5 per acre; lo-acre lots, $10 per acre, and 2 1-2 acre lots were $50 each; half cash, and half on two years' time, at 10 per cent annual interest, secured by mortgage of the tracts sold. 10 THE STORY OF NEVIN. At this 15th of April meeting and sale seventeen per- sons bought each a 2 1-2 acre lot, as shown by Turner and Smith on their plan of laying out and numbering lots. A few paid cash in full, but the most of them availed them- selves of the terms of credit. A peculiarity of these first deeds was that the descrip- tion said, "in a town to be called Nevin," instead of saying, in the town of Nevin. Mr. James McDougall, one of the lot buyers at this first sale, thinking there was some risk in waiting; in order to secure a i6o-acre lot before they were all gone, bought a quarter section lot, a 40-acre lot and a lo-acre lot, thus making sure of not being obliged to return because he could get no land; and most effectively preventing his re- turn, should he ever desire to do so. In this, he exhibited the courage of even a Cortez himself when larlding in Mexico. There were several others who bought 160-acre lots at this sale, who were not planning to go west at pres- ent. Mr. John Jewett and several others of this first outgo- ing party also wanted farm lots, but they deferred the par- ticular selection of them until after they had seen the place. Most of those who bought at this sale, sent their deeds by the hand of Mr. Solomon Brown, together with fifty cents to each deed to pay for their recording. But the town of Nevin not having been yet laid out, Mr. Brown left the deeds with Mr. Chapman, the Adair county recorder, who kept his office then in his log dwelling at "Chapmans" grove, about 31-2 miles south of the county seat; then Fontanelle, but formerly Sunmierset. Mr. Brown, however, retained the half dollars, which he never accounted for to the right- ful owners to this dav. A JOURNEY WEST. On Wednesday the i6th day of April, 1856, a party consisting of the following named men left Boston for the "promised land": James P. Jordan, carpenter, and James McDougall. farmer, both married and both from Gorham; James Thomas, painter, he also from Gorham; John Jewett, farmer, married, from Whitefield; J. P. Moore, from Gardi- ner, and Alden B. Smith, single, ship-carpenter from Litch- field; all of Maine. These six prospective settlers, attended by Solomon Brown, the agent of Turner and Smith the land proprie- tors, journeying by way of a fast through railroad train, soon left their native homes and Boston far in the rear. THE STORY OF NEVIN. n Before getting as far as Cleveland, Mr. Brown induced one Mr. J. Breen, whom he met on the train, to join them. They arrived safely at the Mississippi opposite Burlington, the end of the railroad. The ferry landed them in Burling- ton on Sunday, the 20th. Here they bought a two-horse team and needed stores, a keg of whisky, at the suggestion of Mr. Brown, was also bought for emergencies. The first day on the road they reached Mt. Pleasant, putting up for the night at a log house, where their bed was a pile of hay. The next day they arrived at Fairfield, where they met a Rev. Gates, whom Mr. Brown persuaded to go along, with the intention of becoming a fellow-settler in the proposed new Yankee town in southwestern Iowa. The party had good weather and fairly good roads till they got to "Myers" place, some 16 miles southeast from the Nevin lands, where recent rains had so raised the streams that they were compelled to tarry for one day. The following day leaving Myers, they reached a branch of the Little Platte, where they found the bridge was several feet under the moving water. They succeeded in crossing, how- ever, and at noon, the 8th day of May, they arrived at the house of Samuel Riggs, at what was called "Riggs's" grove. Finding that the Riggs house was full of previous arriv- als, they had to proceed on. On reaching the West Platte, near by, at a point on Union and Adams county line, nearly four miles south of the present Cromwell, they found it so high that fording was impossible. To add to their trouble, rain was now falling. After consultation, it was decided to build a tree- bridge. A narrow foot bridge was constructed by felling a large tree across the stream for a foundation, over which their baggage was carried by hand, among which was a heavy tool chest weighing some 200 pounds, a keg of nails, a grindstone, etc., to say nothing of the keg of whisky. They swam the horses across, floating and hauling the wagon over; loaded up again and then went on. About forty rods farther, they found a slough, which came near being the "slough of despond." as was Chris- tian's in "Pilgrim's Progress." Here they were obliged again to unload and carry their baggage over. Here, also, their provisions gave out. Being wearied and worn, the keg of whisky was now for the first time resorted to, and as the spirits in the keg decreased, the spirits in the men seemed to increase. Again they started, with renewed courage; and after repeatedly unloading, they arrived at the house of Mr. and 12 THE STORY OF NEVIN. Mrs. Wm. Whipple, some eight miles south of Nevin vil- lage of today. No place was ever more welcome to its occu- pants than was the sight of this house to these weary emi- grants. Here they passed a comfortable night. This house was low and of but one story, three sides were built up of sod; the south side was boarded. There was no floor ex- cept boards under the beds. The day following most of the party proceeded on their way to find the town. They were accompanied by Mr. Whipple as guide; but Mr. McDougall, who was sick, and Mr. Thomas, who took charge of the team, were left be- hind at the house. Messrs. Gates and Brown had remained at Afton to rest. The "Nevin seekers" went northwest- erly until they struck a branch of the East Nodaway, at what was then "Harnett's grove." The banks were over- flowed and bottom lands nearly covered with water. They waded to the bank of the creek, then up stream until they came to a tree on the opposite bank that leaned over the stream. Here they felled a tree on their side, lodging it in the tree on the opposite bank. Their guide then returned to his home, and the party with their guns and axes crossed on the trees and waded ashore. At this time there was no house nearer than six miles to the Colony lands, and it was no wonder that the men took a wrong direction, as they did. After wandering al- most all day they came in sight of a log house in the edge of the Middle Nodaway timber, which proved to be that of Mr. Richard Davis, in the McCall neighborhood. Here the men were kindly received and were kept over night. In the morning Mr. Davis went out in company with them to the Colony lands, going as far as near where Mr. Nick Steele now lives. Mr. Davis then returned home and the trav- elers took a southwestern direction to a grove in sight. This grove was then called "Elliott's grove," later "Chamber- lain's grove." Here they decided to build themselves a cabin amongst its trees. That afternoon they went to Chapman's grove, in Adair county, to meet Messrs. Brown and Gates. The dwelling of the J. Chapman family, on the south slope of this fine hill-grove, was a small, one story log structure, with a board addition on the rear. At a later day the house disappeared, Mr. Chapman building on the open land west of the stream (Middle Nodaway). The stream at this place had the best gravelly bed crossing that was to be found on the stream within miles. Here was where the Mormon emigration of some previous years had crossed in THE STORY OF NEVIN. 13 coming west from "Pisgah" in Union county; where some of them had tarried and farmed several years before resum- ing their journey to Council Bluffs and Plattsmouth, and later to the Salt Lake valley in Utah. On the top of this Chapman's grove hill just at the edge of the trees, and alongside of their trail, was a small grave- yard with its rude enclosure, within which were a number of Mormon graves. (Many years ago Mr. John Bixby ex- hibited in Nevin certain skulls from these graves.) The next day after the arrival of the travelers was Sun- day. Rev. Gates preached to the company present at the Chapman house, he and Brown having arrived there from Afton a day or so before, by way of the Mormon trail route. The day being rainy all were willing to remain indoors and hear a religious sermon— the first ever preached in Adair county by a Congregational minister. TRIALS AND LABORS. ' On Monday morning, May 12th, the party from Bos- ton held a conference. They had completed their event- ful trip from Yankeedom to the new "wonder" of Nevm. The alluring stories of Turner and Smith — not to men- tion Nevin and Brown— had (in their views at least), been stripped of their tinsel and flowers of speech. The many trials and disappointments to which these men had even al- ready been subjected, discouraged them to that degree that they now thought to abandon the whole project and return east. But the entreaties and promises of Mr. Brown finally prevailed and they were persuaded to remain, by the prom- ise of one hundred dollars each. (Probably Turner and Smith did, later on, allow a credit of that sum each m mak- ing payments on lots that they bought.) ^ So the Colony party retured during the day to Elliott s grove taking along some raw pork and corn bread for their dinner. What was left after eating they put in the forks of a tree for future needs. Here they proceedea to build them a cabin. They first felled a tall tree down the incline of the hill, with the butt-end remaining on the top of the high stump, and lodging the tree top in between two diverg- ing trees, to hold it in place. This tree body thus formed the top of the opening to the cabin, from the warmer south side. They then built their rude hut against this cross-tree, using logs' old and new, forked stakes, etc. At night they returned to the Whipple place, where they had left their team some days previous. During that 14 THE STORY OF NEVIN. evening Mrs. Whipple baked them a good pot of pork and beans. Messrs. Brown and Gates, who had that day vis- ited the Colony lands, also passed the night at the Whip- ple home. Next day Mr. Brown started back for Boston, and Rev. Gates, realizing that he was rather ahead of time for a Nevin church pulpit, returned to eastern Iowa, and the others with their team started for the grove cabin. The stream at the Barnett grove having gone down largely, they built a low bridge to cross on. They next came to a branch southeast of their camp where they swam their horses across; then, hitching a rope to the wagon tongue they hauled the loaded wagon over, or rather into, the stream, carried the contents of the wagon along the wagon tongue to the opposite bank, and then the wagon was hauled out and reloaded. They then drove to the cabin not far away. After eating from their pot of pork and beans, they finished the cabin, and slept therein that night. A somnific fiend would be excused for wondering what their dreams were as they slept. The fine black walnut and elm grove, where the party was now squatting, was owned by Mr. Josiah Elliott of Union county. Its location was on the southwest 1-4 of northwest 1-4 of section 15, township y^, range 32, Adams county. The trees have all long since disappeared. The following morning Mr. Jewett was sent with the team in quest of provisions. He crossed the stream to the west and drove northwest till he came to the Winterset to Quincy route of travel, then but little more than a trail. He followed this to the "Sprague" farm, within a mile or two of the present "Homan" Baptist church. Here he bought potatoes, corn, pork, meat, etc.. for their present needs. Before getting back to camp, he lost his way; but was finally heard and discovered by his camp-mates, in some hazel brush near camp crossing, and rescued. late in the evening. One wonders if that pot of pork and beans did meal duty all day at the cabin. TRYING TO FARM. Having now shelter and food supply, our New England friends found time to consider the prospective needs of the future. They decided to try their hands at agriculture; and, since they had no plow, "Brother" Jewett was sent to Win- terset for the needed implement. Finding none there, he continued his journey on to Des Moines, where he bought THE STORY OF NEVIN. 15 a breaking plow, also a stove. While the team was gone to Winterset and Des Moines, the men left at camp happened to think of Turner and Brown's advertised "school-house." So they laid aside the hoe and mattock, and went to work felling trees, then hewing them to proper size and form for building purposes. Mr. Jordan and Mr. Smith, just from the wooded state of Maine, were very expert in handling the axe and the broad-axe and much progress was made for a while. Upon the return of Mr. Jewett the building project was dropped for the present, and the attention of the men was again turned to farming. They commenced to plow, or rather to break prairie, on the east side of 160-acre lots Nos. 26 and 2J (of 1857 plat). The north one was for Mr. Jewett and the other one for Mr. McDougall. They soon found that their pair of horses were unable lo do good breaking, then they were exchanged for work-oxen. The prairie-breaking now went on better. They bioke about twelve acres on farm 27, and six or eight acres on farm 26. They also did some breaking on 160-acre lot No. 42 for Mr. Jordan. This last was the farm next north of the McKeen farm. The other men of this first company did not, as yet, aspire to owning any big farm here. The colonists planted some of their breaking to com; some to potatoes, and some to garden truck. The season later on was rather dry for sod corn, moreover the seed corn proved defective, so they grew no corn. Their potatoe- planting, however, turned out fair; there was a half-wagon load dug in October by some one from "Hazel Green." As the summer advanced the prairies became too dry for further breaking and their farming for 1856 closed; ex- cept that along in July they mowed slough grass and put up about fifteen tons of hay in stack for winter feeding. Along in June, Messrs. Breen and Moore had con- cluded that they were too far west. They were completely discouraged and in their view the colony scheme was a com- plete failure. Accordingly they packed up and started off for the east. Those left behind bade them a sad farewell, and with longing eyes watched their receding forms till they were lost in the distance. And they scarcely knew why they themselves remained; for in their inmost hearts they envied those who were on their way home. They, by hard effort, however, stuck to their purpose to keep at work where thev were. i6 THE STORY OF NEVIN. BUILDING A SCHOOL HOUSE. The farming being now about over, the men once more turned attention to the building of the school house. The hewn timbers for the frame were finished and hauled to Nevin lands. They decided to have it erected on the south- east corner of section 3, at a point about five rods north from the corner. (It will appear that the west half of sec- tion 2 was not at this time owned by Turner and Smith). This site was the southeast part of lo-acre lot No. 105, as developed in the 1857 plat of Nevin. The school house was to stand about sixty-five rods west of the present Mrs. Nancy Jewett's dwelling. The bottom and wall frame was put up and boarded in, except an opening at the south end. The lumber used had been hauled from the Johnson water power saw-mill, on the west branch of the Middle Nodaway, twelve miles northwest. In order to have a shelter therein while some shingles were being made, the men put loose timbers or poles across from plate to plate, and covered them with slough grass to keep the rain out; and then they moved in. The building was about 16x24 feet in size. They had laid a floor in the north part, where they placed their stove and sleeping appliances. "Here," says an early writer, "we have a clue as to the character of the first set- tlers — the school house first; even before they had pro- vided houses for their families, they took care to provide for the instruction of their children. Noble men! worthy descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers." Bystander, however, while giving all credit to their good intentions, and to their persistent stick-to-it-ness un- der unusual difficulties, cynically suggests that the building was called a school house, because Turner and Smith had agreed to build one, and had so advertised in the Boston papers. Now they could say to credulous inquirers that a school house was already built in Nevin. About this time the men were gladdened by the com- ing into their midst of Messrs. Calvin Jordan and Daniel L. Smith, from the east, brothers of our colonists Jordan and Smith. Their stay, however, was rather short; they were unmarried and having no children of their own to be educated in the new school house, they lost interest in the place. Mr. Smith remained awhile with his brother, and then abandoning a village lot he had bought from Turner and Smith of Boston, he went to Winterset and taught school there a term or more, after which he went back to his Maine home. Mr. Calvin Jordan returned east that fall. Neither of them ever came back. The Smith brothers THE STORY OF NEVIN. 17 have left no record of their saw-mill building in the west, as reported in Massachusetts, that they were going to do. A THUNDER STORM. The colonists in their new school house home, were surprised on the night of July 4th, 1857, by a violent thun- der, wind and rain storm. The frail shell of a building yielded to its terrific force. The sleeping inmates were aroused as the thing came tumbling down. Those nearest the opening made a quick and easy exit. Not so, however, with those in the farther end; Messrs. Thomas and Smith escaped with slight injuries but Mr. Jewett (who had tarried to put on his coat and boots) was a little late in start- ing. Just before he reached the door he fell across a tool- chest, and was held fast to it by the falling roof, in such a way that he was wholly unable to free himself. The others released him, but he was unable to stand and it was soon found that he was badly injured. There was no physician to be had. It was dark; they could not see a thing. It blew so hard that one man could not stand alone. Yet there thev were obliged to stay until morning, holding their dis- abled comrade. As soon as it was light they cleared the ruins from the stove and tool-chest to get matches. The stove was found to be broken; but they managed to set it up outside, and cooked some needed food. Again they rallied and built a cabin from the ruins of the structure, in which they could sleep, doing their cook- ing: out of doors. NEW ARRIVALS. On July 2ist Mr. Charles E. Austin, with his wife, Amanda, and their daughter Alartha, also their nephew, Joseph Ballon, arrived on the grounds with their two teams, one drawn with oxen, the other with horses. They came from Illinois, to which state they two years before had emi- grated from Berkshire county, ^lass. Mr. and Mrs. Austin, it appeared, had noticed in their religious paper, the "Boston Recorder," during April and May, verv florid statements of the proposed New England Colony of Iowa. They were attracted thereby, thinking that the idea was just the thing for them. So, Mr. Austin by correspondence with Dr. Nevin and Mr. Turner, bought 2 i8 THE STORY OF NEVIN. i6o-acre lot No. 5, of the 1856 plan of the town, made prep- aration and then drove overland to the much boomed place. They of course on arrival were greatly disap- pointed as to Nevin and its unimproved condition. Coming as they did, in July, through eastern Iowa with its line soil and promising crops, the outlook was quite encouraging to them. They decided that the state was naturally fine for farming, all right. Mr. Austin, therefore, was not dis- mayed by their situation. They were now here to stay. Someone, remarking to the Austins in explanation of those alluring advertisements that they had read, said_, that "the hotel and school house were, it is true, not as de- scribed in the Recorder, but growing — where the Almighty planted them; that the railroad that was 'under contract' had not yet gotten above it, and was likely- to remain 'un- der' for some time to come; and that the two railroads that were to pass near, have been eagerly looked for, but have not been seen to 'pass' since then." To some, personally, it had been stated in Boston, that fifty families w^ere already on the ground. It may be remarked here that Mrs. Austin and daugh- ter, Martha, were the first white women that ever set foot on Nevin lands. The Austins remained encamped a week or so, while looking around to find a wintering place. Then they went to near the "Dunlap" farm at what was locally called "Hazel Green," where Mr. Austin built them a rude cabin to live in over winter and until Nevin should be laid out into lots. The pluck of the Austins, seemed at first to stimulate the colonists at the school house ruins cabin, to try for something better in which they might winter also. They went to the "South" grove, a mile or more to the east from Elliott's grove, where they felled trees and hewed the logs on two sides, with which to build them a log house. These logs were then hauled across the stream, to near a spring some forty rods westward from the latter-day Hunter — Mc- Kercher house, on the northwestern part of section 14. The stimulation, however, did not last the fast disappearing colonists very long; for the present writer discovered those logs, scattered around the place, still un-laid-up in April following. DISCOURAGEMENTS. The Colony men in 1856, patronized the "Adair" post- office in part, and the Fontanelle oflfice in part. Each were THE STORY OF NEVIN. 19 at least ten miles away. The former, which was the oldest established office in Adair county, was kept by Mr. John- son, in his log house near his water power saw-mill. It was supplied from Afton; the carrier passing three miles north of the Colony camp. The inconvenience the men experienced in their mail facilities, induced them in June, to ask the department for an office in their midst, and that their J. P. Jordan be the postmaster. But their request was not granted. Another discouragement was that Mr. Jewett, so much needed in the place, was still lame from the 4th of July accident, and unable to work, and withall was half sick. Believing that it was best for him to leave, he on July 27th, started east, for his home in Maine. At this time they were almost out of food — for several days living on "johnny-cake" and water. When Mr. Jewett left they divided with him, giving him half — which was a piece as large as one's hand. (This he kept in his pocket until he reached his home.) With no other food provision than this, he started on his long return journey, sick at heart, and expecting to walk to the rail- road terminus, then at Mt. Pleasant. But fortunately, af- ter going a few miles, he found a chance to ride to Afton, and then on homeward where he arrived safely. Soon after Mr. Jewett had left the colony band, the redoutable Mr. Solomon Brown again came, just from Boston, to bring assurance to the desponding settlers, and to see about having the Nevin land surveyed and laid out into lots, as had been proposed and promised by Turner and Smith, for months past. SURVEYING THE LAND. About the middle of August, Mr. Browu secured County Surveyor "Graham," from Quincy, whO' surveyed the entire Colony lands, and set the proper stakes indicating the quarter section corners, or the 160-acre lot corners; as well as 40-acre subdivisions inside of the 1856 plan of 160-acre lots. The lo-acre, 2 1-2 acre, and public ground lots, shown on that plan, were not corner staked. These smaller lot corners were not established, from the reason that the way the plan had been drawn by Turner and Smith, these small sized lots and the public grounds would be put on rough and small-slough land. The present expectation was that the proprietors would decide to make a new plan, or plat, locating the smaller lots and common on the better land, about 240 rods south and 120 rods east of the 1856 centre. 20 THE STORY OF NEVIN. The native grass in the sloughs and ravines was high and abundant, making the finding of the old government survey corners and stakes quite difficult in many places; and many stakes were down, missing, or burned. The sur- veying job of Mr. Graham was quite badly done; some of the government corners were found, but more were not found; and so, consequently, some of the new corners were afterwards found to be quite astray. This 1856 plan had fifty-four lots of 160 acres each; twenty-eight lots of 40 acres; 108 lots of 10 acres, and 140 lots of 2 1-2 acres each; with a 10 acre tract in the centre (on the county line) for a common or public ground. The whole formed a square, four miles on a side; with one ex- tra 160-acre lot on the south out-side; three extra 160-acre lots on the west out-side, and two extra 160-acre lots on the north out-side, borders. The portion of Nevin lands in Adair county was about half a section greater than the Adams county portion. Soon after the survey, Mr. Solomon Brown — "Agent" went back east. He never came to Nevin again. COLONISTS SCATTERED. The Nevin colonists of 1856, remaining on the ground during the survey, soon after left Nevin lands entirely; or, at least, for the winter. Mr. McDougall went to Mr. Whip- ple's to live; Mr. Jordan took the team and their cabin things and the tools of the party, going to Hazel Green to hunt business, Mr. Thomas, the teamster, went there with him. Mr. Alden B. Smith, the broad-axe man, w^ent to Fon- tanelle, where he a year or two later built himself a house. Later in life he removed to Winterset and was in business there with Mr. Ballard, once of Fontanelle. :\Ir. Smith died there — so did Mr. Ballard, later on. PRAIRIE FIRES. The prairie grass of 1856, dried quite early m the fall. On October nth, the prairie fires, driven with a strong wind from the southwest, swept over the abandoned lands of Nevin, and the surrounding country. The first wave of fire licked up the leavings of the scattered settlers; the stacks of hay, the camp in the grove and the most of the school house cabin, all went up. THE STORY OF NEVIN. Chapter II, 1856-1857. BUILDING SAW-MILLS. As early as June, 1856, Turner and Smith realized that a saw-mill in the Nodaway timber, northwest of ttieir Nevin lands, was the one thing needed to secure a permanent set- tlement of their lands. So, they induced Mr. Daniel L. Smith to go west and join his brother Alden, for the purpose of building the needed mill. But evidently they changed their mind on the subject, soon after. Again in September Turner and Smith had a spell of special interest in the saw-mill business. At this time there lived at Walpole, a Mr. Joseph L. Ellis, a farmer, unmar- ried. He was a member of Dr. Nevin's congregation and Sunday school. He, for several years, had aspired to be the owner of a western farm, at some not distant future time. This Nova Scotia born descendant of Plymouth Colony an- cestors, was induced by Messrs. Nevin, Turner and Smith to decide that, now was his opportunity to heed Horace Greeley's advice: "Go west young man and grow up with the country." And so he, incidentally, accepted a mission from Turner and Smith to build a water-power saw-mill, in the timber on the Nodaway, near the farm of Joseph Dunlap. Here we have another example of misplaced con- fidence. Mr. Turner at his Boston ofihce had shown Mr. Ellis maps that showed the river with fine, large bodies of bordering timber; — black walnut, basswood, oak and elm — awaiting the hand of man to transform the stately trees in- to lumber worth $20 to $30 per thousand feet. Mr. Turner pointed out a lovely spot on which to erect a saw-mill, and said that the river at the point shown, had a fall of about eight feet. He assured Mr. Ellis that the owners of the tim- ber land would grant the mill site and water-power to any one who would build a mill there, for the anticipated bene- fit they would receive in having their logs sawed on the spot. Mr. Ellis, who had had some experience in water- power saw-milling, decided that if half of what Mr. Turner said were true, he wanted no better chance than this to make his everlasting pile. 22 THE STORY OF NEVIN. It was agreed between Turner and Smith and Mr. Ellis, that each party should furnish half of the required capital to build the mill, Mr. ElHs to go west as soon as he could, so as to have time to build the mill before winter. He to expend his part of the cost, and then to draw on them for their part. Strange to say, neither party said anything about having the contract put in writing. Mr. Ellis first went to Nova Scotia to procure a mill- wright who would be willing to go west with him to build the mill for a fair portion of the expected profits of the venture. Not meeting with success there, he then went to near Salem, Mass., and having no success there either, he then started for western Iowa, all alone, on October 7th; trust- ing to being able to procure a mill-wright there, on some terms. His route west was by way of Suspension Bridge and Detroit, to the Mississippi. This (then) unbridged river was crossed on a steam flat bottomed barge to Burlington. From here, after two days tarrying, his journey was pur- sued westward, by the regular mail and passenger hack to Afton, where he stayed over night at Wm. Lock's log hotel, the "Rough and Ready." The next day he rode on Mr. Lock's two-mule buckboard mail rig, over the Mormon trail route (Pisgah to Lewis) as far as Joshua Chapman's grove; from there he walked in the afternoon to Hazel Green. When Mr. Ellis, on the 17th, arrived at his destina- tion, he discovered that there was no water-fall on the stream there, nor within miles of the place. So, he was "left" for sure, in his water-power mill project. In the mean time, the colony men at Hazel Green had not been idle; they had looked the place over, and had decided that a steam saw-mill was the proper thing to have. In this connection we will remark that Turner and Smith anticipating the needs of the prospective colony at Nevin, had a few months before this time, secured from the "Secors" of Johnson county, the owners of the timber land, an option to buy their 200 acres of land along the Nodaway, near HazeJ Green, at an average price of $7.50 per acre. One forty of which took in the reputed eight feet water-fall, that our Walpole friend came west to find. A month or so before Mr. Ellis came here, Mr. Jor- dan and Mr. Austin, having arranged with Turner and Smith as to their timber land option, had embarked in the THE STORY OF NEVIN. 23 steam saw-mill enterprise. The two men, accompanied by Mr. Dunlap and Mr. Thomas, with the needed teams had started for Burlington to procure the mill outfit. While there, Mr. Clark, an engineer from Maine, met them. Mr. Jordan having previously sent for him to come. About the last week in October, the mill arrived at the timber, and the men interested proceeded to "plant" it on the "water-fall" tract, and on the left side of the river, close by a pebbly and gravelly bar that extended across and down stream a rod or more. At this point in our narrative we pause to venture a Yankee's guess; that this pebbly, gravelly bed, crossing the stream, is the veritable eight feet waterfall, about which Mr. Turner "stuffed" Mr. Ellis in Boston before he came west. It may be that the measurement was intended to be made along the surface of the rippling water, and not verti- cally as in the usual manner. The work on the mill continued as the increasing cold of early winter permitted, till along in February, when they commenced to saw; and as the weather then moderated, lumber was forthcoming in abundance before April came in. The mill men boarded as best they could, some at the Dunlap home and some at the Cutler home, until they could saw boards at the mill; after which they built themselves a boarding cabin close by the mill. In the meantime they had to buy some lumber from the Johnson mill to build sheds to protect their work and the machinery from the snow. The Dunlap house, where Mr. Jordan and Mr. Thomas boarded before their Burlington trip, was a fair sized one story, one room, log structure. It had a shingled roof, a board floor, and a rock and mud chimney. There was a fire place at one end of the room; there were also doors on two opposite sides and two sash windows. Inside, the conveniences were quite crowded — especially when they had roomers. In one corner, opposite the fire place, was a low trundle bed for Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap and the two smaller children; in the other opposite corner was their son Charley's bed, shared by Mr. Thomas until October. This bed was rather short for a man, and was also quite narrow for two men. A cook stove was near the centre of the room, and a table was at one corner. As may be seen at a glance, there was scant room for boarders, or even lodg- 24 THE STORY OF NEVIN. ers. The Dunlaps, however, were very accommodating when strangers came; doing their best to feed and sleep them. The afternoon that Mr. Ellis from Boston, came there, he met Mr. George S. Harris, of the firm of Harris, Cowles & Co., of Boston, who, on his way home from a business trip to Rochester, Minn., one of the then boom towns of that state, had called here to take in the situation of the colonists and the outlook of Nevin, so as to be able to re- port the matter to Turner and Smith. He had been at Hazel Green a day or two when Mr. Ellis came. Here at the Dunlap home both men had to find accom- modations. The good woman, of hospitable Irish blood, did her best to entertain them. Her larder had run very low while her Joseph, the Vermonter, was away to Burling- ton with the steam mill party. For supper that evening, the two big men from Boston had corn bread, some baked Canada peas, and a scrap of pork. The men were hungry as bears and you may believe they enjoyed their limited supper. When bed time came, the only place for Harris and Ellis was in with Charley in his small bed. The two newcomers retired first, one on either side of the bed, then Charley had to shove himself down in between them for the night. Soon Charley began to perspire profusely, and then to paw and squirm, and to try to get more room, but it was no manner of use; the two men had to lie as straight as bean poles, close to the edge of the bed, with their feet and shins extending at least eight inches down over the hard cross-piece of the foot of the bed. They had to turn over and back almost all the long night, trying to rest and get sleep. The next day the men went to Fonta- nelle. leaving Charley to share his bed with Mr. Thomas again, when he should come back from the Mississippi. AN ANTI-SLAVERY RECRUIT. Early in August, 1856, Mr. Fred C. Nichols, a carpen- ter, from Maiden, Mass., arrived at Fontanelle, to "spy out the land," both at Nevin and in eastern Kansas. Be- fore coming west, he had been a member of the local mili- tary company at Maiden. He had become interested in the Emigrant Aid Society of Boston, in its efiforts to people Kansas with Yankee men. He also had in the mean- time become that summer interested in the advertised pro- THE STORY OF NEVIN. 25 ject of Turner and Smith, to colonize their Nevin lands with Yankee families. He decided to go west at once; buy- ing from Messrs. Turner and Smith, before leaving, 21-2 acre lot No. 139, of the 1856 plan of Nevin, on the usual half cash, half credit terms. On his way west, Mr. Nichols fell in with some of the later followers of the notorious John Brown, who had gone west from Ohio passing through southwestern Iowa earlier, with his small cannon and cases of Sharp's rifles (labeled "Bibles"), to live or die for freedom in "bleeding" Kansas. Mr. Nichols tarried at Fontanelle a few days to take in the situation at Nevin, and then went on to the new territory of Kansas, where he remained till October, helping to form the "Topeka" constitution for the future state. Returning to Fontanelle, he decided to settle there, and soon bought an out-lot at the east border of the em- bryo village. During November and December he built a cottage on his lot, and, his wife soon came, when they established their western home. The present writer was on the street when, towards evening one day, Mr. Nichols drove into Fontanelle from his Kansas expedition. His rig was a one-horse rickety buggy, which seemed just able to do duty in bringing Mr. Nichols back from the "Sunflower" land. The horse was very lame in one fore-leg. It bore evidence of its having been to the "war" ; its upper lip and a large part of one ear had been shot off, and a wound in the leg almost crippled the poor beast, though the wiry broncho was still ambitious enough. This Mr. Nichols, or Captain Nichols as he was some- times called, was a fine specimen of Canadian-American military ofificialty, his physique was robust, and his bearing was kindly. After a few years of Iowa life, he sold his place, and later he entered the army, where he was doing good ser- vice in the territories when last heard from many years ago. THE GREAT SNOW-STORM. On the 2nd of December, 1856, occurred the greatest snow-storm and blizzard ever known within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. It had been snowing from the northeast without intermission, since the morning of the 26 THE STORY OF NEVIN. preceding day. Towards night of the second day the storm attained its chmax. The snow came down fast and fine. The piercing cold wind blew a perfect gale, sending the snow fiying and swirling along in blinding fury. Cattle exposed to the storm, went off bellowing before the blast to the nearest timber — in some instances three or four miles from home. Stables, of poles and hay, were literally filled with snow. At Matthew Clark's stage station, one mile east of the later Greenfield, four stage horses were buried in their frail pole and hay stable, and had to be shoveled out next morn- ing. One horse was dead; the others were badly bruised, in their efforts to get away during the night. At Fontanelle, a party of seven men— Mr. Ballard, Mr. Ellis, and Mr. Clary among the number — in attempt- ing at about 4:45 p. m. to go from Mr. Ballard's sm.all store opposite the west end of the public square, diagonally northeasterly across the corner of the square, to Mr. James C. Gibb's log boarding house, some twenty or twenty-five rods distant, became lost. The fact that the wind had veered a little to the right during the three hours that they had been in the store, had not been noticed by them. So, after locking up the store for the night, they scampered ofif, running and laughing, and soon after shouting, for the Gibbs house. On they rushed until they thought they had gone far enough to be there. But no house was to be found — within sight or hearing — as they stood in doubt and called for a response from somebody. Then it dawned upon their minds that they were lost in a snow storm, upon the trackless prairie, with nothing to indicate just where they were. What to do, they knew not. Night with its terrible cold was fast coming on. The suspense was distracting. They knew that to sleep out of doors that night was certain death. After running frantically about here and there, they fortunately hit upon the liberty pole, which was about two- thirds of the distance from the store to the boarding house, and a few rods to the right of a direct course. This find allayed their excitement somewhat. An attempt was then made by Mr. Ellis and Mr. Bal- lard to rally the rest of the party to an organized efifort to find the house. The plan was: To form a line from the pole, each man to place himself just in sight of the next inner man, then the extended line of men to swing around THE STORY OF NEVIN. 27 the pole as a centre, believing that the outer man by this method would come within sound of those at the house. In the meantime, two of the men in their impatience had broken away, made a run before the wind, and found the store, into which they dashed through the window, and where they remained over night. Those at the pole could not be held to carry out the swing-around-the-pole plan. Fortunately, however, just at this time, Mr. A. B. Smith, who was out from the hotel looking for another man (Mr. Valentine), happeneded to come within hearing of our five lost men, who then succeeded in finding the Gibb's house; into which they rushed, a thankful set of men. Their faces, heads and clothes cased in snow and ice, were soon relieved; some were minus hats or caps, that had blown away during the twenty or so, minutes that they were out. After getting warmed and dried, the whole party at the hotel ate their suppers. Late in the evening the four beds in the loft were brought down out of the snow, and were placed close side by side on the floor of the main room, before the warm stove. There all the men slept well and long, until the clear morning sun shone into the room, showing that the great snow-storm was over. MR. TURNER'S VISIT. On December 15th, Mr. R. W. Turner, from Boston, made his appearance at Fontanelle, and at the Hazel Green mill; his first trip to Iowa since the March previous. He is now on an urgent business mission, which seemed to be much heeded, in order to hold the few remaining colonists in the neighborhood, to the work of endeavoring to sur- vive the failures of 1856, and to encourage them in trying again, the coming year, to make settlement at the now va- cant Nevin. During his ten days' visit, he bought out the interest of Mr. Austin in the steam mill plant; and in company with Mr. ElHs and Mr. Jordan, visited the Nevin lands to look up a site for small lots and a central square. They finally decided that the proper place for such central lots was on the southwest quarter of section 2, township 73, range 32. It developed that Turner and Smith had in June, 1856, bought the "Carr and Quimby" land in Nevin. This con- sisted of the west half of said section 2, and the northwest quarter of section 11, in the same township, the purchase 28 THE STORY OF NEVIN. price being $1,440 for the three quarter sections. The deed, however, was not recorded at Quincy till in January. 1857- Having decided upon the new arrangement of lots, Mr. Turner then employed Mr. Ellis to draw the proposed new plan of the town, as soon as possible, and to forward his document to Boston for lithographing. Mr. Turner also agreed to build a store building on a certain named village lot in the 1857 Nevin, and employed Mr. Nichols to construct and finish it as soon as the first of June. Consideration $400. Mr. Turner, before return- ing east, bargained to Mr. Ellis 160-acre lot No. 46, and 2 1-2 acre lot No. 125 in the 1857 plan of- Nevin; at the price of $480, half in five months and half in two years, less a credit of $100 on the first half. This $100 was al- lowed Mr. Ellis for damages he had sustained in the matter of the misrepresentations of Mr. Turner about the water- fall at the mill. Mr. Ellis, on his part agreed to build a small house, of given dimensions, on one of the bargained lots, within five months, and then to keep it as a boarding house, to accommodate the expected 1857 settlers, until they could build houses for themselves, or to board else- where. Soon after Mr. Turner (Dec. 26, 1856), returned to Boston, he and Mr. R. B. Smith completed the purchase of the Secor 200 acres of timber land, at the Hazel Green mill, for the previous agreed upon price of $1,500. By the close of 1856, Mr. Ellis had finished the plat of the 1857 Nevin, and had sent it to Mr. Turner. This plat left off the four forties lying south of the four mile square body of land. So, the new plan or plat contained only fifty-three lots of 160 acres each; twenty-three lots of forty acres each; 108 lots of ten acres each; and 128 lots of 2 1-2 acres each. There were also fourteen blocks containmg 21-2 acres each, each block being divided into smaller building or business lots. In the centre, there was an ob- long common, or public square, of five acres. All the 21-2 acre lots, the block lots, and the common, were bordered with streets on two or four sides; the land for which was taken from the lots or sizes named. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 29 WINTERING AT THE MILL. The new year, 1857, opened with cold weather and deep snow. The great snow-storm of December 2nd, pre- vious, was followed with almost continuous, solid winter for months. The work of setting up the saw-mill and get- ting things ready for future sawing, was continued by Mr. Jordan and his assistants as fast as the severe cold per- mitted. Mr. McDougall came from Mystic early in January and Mr. Ellis from Fontanelle about the same time. These two men were employed by Mr. Jordan to do the needed chopping and hauling of saw-logs to the mill from the dif- ferent 40's strung along by the river, comprising the mill timber. The logs from the two lower 40's were hauled to the mill along the surface of ice in the crooked stream, with oxen. Messrs. Jordan, Clark and Thomas were em- ployed, themselves, exclusively in and about the mill. One cold night, soon after the mill steamed up for the first time, the water in the steam chest froze and broke the "cooler," compelling the men to send to Des Moines for a new one. About the first week in February they be- gan to saw lumber, and then they soon had materials for building purposes; so they soon got a covering over the mill plant, and they built a boarding cabin close by where they lodged and boarded themselves from this on; Messrs. Ellis and McDougall, however, continued to lodge and eat at "Dunlap's" until spring. There being no women in the mill crowd, the men were compelled to do their own clothes washing, as well as their mending and sewing, or to go without. It was nearly a year later when Mr. S. Pierce and family came from Nevin to work at the mill, that they had a woman to cook for them. Aside from the mill men and the Austin and Dunlap families not far away, there were some settlers wintering in their homes in the rather more distant neighborhood. The two McCall families — James and John, — Mr. and Mrs. John Boyd, C. C. Cutler and family, Mr. Jack Cade and family, and Richard Davis and family, were occupying their log dwellings in the timber within two miles of the mill. There were a few scattering settlers along all the timbered streams, in both Adair and Adams counties. Previous to the summer and fall of 1857, the country outside of the stage stations and countv seats, afTorded the 30 THE STORY OF NEVIN. settlers but few of what eastern people regarded as neces- saries of life. They had corn bread, pork, or bacon, and coffee, with a sack of wheat flour from Winterset, occasion- ally, to make hot biscuit for visitors, or on Sundays. A QUEER ACCIDENT. One day during the winter, a very singular accident happened at the mill. The men had been digging a broad dry well just between the mill and the river, and had gotten it to the depth of about twenty feet. Coming on a thick snowfall at noon, they laid poles over the well and covered them with slough hay to keep out the snow, and then went to their dinners. An hour or two later, some of the men returning, found that "Old Jerry," one of the mill oxen, had been along and had fallen into the well. There he was at the bottom, standing up eating the hay that he had taken down with him. But he was not permitted to remain there very long. The men all came to help. They took the main belt from the mill, attached it to him and to the windlass, and soon had him hoisted out. With the ex- ception of a few slight bruises, he was quite unhurt. This dry well at the river bank was designed to be filled with water from the running river, to furnish a reser- voir of water for the needs of the mill. The water was let in through a pipe set in the ground just below the surface, the well being filled at flush times of water. There was a low gravelly dam just below, placed there to raise the slack water above. A PIONEER'S CABIN. The shanty that Mr. Austin had built, in August, 1856, into which the family had moved at that time, was "squat- ted" near a few scattering trees on the edge of the prairie, nearly half a mile south of the present Dunlap-Hurlbut house. It was built of small logs, rather hastily put up. It was about 12x18 feet square, about 4 1-2 feet high on one side, and 6 3-4 feet on the opposite side. The roof was of boards (from Johnson's mill), put on leanto, or slanting one way. An opening w^as left in the logs at one south-end corner, about 3 feet wide and 5 high, for an entrance. There was no proper door, but instead, there was a square piece of carpeting nailed at one edge to the log above the open- ing and hanging down loose, to keep out cold and snow. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 31 and which was pushed to one side on one's wishing to enter. There was no floor, other than some boards placed where they would do the most good. Carpets brought from the east with them, were fastened up under the roof boards to keep out cold, and to protect the stove and beds from filtering snow when the winds blew. Sods cut from the nearby prairie, were placed outside against the logs on three sides of the cabin, as high as the top logs. A cook stove at one side, having a pipe, was utilized in warming the room and in preparing the family food. LO! SPRING APPROACHES. During the wintery evening of February 13th, as the people in the vicinity of Hazel Green were retiring to rest for the night, they were agreeably surprised to see vivid flashes of lightning in the southwestern sky, followed by peals of thunder that awakened all. The land lay covered deep with the accumulated snows of the past ten and one- half weeks ; there had not been a thaw all winter. Now the men knew that there was going to be a change very soon. And there was; for the weather moderated right along from this time. By the 25th of the month, the rivers were bank full of water from the thawing snow. March 21st the water was still higher and two days later the rushing streams and floating ice carried ofif most, if not all, of the few bridges in the two counties. A week later still, the snow and ice were about gone, and the rivers all free. Mr. Austin, who, after the December sale of his mill interest, to Messrs. Turner and Smith, had been employed during good weather, in freighting provisions and other things from Winterset to Hazel Green; now turned his at- tention, as did Mr. Ellis, to having bills of lumber and frame sawed at the mill, now in operation. This lumber was for the dwellings that they planned to build this spring in Nevin. In the meantime they hewed the needed oak sills for their house frames. The spring opened quite rapidly. The snow-covered, sheltered places were soon devoid of frost. Mr. Joseph Dunlap was replowing his previous year's hazel-brush land breaking, east of his house, before March was entirely gone; but, by reason of a deficiency of hay for teams, settlers in 32 THE STORY OF NEVIN. the vicinity generally did but little farming until after the grass grew. The extensive prairie fires of the previous autumn had burned much of the stacked hay, and the long, hard winter had used the most of the unburned hay. Consequently the teams were now thin in flesh, and were weak. There was absolutely no hay nor straw (of course there were no corn stalks) for cows or young cattle after the first of March. Such stock was, in some cases, driven oflf to browse from the branchletts of elm, linn and maple trees, felled for that purpose; to keep them from threatened starvation, until the sheltered wet ravines and sloughs should be made greenish with starting grass and early weeds; upon which they then could preserve life. SPRING DOINGS. Spring having arrived, Messrs. Austin and Ellis now commenced the hauling of their lumber and frame to build their houses in Nevin. Mr. Austin, who commenced first to haul, found no serious difficulty in reaching his newly selected farm (Mr. Turner had acceded to his wish, giving him 3-4 of 160-acre lot No. 7 in the 1857 Nevin plan, in ex- change for his former No. 5 in the 1856 plan). Having taken a more northerly route for his first load, he reached the stream at a small grove just northwest of his land. This stream he managed in some way to ford; later he placed a low slab-bridge at that point, for his convenience in teaming to his farm. Mr. Ellis, on the other hand, had no end of trouble in his first attempt to reach his small lot in the centre; per- haps because he was not so well posted in the habits of wet bottoms and sloughs of the west, as was his neighbor, who had lived in the west a year or two. Mr. Ellis on the morn- ing of April 4th, using the mill team, loaded in 600 feet of unseasoned linn boards and started out from the mill. Having to cross a small run, just out of the woods, he got stuck and had to unload half his lumber before the oxen could pull out. Then he had to pick up those boards, carry them by hand across, and reload his wagon. About a mile further on, in crossing a wet slough his team again was stalled, and he had to repeat the process of carrying a part of his load over the wet place and load- ing it on again on firmer ground. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 33 Awhile after this he got badly floundered in trying to cross another slough, and this time he was obliged to throw off three-fourths of the load before the team would haul the wagon through to solid land. Then he carried over the surplus loading and loaded up once more. Having from this on a divide that he could follow, he drove on till he reached the bottom land bordering the stream that is about a mile west of the present day Nevin village. Essaying to drive on, he soon got his tired oxen as far as they could go, where the young man, without reserve, threw the whole 600 feet off in a pile. Then he himself walked on to the bank of the stream to look for a low bridge that the colony men had placed there the summer previous, and was sup- posed to be there still. But there was no bridge, it having been burned or washed away, since the September previous. We tremble when we think of what might have hap- pened to our Yankee Nova Scotian, in case that that low bridge had been found there all right, and that he had tried to carry all that lumber by hand, across the wide bottoms on both sides of the stream, to firm ground beyond; then to have gotten his team across some way, loading up again and hauling it to his village lot; and after that to have re- turned to Hazel Green that night with the team alive. However, after viewing the unbridged river, he took the team and at once retraced his track homeward, where he arrived at about half past nine in the evening, about as tired as he ever was. Soon after this, Messrs. Ellis and Austin took loads of bridge material, drove out again, and built a temporary bridge across the stream, at a point about 60 rods north, or up stream, from the present day river bridge. The next load of house building lumber that Mr. Ellis took to Nevin lands, he had to leave standing near the old 1856 school house site, while with the aid of a pocket com- pass, he paced off east and then north, to find out about where his building lot would be; finding that it was going to be badly cut up with small sloughs, he then and there se- lected a site on the east part of block I. where he unloaded, and where the house was eventually built. From this time, the prospects of Nevin improved right along, — lumber being abundant at the mill, and colonists in the vicinity being cheered by reports coming from the east that many new settlers might be expected here as soon as 3 34 THE STORY OF NEVIN. a house or two and store, were completed. The spring birds in the trees were singing and the frogs in the pools were croaking with joy. The green grass began to show in places. There was quite an abundance of prairie hens. The deer and wild turkey, so plentiful the year before, were now quite scarce, the severe winter evidently had driven them to a warmer climate. LAYING OUT THE TOWN. Early in April, the big lithograph maps of the new, or 1857, plan of Nevin lots were received at Fontanelle, with orders from Turner and Smith to Messrs. Ellis and Nichols, to have the land run out as soon as possible, into lots and streets to accord with the new maps. On May 7th, Mr. D. W. Valentine, surveyor, from Fontanelle, finished his job of surveying and laying out the relocated central area of Nevin. The 360 acres relocated, was staked into 128 lots of 2 1-2 acres each, and 14 blocks of the same size, which were divided into smaller lots and alleys, with the common in the centre. The streets and lots as planned in December, and then drawn by Mr. Ellis, were retained and embraced in the maps used. The surveyor's work was inscribed on two of those big 28x30 inch lithograph maps, one of which was filed for record at Fontanelle, on May i8th, the other one was filed for record at Quincy, on May 20th, 1857. The doings of sur- veyor Graham in the 1856 survey were never put on the county records. But, the plats of Nevin with Surveyor Val- entine's survey notes, filed at Fontanelle August 17th, and at Quincy August 20th, 1857, were what gave validity to all Turner and Smith deeds THE STORY OF NEVIN. 35 Chapter III, 1857. RE-ENFORCEMENTS. On April 13th, 1857, Mr. Joel F. Fales, of Walpole, Mass., arrived at the mill. He, like Mr. Ellis, was late a member of Dr. Nevin's congregation and Sunday school. He was the first emigrant from the east this year. His coming gave great cheer and comfort to those at the mill. Mr. Fales, before leaving Boston, had purchased a small lot in the new "town of the prairies," and on his way west had bought some apple and pear trees, thinking to set a part of his lot to fruit trees; and perhaps to start a small nursery, to be operated in connection, for a few years; or at least to spend his summers here; going back to devote his fall and winter time to his home business of manufacturing his patent-sewed carpet lining. The horticultural features of his plans, however, never materialized; his imported fruit trees were lifeless, or at least they never pushed out a bud, after being set out on his village lot; and the proposed nursery adjunct was abandoned by him after looking the situation over. Mr. Fales being an old acquaintance of Mr. Ellis, he went to board with him at the Dunlap home. Just twelve days afterwards, the colonists at the mill were greeted by three more recruits for Nevin: Mr. Briant O. Stephenson, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, a traveling salesman in the west and south for the firm of Fairbanks & Co., scales, etc.; Mr. Metcalf D. Smith of Walpole, Mass., a farmer, and Mr. Charles C. Jones, a student, just from Cambridge, Mass. The two comers last named, on their way west, first met Mr. Stephenson at Burlington. The latter, who was on one of his business trips to Iowa, became quite interested in the statements of Smith and Jones — in regard to the New England colony scheme that they had accepted. 36 THE STORY OF NEVIN. Mr, Stephenson's bodily health and strength were not over robust. He thought that perhaps a change of busi- ness would be good for him, and this colony project seemed just the proper thing. The three men, at Burlington, bought a two-horse team, packed their trunks into the wagon and started over- land for the Nevin colony, now at the mill. After getting half way across the state Mr. Smith got homesick, and wanted to return at once to the east, but his companions finally persuaded him to keep along with them, and they arrived safely, on Saturday evening. Mr. Stephenson has often since told of the meeting that evening between Mr. Smith and Mr. Ellis, and of the amusement it furnished the settlers in after years. "When they met," Stephenson said, "they made a break for each other's arms ; and then commenced one of those episodes in life which has to be seen to be appreciated, where the actors are two great, brawny men. The performances were varied and interesting, — first a hug, and then a general pawing over each others shoulders and backs, and, as if to add to the variety and interest of the scene, the pauses in this mimic bear-fight, were filled with sounds which so nearly resembled the opening of a champagne bottle, as to cause a moistening ol the mouths of the entire audience. But they finally reached that point in their history, where the mind is brought to a realizing sense that the possessors be- long to this world." Young Charles Jones came west to prepare for his father, Rev. Jones, of Cambridgeport, Mass., who had bought or bargained for two i6o acre lots (Nos. 22 and 2-^, for a farm in Nevin. He himself intending to emigrate west with his family in the following year, to occupy his big Iowa farm. Mr. Smith, otherwise "Met" Smith, had bought 160- acre lot No. 45 (the farm now occupied by Mr. Steve Fouchek). He also was planning to farm. Mr. Stephenson's object here has been partly men- tioned before; and, he wanted to see for himself what there was in this new colony prospective settlement for him, and to be in a position if favorable, to return east to advise and aid his friends there in the matter of their comnig to Nevin also. Neither of the three men found as many colonists in the vicinity as they had been led to suppose; but Mr. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 37 Stephenson after looking the situation over a few days, decided that the place would do, and soon afterwards he returned to Boston, and also to his old home in the Green Mountain state. In Boston, he had a conference with Turner and Smtih, who assured him that all of their promises in regard to Nevin, should be made good. He did some "missionary" work in Boston, and then in Vermont. His labors proved successful in forming a party to come west. AN ATTEMPTED RIVALRY. One day in April, Mr. Wm. Whipple, the "Mystic" farmer, came to the mill, and tried to induce our waiting colonists to abandon the project of again trying to settle the Nevin lands; and, instead of that, to go down to his place, and start a village settlement there, and name it Mystic. His trip proved fruitless; not a man could he se- duce; though Mr. McDougall was wilUng, provided some- one would buy his Nevin land, first. SETTLING THE TOWN. Monday morning, April 27th, bright and early, Mr. Ellis, with Mr. Pales as his helper, started for the colony lands, to commence the work of building his house. He had employed some one with a team, to haul them and their belongings — such as carpenter's tools, cooking stove and utensils, some provisions, and a little bedding — to the build- ing site previously selected. Arriving at the place, they first erected a temporary cabin, close by; its size was 10x12 feet, walls and roof of boards; it had no floor. Completing it before night, they moved in with their things, set up the stove, and made a bunk for two sleepers, in good season to prepare and eat their first supper in Nevin, by early candle light. For years afterwards, they often told about that (to them) interesting first day and night of theirs, in the newly relaunched town of Nevin: The day had been warm and pleasant; the calm, clear sunshine was such as only Iowa is prone to experience. As the sun went down the prairie chickens came near and cooed their welcome to the new- comers, as they, resting from their labors, stood in the door- way of their completed cabin. The burned over ground 38 THE STORY OF NEVIN. was bare and almost black. But the grand vista, — swell on swell of rolling prairies that receded to the distant hori- zon, with only a few detached groves in sight — gave them inspiration, making them feel buoyant with youthful hope and anticipated happiness. The evening was spent by the two bachelors, in writ- ing long letters to their respective sweethearts residing in the east: — Miss Trask and Miss Lewis. The prospec- tive young wives, were no doubt filled in heart with warm reciprocal sympathy, as they in due time received and read their epistles from the west. Mr. Austin and Mr. Ellis had been for some time get- ting their lumber and frame along from the mill, to their respective places. They now proceeded as fast as they could, in house-building operations. On May 5th the frames of both houses went up; and during the month were finished on the outside, the floors laid, and some other inside car- pentering done. Mr. Austin and family moved from Hazel Green to their Nevin farm dwelling on June 3d, 1857. The store building frame was put up the day previovis, and it was done about June 20th. The Ellis house was ready to be occupied the first week in June. A MAIDEN FROM BOSTON. On the 17th of May, Mr. R. W. Turner, from Boston, accompanied by a Mr. Haddow and Miss Theresa M. Trask, arrived at the Gibbs hotel, Fontanelle, the latter two in- tending to become Nevin settlers. They had come by rail as far as Mt. Pleasant, where a livery rig, consisting of a two-horse, three-seat, covered carriage with driver, was hired to bring the three through. They followed the stage route via Knoxville and Winterset. The trip was comforta- ble, and was without any very notable event. At one place where they spent the night, the grown daughter of the ho- tel keeper, solicited Miss Trask in the morning to remain long enough to cut her a dress pattern, for a dress like the one she was traveling in; of course she did not stop. At Winterset they were an hour late for the regular noon meal, and so they got but a slim dinner; for meat, the only thing was chicken bones that had once done duty at the hotel meal. At Qarks station (near Greenfield), they stayed over night, where the talkative Mrs. Clark sat on the foot of Miss Trask's bed till nearly midnight, telling her stories THE STORY OF NEVIN. 39 about Adair county, and especially about Fontanelle say- ings and doings. The next forenoon the party arrived at Hotel "Gibbs," Fontanelle. Before 24 hours had passed there came a man from Winterset inquiring for a young lady who had taken dinner, two days before, at the Winterset hotel, whom he had noticed there, and had seen start out with the rest of the team load for Fontanelle. This unmarried genleman, it seems, was in need of a wife, and was favorably struck with the graceful and rather jaunty appearance of the young woman from the east, and was ready, presumably, to fall at her feet and confess — in case opportunity presented itself. Mrs. Gibbs pityingly told him that the lady was supposed to be engaged to a young man at Nevin, and had come west to marry him. The as- piring lawyer got no chance to meet the maiden from Boston, and so he went back to Winterset, disappointed and down-at-the-mouth. GETTING MARRIED. On Friday afternoon, Jime 5th, Mr, Ellis took a walk from Nevin to Fontanelle, to see and visit his affianced, and to complete arrangements for marriage and setting up housekeeping at the new house in Nevin. The following morning he started out to procure the needed license to wed. The county judge, John J. Leeper, was with his family, on their new farm several miles southwest of the little county seat. Mr. Ellis found the judge and his wife in the field, planting corn; she was dropping the seed by hand, into previously made furrows, and he was covering it with a hand hoe. Mind you, there were no machine corn-planters in those primitive days, not even a hand corn-planter. The single shovel plow was just being in- troduced in the west. Mr. Ellis secured the marriage license, paying the judge's fee of 35 cents; then he had to take it to the re- corder, Mr. Valentine, who officially signed the document. His legal fee was $1. The two young people rather preferred that the knot should be tied in Nevin. The Austins had been previously consulted in the matter, but the official to perform the cere- mony had not been engaged. There was a Rev. Walker then living in Fontanelle, and Judge Leeper was also a person authorized to do such things. Evidently one of 40 THE STORY OF NEVIN. them would have to be asked to go to Nevin on the morrow. About noon, however, as luck would have it, there ar- rived on the stage from the east, the Rev. Norman Harris, who wanted to go to the Austin home that afternoon, to visit with them (he was a brother of Mrs. Austin). And again, very fortunately, a Mr. Crane, a settler of Washing- ton township, was with his two-horse team that day in Fontanelle on some trading business. Mr. Ellis had a load of housekeeping goods there, that he wished hauled to Nevin that day. So, this Mr. Crane was employed by Mr. Ellis, to haul the whole out- fit to Nevin that afternoon or evening. First, the trunks and household goods (the latter un- boxed) were packed into the farm wagon, then the passen- gers, — Miss Trask, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Ellis, together witli driver Crane, were placed in on top of the goods. The passengers being quite elevated, the load seemed rather top-heavy, — even to vibrating. There was no road, and a wagon-trail extended only a part of the distance, the surface of the prairie was rough. There were two streams to ford, one at Chapman's grove, the other about a mile before reaching the Austin house. The daylight was fast disappearing, but they finally ar- rived at the hospitable home of the Austins (notwithstand- ing some solicitude on the part of the "tenderfeet" of the party). Here, the young woman and the minister were left to spend the night, and the others proceeded on to the Ellis house, in the to-be village of Nevin. Then Mr. Crane, after being divested of the balance of his load of goods, trunks and passengers; drove to his farm home, ten miles away, that night. But that high-up, vibrating ride to Nevin, was never forgotten by any of that party. Rev. N. Harris, many years a missionary in India, had often, in that country ridden his own elephant on long journeys, to his different stations of mission work. This vibrating ride, was pronounced more intensely novel, more supremely ludicrous, and more persistingly shaking, than ever was any elephant, giraffe, camel, or burro ride, — if you have a mind to look at it in that light. Sunday, June 7th, 1857, was fine and sunny. About noon, Mr. Ellis and his particular friend, Mr. Fales, made their way north to the Austin home. Here Mr. Ellis and Miss Trask were officially united in marriage; Rev. N. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 41 Harris administering the ceremony. This was the first marriage celebrated within the bounds of the Nevin colony lands. After a light repast at the Austin home, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis in the mid-afternoon of that mild, spring day made tneir short honeymoon trip. It was simply a walk of about two miles, from Mr. Austin's to the Ellis home, over un- broken sod and grass, without road, path or trail. There were no showers of rice nor throwing of old shoes. Ar- riving at their own home, their knock at the door was re- sponded to by his friend, Mr. M. D. Smith, who was there awaiting them. They were ushered in, and their "at home" was initiated. NEW COLONISTS. On the evening of June 13th, a party of six men, right from Boston, drove up to the Ellis house door. They were Joseph White and his two sons, George and John. The old gentleman and George were married men, their families still remaining in the east. The other three men were A. H. Harlow and his grown sons, William and Joseph. The elder Harlow was son-in-law to Mr. Joseph White. The six men put up at the new Ellis house. On their way west, at Burlington, they had purchased a two-horse spring wagon team, with which to make the journey to Nevin. Mr. Ellis as yet having no stable, they tied their horses for the night, to a saw-horse, well staked down. During the night the horses got away and strayed off south to the South, or Beath-Whipple grove, where they were found grazing the next forenoon. The Whites reported meeting Mr. Stephenson in Bos- ton sometime in May, and that he took them to the Kilby street office of Turner and Smith, where a long confab was held. The Whites had seen the alluring advertisements of Nevin, in the Boston dailies, and had become interested in the subject. Mr. Turner exhibited to them their maps of Iowa, and of Nevin lands in particular; enlarging at a great rate upon the beauties of a life in their New England Colony of Iowa, and urging them that "now is the ac- cepted time." Mr. Joseph White had been for years conducting boarding houses in the city, and he wanted some change in 42 THE STORY OF NEVIN. business. George was a cooper by trade, and it seems, was not averse to going west. The elder Mr. White inquired about water, coal, and stone (water and coal were vital questions in Boston boarding houses). Mr. Turner told him that water was found in abundance by digging wells about twelve feet deep, and that plenty of stone was in the streams nearby, also that coal was to be had at fifty cents per load at coal mines right there in Adams county. Mr. Turner recommended them to a choice of farms while they were going. Accordingly, Mr. George White selected 40-acre lot No. 9, and 160-acre lot No. 13, paying half down, the balance of the price being secured by a note and mortgage on the premises. But by some oversight no note accompanied the mortgage in the transfer of papers. A few years later Mr. White got judgment in a suit in an Adair county court, quieting his title to the 200 acre's of land, and canceling the record claim under the mortgage. The remark is made here, that as far as the writer knows, Turner and Smith never attempted to foreclose any of those early mortgages on Nevin lands, executed prior to August 19th, 1857, and but few of them were ever paid. On Sunday afternoon, June 14th, another party of men from Yankeedom appeared in Nevin, — seven persons, all from St. Johnsbury, Vermont. These were John Bixby, a carpenter, and his brother, George F. Bixby; Richard Eastman and his son, Charles V. Eastman; S. C. Chubb, A. D. Pike, and J. H. Hutchins. They, too, all put up at the Ellis house. This party of men came to Nevin in a two-horse lumber wagon outfit, that Mr. John Bixby had bought at Burlington on their way here. It is not stated what they did with the horses that night, but they and the White horses must have been tied to opposite sides of the Bixby heavy wagon. The next day was wet and cold, and so the men remained indoors; some of them made some needed bedsteads. The poor horses fretted and shivered in their chilling exposure at the lee side of the house. It continued to be cold and showery most of the two following days, and nothing was done outdoors, ex- cept that some of the Vermonters one day drove to Hazel Green and back. The 17th of June was Bunker Hill anniversary. The Whites being genuine Boston Yankees celebrated the event in going out and planting some corn on the Jordan last year's breaking. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 43 One day soon after, the lately arrived parties held an indignation meeting in the Ellis house chamber, denounc- ing Mr. Turner. They also passed resolutions, as to what the two Boston proprietors must do in order to retain them in the colony. They mailed a copy of the resolutions to Messrs. Turner and Smith. A day or two after this, the Vermonters decided that they would leave, anyhow. And so they packed their tools and other things into their wagon and started; first for the mill, where Mr. Jordan persuaded the two Bixbys and the two Eastmans to remain till word could be obtained from Mr. Turner. The Messrs. Pike, Chubb and Hutchins went on to Fontanelle and thence to the east, and never came back to Iowa any more. The Bixby and Eastman men got employment at the mill to some extent. Hearing from Boston after awhile, they now decided to remain, and came back to Nevin in August, preparatory to commencing work there. Though finally, Mr. John Bixby was the only one of the four, that became a permanent settler. HOME MAKING. During early June, Mr. Chas. Jones finished building a small one story, board dwelling, on the hazel-brush blufT west of the stream crossing his father's 160-acre lot No. 22. This was the third dwelling built on Nevin land. On the loth, the three single men, Messrs. Jones, Smith and Fales, moved thereinto, and kept bachelors' quarters awhile, or until the Sul. Pierce family moved there. The Whites, soon after getting to Nevin, went to work in a small way to make a home on their 40-acre lot. Thev at once planted a garden; then finding signs of a spring on the 40, they dug a well, and at a depth of about fifteen feet, found plenty of good, cool water. This was the first well as deep as that, furnishing good water, in Nevin, Mr. Austin's, perhaps, excepted. Their next work was the build- ing of a small dwelling with lumber from the mill, into which the party lately from Boston moved on the 26th of June. Tills was the fourth dwelling built in Nevin. During the first week in July, Mr. George White and one of the Harlow young men started for "Traders Point," a landing on the east bank of the Missouri, a few miles be- low the outlet of the Platte river opposite, to get their 44 THE STORY OF NEVIN. housekeeping goods. The goods had been shipped from Boston by railroad to the Ohio, and thence by steam packet down that river and up the Mississippi and the Missouri, to its destination. The men with their loads got back in six days. Of the six men comprising the White-Harlow party, but one — George White, remained long enough to be called a permanent settler. The others sooner or later went to pastures new, farther east. JULY 4, 1857- This year, the Nevinites were in limited numbers, but they did the best they could to celebrate the day of Inde- pendence. There was no church bell to ring. There was no liberty pole from which to display the flag. There were no facilities for a big dinner, nor plans for a display of high flown oratory. There was not even a bunch of Chi- nese fire crackers in the place, to fire of? in their attempt to relieve their pent up patriotism. So Mr. White, the cooper, took his gun and ranged South grove for wild game; while Mrs. Ellis took a walk over north to the Austin farm, to have a neighborly visit with Mrs. Austin and Martha. Mr. Ellis, after tacking a notice — "Gone to the 4th of July" — to his door, took that "buckwheat" trip on foot, noticed elsewhere. What the others did is not reported, except to say that all were home again in season for supper. NICHOLS, JONES AND PALES. Soon as Carpenter Nichols had finished the Turner- Stephenson store building, the last week in June, 1857; he, with Mr. Jones, the student, and Mr. Fales, the inventor, made a trip to Kansas; finding nothing there more inviting than Iowa, they, after a month, returned; Mr. Nichols to Fontanelle and the others to Nevin. Mr. Jones remained in the west till August, 1859, when he returned east. His father. Rev. Jones, never came to Nevin to go into farm- ing. 1857 FARMING. Quite an amount of prairie breaking was done on Nevin lands during June and July, 1857. Mr. Austin, Mr. Day and Mr. Met Smith, who owned work oxen, had the largest THE STORY OF NEVIN. 45 tracts turned over; while Messrs. McDougall, Harris, White and Ellis had smaller pieces broken on their respec- tive lots or farms. Mr. McDougall had made an exchange of land with Turner and Smith, he getting the south half of 160-acre lot No. 41, just over the county line, in Adair county. Later, was the "Black" homestead. Here was where "Uncle Mack" did his 1857 breaking. The planting and seeding this year was slim, but all of the 1856 breaking was utilized some way. In May, corn hauled from Dallas county was worth from two to three dollars per bushel; some of it was used for seed, but it proved to be without vitality, and therefore little or none of it grew. There was neither wheat nor oats sown on Nevin lands this year; though, it may be remarked, Mr. Dunlap at Hazel Green raised a good crop of wheat on previous year hazel breaking. Potatoes for seed were rather scarce, but the few planted produced a good crop. Messrs. Samuel Moore and Joseph Scott, of the Moore settlement in Carl township, were earlier settlers in the county, than those who came to Nevin this year, so they had potatoes so plenty as to haul several loads to Nevin in the fall, to sell. During the first week in July Mr. Ellis, finding that his chopped-in corn had not sprouted, went afoot, sack in hand, to the John Amnion farm ten miles west of his home, where he bought half a bushel of buckwheat, which he carried home, going home by way of the Austin farm. The next Monday, he, with the use of Mr. Austin's yoke of oxen and wooden toothed harrow, covered in his seed, sown on Jewett's last year breaking. The crop was good. About fifteen bushels of flail threshed, cleaned grain, was harvested. HARRIS AND STEPHENSON GET FARMS. About July loth, 1857, Mr. Henry Harris and his new cousin-wife, Betsy, arrived at the Austin's, from New York- state, driving a $500 span of horses and carriage. (He soon after sold the outfit to Rev. Norris Day for that sum). Mr. Harris and Mrs. Austin were brother and sister. The Harrises remained at the Austin home while deciding about investing in Nevin real estate. Along in August, during Turner and Smith's visit to Nevin, and after Turner and Smith had done some much needed work, Mr. Harris 46 THE STORY OF NEVIN. bought lot No. 6, of the i6o-acre size, the one joining the Austin farm on its west. During the fall he put up a bam on it, and then they moved into his barn-house. On July 14th, Mr. B. O. Stephenson reappeared in the New England Colony of Iowa, having been gone east since the last of April. Two days later, he made choice of 160-acre lot No. 43, the one in later years known as the Adam McKeen farm. This farm and the Jones-Day farm were the only Nevin farms having native groves thereon. A BLUE STREAK. Saturday, July i8th, was a day long remembered by many of the colonists. Discontent had been growing, and was now intense. Even Mr. Ellis, for the first time, was attacked with a "blue streak," at the delay of Turner and Smtih. At noon he went to see Mr. Joseph White, who was also badly affected, much in the same way. They talked the matter over, heaping the blame on Mr. Turner's head. Mr. Ellis went home again, and consulted with his wife, who suggested some methods of relief and hope. As they stood side by side in the west doorway of their domicile, looking wistfully westward, with thoughts of the new openings for settlers just across the Missouri, in Ne- braska and Kansas, she with true womanly courage, cheered him up. She suggested to him that even if Nevin colony should fail in its purposes, and that they should lose every dollar there invested. "We are young, strong and well; we can succeed in making a home over there in those new territories, where land with good titles can be had from government, to make a farm from, as many a young couple with small means are now doing." Mr. Ellis was reconciled; let what would come, he had a partner to share his lot; and so the event soon passed off. The same evening, not three hours later, Rev. Norris Day, the evangelist, and his son Elisha, arrived at the mill, and on the morrow he visited Nevin. He was from Ohio, and had recently been to Boston to confer with Messrs. Turner and Smith, in regard to the purchase by him of an interest in the steam mill property at Hazel Green. Mr. Day assured the disheartened settlers that the two Boson proprietors of Nevin lands would fulfill their prom- ises, and that the proper plats of Nevin lands and lots THE STORY OF NEVIN. 47 would be filed for record in the two counties very soon. These cheering words and assurances drove the "blues" away into thin air. THE MILL PROPERTY. On the 20th, Mr. Day, Mr. Jordan, and the other colony men, had a meeting for conference; every Nevin in- terest was discussed, and plans were suggested for the fu- ture. Conclusions were arrived at, that all would stick to the original purpose of colonizing Nevin lands. The mill property seemed to have, or was thought to have, a vital connection with the settlement of Nevni. It was acquiesced in by those at the meeting in Nevin, that Mr. Jordan should retain a one-third interest in the mill property, that Mr. B. O. Stephenson should have a one- third, and that Day and Whipple should have the remainmg one-third interest. Two days later, Messrs. Day and Stephenson started for Boston, to complete arrangements with Messrs. Tur- ner and Smith as to the disposition of the steam-mill prop- erty. On their way east, they at Winterset met a Mr. Sulli- van Pierce, who, with his wife and child, and Mr. Haddow (again), were on their way from near Boston, to our Yan- kee settlement. Mr. Day was led to decide that the Pierces were just what he now needed, and so he returned with them, to install them on the "Jo^^s-Day" farm, and to set Mr. Pierce at work breaking prairie on that place. After the Pierces were settled in the former Jones small house, Mr. Fales and Mr. Met Smith made that their boarding place. Mr. Fales, however, remained only a month, or such a matter, after his return from the Kansas expedition: He returned to the east, and married his Miss Lewis, settling at his former home and business in Walpole. The two died rich in goods, many years ago. Mr. M. D. Smith continued his breaking business the season of 1857. There were many prospective settlers, who came to Nevin in 1857 and '58, who did not remain, so their names are not mentioned by this writer; excepting some for spe- cial reasons, later on. 48 THE STORY OF NEVIN. RELIGIOUS MEETINGS. On Sunday afternoon, July 26th, there was a meet- ing of most of the Nevin colony, at the Ellis house; at which a Bible-class was organized. There were fifteen persons present: — Rev. N. Day, Chas. Austin, wife and daughter Martha; J. L. Haddow, Mr. and Mrs. H. Harris, M. D. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. S. Pierce and daughter, Mr. John White, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Ellis, and E. Day. The sixth chapter of Matthew was read, and the lesson was duly discussed. Mr. Austin was chosen Bible-class teacher; and it was decided to have meetings every Sunday fore- noon. The gathering also voted to have meetings for preaching service on Sunday afternoons, when practicable. The Bixbys, Eastmans, and Mr. Jordan were at the mill; and Joseph and George White were gone to Mt. Pleasant on business. • The next Sunday (August 2nd) was a beautiful day. The regular Bible-class was held at the Ellis house; and in the afternoon, public religious service was held; Rev. N. Day preaching a sermon from Matthew 24:44. This was the first gospel preaching within Nevin boundaries. There were twenty-one persons present at the preaching, all of the previous Sunday's persons except Mr. Haddow; and also John and James McCall, J. McDougall, J. Harlow, and Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Cutler and mother. After this meeting, the appointments of both Bible-class and preach- ing services were in the afternoon. The Bible-class was continued every Sunday, at the same place until, after Sep- tember 15th, when their meetings were, for the winter, discontinued. Rev. Day being called east on business a few weeks later, preaching services stopped also. EARLY COUNTY ROADS. The first county road crossing Nevin lands, was run from the northwest corner of section 3, by way of Nevin common, to the southeast corner of section i, township 73, range 32; there to connect with a recently laid out road in Union county, running to Afton. The colony township portion of this "Afton to Lewis" road was run on April 22nd, 1858; Mr. Ellis was commissioner, and Mr. Frank Whitney of Adair county was surveyor. The second road in the same place, was laid out on the 4th and 5th of THE STORY OF NEVIN. 49 June, 1858, which connected Nevin common with the southwest corner of the Joseph Scott farm in Carl town* ship. The third road was laid out June 22nd and 23rd 1858, from Adair county line, by way of Nevin common, to Wm. Whipple's "Mystic," in township 72, range 32. Mr. L. V. Ritchey was commissioner, and Mr. J. L. Ellis surveyor. There were no permanent bridges built near Nevin, for a number of years later. TURNER AND SMITH IN NEVIN. On the evening of August 13th Mr. Roswell W. Tur- ner and Mr. Richard B. Smith, of Boston, also Mr. Briant O. Stephenson, from the east, arrived in Nevin, the "Mecca" of the west. This was the first visit, together, of the two Boston gentlemen, to the place since March, 1856; when they were in the west to enter their Nevin lands. Making their headquarters at the Ellis house and sleeping under its roof; our Mr. Stephenson narrated an incident that happened that first night, to the supreme annoyance of Mr. Turner; but to the others present, it was ever after a subjec of merriment. Mr. Ellis's house had not yet been shingled, but was boarded and battened up and down the roof. As the boards seasoned, the cracks opened and thus let in the rain. This night, it seems that one bed was so situated under some boards laid across collar beams, that it would in some measure be protected should it chance to rain. Messrs. Stephenson and Smith finished their day's business a little before Mr. Turner and retired. Fresh air and ventilation being in these days quite a consideration, they generously relinquished the bed under the eaves to Mr. Turner. He, obeying the divine injunction, "Take no thought of the morrow," retired to dream of fair prairie lands. At home, Mr. Turner had enjoyed the luxury of a shower bath, but he had no idea that such things existed in Nevin; however, true Yankee enterprise has no limits, the shower bath was before him. About 2 o'clock an un- looked-for shower of rain commenced to fall. His room- mates awaking, discovered him sitting on the foot of his bed. Although nothing to be afraid of could be seen by them, he was shaking as if he had seen the ghost of some one of his former land customers. SQ THE STORY OF NEVIN. A few weeks after this, Mr. Ellis succeeded at a cost of $60 in getting 10,000 shingles, from Odell's newly-set-up steam shingle factory, situated between Quincy and Nod- away; to cover his roof. The inevitable institution of shower bath was, however, immediately reopened at the residence of the Pierces, on the Jones-Day farm, with the added feature of a stock of umbrellas at hand, so that when a subject began to feel the "shakes" coming over him and wished to shut ofT the invigorating streams, he had but to spread an umbrella over his head. Messrs. Turner and Smith having completed the line of title to Nevin lots, by the recording of their last authenti- cated Nevin plat at Quincy, on August 19, 1857, they were prepared to do needed business with the settlers. Their first business was the building of a hotel, which need had been pressed by the Vermonters. They con- tracted with Stephenson and Bixby to build a hotel of given dimensions and specifications, on the southeast corner of block C, to be finished by June i, 1858. The contract also provided for the building of a barn in the rear. The con- tract price was $3,500 for the job. The next day Turner and Smith executed deeds as follows: 120 acres in 160-acre lot No. 7 to Mr. Austin; i6o-acre lot No. 43 to Mr. Stephenson; lo-acre lot No. 87 to Bixby and Stephenson; 160-acre lot No. 6 to Henry Harris; 160-acre lot No. 8 to Norman Harris; 2 1-2-acre lot No. 118, and lot 3 in block I to Mr. Ellis, and per- haps other deeds. On the day following. Turner and Smith started on their return to Boston. PASSING OF THE MILL. Soon after Turner and Smith had gone back east, it became known in Nevin that Day, Whipple & Co., now owned and managed the mill property, they having bought the interest of Turner and Smith. And it was evident that Mr. Stephenson had finally decided not to invest in that property. The lumber business was continued until the first week in November, the same year; when they introduced a grist mill attachment to the saw-mill. This was in due time es- tablished, and was operated by them for a number of years. Mr. J. P. Jordan, the "Co." proprietor, had died at the THE STORY OF NEVIN. 51 mill, October 12th, so the mill firm became Day & Whip- ple; furthermore, a Mr. Walton about that time bought an interest in the property. A long generation before these lines were penned, the mill had disappeared. The lands are now a portion of Jay Hurlbut's big stock farm. Mr. Jordan's death was the first among the colonists. The body was buried the next day, in a parcel of ground set off later as a burying ground, about half a mile north- east of the mill. Rev. Norris Day officiated at the funeral, which was attended by some Nevin people. Mr. Jordan left a family residing in Maine to mourn their loss. DIGGING OF WELLS. During the summer and fall of 1857, Mr. George White deepened his home well to twenty feet, and walled it up with creek boulders and small stones. Within the same period, Mr. Ellis dug and made three wells, each of them was twenty-nine feet deep, all on high land. The first one, dug at his house, collapsed during a big rain fall after he had gotten five feet at the bottom walled with rivef stones; so he had to dig another near by. The third well dug was at the hotel. The particular point of interest in the sinking of these three wells was, that Mr. Ellis dug all of them without any assistant. He would go to the bottom of his digging by way of a ladder, spade up and fill his mud bucket, and then go to the surface, and hoist up with windlass, his bucket of mud. He would then empty it and go down again; in this way he completed the digging of them all. The two last wells dug were walled with burr-oak, sawed curbing, set horizontally, and built square to the bottom. They both furnished a good and abundant water supply for many years, before the curbing decayed. HOTEL AND STORE. Work commenced upon the hotel, to be called the "New England House," on the 7th of September. The barn was enclosed first, so as to furnish a work shop for the carpenters. The work on the hotel, under boss carpen- ter John Bixby, was pushed along fast. Frame and lumber were procured from Day & Co.'s saw-mill. Pine finishing 52 THE STORY OF NEVIN. lumber, shingles, lath and hardware were hauled from Bur- lington. Mr. Stephenson had started with three teams on the 27th of August for the railroad terminus at Mt. Pleasant to get his store goods and nails. Two of the teams got back September i6th, and the store was opened the next day. The other team, which had been clear to Burlington, and returned by way of the new route to Nevin from the east, — "Barkers mill on Grand river," — did not arrive home till twelve days later. The work of hauling store goods and hotel materials was continued, and the building of the New England House went on from week to week till Thanksgiving time. M. J. HAZELTINE. On September 27th, another Vermonter, Mr. M. J. Hazeltine, entered the "New Boston" of Dr. Nevin. He at once bargained for the southwest lot, in block D (across the street east of the hotel), and engaged Bixby and Stephen- son to build him a house thereon during the winter, and he then went back. On May 15th, 1858, he again appeared in Nevin; this time bringing his aged mother, and his wife, and their two young daughters, Minnie and Mattie. They at once occupy their just finished house, the fifth dwelling built within Nevin limits. He lived in the place till about 1863, when he removed his family to Illinois, where he was in the marble and tombstone business for years. Later in life they moved again; this time to Des Moines, Iowa. The old couple celebrated their golden wedding there in 1899. His aged mother died in Nevin in August, 1858. They have a married daughter, whose husband taught school in Des Moines, and later in Utah. RICHARD SELLS TO ALVIN. On September 30th, 1857, Mr. Richard B. Smith and wife, by his attorney, W. W. Cowles, deeded to his father, Alvin Smith of West Roxbury, all their interest in the Nevin lands. The deed was recorded at Fontanelle on November 2nd, and at Quincy on December ist, 1857. FIRST BRIDGE. The stream at South grove, was bridged the first time, on October 28th, 1857; stringers were cut from the nearby THE STORY OF NEVIN. 53 grove. The covering was slabs, from the mill. The labor was all contributed free, by the settlers. A MATRON FROM BOSTON. Thursday, November 12th, 1857, was winterish and dull out of doors, but within the walls of the small house of the "Whites" it was warm, cosy and joyful, as the eve- ning closed in on its inmates. Mr. George White had during the day returned from an overland trip to the railroad end, bringing home with him his mother, Mrs. Joseph White, and his elderly sister, Miss Harriet White; just from the old Boston home. Now, the three White men who have bached so long, will have the women to keep house and cook for them. Their three friends, the Harlow men, had before this left the colony, two of them returning east, while William remained in the county until he enlisted in the army in 1861 or '62. A SUDDEN DEATH. On the morning of Sunday, November 15th, 1857, a sad accident occurred in the* Stephenson store; John Huse, a lad of some sixteen years, was shot dead by a ball through the head, from a revolver in the hands of C. E. Eastman. This was the first death in Nevin. The body was laid away the next day. No grave stone marks the spot; but it was about eight rods from the southeast corner of Rose Hill cemetery. THANKSGIVING— 1857. November 26th, 1857, was Thanksgiving day ofificially, in Iowa, but there was no special observance of the occa- sion by Nevin people. Christmas, however, was observed by many in Nevin and by those at the mill, in having a social gathering in the evening, at the Dunlap home at Hazel Green. Those from Nevin did not return home till about midnight. NEW ENGLAND HOUSE OCCUPIED. On October 6th, Mr. Stephenson's family, consisting of his wife, Persis, their two children Mary and Charles, his 54 THE STORY OF NEVIN. father Reuben, and the lad John Huse, arrived in Nevin from Vermont. Conveyed here from the railroad end, in the two horse wagon of Mr. L. Richmond. They boarded at the Ellis house till late in November. Messrs. Bixby and Stephenson finished the outside of the New England House, and considerable of the inside work was done, including finishing the two rear rooms, the laying of all the floors, etc. On November 25th, the Stephensons all moved into the hotel and commenced housekeeping for themselves. A few days after this, they took in the boarders of the settlement. And soon after that they commenced to accommodate the traveling public. Mrs. Ellis, being thereby relieved from much of the in- cessant work of the summer and f^ll, had a chance now to rest up somewhat, as well as more time to adjust her home-making affairs. The work on the hotel was continued partially into the winter, but the plastering was not done till May. The sign, — "New England House," was painted in big letters over the south door entrance, by Mr. J. Hoskins, in July, 1858. Deborah, the elderly daughter of R. Stephenson, joined the family the same spring; but she returned east within twenty months, and was married there to Mr. George F. Bixby. Mr. R. Stephenson died January 18th, 1861. Young Chas. Stephenson died September i6th, 1859. UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Along about the middle of the chilly forenoon of Sun- day, December 20th, 1857, ^s Mr. and Mrs. Ellis happened to be looking from a south window of their house, they saw approaching from the south, a farm wagon, in which were seated two men driving the horses at a walk. Pres- ently the team stopped in front of the house, and while one of the men remained seated, the other one got out and walked around to the west door; where he inquired if they could get permission to "bring their load in and have it warmed." Mr. and Mrs. Ellis looked inquiringly at each other, and then at the stranger, in a silent questioning at- titude, as much as to say, "what does the man mean?" He noticing their evident perplexity, proceeded to explain by saying that they had a "black man" in their wagon box, covered with loose hav to conceal him from nnv one who THE STORY OF NEVIN. 55 might chance to meet or pass them that mornmcr. on tlie road from Quincy. The black man of course was cold, riding in that pros- trate position that December morning; and the men, know- ing that Nevin was a colony of Yankees, and presuming thai anti-slavery sentiment was rife here; ventured, with bated breath and apprehensive movements, to stoj) at this iiouse to have the negro warmed. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis of course said "yes, bring him in." The runaway was of middle age, stout, and as black as an ace of spades. i-[(^ called him- self "Aaron." He said that he had left his master on the Missouri-Kansas border. The two men were Mr. B. F. Allen and Mr. David Peterson, of Quincy, veritable abolitionists, and regular conductors on the Underground Railroad, running betvv'een the slave states, and the free states and Canada. The darkey had by some unknown means gotten as far as Quincy; there he had been taken in charge by the local agent, who had confided the trust to Messrs. Allen and Peterson. That morning, long before day, they had taken the man aboard their wagon, and had driven by round- about roads and cross trails to this New England settle- ment. After the "load" had been suf^ciently warmed, Mr. Ellis recommended the men to Mr. B. O. Stephenson, at the hotel. Here the "contraband" was left, and the con- ductors went home by an unfrequented route. Mr. Stephen- son concealed the negro in some back room or place, until he could some night be forwarded on, by way of Wintersel. Father R. Stephenson, living at the hotel, was an old- style New Hampshire democrat, and wanted no runaway slave about him. But he didn't mistrust that the man, Aaron, was in the house, during all the nine days that elapsed before he was sent on towards the "Star of Free- dom." CEMETERY AND COLLEGE LOTS. Ten-acre lot No. 49. was on Xovember 22nd. 1858, deeded by Turner and Smith to J. L. Ellis, J. Bixby and G. F. Bixby, trustees of Colony township in trust for cemetery purposes. The trust was to descend to their successors in that township office. The deed was recorded on page 2"]^, in "Book D," at Quincy. S6 THE STORY OF NEVIN. At a later date, the lot was surveyed and laid out into burial lots, 2x2 rods in size; and into blocks, of four burial lots each. There were drive-ways, and a circular area in the centre for ornamentation purposes. The cemetery is named "Rose Hill." The divisional plat was also recorded. The 1857 plat of Nevin designated lo-acre lot No. 52 as "College" lot. It was found in after years, that the lot "dedication" was defective. It was permitted to lapse, be- came delinquent for its taxes, and was finally lost by county treasurers' tax-sale deed in later years. There were also in that same 1857 plat, a small block lot, marked "school," and another one marked "church," both of which, on survey, were found to be unsuitable for such uses, and they, too, were permitted to become delin- quent for taxes, and were later lost by tax sale deed. KENADA TIMBER. Turner and Smith, in 1857, bought the "Kenada" 80 acres of timber land on the Nodaway just below Chapman's grove. The next year it was surveyed into 5-acre lots, and sold to Nevin settlers, as wanted. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 57 Chapter IV, 1858. THE FUEL QUESTION. During the first two weeks in January, 1858, there was a gradual thawing of snow. On two or three days the streams near Nevin were so high as to be completely im- passable without boats. The Nevin people in general passed the winter in trying to keep warm; and thus fuel was the leading question. Their pioneering needs in the matter of fuel seemed to place them in much the same relation to the unoccupied native groves around, as was that of the Indians in their relation to wild timber, game and fish. Wood for fuel, was cut and hauled from non-resi- dent land, with but little compunction of conscience, for a few years after the coming of the early settlers. Jayhawk- ers were not by any means confined to Kansas. Air. John Barnett, lived on his farm, but twenty miles away, so hardly anybody presumed to "hook" any live trees from his fine grove four or five miles south of Nevin. Mr. Josiah El- liott lived only twelve or thirteen miles from his fine grove in section 15, and as he came to see it occasionally, but few of his live trees were taken off after 1856. There was no one to care for the little Mormon-camp grove, on the creek, northwest of the Austin farm; so, its smaller trees, went ofif to keep some newcomers house warm. The "Ingles" timber, some five or six miles down the stream from Nevin, was a favorite resort after the first three or four years in settlers' life; and in following years was largely denuded of its surplus wood, by the prairie settlers, having none of their own. Mr. Ingles lived much farther away than did Messrs. Barnett. Elliott and Boyd; some one sent him word, that his Adams county timber trees were being hauled away, in several directions. He was said to have sent word back in return, that it was all right; that the settlement of the country was the one thing needed to give salable value to the land of speculators; and that the set- tlers were doing more to increase the worth of his Iowa land than he had done, or expected ever to do. 58 THE STORY OF NEVIN. Bystander here tells a story; he says that on a certain early-day Sunday, his proxy being present that morning at the Austin home; the fire in the family stove needed re- plenishing. The orthodoxly trained Mr. Austin requested his nephew, the young Joseph Ballou, to go out, and bring in some wood from the door-yard. Presently, Mr. Austin looking out from a window, discovered Joseph in the act of chopping the wood to bring in. This was too nnich. What! Breaking of the Sabbath? — Mr. Austin hastened to the door and called out to the young man to "put that ax down." It seemed that Mr. Austin on Saturday morning, before going from home, had told Joseph to take the oxen and haul home some wood, and cut it up, ready for the stove to last over Sunday. He had hauled the wood home, from a not faraway grove, but for some ' reason he had failed to cut it up for the stove. Query: — Did they have any more fire in the stove that cold Sundav? COLONY TOWNSHIP ORGANIZED. On February i, 1858, the Adams county court, acting on petition from Nevin, set off township /T,, of range 32, to be called "Colony" township. This was the third township organized in the county; Quincy and Jasper townships be- ing previous. At an election ordered to be held at the New England House in Nevin, on Monday April 5th, the fol- lowing township ofificers were chosen: John Bixby, J. L. Ellis, and R. H. Eastman, trustees; B. O. Stephenson, township clerk; J. L. Ellis and R. Stephenson, justices of the peace.; G. F. Bixby and R. H. Eastman, constables. There were seven voters, all of whom voted for the same candidates for township ofificers. There were seven votes cast for a "hog and sheep restraining law." On the county ticket, the full sven votes were cast for Benj. Neal to be county judge. It would seem that the Quincy democrats did not mistrust that Nevin possessed a democratic voter, and so the place was not canvassed; otherwise Wm. A. Shields might have secured the vote of R. Stephenson. Three weeks later Mr. R. H. Eastman returned east, and Mr. G. F. Bixby was appointed trustee in his place. A SURPRISE PARTY. February 19th, 1858, was moderately cold; and the sleighing was good. The Fontanelle settlers wanted to see THE STORY OF NEVIN. 59 Nevin and meet the wintering Yankees there, as well as to enjoy a sleigh-riding party on a lark. So they, to the number of thirty-five persons, in the afternoon took their driving outfits and invaded Nevin from the north, putting up at the hotel early in the evening. With the many ad- ditions of the village folks who came in to welcome the invaders, they all had a great social time. Mr. Ellis had been to Fontanelle in the forenoon and while there he had discovered their surprise party plans. When he reached home in the afternoon, he gave Mrs. Stephenson a hint of what was impending from the north. The hotel folks soon had a pork ham on to boil, and Mrs. Stephenson sent over to her near neighbor, Mrs. Ellis, to see if she had any eggs on hand, that she could spare her. The Fontanellians got their supper all right, and in good season. The folks, after supper, spent the night in talking, dancing, card and chess playing, some songs of mirth, and other amusements; keep- ing it up till daylight, then the Fontanellers had breakfast before starting for home. The staid Nevinites, however, went home much earlier. AMASA CHILD. Mr. Amasa Child, the "tall" farmer, from the Wooden Nutmeg State, came to the New England Colony, on the 7th of April, 1858. He soon bought an ox-team, and did prairie breaking for himself and for others ; and other team- ing, during the summer. Late in the season he built a dwelling on the southeast corner of his lo-acre lot. No. 10. Then he returned east and late in November brought his wife, Sarah, and their two small daughters, Mary Ella and Emma Myra, to Nevin, and occupied their house and home till 1864, when they sold out and moved to Des Moines; the next year moving to Green county, where thev still live. Their five children are all married. Mr. and Mrs. Child celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary at Jefferson, on Monday, February 25, 1901. EARLY BIRTHS. On April 17th, 1858, "Alden Porter," the first child and son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Ellis, was born. This was the first birth within Nevin limits. 6o THE STORY OF NEVIN. On February 22d, 1859, "Minnie," the first daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Bixby, was born. The second birth in Nevin. On April 15th, 1859, "Sophia," the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hoskins, was born. The third birth in Nevin. On July i6th, 1859, "Julia," the first child and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Beath, was born. The fourth Nevin birth. On August 24th, 1859, "Walter March," the second son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Ellis, was born. The fifth birth in Nevin. On August 28th, 1859, a third daughter and child was born to Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Hazeltine. This was the sixth birth in Nevin. On February 14th, i860, "Fred Harlow," the first child and son of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Norman, was born. The seventh birth in Nevin. THE HARLOWS. The Harlow brothers, Arad T. and Ivory, with their sister wives, were of Plymouth Colony ancestors, and were born near Duxbury. After many years of life there, they lived in East Boston; from there Arad and his wife, Aug- usta, with Ivory's son James, and Mr. Abram Buell, came to Nevin as settlers on May 5th, 1858. Mr. Buell had left his famliy, as Mr. and Mrs. Harlow had left their daughter Julia, in the east, to come west later on. Arad, together with Ivory and their brother-in-law, Mr. Pease, had bought from Turner and Smith, the Boston land speculators, pre- vious to starting; 160-acre lot No. 20. This farm lot they divided; to Arad the easterly 1-3; to Ivory the next or middle 1-3; and to Mr. Pease the westerly 1-3, of the quar- ter section. "Uncle" Arad had bought also, 2 1-2-acre lot No. 29, as well as a lo-acre lot. Mr. A. T. Harlow had been a farmer in former days, in the Plymouth Colony country, and thought to resume that occupation in this new land. Upon arrival, the four adventurers found quarters at the hotel, while Arad and James, the carpenter, proceeded at once to build a tem- porary cabin, or small house, wherein to dwell, while the men, or James rather, should build the Harlow house proper, on the 2 1-2-acre lot south of the village centre. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 6i For some unknown reason, the small house was erected on the slope that lies between the present school house and the Methodist church, about two-thirds of the distance from the school house to the church. In August, after they had lived there nearly three months, they with oxen hauled it to the lot on which James was now building the larger dwelling. The Harlows continued to live in the crowded small house until the following April, when James had gotten the house near enough to completion, to permit of its being occupied by the crowded families. Soon after that, the "movable house" was hauled to the north part of the Ivory Harlow farm land, and was there enlarged and fixed up for the "Ivory" family. They moving in in May, to try amateur farming. Mr. Ivory Harlow and wife had come to Nevin in September, as mentioned herein, elsewhere; and had lived with the "Arad" family over winter. "Uncle Ivory" and his wife Olive, in their new house and home on the ridge, soon tired of rural life in the west; and so they went back to the old Bay state, where he was a missionary at large, among the needy in South Boston, for some years; before they again visited the "Great West." Aunt Augusta was the first woman settler of 1858. She and Uncle Arad sold their village place in 1861, and moved away. In the spring of 1870, they, and the Nor- mans, returned again to Nevin, and opened up new farms. Mr. and Mrs. Arad Harlow celebrated their golden wedding in southwestern Kansas, at the Norman home, October 2, 1886. THE CHAMBERLAINS. May 6th, 1858, was the day that the four persons: Mr. Peter P. Chamberlain, his wife, Sarah, their daughter Phebe, and his man, Abram Hubbard, came to this Nevin colony. They were from Saybrook, Ashtabula county, Ohio. They first came to Cleveland by sailing vessel; thence by steamer to Detroit, and thence by railroad to Iowa City. Here they stopped a week, resting and fixing up their two teams, that they had along with them from Ohio, for the overland journey to the new "Athens" of the west. Then loading on their goods and passengers, they drove safely on to their destination. Mr. Chamberlain had bought land here from Turner and Smith, before leaving Ohio; but, as there was no house 62 THE STORY OF NEVIN. on it, they too, had to room and board at the hotel, until he could build a structure, into which they and their things could be moved. He bought the Elliott grove 40 acres, having previously arranged with Mr. McDougall and Mr. George White, that they should have 10 acres off the north end. The land had a fine body of black walnut and other trees, forming the grove. Again he bought land ; this time 2 i-2-acre lot No. 100, to build upon. Then he at once proceeded to get a barn frame, by hewing some timber from his grove. He also cut logs and hauled from it to Day & Co.'s mill, where they were sawed, and the lumber was hauled to his building lot. The barn was completed in August, and the family soon moved into a part of it. Here they lived and kept house about fourteen months. The lot in later years became "Jewett's 4th- of July grove." COMING OF THE JEWETTS. It was late on Saturday, May 8th, 1858, when the Jewett party, consisting of Mr. John Jewett, his wife Nancy E., and their four children, Sarah E., Adelia, Quimby and Oliver, also two other young men, Messrs. Longfellow and King, all from the "Pine Tree" state, arrived at the Austin home to rest over night. The next day they drove to Nevin's young village. The hotel being now full they went to Mr. Ellis's, where they rented rooms for housekeeping, until Mr. Jewett could build them a house on 2 1-2-acre lots Nos. loi and 102. He was both farmer and carpenter, so, he built his own house, a one-story, native lumber domicile; into which they moved on the 4th of August, 1858. He bought a pair of oxen and engaged in farming. He dis- posed of his west-of-the-creek land, later on, buying village lots suf^cient to complete his village farm. The daughters, Sarah and Adelia, were school teachers many years, before getting married. Mr. Jewett and Mr. Ellis became the leading tree growers of the place. Mr. Jewett's specialty was black walnut and maple; while that of Mr. Ellis was evergreens and maple. MR. TURNER'S STEAMBOAT. The recent rains had so raised Nevin streams that on May 24th and 25th, they were out of their banks and were THE STORY OF NEVIN. 63 all over the bordering low lands. During the second day's freshet, a two mule team was noticed, by persons at the hotel, coming from the direction of Afton. Soon after- wards it had arrived at the brow of "Adams" hill (later the Adam McKeen farm), and signs were being made by the men with the team to those at the hotel, calling for help to cross the river. We are not aware that they used the modern war heliographic method; but their signs were un- derstood by the men in the village — that help was needed by the travelers. Tlie villagers responded promptly; a pair of horses was hitched to a wagon having a tight box, nearby, men, with long poles and ropes were loaded in, and all were driven to the brink of the flowing waters, at a point nearly op- posite the waiting team. They then took ofif the wagon box, hitched ropes to it, and shoved it ofif with two men therein, and poles to guide the craft into and across the quarter of a mile wide stream of water. Our Boston friend, Mr. R. W .Turner was there waiting to be ferried over. This was soon and safely done; and then on to the New England House, while the Afton team returned home. On this crossing adventure "hangs a tale." Men coming from Boston tO' Nevin, this summer, later in the year, made report, that upon their inquiries of Mr. Turner, as to there being any navigable river near to his new town in the Hawkeye state; Mr. Turner replied: "O yes! there is a line stream quite close to the village, large enough for a steamboat to run." Bystander remarks here: that even a Bostonian should have known enough about Iowa geography not to ask such a question seriously of Mr. Roswell W. Turner. And so, Mr. Turner could be excused for giving the answer that he did; he may have thought the inquirers could readily see that his reply was intended only as a joke, at their ex- pense, though based on the big May freshet of 1858. At the end of a two weeks' visit our steamboat "joker" returned to his Massachusetts Bay home. He never again came to see their wonderful colony, except once, — a nine days' business trip in the fall of i860. A LAW SUIT. The first law suit in the New England Colony jur- isdiction, was on the loth of June, 1858. It was an appeal 64 THE STORY OF NEVIN. case, from Piatt township, Union county; Robert Perigo against John Hanna; action for damages, in detention' of oxen. It was first brought before Justice Stephenson, and was then changed to Justice Ellis for trial, and by him was laid over till the following morning. At which time the case was tried, and judgment rendered against Mr. John Hanna for $20 and costs of suit. Afterwards the case was appealed to district court at Quincy. Messrs. Samuel Riggs and Josiah Elliott giving the proper appeal bond. Pa- pers were sent to the court in July (25th). In connection with this suit we have an instance of official pluck, which we give: When the case was called on the morning of the second day, it was found that a copy of "Session Laws" was needed from the township of Piatt. Mr. Jonathan Whipple, constable from there, was present, and he was sent ofT to get the book. The streams in that direction were high from recent rains, and the few low bridges were either gone or out of sight. Mr. Whipple, however, made the trip in good time. The Barnett stream had to be crossed by swimming, Whipple holding his book over his head as he swam, so that it would not get wet. Finding his feet trappings were cumbersome, he at that point drew them ofif and came to Nevin in his bare feet, at a dog trot, and tired enough. RELIGIOUS MEETINGS RESUMED. The religious meetings, suspended the fall before, were resumed on Sunday afternoon. May 9th, at the hotel dining room, in the form of a prayer meeting. Sunday school was resumed on June 20th, at the same place. Late in August, they both were changed to Mr. Chamberlain's just completed barn. In December Mr. Chamberlain needing all his barn room for his own use, the meetings were again changed to the hotel. On January 9th, 1859, the meetings were transferred to the just finished first school house. This building was situated on lots Nos. 4 and 5, in block J, west of the common. From now on, the meetings for preaching were intermittent for nearly eighteen months. Some Congregational minister would come occasionally from Tabor, Quincy, or Fontanelle, un- til July I, i860, when Rev. Increase S. Davis, from Adair county, became the pastor of the Congregational church of Nevin. During the preceding eighteen months, the THE STORY OF NEVIN. 65 Sunday preaching services were interspersed with the reading of sermons, written by Rev. H. W. Beecher, and by others. A Rev. Todd, Methodist, of Greenfield, occasionally held meetings at this school house from June, 1859. FIRST SCHOOL IN NEVIN. Nevin school district, embracing the thirty-six square miles of Colony township, was organized March 20th, 1858, by the election of the following officers: R. Stephen- son, president; B. O. Stephenson, secretary, and J. L. Ellis, treasurer. Sometime in June of this year, the first school in Nevin was opened, in the hotel office. Miss Phebe Chamberlain taught eight weeks. The register of the school is missing, but the following children are thought to have been her pupils: Judson, Lydia, Olive, and Joseph Harris; Adelia, Quimby, and Oliver Jewett; Mary and Charly Stephenson; John and Warren Bixby; Minnie and Mattie Hazeltine, and Martha Austin, REV. N. HARRIS'S VISIT. Rev. Norman Harris, from Hamilton, N. Y., came to Nevin the second time, the same day in May that the Haz- eltines came. He preached to a gathering of Nevinites at the hotel the next day, Sunday. Mr. Harris brought his first wife's four children here, to be cared for and schooled a few years, while he returned to resume missionary work in India. He left Judson, Lydia and Olive with the Aus- tins; and Joseph was left with the Henry Harrises, who were now living in their farm barn-house. WHITE— MASON. Mr. George White returned to Nevin from a short visit to Boston, on June 20th, 1858; his wife Fanny, and their two young girls, Edith and Fannie, came with him. They at once moved into their new house on the 40-acre farm, where the old folks were already living. This house having supplanted the very small one built a year earlier, the old one now became his cooperage and workshop. 66 THE STORY OF NEVIN. In the fall of 1863 Mr. G. White suspended his Nevin farming and went to Des Moines and worked at cooper- ing. Early in the following year he took up driving a two-horse peddler's wagon from Des Moines. In December he rented his farm and took his famliy to Des Moines. Later in life he quit ped- dling goods over the country and operated a store on Court Avenue, and finally got rich. Mr. and Mrs. White are still living in Des Moines; while the daughter, Fannie, still un- married, has charge of most of the store business. The daughter, Edith White, at one period long ago, attended school in Des Moines a school mate of William E. Mason; eventually, the two married. Later, the Ma- sons lived in Chicago. Wm. E. Mason is now a United States senator from Illinois. They have an extensive row of younger Masons. HOSKINS FAMILY. On the 20th of June, 1858, Nevin became the tarry- ing place of Mr. Joseph Hoskins and his wife Sarah, with their two sons, William and George. Mr. Hoskins, born and raised in England, was by profession, a painter and a plumber. He came to Boston in 1846, and in 1847, ^^^ was in the United States service in Mexican waters. He the same year, after his return to Boston, married the elder sis- ter of Richard Hargrave, who was Nova Scotia born. Before starting for Iowa Mr. Hoskins bought the 40-acre lot w^here he is now living. He had no funds to use in building, so they rented rooms, in the starting village, for awhile; and he found some employment in working for others, but was not able to improve his farm. In August, 1862, he himself, went to the new oil fields in Pennsylvania where his brother Edwin, was then em- ployed. Later, his family followed him there. In March, 1867, his wife died there. His second wife, the present Martha, was married to him in 1875, at Warren; and about 1880, they, with their son "Bert," born there, came to Nevin again; where he bought an additional 40-acres, and where they have pursued farming to some extent. Bert is married, and operates the farm. William and George, Sarah's sons, are married, and have made Nebraska their home, many years. THE STORY OF NEVIN. ^j NEVINVILLE POSTOFFICE. The Nevin settlers were twelve miles from Adair, the nearest postoffice. They in 1856 and again in 1857, pe- tioned the postoffice department for an office nearby; but both petitions were refused, on account of the extra ex- pense of supplying the office from Mr. Lock's mail route. In 1858 a new mail route was established to run from Win- terset, by way of Nevin to Quincy and back, weekly; com- mencing July 1st. So the 1858 petition was granted, ex- cept that the office was named "Nevinville," instead of Nevin as asked; from the reason that there was already a postoffice called "Nevin," in Ohio. The office was lo- cated in the southwest quarter of section 2, township 73. range 32, Adams county. The national administration be- ing then democratic, under President Buchanan, Mr. Reu- ben Stephenson was made postmaster at Nevinville. The first out-going mail, containing thirty-seven letters, was sent Wintersetward on July 8th. TEN NEW COMERS. The latest newcomers to Nevin from the old Bay state during 1858, was a party of ten from Boston, who arrived on Thursday, September 30th. Their names were: Mr. Ivory Harlow, his wife Olive, and their son John; Mrs. Abram Buell and two children. Daniel and Mary; Mrs. George; Miss Kate Harris; Miss Julia Harlow, and Mrs. Almira Beath. The latter, however, was from Michigan, since leaving Boston. INDEPENDENCE DAY. The glorious "Fourth of July" was observed on Mon- day, July 5th, by these Yankee settlers. Early in the fore- noon quite a number, both of women and men, took teams and drove to South grove, quite a stimulating prelude. They brought back poles, forked stakes and leafed boughs of trees; which were taken to the common, where an ample awning or shade was erected; under which the celebration was held. A spread-on-table dinner was laid. The "Bos- ton" ladies had brought their finest table linen and silver- ware with them from the "Hub"; it was all here displayed in fine array on the dinner tables. The viands were quite 68 THE STORY OF NEVIN. satisfactory; though it must be remarked that owing to a limited supply of dry beans in the place, there was but one pot of the proverbial "Boston Baked Beans" on the dinner tables, and as a result little Fannie White went from the table crying for more beans. Sixty-five persons, old and young, all at one sitting, took their dinners here. After dinner a hastily arranged literary program was carried out as follows: An opening prayer was ofifered by Mr. Henry Harris. Then came the singing of "America," led by Mr. Hazeltine. After this, all present listened to an address by Mr. Chamberlain, the Sunday school superintendent, which was especially to Sunday school children. Then came more music. After that Mr. C. Jones read the "Declaration of Independence." Speeches followed. Toasts were given, arid responded to by Mr. John Bixby, Mr. George White, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Peter Chamberlain, Mr. Arad Harlow and others. Towards evening the people again had refreshments at the dining table. In the early evening they had a display of "fireworks" — homemade of course — they had to be. The painter (Mr. Hoskins) had some spirits of turpentine on hand and Mr. Stephenson had plenty of candle-wicking balls in his store. These two articles were utilized. The balls of wicking w'ere thoroughly saturated with the tur- pentine, then were set on fire as needed and thrown heaven- ward, by hand, a feat severe on the hands. In this, Mr. Ellis's skill was more useful than any after dinner speech he might attempt. A LICENSE TO MARRY. Mr. Joseph Beath furnishes the following account of how a young couple in the year 1858 obtained a licence to marry : Mr. Loren Richmond and Miss Celia Whitney, from Cass county, had both been working at Stephenson's hotel most of the late winter and spring, and had thus became ac- quainted with each other. They decided to get married. Herewith went a story of the good old times, when every- thing was right and easy, according to modern philoso- phers. This couple had arranged to be married on the morn- ing of July 4th, and to go the same day to Whitneyville, THE STORY OF NEVIN. 69 the home of her brother, the late Frank Whitney of At- lantic, where friends were to meet them. A necessary ar- ticle in the program was a license; but on the day they were to go for it, there came one of those "dews" that were so common that summer, which sent the water of the river just west of the village from bluff to bluff. As the "steam- boat" had not yet arrived (except on paper), it looked as though there would be no wedding. Saturday morning the water was inside the banks, but the bridge was gone. So a number of us took a team and wagon, and two other horses, which Mr. Richmond and Mr. R. Stephenson, his witness, were going to ride. After finding a suitable place to cross, we took the wagon box for a boat to run the two men over in; but the witness was afraid to venture. Mr. Richmond then asked the others if there was any one that would go with him, and the writer offered his services. Then we could get only one old mare to swim; so, on the trip, we had to "ride and tie," turn about. Westly Homan was then living in a log house, near where Mr. Kirkpatrick now lives, in Carl township. Mrs. Homan was asked for the use of a horse to ride to Quincy and back. She said that the neighborhood was out on a wolf hunt, but that there was a horse in the stable, which we could have after it was fed. Then we asked if we could get dinner there. She said yes. We had coffee, chicken and corn bread, the best she had. After dinner we bridled and saddled our horses, were into the road and were ready to mount when a man about forty rods away, coming towards us, hallooed, — "Where are you going with that horse?" we answered back, — To Quincy. "No you don't," said he. We then waited until he came up, then told him the urgency of the case. He said he couldn't help it; they had run down their horses after the wolf and had left him while they got dinner and fresh horses; and he was going to have that horse. I al- ways thought that, as we were strangers to him, he mis- trusted that we might never return the horse. So we had to renew our "ride and tie" business. The road by the present Cummins place was where it now is, and I was rid- ing when we came to the first slough west. The mare stopped in the middle of it up to her knees in mud. I clucked and coaxed; but no go. I sat there a long time, dreading to get off into the mud. Finally, I made up ray mind and had raised my foot to get off, when the mare raised hers and walked out'. We finally reached Quincy and found the county judge could not get there from "Simpson" 70 THE STORY OF NEVIN. later, Brookville, now, Brooks. Good luck, however, struck us here at Quincy, for Uncle Bennie Neal was just going ro Simpson in a wagon and he said we could ride with him, there and back. So we secured the license, came back and got supper with Uncle Bennie, the hotel keeper. Then Richmond said that he was given out. and it was no use talking, he could not walk to Nevin, nor half way there that night. So he laid his case before the hotel keeper and told him he had only $2.50 with him, but would give him that if he would get him to the river west of Nevin that night. "Uncle Bennie" told his hired man that he would give him half of the money if he would go, which he did. We got there about midnight. We found one of the stringers of the low bridge, over which we crossed after turning the old mare loose. The hired man returned to Quincy and was sick for a week after. The next day bright and early. Justice Stephenson made Loren and Celia man and wife, and they with thank- ful hearts went to their new Cass county home. This mar- riage was the first in Colony township, and the second wed- ding within Nevin limits. THE BEATHS. In the summer of 1858, Mr. Joseph Beath bought lot No. I in block I, and in September commenced to put up a small building thereon; later on, it was enlarged. Here his family lived until April, i860, when they moved to a lOO-acre farm that he had bought from a Mr. Norton, at the South grove. Here he did some farming and a little blacksmithing. Some years later, the farm was sold to Henry Whipple; when, or a few years later, they obtained a 40-acre farm southwest of Quincy. In 1875 they sold out and bought the first 40 acres of his present nice farm in Washington township. Mr. and Mrs. Beath retired from active farm life and moved to Corning, a few years ago, where they now live in their own quiet home. Their five children; Julia, Jennie, John, Frank and Lura, are all married and have children, all of the children but one, are on Adams countv farms. UNCLE MACK. The family of Mr. James McDougall came to the New England Colony, from the old Maine home, on the THE STORY OF NEVIN. 71 23d of September, 1858. The family consisted of Mrs. McDougall and their three children, Mary Ann, Phebe and David. They soon moved into their new farm house. Mr. McDougall, familiarly called "Uncle Mack," farmed, and grew a fine grove of timber. The daughters were school teachers. Mary Ann taught the first school held in the first Nevin school house. She taught also at other places. Phebe taught near Hazel Green, and later she married Elisha Day at the mill. She died March 21st, 1861. Mary Ann in after years went to Wisconsin, and married later; where thev are still living. In September, 1873, she came and took her half-crazy mother home with her. Mr. Mc- Dougall died in December, 1874. The bodies of Phebe Day and Uncle Mack lie peacefully within Rose Hill ceme- tery. "SIR" RICHARD. Richard Hargrave, a younger brother of Mrs. Sarah Hoskins, came to Nevin with the Hoskinses in June, 1858. He lived a while with the Chamberlains, attending school one or more winters. An incident is remembered in con- nection with that school term. Judson Harris, also at- tended, and at an evening literary exhibition young Har- grave and Harris were on opposite sides in a debate. This debate is suggestive of the time in later years, when, in Chicago, Mr. Hargrave married Miss Mary Buell, the in- tended of Mr. Harris. Richard, after his school days were over, went to Pennsylvania, and at about seventeen years of age he enlisted in the army service. He came back safely from the war, and later went to Chicago, where he married Mary Buell, who had been a teacher there. They then went back to the oil regions, working near Mr. Ed. Hoskins. In June, 1868, they, with one child, came to Nevin again, having traveled with team overland. In their Nevin farm life they lived at different places, at one time owning an 80-acre farm west of the J. Hoskins farm. Later on they moved to Kansas. Again they moved, and settled on a small fruit farm in southwestern Oregon. After this he was accidentally killed in a well. Mrs. Har- grave remarried. They are 'still in that place, as also are the five living Hargrave children, two or more of whom are married. THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. On Saturday, October 30th, 1858, the Congregational church at Nevin was formed, in the Chamberlain house- 73 THE STORY OF NEVIN. barn. Rev. Penfield of the Quincy church was in charge of the meeting. The following persons then became mem- bers: P. P. Chamberlain, his wife, Sarah, and their daugh- ter Phebe, A. T. Harlow, his wife, Augusta, and their daughter Julia, C. E. Austin and his wife, Amanda, Mrs. Almira Beath, Mrs. Theresa M. Ellis, A. Buell, his wife, Harriet N., and his diughter Mary, Mrs. Sarah Hoskins, Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Hazeltine, and Miss Katie Harris. Messrs. Chamberlain and Harlow were chosen deacons. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Harris did not become actual mem- bers till the following year. THE HARRISES. Mr. Henry Harris and family, after farming in Nevin a few years, and having two girls born to them, removed to a fine farm near Winterset, where he stock farmed. They had but the three children, all girls, one of whom became in after years, a missionary in India, under the direction of the Baptist Board of Missions. She died a few days after her return home. Mrs. Harris and another daughter have also died. Judson Harris, nephew of Henry, became a minister, and was pastor of a Baptist church in Omaha, having wife and children there. He in later years removed to Chicago, whei-e he was in some land business about that time. His sisters, Lydia and Olive, married and settled in or near New York state. Joseph, on the mutual consent of the three, married another man's woman, at Greenfield, in De- cember, 1876. The next March, between two days, the two slid out from. his father's Nevin farm — for Kansas. They never after came back to Nevin. CARL AND HEBRON. During the year 1858, after the new mail route be- tween Winterset and Quincy had been operated awhile, a postofifice called "Carl" was located about three miles east of its present location. Mr. C. Robinson was post- master. Later, a postofifice at Schwers, or Hebron, on the same route was also established. The new "Hebron" of- fice was kept by Mr. N. Finney. Later on, or about the fall of 1 86 1, Mr. Finney, shoemaker, exchanged land prop- erty with Mr. A. T. Harlow of Nevin, when the Harlow and Norman families moved to Hebron, and one of them THE STORY OF NEVIN. 73 became the Hebron postmaster, and operated it until they all moved to Des Moines. AN HONEST DUTCHMAN. Mr. Wilhelm Schwers and his family were Dutch, but they could talk English fairly well. He had bought timber land on Grand river, and they had settled thereon before the summer of 1856. In the fall of that year, he and his grown son Reinhart introduced a steam saw-mill on his land. Running short of money late in November, they hired $300 from Mr. Ellis, then in Greenfield helping Mr. Nichols build a stage barn for Mr. Clark. Mr. Ellis, quite fresh from Massachusetts, was so unbusinesslike, that he exacted no mortgage security for the money loaned them, — just a simple promissory note was taken. Interest was at the rate of 30 per cent per year, due after ninety days. One month's interest was paid in advance. They presum- ably expected that before the ninety days had expired, they would be sawing and selling lumber. When the time was out they had no money to pay the note with; in addition to this their creditors "on the saw-mill were calling for a payment. Mr. Schwers, however, on the day after ma- turity, found a neighbor (^Ir. Augustine), who kindly loaned him some gold coin that he had on hand. So, the note was largely paid then, and the balance was paid in the following spring, without trouble. Soon as Mr. W. Schwers could get lumber in quantity sawed, he built them a roomy dwelling, where they lived, and where they entertained the traveling public that hap- pened that wav. Early-day Nevin people, who sometimes had occasion to stop there, remarked upon their accom- modating hospitalitv. Mrs. Schwers was brisk with fun and socialbilitv. They were very honest,— even in a certam jug of honey with its rag stopper, that Mrs. S., once on a time, sent to Nevin for the Stephenson family. Their table fare,' of fried pork, potatoes, corn bread, hot salcratiis bis- cuit! and black coffee, was abundant. The furnishings and beds, in Nevin folk's estimation, were not alarmingly free from extraneous accretions; though there was no extra price charged for the animate visitors, that were wont to enliven ones body at night, with their nimble operations in surgery. 74 THE STORY OF NEVIN. FIRST FAIR AT QUIXCY. The new Adams County Agricultural Society held its first annual fair, on a lot southeast of the public square, Quincy; owned by Mr. E. Y. Burgan; on the 20th of Oc- tober, 1858. The day was beautiful. The exhibit was very good for a first start; and the attendance also was good as could be expected. The Nevin colony people were present in impressive numbers. Among the teams from that place was that of John Bixby, — a two-horse farm wagon — packed full of folks; and that of Alonzo Norman, — a two-horse ve- hicle — also full of people. The Nevinites brought no ex- hibits this year; but please wait until next year and the following year to see what can come "out of Galilee." The finances of the society were very limited. Among the premiums awarded was one of 75 cents, to John Har- nett, as first premium, and one of 50 cents to A. J. Russel, as second premium; on short-horn grade bulls. Peter H. Lawrence was awarded 50 cents on best 2-year old bull. Gid. Bristow was awarded 75 cents on best cow, and J. Jones $1 on best yoke of work oxen. Premiums of 50 cents and of 25 cents were awarded to J. P. Osborn, L. Fry, G. Bristow, H. B. Clark and J. Deere, on other stock. There seemed to have been no horse premiums. The Nevin people that day went to the hotel kept by Mr. and Mrs. Benj. Neal, for their dinners, and were given a separate table. The good people of the house had heard much of the Yankees that were settling near the northeast corner of the county, but had seen but few of them, — es- pecially of the women. The hostess wa? so engaged in serving food, while at the same time watching her Yankee guests' movements to see if they expected napkins, and to notice how they used their knives and forks, that when proceeding to pour their tea (the Nevinites had previously called for tea rather than cofifee). from her tea pot, there came a stream of pure, colorless hot water; (she had for- gotten to put in the tea). This brought her to her normal condition of mind. In the afternoon the societv elected ofificers for the next year as follows: Jwdge John Barnett (re-elected), president; P. P. Chamberlain, vice president; B. F. Allen, secretary; J. L. Ellis, treasurer; J. W. Morris, B. O. Steph- enson, Samuel Larimer, H. B. Clark, W. A. Shields, Gid. Bristow and R. Perigo, to be a committee of arrange- ments for the year 1859. After that the premiums were paid; when all went home quite satisfied. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 75 MR. LAWRENCE'S WHALE. At the religious meeting set for Sunday, August 22nd, 1858, at Mr. Chamberlain's new barn, Mr. Z. Lawrence, from his fine farm northwest of the present Carbon, made his appearance, and preached a very remarkable and very long sermon, to these his co-Yankee friends from the east; he himself having come from Maine a few years earlier. His text was from Exod. 16:13 and Ps. 74:14. He gave a wonderful account of the turning of Jonah's whale into liv- ing quails, to feed the Israelites in the wilderness. A child happening to cry during the discourse, its mother was starting to take it out, when Mr. Lawrence told her to "Never mind," as he himself was "father of a dozen and one." His talk was so long that it seemed hours in ending. Finally, he said that he guessed that they were all tired of hearing him preach the "Bible," he would now preach "Newspaper," and proceeded to tell about his going to Washington city, and into restaurants under the capitol, where they sold whisky and other kinds of stimulants. He never came back to preach in Nevin again. Mr. Zach Lawrence claimed to have been a priva- teersman, under United States authority, against provincial sailing crafts in Bay of Fundy, oflf the Maine coast, at one period during the war of 1812-1814 against Great Britain. FARMING AND CROPS IN 1858. The crops of the year were quite limited. Mr. Austin, who had two teams — one oxen and the other horses, — with Joseph to help, did considerable farming, but his tools were primitive and few. Mr. Ellis did some farming, driving his plodding ox team out two miles west to his land and back, each working day, however, took ofi much time. Some others had teams and did some farming. There were a few small tracts sown to wheat, which grew all right, until the superabundance of moisture and heat just before July ruined much of the crop; — it largely went to the ground with rust. The buckwheat and potato crops were good and so was garden truck. The corn crop was rather poor. There was a little sorghum grown, but there being no cane- mill in Nevin, no molasses was made. Some wild plum trees, and wild gooseberry bushes, from the river nooks and groves, were set out. The need of fruit compelled the use of the native crabapple, and the rather astringent 76 THE STORY OF NEVIN. plum from the groves. Mr. J. Dunlap livmg' at Hazel Green grew some sorghum, and having access to a wooden cane-mill, he made some molasses, selling some of it to several Nevin families at 75 cents per gallon. FIRST BRICKS. The first kiln of brick made within fifteen miles of Nevin colony, was made and burned near Hazel Green, by the Hennings, in September, 1858. This enabled the Nevin home makers to substitute brick chimneys for the previous stove-pipe arrangements. Some one passing just as Mr. Hoskins had topped out Mr. Ellis's chimney, discovered that he, though a plumber, had not made the chimney-top plumb. JOB AND RUTH. In December, 1858, Mr. Job R. Pierce, came to Nevin, and soon after, plastered the new school house. The lime needed was burned at Manchester, and hauled in bulk to Nevin. He and Ruth, his wife, moved here from Arbor Hill, in Adair county, the following May, to plaster the hotel. They remained in Nevin till June 20, 1859, when they went back to their new farm in that county. Some four years later they sold their farm and drove their two- horse team, tree and fruit plants on board, overland, to a small, fruit farm, among the Missouri blufifs, near White Cloud, Kansas; where he grew fine peaches, apples and other fruits, for the markets. He died there, leaving Ruth, about the year 1891. The following poem, by the "Bard of Nevin," was written by invitation, for this particular monograph: THE PARTY AT ATKINS'S AND PRATT'S. O, yes, 'twas a frolicsome time that we had — The party at Atkins's and Pratt's; Nobody was sorry, nobody was mad. But we scared out the dog and the cat. Foi it was a surprise, as intended to be; And none but the men folks at home. And they were dumfounded the people to see. And wondered how manv would come. THE STORY OF NEVIN. n They came from the north, from the south and the west, And they came from all over town; They hooted and hallooed, like they were possessed, Till the pictures and platters came down. One, Amasa Child, was chief of the play, And others but little behind. The din that we made would a savage dismay As it rose on the wings of the wind. At last we were hungry, and some one proposed For the boys now to give us a treat. Then Caleb got round in his everyday clothes With turnips and frozen pigs feet. We passed them around in the handiest way — And passing was all that was done— So we passed them around in the liveliest way And that was the most of the fun. When the hours had grown small and the oil burned low And but little remained to be said. We all started home, like "Kids" from a show, So pleased wath the time we had had. No one had yet seen such a time as we had; 'Twas a wander the rafters staid on. In the morning the dog and the cats were so glad To come home and lind we were gone. But we never have learned since that jubilant night With sport for all Nevin replete, The time that it took them to set matters right And to pick up the frozen pigs feet. Now you who are living, of all who were there, Recalling Old Time in his flight, Will smile and grow younger, wherever you are, When vou think of that December night. March, 1901. G. W. GRANT. STRAY ITEMS. On August igtK 1857, Mr. Metcalf D. Smith returned to Walpole, Mass., to help his childless uncle, Mr. Lewis 78 THE STORY OF NEVIN. Clapp; hoping to get at some future day, the old gentle- man's broad acred farm. He sold his ox team outfit before leaving Nevin. His Nevin land was rented a few years, until finally it too, was sold. "Met," however, never inher- ited the old uncle's VValpole farm. 0)1 June 2jrd, 18^8, the population of Nevin was sixty- five; on January ist, 1881, but nine of those persons re- mained settlers. January of i8^p, was without snow till the night of 26-27th; when there fell thirty-one inches, on a level in the woods. On May 2nd, 18 jp, Messrs. C. C. Jones, C. Y. Eastman, S. Pierce, W. R. Harlow, and M. Longfellow, suffering with an attack of the then prevalent, "Pikes Peak gold fever," started for the far ofif "sunset land" for relief; but be- fore getting half way there, they were struck with a counter state of mind, bringing them all back to Nevin lands, in about a month. On January pth, i860, death came to Sullivan Pierce, two and one-half years a western settler. His widow, Ruth, remained in Nevin near two years, much of the time as housekeeper at the Hutchings and Grant home; when she and her daughter, Georgie, went back to their former eastern home. Jn i86p, Mr. H. Nock, English puddler, came, and bought a village farm. He soon tired, and left after a year or two. The Nocks settled in Colorado over twenty years ago; where he, Enoch and Tom are prosperous. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 79 Chapter V, 1859 and Latfr. LITERARY SOCIETIES. On the evening of January 22nd, 1859, the Nevin Lyceum was organized at the new school house, and on the evening of February ist, its first session was held. The question discussed was, "Which Is the greater Evil, Intemperence or Slavery?" Occasionally a part of the weekly exercises would be a lecture from some one. Among the lecturers were Mr. I. Harlow, a Mr. Crista and Miss "Debby" Stephenson. In December, 1861, a literary society, styled, the "Farmer's Club," was formed, to succeed the Nevin_ Ly- ceum of 1859. Discussions were had on various subjects, at the weekly evening gatherings. Some were agricultural, some on social subjects. A few lectures were scattered along. One, was from Rev. Davis. The ladies conducted a paper, called the "Grand Splurge." Miss Harriett White, Miss Mary Stephenson and some others, were, in rotation, editors-in-chief. Everything was fine. In December, 1862, the winter sessions of the club were resumed. Mr. George White gave a lecture upon An- cient Agriculture in Egypt. Mr. Caleb Atkins gave a lec- ture. The ladies paper discussed and reviewed current events, happenings and neighborhood gossip, — in one case down, even to young Quimby Jewett's black hen. MRS. NORMAN'S LETTER. On Thursdav, May 5, 1859, occurred the third wed- ding within Nevin limits, Mr. Alonzo M. Norman and Miss Julia Harlow were wedded, at her parent's home. Rev. Sheets of^ciating. Most of the Nevin people were present by invitation. Thev had a big dinner, piano solos, etc. This Mrs. Julia Norman, now of Oregon, sent a long letter containing remembrances of the very early days of Nevin. 10 Mrs. Dr. McDermid, in December, 1897; from which the present writer has taken extracts as follows: "On September 14th. 1858, we women and children, and 8o THE STORY OF NEVIN. one man, Mr. Ivory Harlow, bade good bye to the east, and turned our faces westward. We reached Fairfield, the end of the railway then over 150 miles east of Nevin. There we found five covered wagons awaiting us and our lug- gage, and one for supplies for Stephenson's store. I soon recognized my father, Mr. Arad Harlow, in the crowd (?) of men awaiting our arrival. I knew his smik, though his face was tanned as I had never seen it before. After the necessary delay, caused by loading, etc., we were ofT on what was to me a novel journey, riding, as we did, in 'prairie schooners' drawn by oxen. (Then it was thought that oxen were best to break prairie with.) I could fill pages right here; but will only say we were a jolly com- pany of sixteen, traveling for ten or twelve days, sleeping at night in barns or houses along the way, — meeting with all sorts of experiences, yet ever pressing on^ towards the goal before us. The last night of the trip our accommoda- tions bid fair to be poor, so the men decided to cross a certain creek, and 'camp,' — and then strike out early the next morning for Nevin. But alas! the heavy loaded wagons made bad work with crossing. Several crossed, but one stuck fast. And it was quite a task next morning to get us all safely over. We were finally on our way, and father said to me 'you will soon see the place where your home is to be.' O, how I strained my eyes! I began to 'fix up' a little. He laughed. 'No hurry,' he said; 'we won't get there yet awhile,' and we didn't, — not till about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. "As I write, I see face after face, — not only of those with whom I had been journeying, but of those who greeted us. Where are they now? Scattered and gone — most of them, — and all changed. Of the seven Harlows who were together there that day, I alone remain 'this side.' Little Johnnie, an invalid boy whom we brought with us, sur- vived the trip only six weeks, and we laid him away. — one of the first to die in Nevin; and a white stone marks his resting place. Mr. Ivory Harlow was the next to go; he died in Denver, Colorado, about twenty years later; then 'James,' in Denver; then father, in Kansas, in 1887; then mother, back in the old Massachusetts home, just before Xmas But this has nothing to do with the subject before us. "My first winter in Nevin was not the first of its exist- ence, but there was enough of newness and privation con- nected with it to fasten it upon my memory. I was not married, and did not feel the care and responsibility of THE STORY OF NEVIN. 8i anything, yet I remember the good housewives were sorely puzzled to make appetizing dishes from musty, sticky flour, the flabby pork, the black molasses, and the scarcity of — I might say — necessaries. I remember the buckwheat — so gritty, from being threshed on the ground, that it soon 'wore the teeth down,' to eat it. I also remember the sorrel tarts and pies, which were regarded as quite a luxury after our stock of dried fruit had disappeared. 1 remember seeing the box containing my piano, out doors resting on blocks, and covered with hay to keep out damp- ness. Untoward circumstances, fever and ague — one thing — had hindered house building, and the little house, in which we Harlows managed to exist that first winter, had no room for a piano. At last Deacon Chamberlain made room for it in his barn (he was living in his barn that win- ter). In that barn we held meetings — probably one reason being that we might have the use of the piano." These two Harlow brothers had married sisters. They all four were very lovable in life; in death, the memory of them is still pure and fragrant. Mr. and Mrs. Norman are still on their southwestern Oregon farm. Their six children are living on the Pacific coast. Fred, Edd. and Arthur are married, and each have one or more children. GRANT AND SAWYER. The first immigrants to Nevin in 1859, were Mr. George W. Grant and Mr. Edwin Sawyer, unmarried, from Maine, who came March loth. They proposed to be farmers in this aspiring burg, near the crest of southern Iowa. Six days later, Mr. Andrew S. March, the mutual friend of both Mr. Grant and ^Ir. Ellis, came from Massachusetts with his father-in-law, Mr. Solomon Hutchings. to examine his western land investment; he having bought the north half of the original Ellis quarter section, situated west of the village and of the river. Here he located Mr. Grant and Mr. Hutchings, to operate his farm. Mr. Hutchings, who was a widower, remained in Nevin several years before returning to Boston. On Sunday morning, September 22, 1861, at the vil- lage home of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis; the Rev. I. S. Davis tied the knot that made Mr. Grant and Miss Julia Woodward, just from the east, man and wife. They at once took up housekeeping and home making on the March-Hutchings 82 THE STORY OF NEVIN. farm. After nearly fourteen years of life (mostly near Nevin), they, in 1875, went and occupied an 80 acre tract of the Alvin Smith land, northwest of the village, that he, in 1870, had bought. This land is part of his present farm. Mr. and Mrs. Grant several years ago let their farm and went to York, Maine, where they occupied the home place of her mother, near the sounding ocean. They have five children living, three of whom, Hattie, Dwight and Benj., are married; the first two have children and reside in western Iowa. Mr.' Grant's Miss Woodward, like Mr. Ellis's iVliss Trask, came all the way from their paternal homes, near the sea coast, to be wedded here, to their respective affianced husbands. Brother Grant, among other characteristics, is a natural poet. Some of his rhymes signed "G. W. G." may be found among these pages. Mr. Sawyer married Miss Katie Harris, at the Har- low home, August 24th, 1859; the fourth marriage in Nevin. They lived in or near the place nearly two years; when he enlisted, and served "Uncle Sam" nearly 3 1-2 years; returning in July, 1865. The two were Nevinites many years. In 1878 they moved to Prescott, where they are still. On Saturday, August 23rd, 1884, their silver wed- ding anniversary was observed at their home, by their neighbors, and their friends from the old colony. DR. TAYLOR. Dr. Cephas R. Taylor and family from St. Johnsbury, Vermont, relatives of the Hazeltines, came to Nevin in June, 1859. Mr. Hazeltine for him, had, in the fall before, bought 2 i-2-acre lot No. 118 from Mr. Ellis, at the price of $100. On this lot a house was now in process of build- ing. Soon as the structure was sufficiently near done, they moved in. The Dr. had practice from the start. He was the first resident physician in the place. The next physi- cian was Dr. R. N. Hall, in the year 1868. On September 5th, 1859, Dr. Taylor's wife died, and in November the eldest daughter died. Soon after Mrs. Taylor's death, the doctor sold his place to Mr. Chamebrlain; who, with his family, moved in, October 15th, 1859. This, is the house where Mr. Jack Bonar now lives. Dr. Taylor and his two young daughters went back to his old Vermont home during that fall. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 83 THE DEACON'S SHEEP. There were deacons and deacons in Nevin history, but there never was but one such that kept sheep. The Chamberlains, now in their new home, gave their daughter Phebe in marriage to Mr. Ambrose Kelley, of Geneva, Ohio, on November 8th, 1859. This was the fifth wedding within Nevin lands. The memorable house-barn was hauled to the new place the next February, and the old site sold to Mr. John Jewett. The deacon was enterprising in many ways. In August, i860, he introduced a flock of nearly 300 sheep from Mis- souri; and, by the way, the sheep brought the troublesome cocklebur to Nevin farm lands. Having neither fenced pastures nor proper shelter in the winters, nor yet tame hay, the sheep suffered loss during the storms of the in- clement season, that nearly equaled the increase from new lambs of the springs. Then he let some of them to Eben Davis, the parson's son. Finally about 1866, he sold the remainder of his sheep. Some old settlers may remember Mr. Chamberlain's big breaking plow, drawn by three or four yoke of oxen, with which he at a certain time, broke up Nevin common; so deep did he plow that some of the corner boundary stones were buried so far below the surface that they never afterwards could be found. At another time, with some six yoke of oxen to his great plow, he plowed in back- furrow manner, a road then located running west past the Beath shop in Nevin, down through the long bottom of wet land, now in Mr. Reed's fenced pasture. Deacon Chamber- lain was a leader in the work of the church and Sunday school of the place. Mrs. Chamberlain, sometimes called "Aunt Sarah," was a strong, massive, erect woman, of commanding pres- ence. She was the one woman politician of the colony, and could ably discuss matters of state. She was well versed in American and English history. How many times did Mr. Stephenson, or occasionally, Mr. Ellis, or maybe, even Mr. Grant — call in during some winter day, (when "Peter" would be busy with his sheep and other stock chores,) and become quite interested with her talks on passing events, as well as the measures of the political parties of the day. In 1872, Mr. Chamberlain and his versatile wife, get- ting somewhat aged, sold their Nevin farm to Mr. O. J. Silverthorn, from Muscatine, and moved to Ohio to spend 84 THE STORY OF NEVIN. their later years near Mr. and Mrs. Kelley. Mr. Cham- berlain died at Geneva, Ohio, in the year 1877. ^^rs. Chamberlain during her latest years was an invalid in the family of their children, Mr. and Mrs. Kelley, where she was tenderly cared for by them, and where she died June 2nd, 1900, aged 91 years. ALEXANDER. Mr. Richard S. Alexander from the rock-ribbed coast of northeastern New England, landed within the outlines of this incipient "city of the prairies," on May 30, 1858. He proposed to do big farming on some land he had pur- chased from Messrs. Turner and Smith,- the Boston land speculators. He soon began the erection of a cottage upon his lo-acre lot No. 56. He also bought some young oxen for farm work. His wife Annie, who was a cousin of the later coming Mrs. G. W. Grant, came out in November following. His house being unfinished they rented room in the chamber of the Ellis house. This Mr. Alexander had a special talent as a prayer meeting leader. They became acquainted with Miss Newcomb, a step-daughter of Col. Z. Lawrence, now Mrs. H. G. Ankeny, whom they invited to Nevin. She was supposed to have had a most unique visit in that cold chamber. They soon tired of farming; so he sold his ox team and some of his land, and in May, 1859, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander and son, returned to the east. CROPS IN 1859. This year, for the first time in Nevin history, there was an abundance of corn raised in Nevin. There was also some wheat and rye, and plenty of potatoes, and lots of small truck. Among other things produced, was Yankee pumpkins; one man putting 350 pumpkins and twenty-five squashes into his cellar to make pies from over winter. The first sorghum molasses ever made in the place was made this fall by Mr. Hazeltine. He used a small three- roll horizontal iron cane-mill, and a plain black sheet-iron boiling pan. In 1859, the most of the wheat crop was threshed with a mule-power machine from ^lissouri, the first of its use in Nevin. In i860, grain in the field, was first cut with a horse machine, in the place. Previously the grain cradle THE STORY OF NEVIN. 85 and the flail prevailed. A note is here made that the one grain cradle used in the settlement was, in the spring of 1858, brought by Mr. Chamberlain from his "Saybrook" farm. This year cattle during the grass season, were herded for the first time in the colony. Mr. Abram Hubbard was herdsman, driving them out each morning to the unoccu- pied prairies, two or three miles east, and returning them at night when the owners could each drive their own home and in the morning bring them again to the rendezvous for the herder. The herdsman's wages were provided for by assessing a part on the cattle in the herd and the balance upon the acreage of the adjacent unfenced land in crops. The first live fat hogs sold from Nevin were two that Mr. Ellis raised and drove on foot to Riggs's grove, twelve miles away on December 2, 1863. They sold for $20. Their estimated weight was 730 pounds. CHURCH CONFERENCE. The Council Blufifs Association of Congregational churches, held its fall 1859 meeting in Nevin school house, on October 13th and 14th. Rev. John Todd of Tabor was moderator. THE FAIR OF 1859. The Adams County Agricultural Society held its second annual fair at Quincy, October 6th and 7th, 1859. It used the enclosed court house square. As there was no building nor even a tent, at the disposal of the committee of arrangements, they had put up temporary brush covered sheds near the north fence and under some trees, for the ex- hibition tables; and some rail pens for such of the live stock as could not conveniently be halter tied. The Nevin people were there in liberal numbers. They came in various styles of conveyances. Some were drawn by oxen and some by horses. The Beaths and EUises came together in a farm wagon with "prairie schooner" cover drawn by two yoke of oxen, giving an appearance as unique as any outfit. But the interior was the most ludicrous of all. Mr. Ellis was "ox-puncher." and so he had to walk most of the distance. The load consisted of all the common and some uncommon farm and garden products, — from a 86 THE STORY OF NEVIN. sack of wheat to a pint of turnip seed, and from a half- bushel of beets to a mammoth pumpkin, together with the many cuhnary products of Mrs. Elhs's and Mrs. Beath's respective pantries. On top of the load of vegetables and grain were packed Mr. and Mrs. Beath with their eleven- weeks-old daughter Julia and Mrs. Ellis with her two sons, Walter seven weeks old and Alden a year and a half old, while in the rear of this humanity was a straw mattress for the needs of the little ones. In this style of equipment they had that morning started from Nevin long before day- break, SO' as to be able to get to Quincy about lo o'clock. At this period there was quite a settlement at Quincy. The people of this county seat hospitably opened their homes to entertain the Nevinites over night. Mr. H. B. Clark, the merchant of the place and his wife, had a spare room with a bed; this was assigned to the Ellises. Mr. Beath slept on the floor in the same room. Mrs. Beath and child were entertained at a nearby neighbor's home. During the second forenoon the fair premiums were awarded. A large portion of the vegetable and grain premiums were awarded to Nevin competitors. Mrs. Beath received premiums for the best wheaten bread, and Mrs. Ellis the same for the best Boston brown bread. After the premium business was through with the society elected ofificers for the next year. The fair was considered a success; more especially when the inconveniences of the early-day times are con- sidered. THE SOUTHALLS. It was about the last half of May, 1859, that Mr. Samuel Southall, English born, with his wife and their two daughters, Alice and Lucy, from Providence, R. I., came to Nevin. He was a puddler or iron worker in foundries. But now he aspired to becoming a worker in lowan soil. Before leaving the east he became the owner of a tract of the Turner and Smith Nevin land situated just west of the H. Harris farm, in Adair county. He had also bought vil- lage lots. They lived the first sixteen months in the Alex- ander house, where their only son was born; but it lived only two or three years. He made improvements on his Adair land. They returned east in the fall of i860 and made a visit and then came back and moved to their house on the farm where he farmed near five years. Then he let his farm to Mr. Demery, left his family in rented rooms in the village THE STORY OF NEVIN. 87 and went himself east again to work at his former trade. After replenishing his money credits sufficiently he returned and bought the Amasa Child property near the George White 40-acre lot. Here they lived some years. Later on he again went east to earn more money and after awhile his wife went to him now at Rome, New York, where they have lived many years; probably thirty. The two daughters married brothers by the name of Wilson, long years ago. They all are supposed to be alive and still at the city of Rome. THREE WHIPPLE BROTHERS. There were six (or more) families by the name of "Whipple," from near Mystic in Connecticut, that came to eastern Adams county at an early period. Some of them were brothers and some cousins. AH of the six families — with one exception — were Nevin residents at some time or other. Some had longer and some shorter resident periods. The three brothers, Jonathan, Henry and Daniel, had suf- ficient identification with Nevin's early history to be en- titled to a place in this story. Mr. Henry Whipple and his family were early-day set- tlers in the county. He, in 1868, bought out Mr. Beath's interest in the lOO-acre farm at the South grove and farmed it a few years. Later on he sold the place to John Crisin- ger and bought the moved-over Goodwin house, and lot, just north of the D. Scott place. In March, 1878, he felt that he had a "call" to go farther west. So he bought Mr. Ellis's sixteen-year-old mules at the price of $225, on six months' time, secured by a mortgage on his home — fixed up a "prairie schooner," took his wife, Desire, on board and started on a trip across the "plains" for the gold regions beyond. They never again lived in Nevin. (Whatever ending old "Topsy and Beauregard," the ancient mules, came to, "never was told.") Mr. and Mrs. Whipple, after their "mule-team" expedition to Colorado, lived in Kansas a while; where she died. Later still, "Uncle" Henry emi- grated to the Oregon coast, where he and his sons, William and Nelson with their sister-wives, have lived many years. Each of these two sons' families had numbered ten children, all of whom, except three of William's, are now living there. Horace, the third son of Uncle Henry, married Miss Adelia Jewett m Nevin many years ago; they, with their three or four children, are living in the Gunnison Valley, Colorado. Recently Henry has been making his home with his son Horace's family. 88 THE STORY OF NEVIN. Mr. Jonathan Whipple with his wife, Alary Ann and three children, came west as soon as 1856, stopping for several years near the William Whipple farm. These two men (and sometimes their wives) were prairie breakers, for a season or more. Jonathan's family came to Nevin to live as soon as 1861 and were there two or three years. Later, they had a farm four miles south of Nevin where he, in 1872, set out an orchard. They later lived many years in Kansas City where the families of Jonathan and" son Ambrose still reside, as well as son Harly and his famliv. Jonathan and his children Emaline. Ambrose and Eugene are dead. Edgar lives, or has lived many years, in Ari- zona. Mr. Daniel Whipple the last of the three brothers to come west, came with his wife, Hannah and children, Daniel, Chauncy and Jessie, to Nevin direct in 1868. They occupied the "Lloyd" shack of a house west of the creek, several years; renting the Met Smith breaking. After a few years he acquired the land across the road west from Mrs. Sarah Ball's present home farm. Mr. Whipple c.ied sud- denly on November loth. 1885. Chauncy married and at a later date operated his mother's farm several years. Then they lived on his Nevin village farm two years. Since then he and his numerous family have farmed in Oklahoma about seven years. Their very latest removal is to Utah. Jessie married Mr. Horace Fisk. They are Oregon farm- ers. "Uncle" Daniel in 1874, built the Nevin Congrega- tional church. "Aunt" Hannah, now over 82 years of age, is living with her thrice-married daughter Emily in or near Creston. THE SPRAGUES. Mr. Ira A. Sprague and family from Ohio came to the colony in the spring of 1863. He bought the Alexander- Pratt-Atkins place. The sons, Charles and Robert, farmed some, while the father started a blacksmith shop. They all three soon developed into machinists. About 1873 they sold their land and removed to Glenwood, where they es- tablished a small iron foundry and in connection a machine repair shop. Here, in the year 1874, they cast the sash- weights that Mr. Sprague gave for the new church in Nevin. Here is where the beautiful daughter Jessie married and where she taught school. Robert also married in Glen- wood. Later in life they all removed to Council BlufTs and here enlarged their foundry and machine business. "The THE STORY OF NEVIN. 89 Sprague Iron Works Co.," now operate extensive works, and employ fifteen to twenty workmen. Charles never married. The old couple are still in health though Mr. Sprague is beyond the activities of life. ATKINS BROTHERS. On the 24th of April, 1861, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. H. Atkins and their sons, Henry and Walter; 2\Ir. Caleb B. Atkins; Mr. George Atkins, and Mr. and Mrs. George Pratt, all from near Boston, arrived in the second "Hub," Nevin. Some of them had bought out the Alexander in- terest in the later Sprague property. They fixed up the native lumber house into proper condition and then some of them lived there. This is the house where Mr. Grant lo- cates his poem, "The Party at Atkins's and Pratt's." The Pratts remained in the west till late in 1862 only. Charles Atkins and family remained some three years when, moving to Des Aloines. he engaged in the housebuilding business. His wife died there. Later he married the soldiers-widow of his deceased brother George. He with his new wife moved to the north Pacific coast where they still remain. Caleb B. Atkins remained in Nevin a number of years farming some and teaching school some. On the evening of December 24, 1863, he married Miss 3.1ary Stephenson. A nice wedding party, with light refreshments, was had at the hotel. Later they moved to Glenwood where he was in business and was a county official one term. Later on they, with their daughter Fayetta, moved to Chicago. Later still they removed to Des IMoines. Here they have lived many years and prospered. Fayetta married a son of General J. B. Weaver. They have two children and reside in Des Moines. CONTRABANDS. On April ist, 1862, Nevin became the tarrying place of about a dozen nogroes, — men, women and children. They came from Missouri and remained about eighteen months. While in the place they lived in a log cabin built for them free of charge by the Nevinites. It stood near the present house of Chas. Miner. It disappeared soon after the negroes left for Des Moines. This was the only log dwelling ever built on Nevin lands. The two log houses once on the Norton-Beath-Whipple-Chrisinger place at South grove was half a mile beyond Nevin land limits. 90 THE STORY OF NEVIN. THE BUELL FAMILY. Mr. Abram Buell who in May, 1858, came from Bos- ton to the settlement of the New England Colony of Iowa, moved with his family in April i860, into the house on the Ivory Harlow farm, south of the village. Here Mrs. Buell was killed in the falling house during the tornado of May 5th, i860. In March. 1861, Mr. Buell married his third wife. Miss Harriett White, sister of Mr. George White. They rented rooms till the spring of 1862 when the Buell family, together with Mr. and Mrs. Joseph White and John White, removed to Illinois. Soon after this the two families moved to a purchased farm at or near Waukegan. whfTe they farmed. John White went into business in Chicago. Old Mr. and Mrs. Joseph White died after a few years of life in the Buell family. Later on Mr. Buell also died there on the farm. The son Daniel Buell, enlisted and served in the Union army, and in due time returned. He afterwards worked in a Wisconsin lumber mill until by accident his foot was severely injured, when he returned to Nevin where his sister Mary Hargrave lived. He later married Miss Mary Beebe, by whom he had one daughter. The widow (and daugh- ter), is still living at Nevin, where she is the Nevinville postmistress. Mary Buell, the sister of Daniel, was a teacher in Chi- cago, until she married Mr. Richard Hargrave after re- jecting Mr. Judson Harris who had gone there to marry her and who then planned to be a missionary. THE JOHN BIXBYS. On June 20th Mr. John Bixby returned from a short visit to his old Vermont home bringing with him his wife and their two children, John and Warren. Here in Nevin Mr. Bixby built them a dwelling which was sit- uated on the northwest corner of block F, the present Beebe house, where they lived about four and one-half years. He was elected clerk of the Adams county court and moved to Quincy in season to assume of^ce January i, 1863. He was twice re-elected to the same office. He removed with his family from Quincy to Corning about the same time that the county seat was removed to Corning, 1873. Here he built the house where their son John Bixby and family now live. He kept a law and land office. Since then he, his v/de and the Nevin-born daughter, Minnie, have all THE STORY OF NEVIN. 91 died. The four remaining children, John, Warren, Hattie and Bell, are married and are residing in or near Corning. AUSTIN— BALLOU. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. E. Austin, the co-pioneers with Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, before referred to, remained on his Nevin farm till November, 1869, when, having sold the farm to Mr. L. J. Gray they next settled on a small fruit farm in Hammonton, New Jersey, in the spring of 1870. Here he died after a few years. Mrs. Austin is now living in Hampden county, Massachusetts, and she still mourns the loss of their only child, Martha, who died in Nevin the 8th of December, 1865. Mr. Joseph Ballou, the nephew of the Austins and who when a lad, came to Nevin with them, soon tired of his Nevin home. So, one Sunday, the young man started from the Austin home afoot with his Bible in his hand, to go to Sunday school in the village. He, however, did not ap- pear at the place appointed for the school, but instead he walked to Afton that day and sold the Bible to a party there for his overnight entertainment. He w-ent on as far as Osceola in the next county where he found friendly people and remained. He served in the army was severely wounded and returned home. He married at that place, and he now is a grandfather. Mr. Ballou is still at Osceola, many years a trusted employe of the C. B. & Q. Railroad Company. JEWETT— BUGBEE. Mr. John Jewett, after over twenty years of farm life in their first small dwelling in Nevin, substituted for it a nice modern cottage on the old site, and fixed up his home place in a tasty manner with trees, shrubs and plants. Here the family lived many years and here Mr. Jewett died on April 13th, 1886. Mrs. Jewett, affectionately called "Grand Ma" Jewett, still makes it her home. Sarah E., the eldest daughter taught the first school in Carl township during the summer of 1858. She, on June i6th, 1864, was united in marriage with Mr. Sherman H. Bugbee, a tall Vermonter that came west in 1858 or '59. They settled at Quincy the next spring. Here he was a dealer in farming tools. He was county judge one term, and was county auditor by appointment for a while. He died 92 THE STORY OF NEVIN. in July, 1869. Mrs. Bugbee returned to Nevin and in Feb- ruary, 1875, was married to Mr. Fred N. Ball. Here in Nevin they had four children. Mr. Ball died on his west Nevin farm in October, 1892. Mrs. Ball is still living on the farm. The daughter Alary is a farmer's wife. Adelia, the second daugter of John, married Horace Whipple, they and their children have been in Colorado many years. Quimby, the would-be soldier, eldest son of John, died in March, 1864, at a hospital in Davenport, on his way from Des Moines to enter volunteer army service. Oliver, the other son, with his second wife and the children of both wives, are living in southern Kansas. He is farming on an extensive scale on delinquent-tax lands. His five children (two of them by his deceased first wife) are all sons. Clara, the youngest offspring of John and Nancy, with her husband, Mr. Albert Delany, are Nevin farmers. They have five children. Mrs. Nancy E. Jewett. Mrs. Sarah E. Ball, and Mr. Joseph Hoskins, are the only persons now residing on Ne- vin lands, out ol all the adult settlers of 1856, '57 and '58. We should have said before that on the 29th of De- cember, 1880, Mr. and Mrs. Jewett celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary, at their Nevin home. They had a goodly number of invited friends as guests at their pleasant gathering. A sumptuous dinner was enjoyed; beautiful presents were received and a delightful time was spent in social converse and in reminiscent stories of the early-days. STEPHENSON— COLOR-LINE. During the opening days of the civil war Mr. B. O. Stephenson of the New England House, had in his employ a black man, once a southern slave. One day Judge Bar- nett, a democrat of ante-war times, having come from his farm, a few miles west of Ouincy and being in Nevin vil- lage at noon time, came to the hotel for his dinner. Mr. Stephenson, knowing the gentleman, with a sly wink to the table waiter, had the chairs so placed that the negro's seat was next to that of the judge. The dining table was seated quite closely and it was soon manifest that the gentleman was much annoyed to have to sit at the dinner table by the THE STORY OF NEVIN. 93 side of a "nigga." But he did not break out until after finish- ing his meal. It was said that Mr. Barnett was never known to have gone there again for his dinner. Mr. Stephenson, after operating the hotel about nine years, sold it in October, 1866, to Mr. Nelson Finney, in exchange for the Arad Harlow-Finney property, in the village. The next year he built the later Knowles-Stewart cottage to which house he then moved. In December, 1869, his self-denying wife, Persis, died. In the following autumn he married Miss Amanda Emmons a school teacher, formerly from New York state. In the spring of 187 1, the two moved to the E. Emmons farm, near the village of Spaulding, in Union county, here Mr. Stephenson became a farmer and as years went by they raised four children. In 1889 they moved to Corning where Mrs. Stephenson, an invalid for near sixteen years, died. The aged Mr. Stephenson is still living there. Of the children, Stella and Arthur are married, he is in business in Okla- homa. Walter served in the army, in the Philippines. THE ELLIS FAMILY. Mr. Ellis worked his west-of-the-creek land (the present Cleland farm) till 1867-8, when he sold it to Josiah Wilson and bought lots — extending his village farm to 140 acres. After about thirty-four years of farm life in Nevin, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis sold their home farm, — the most of it to Mr. Chauncy Whipple, and in December, 189 1, they moved to Tabor, Iowa. Here they are now living quietly in their new house and home place, embellished with trees and shrubs of his own planting, with martins and other semi- domestic birds in their seasons to help make their declin- ing days cheerful. Their five surviving children, Walter, George, Lizzie, Theresa and Robert, are all of age and are abroad in the business world for themselves. The three first named are married and have children. Each of the three married is living in a different state. Walter Ellis was ordained a minister in 1884, and in 1892 was installed as pastor of the Congregational church in Elroy, Wisconsin, where he still officiates. He w'as the first and is the only native-born Nevinite to become a preacher. 94 THE STORY OF NEVIN. We will remark here that on June 7th, 1887, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Ellis celebrated their thirtieth wedding anni- versary; having thirty especial friends as their invited guests. The gathering of children and friends was at the family home, the fine dinner and the social time was at and around the tables set amidst the evergreen trees in their park just across the street from the house. It was a very enjoyable occasion to all. THE GREAT TORNADO. The spring of i860 was without rain for many days previous to May 5th. That morning it was still dry and cloudless. Towards night a dark, heavy bank appeared above the western horizon and very gradually spread over the sky, giving indications of speedy showers to awaken the delayed springing of grass, herb and seed. At 10:45 o'clock in the evening a terrific storm from the west burst upon the place. First wind and rain, then a perfect tor- nado swept across the colony lands and vicinity, the cen- tre passing at or near the south portion of Nevin. Its path was marked by death and destruction. It blew down and twisted off trees along the streams and groves. The I. Harlow house south of the village in which the Buell family were then living, was a total wreck. Mrs. Buell was killed in the falling structure. Mr. Death's log house at the grove, in which the Beaths were living, was mostly blown off. The vacant Beath shop in the village was strewed in fragments to the "four winds." The Bixby car- penter shop lost one end entirely. The hotel barn was partly unroofed and the Jewett house was severely shaken up, letting one end of the chamber floor-joist, with its load of beds and children, down into the bed room below. Other buildings in the place were not materially damaged. A BOVINE RIDE. A neighbor tells the following "yarn": Late in the summer of i860 or '61, when grass was green on the out- lying ranges and when cattle had become fat and saucy, Mr. Ellis planned one morning, to do some team-work with his oxen. So, he kept them in his lot while the herd went oflf east some two miles or more to graze. After breakfast as he was yoking the ofif ox, the other one broke THE STORY OF NEVIN. 95 away and ran to the herd. His owner followed him there and mounted his back astride, and with occasional well- laid-on whacks from his cane to the sides of the ox, rode at a full run all the way home, unharmed, the observed of all within sis^ht. A TRIP TO GRAND RIVER. During the first days of September, 1861, some of the Yankee colony people planned a plumming expedition to northeast Adair county. Mr. G. White owned a pair of small and rather wild stag oxen. One fine sunny morning Mr. White yoked up his bovines and, with farm wagon properly fixed, took on board as passengers Mrs. Fanny White and their two children, Edith and Fannie; Mrs. Ellis and son Walter; Mrs. Harriett Buell and Miss Mary Steph- enson and then started out. There were but few roads or trails and fewer bridges on the route. Mr. White had a strong rope attached to the stubby horns of the near ox, so that the team could be restrained from running away on going down some decline. The party was jolly and had much fun on the way. Along about dark, they arrived safely at the house of their friends, Mr. Job R. Pierce and his wife, Ruth, who had been Nevin residents a year or so before. Here they spent the night. "Job and Ruth" felt themselves much honored by the visit and did their level best to entertain their friends from Nevin. After Ruth had baked fresh biscuit they had supper, then they all hunted for a place to sleep. The house was small and had only two beds. Mrs. White and Mrs. Ellis with their three children were given one bed; Mr. White and Mr. Pierce were alloted the other. Mrs. Pierce, Mrs. Buell and Mary Stephenson were to sleep on the floor. It was agreed among them that the first to get up in the morning were to have choice of the shoes and stockings of the crowd. For break- fast another special effort of Job and Ruth furnished the best of fried chicken with warm bread and honey. After the breakfast things were cleared away they had a ramble through Mr. Pierce's garden, which contained choice trees and fruit-bearing shrubbery. After this Mr. Pierce yoked up his oxen and with wagon took the whole company to the wild plum orchards on the banks of Grand river, sev- eral miles away. They had a glorious outing in many ways. Considerable quantities of plums were found. The women and children diverted themselves in bathing, wading 96 THE STORY OF WEVIN. and paddling with naked feet in the river. Then they all went back to Mr. Pierce's to spend the night. Along towards bed time they were aroused by the stentorian "yell" of Mr. Ellis, just across a small stream twenty rods off. lie had just arrived from Nevin with his ox team and had with him Miss Adelia Jewett and Miss Mary Buell as passengers. After supper for the new comers and late in the night, they all found places to sleep some- where. The next day in the afternoon the rejuvenated Nevin- ites bid good bye to the Pierces, and drove home by the same route that they had taken in going out. It was more than one generation before that happy outing to Grand river ceased to be talked about. A MISTAKE IN HORSES. Mr. Beath and his wife had for their first dwelling in Nevin, a small composite structure, part shop and part living room. He kept a horse over winter, 1859-60, which he sometimes let a neighbor have to ride to neighboring villages. Mr. Beath tells the following story in connection with his horse: "Mr. Ellis, living not twenty rods off, had not as yet risen to the distinction of being a horse owner; so, one day in March, i860, wishing to do some business at the county seat, he borrowed my horse to ride there and back. Arriving at Quincy he put the horse in a feed stable hanging the saddle and bridle on a peg just behind the norse. After finishing his business of the day he, towards dark, repaired to the stable to get his horse to ride home. He took down the saddle and bridle from the peg where he had hung them and placed them on the horse tied in front of them where he had tied his horse at noon time. Then he mounted the horse and rode home, nearly eighteen miles, put the beast into my stable late in the evening and himself went home and to bed. "Next morning on going to the stable to care for my equine, I discovered that the horse in the stable was not mine and hastened across lots to Mr. Ellis for an explana- tion. My friend and I hurried back to see what was the matter. And, sure enough, tJiot horse was not mine; for mine did not have the hair worn off his sides (tug marks) as this horse had. So, with considerable chagrin, Mr. Ellis, after breakfast mounted the strange horse and retraced his way towards Quincy to find out how the mistake had hap- pened. About half way there he met a man riding my horse THE STORY OF NEVIN. 97 towards Nevin. After mutual explanations they exchanged horses each then returning to his home. "It seemed that during the afternoon the stable keeper had exchanged the stalls of these two horses and had neg- lected to exchange pegs for their accountrements. And Mr. Ellis, in his hurry to get started homeward, took the right saddle and bridle, but mistakingly the wrong horse, not noticing the difference until the next morning at my place." A WHISKY PEDDLER'S ESCAPE. One day in the summer of 1862 a man from Winter- set, driving a one-horse rig, having on board a barrel of "O-be-joyful" was seen coming into the village and stop- ping on the main street east of the common. The man was soon seen hurrying about from door to door as if he Was peddling something. Men were observed coming briskly from both directions, one with a jug in his hand. The peddler had succeeded in selling a gallon to John Bixby, living on a near corner and another man was coming on the run when the fun was interrupted by the appearance upon the scene of Mr. Ellis, the prohibition justice of the peace. He protested against such violation of the law, threatening the peddler with arrest and went home to fill out the proper paper for the constable. While so doing the people stand- ing near advised the peddler to be on the move. So he climbed into his conveyance at once, headed back towards Winterset with all speed, and was soon out of sight, look- ing back furtively every few minutes to see if the constable was coming. About an hour later a traveler coming from that direction reported in the village his passing the ped- dler three or four miles out, and that he was still on the full run, his horse white with foam in his endeavor to get beyond danger of arrest and the loss of his whisky. Now, bystander remarks, that the reader must not think from the foregoing sale of whisky, that Nevin set- tlers were ever given to saloon habits. The opposite was always the fact; there never to this day was a saloon there. The people were very temperate and nearly every one among them was free from the tobacco habit as well. TO DES MOINES IN WINTER. Mr. Ellis himself relates the following account of a certain trip he made to the state capital, in December, 7 98 THE STORY OF NEVIN. 1867: "At this period I had sold my former ox teams and was the possessor of a pair of young mules. Wheat was worth about $1.50 per bushel in Des Moines, and there was profit in buying Adams county wheat at $1.10 per bushel and hauling it there. On this particular trip I had on a load of thirty bushels in bulk or loose. I had gotten to within ten miles of Des Moines and it was nearly night. The roads were firm and there was hard snow in some places along the route. But the mules had no shoes; so that in going down a certain hill it was supposed that the load would acquire sufficient momentum to carry it (with the mules' help) up the close succeeding sharp snowy rise. This it failed to do; when almost up the hill the mules feet began to slip; then they had to stop, and at once the whole thing began to go backwards and then oft. to one side down a steep bank covered with snow, towards a bend in the near- by stream. The wagon was turned over bottom side up; spilling all the wheat into the snow, some of it running down almost to the water. Luckily, neither wagon nor mules were damaged. "Night was now fast approaching, the sky was over- cast and threatened snow soon. There was no house in sight. I had neither grain-sacks nor half bushel measure with which to gather up the wheat. However, I turned the wagon right side up and drove the team to the top of the rise in the road and left them standing while I went on ahead to hunt for a house, where I might borrow some sacks and a half bushel measure. Finding at a farm house the needed things, I came back and gathered and carried the most of the spilled wheat up the river bank and up the hill rise to the wagon. Then drove on to a farm house just as darkness came, where the folks kept me and the team over night. "Two days later, just after dark, as I, near to Win- terset on my way home with a big load of plows for Mr. Bugbee of Quincy, was crossing a new and hastily graded bridge I met with another bad accident. The hind wheels as they passed oflf the planking dropped so hard to the lower ground that the axeltree was snapped short ofT. The consequences may be imagined. However, I borrowed another wagon, loaded the plows therein and drove that night to Winterest." THE STORY OF NEVIN. 99 MILITIA. On the 2nd of June, 1861, the "Colony Guards," a local volunteer company of men, was formed for home protection in Nevin only. There were no arms, nor was there any drilling. On November 9th, 1861, the First regiment of Adams county was organized at Quincy. Colony township was liberally represented. Mr. John Bixby was chosen colonel. There was no arms nor any drilling. September 2nd, 1862, was the date of the formation of the "Home Guards," at Nevin. Mr. Lloyd was drillmaster. The company had one muster at Carl and another at Mt. Etna. These village musters were followed by a battalion formation at Quincy nearly a month later. The Adams county militia company was formed at Quincy on March 21st, 1863. Mr. E. Y. Burgan was chosen captain and Mr. John Bixby lieutenant. The membership was over one hundred men includiiig men from Colony township and other county points. They were all sworn to unconditional loyalty. There were forty Harpers Ferry muskets and a few rounds of ammunition distributed. Some more muskets were expected after a few weeks. There were six or more meetings for drill in August and Sep- tember. PASSING OF THE NEW ENGLAND HOUSE. Mr. B. O. Stephenson the original manager of the New England House, was succeeded therein by Mr. Nel- son Finney, who, with his big family, moved into it in October, 1866. Mr. Finney operated the hotel until March, 1868, when he sold the property to Mr. Frank Guymon, of Madison county, in exchange for land there. Mr. Guymon (who, by the way, proved to be the "advance guard" of the anti- Yankee party in the place, that developed later on) conducted the house as a hotel until about 1878, when he sold out to Dr. J. J. Henry, recently from California. Soon after this the business of hotel keeping was transferred to the Jewett home place. The old two-story building on the corner of Franklin and Main streets still stands there, occupied by Mr. Reed; looking much as it did in days of old, — minus the paint and the old sign of "New England House." L.cfC. 100 THE STORY OF NEVIN. The Finneys went to Winterseet and the Guymons to Missouri. That old Turner- Stephenson store building that Mr. Nichols in 1857, built on Main street, disappeared in 1865, having been hauled to the Wilmarth-Long-Bartlett farm. OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION. On the 7th of June, 1872, the 15th anniversary of the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, the old settlers of Nevin and vicinity, on the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, had a pleasant afternoon gathering at the Ellis home in Nevin. After having a good anniversary dinner together they proceeded to organize an "Old Settlers Association." They chose Mr. P. P. Chamberlain, president; Mr. J. Jewett, vice president; G. W. Grant, secretary, and J. L. Ellis, B. O. Stephenson and A. T. Harlow, committee for the next gathering. They voted to meet again the second Thursday in June, 1873. They also decided to admit to membership persons 21 years of age living within or near Nevin, who settled previous to the close of 1863. The following per- sons then became members: Mr. and Mrs. P. P. Chamberlain, Mr. and Mrs. J. Jewett, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Grant, Mr. and Mrs. B. O. Stephenson, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Whipple, Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Harlow, Mr. and Mrs. E. Sawyer, Mr. andl Mrs. A. M. Norman, Mr. and Mrs. R. Hargrave, Mr. and Mrs. H. Whipple, Mr. and Mrs. I. A. Sprague, Mr. and Mrs. S. Southall and Mr. J. McDougall. The association met the following year in Mr. J. Jewett's young maple grove just northeast of his house. The day was beautiful. They had a bounteous spread-on-table dinner together. There was a proper literary program also, but the present writer has no record of it. NEVIN SOLDIER BOYS. The civil war was on soon after the Yankees had gotten their colony settlement well started. They were all loyal to the Union cause. The following young men of Nevin served in the volunteer army of "Uncle Sam": William R. Harlow. Abram Hubbard. Edwin Sawyer, Andrew Garrett, Joseph Ballou, George Atkins, David McDougall, Lorenzo THE STORY OF NEVIN. loi Finney and Alonzo Finney. Mr. E. Sawyer and Mr. G. Atkins were the only married ones. Mr. McDougall and Mr. Atkins died in the army and Mr. Garrett died soon after his return from disease contracted while in the army. The others all returned and as far as the writer knows, they are all alive yet. In February, 1864, when the last call was abroad for volunteers, Colony township was one man short of its quota. Bounties at this period were frequent and were freely paid to those who would enlist to make up dificien- cies. While several men in the place having wives and children, were weighing the question of their enlisting, Mr. N. Finney's twin sons, Alonzo and Lorenzo, aged about 17 years, oflfered to enlist, if the men of the place would raise them a bounty of $150. This was done the next day and so the two Finney boys went. METHODIST CLASS— BRAZEE MEETINGS. A Methodist class was first formed in Nevin on Mon- day, December 4th, 1865, following a few days of special meetings in the little red school house, east of the com- mon, conducted by Rev. Sheets from Quincy. The follow- ing persons were the members: Mr. and Mrs. N. Finney, Mr. and Mrs. E. Sawyer, Mr. and Mrs. M. Covey, Mrs. Nancy Jewett, Mrs. W. Hardesty and Mr. G. W. Grant. Mr. Grant was made class leader. In March, 1866, Rev. Brazee, Methodist, held a series of special revival meetings at the same place; resulting in many conversions and additions to the two churches. Messrs. Stephenson, McDougall and Ellis were among them. THE DICKINSON REVIVAL. During the first week in March, 1870, Rev. E. Dickin- son, Presbyterian, of Winterset, under the auspices of the Nevin Congregational church, closed a twelve days' series of special meetings in the just completed school house south of the common. There were forty conversions and there were about fifteen new family altars set up; resulting from the meetings. Mention is made of Mr. Daniel Whipple, who was so much interested that early one morning he called on 102 THE STORY OF NEVIN. some of his unconverted neighbors urging them to a re- Hgious Hfe. And, of Mr. Richard Hargrave who went for- ward one evening and declared himself for the "new life," and who when he arrived home that night requested his wife Mary, to rise from bed to join with him in having family worship before retiring for the night. Many of the converts united with the Congregational church and some with the Methodist during the spring months. Before all had been gathered into the local churches a certain preacher-lawyer (his name is now forgotten) from Prescott, Slaving heard (through Mr. Guymon, or other- wise), of the recent revival meetings in Nevin, made his ap- pearance in the village one Saturday in June, putting up at Mr. Guymon's hotel. It very soon became evident that the man was after the remaining converts as a nucleus to form a Campbellite church in the place. Mr. Goymon was apparently favorable to the Prescott man's views, and so they, it would seem, planned to capture the use of the school house the following forenoon. Rev. Robert Hunter, the Congregational pastor, had his regular appointment to preach in the school house at 10:30 o'clock. But notwithstanding this Mr. Guymon and his friend sent word all over the place that the new man would preach at the school house at p o'clock the next morn- ing. The Sunday came, and at his appointed hour the Prescott preacher had a good sized audience. At 10:30 it became evident to the Hunter people who had gathered near the door that the new preacher was intending to con- tinue his meeting right along, without any regard to the other people waiting outside. A short conference was held to decide what to do un- der the unlookedfor circumstances. They decided to hold their meeting at Mr. Ellis's house in case the lawyer de- cided to "hold the fort." Mr. Ellis, a deacon of the church, and Capt. Miner, a member of the school board, were sent inside to find out the plans of the preaching man. The two men went in and stood near the preacher, indicating by their posture that they wished to speak to him; but no! he kept right on with his business and gave no apparent attention to the standing men. Finally seeing that they waited still he paused long enough to enable the committee to make known their mission and then, after denying their request, he resumed his discourse. The deacon, who was spokesman for the two, then announced to the audience that THE STORY OF NEVIN. 103 Rev. Hunter's meeting was to be held at once at Mr. Ellis's, and then stretching his hand over the speaker's table he took the old church Bible under his arm and the two passed out and were followed by about half the man's audience. The Rev. Hunter had a good audience that Sunday in the house and front yard of the Ellis home. The writer of this is not aware that the lawyer ever again preached in a Nevin school house. He was, however, back to Nevin at least twice after that; once when he im- mersed Mr. Frank Guymon in a small pond then south of the cemetery, and at another time when he immersed Mr. David Whipple in the stream at South grove. CHURCH BUILDINGS AND PARSONAGES. The Congregational church building was erected on the site west of the common, the site of the school house that was burned down on February 19th, 1864. The edifice was dedicated on Thanksgiving day, November 26, 1874. The sermon was preached by Rev. N. M. Calhoun. His text was First Samuel, 7:12. The Methodist church building was built on the south- west corner of block L, and fronting on Spruce street. It was dedicated on Sunday, September 4th, 1881. Rev. Jud- son Harris, Baptist, then visiting in Nevin, preached the sermon. Rev. C. C. Mabie, now of Des Moines, was the first Methodist supply following the opening of the new sanctuary. The Methodist parsonage on Spruce street was built during the fall of 1877, under direction of Rev. Blodgett, and was first occupied by Rev. Clammer and family. The Congregational parsonage was completed in the fall of 1878, under direction of Rev. Herman Geer, then act- ing pastor of the church at Nevin. ORDINATIONS. Mr. Andrew W. Archibald, recently graduated from Divinity School at New Haven, came with his newly- married wife to Nevin, on the 14th day of July, 1876. He was ordained a minister and was installed pastor of the Congregational church by a council held in Nevin on the 24th of August, 1876. 104 THE STORY oF NEVIN. Mr. Gurney M. Orvis, a New Haven graduate, was ordained a minister by a council held in Nevin Congre- gational church on December i6th, 1880. SOME MINISTERS. Rev. I. S. Davis departed this life November 24th, 1864 — as mentioned elsewhere, and his body lies buried on the Davis brothers' farm in Adair county. His widow died there many years ago, aged about 84 years. She too, was buried there. Their old bachelor sons, Ebenezer and Thomas, are still living on the old farm. Rev. Robert Hunter, a home missionary for twenty- five years, first in Illinois then in Iowa, died on the nth day of March, 1872, after being pastor of the Nevin Con- gregational church five years. His body rests in the quietude of Rose Hill cemetery. His widow, Harriett Plumb, is still living, making her home with the family of their son, Ralph P. Hunter, in Utah, these late years. Julius R., their only other son living, has a wife and children. He is living just at present in western Nebraska. Rev. John Conrad is another minister whose body is laid away in Rose Hill. His last charge was that of the Methodist church and class at Nevin or Nevinville, about a dozen years ago. He died there, April 17th, 1895, leaving a widow and about seven children. Most of the children are married. All scattered. Rev. Josiah W. Peet, was a missionary, who with his family left their eastern home and came to Adair county about the time that Rev. R. Hunter came to Nevin. He was a home missionary in that county a number of years. In 1869 he bought the Dr. Shaw 212 acres of Nevin land at the price of $1,000. He moved to the 160-acre lot next south from the Austin farm, where their son George farmed. In later years George's extended farm was sold, and both families moved to Jones county, where Josiah and George both died, some six or eight years ago. The aged widow died in Corning in 1898. Their other son, William W., and his wife and son are living in Constantino- ple, Turkey, where he has for many years been the financial agent of the American Board of Foreign Missions. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 105 STREETS AND LANDMARKS. There were over eleven miles of laid out streets within the central 360 acres of the 1857 plat of Nevin. On page 412, record of the doings of the Adams county board of supervisors, may be found their action in January, 1872, on a petition from Nevin land owners in regard to Nevin streets. The two principal parallel streets, — one next east of the common and the other next west were changed by the vacation of twenty rods of the south end of the first men- tioned street and by extending it forty rods farther north, calling it Main street. The street west of the common was extended forty rods in each direction, and it was called Spruce street. Some other streets were named, such as: Franklin, Centre, Park, School, Spring, Maple, Elm and Willow; but the most of the original streets were then va- cated. It was on this Main street that the New England House and the Turner-Stephenson store were built. The places of business are there today — 1901. Spruce street is where Mr. Ellis built his pioneer Nevin dwelling. It, in its later remodeled form, and the two village churches, are there today. And it may further be remarked that on this Spruce street and just south of the Congregational church are other landmarks of the pioneer days; several cottonwood trees set there in 1859. The north one was set out by Mr. Beath, it is the largest tree trunk in Nevin, measuring 9 2-3 feet around the body, four feet above the ground. NEVIN— NEVINVILLE. The original Nevin land all passed into improved farms many years ago. There are at the present time ninety fam- ilies living within its old boundaries; nearly all of whom are farmers. The village proper is small, it has one or more stores and has other business places. A. T. Joy & Co., do the largest business and are long standing. The two railroads that the Boston "boomers" of 1856 promised never materialized. But there are railroad stations all around, the one at Spaulding is seven miles east, the one at Cromwell is ten miles south, and the one at Green- field is ten miles north. The place itself is now generally better known as Nevinville than as Nevin. io6 THE STORY OF NEVIN. Its former distinguishing character as being eminently a "New England" settlement has long since passed away. AUNT "SARAH'S" PROPHECY. Time, on its pinions swiftly flying, Leaves us poor mortals vainly sighing That, one by one our friends are leaving, And no recruits are we receiving. 'Tis thus it's been from first to last, Our numbers have been failing fast. And, should this course continue on, Our neighbors soon will all be gone. - "And what of that?" says one stuck-fast, Just let them go, nor be downcast; This place is not to be forsaken; I know I can't be thus mistaken. I am disgusted with this whining, — This everlastingly repining. Just see how fast our stock increases; Then note our flocks with weighty fleeces. And corn and wheat in such a measure There's hardly room to store the treasure ;- Our farmers here are making money. As sure as bees are storing honey. Then there's mechanics not a few, In barrels, wagons, boot and shoe, There comes the man in iron skilled, Proposing well his place to fill. Then the cabinet makers art By one prepared will claim its part. Then the traders, they step in. Who, trade they must, to lose or win. And, if they cannot trade for money. Horse, or cow, will trade for pony; And then, forsooth, as in a dream, You'll see a cracky pony team. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 107 And now, to clear away the fog, We'll introduce our Pedagogue. There he sits with rule in hand, And all must bow at his command. And if they chance to say a pin, To 'tone for it they must stay in, No rude behavior is allowed By old or young among the crowd. But study, diligence and grace Must mark the lines of every face. At once they read, at once they sing, And make the dome with echoes ring. Indeed! our school is quite a prize. As no wise person e'er denies. Our pastor next; oh, what a gem! His head deserves a diadem. With dignity and Christian grace Beams every feature of his face. His life is purer far than gold; His many virtues can't be told. And, after all, there's those who say That this bright town shall pass away And all its prospects come to naught. These lands lie waste? Preposterous thought! These lands will rise; / see the day When purchasers will croivd the way, Till ev'ry man shall hless the hand That ever sold him Ncvin land. AULD LANG SYNE. Full forty years have rolled their rounds, Nor has the time seemed long. Yet we propose to change our tune And sing another song. But, lest you weary of our rhymes. Long time before we're done. We purpose to consolidate These forty years — in one. io8 THE STORY OF NEVIN. And dedicate our humble verse, For the love of Auld Lang Syne, To dear, old friends we'll meet no more Upon the shores of time. And tho' for lack of time and space, Your name may not appear, Like balm, your memory to my heart Is ever fresh and dear. Come, Theresa, put your bonnet on And go along w^ith me; So many things a woman finds, A man would never see. We'll out and "do" this famous town, And see the wondrous sights — The foot-prints of these forty years Among the "Nevinites." And while we roam the prairies o'er, We may expect to see The vine clad cot of which we've heard — The home of Rosalie. And we shall find each latch string out — No bell upon the door — A welcome, too, in ev'ry home. As in the days of yore. Old friends, we're glad to meet again And to recall the past — The scenes we never shall forget As long as life shall last. In all the rounds of daily toil, We're with you, yet again; If turning o'er the prairie soil, Or binding golden grain. At service, on the Holy day. We're glad to meet you there Where in the school house oft we stay, When churches were not there. THE STORY OF NEVIN. 109 The pleasure of that sacred hour, Our rhmyes will fail to tell, When from the spire of "Daniel's" church Pealed forth the Sabbath bell. The hungry cattle roam the hills, The herdsman's task begun; The faithful shepherd leads his flocks The tender grasses 'mong. The flocks and herds are coming in, While sinks the golden sun. So Peter, Ed and Dick and Dan, Your task will soon be done. Our tribute now, to sunny June, — The season bright and fair; The prairies wide in verdure clad; There's beauty everywhere. Full soon, the months of roses past, The glorious 4th draws nigh; For liberty we'll raise the mast. And run "Old Glory" high. We're bound to celebrate the day, Tho' nothing else be done; No doubt 'twill make a lively lay To crowd two-score in one. In coming years, the trees will grow; But now we need their shade; So, to the neighboring groves we go. And booths of boughs are made. Now Nevin's cooks were always known To be beyond surprise; Today the tables creak and groan 'Neath tarts and cakes and pies. It is not fair to mention one, When all have done their best; And ev'ry 4th your zeal's been shown — And each a grand success. no THE STORY OF NEVIN. Although one day, the women folks And children got a scare, When John came out in Indian guise, But, luckly, — Joe was there! A fierce encounter now ensued. But soon the job was done; The burly savage was subdued. And the Deacon had his gun. Then Hutchings and the parson's wife Inspired us all with song — Those aged folks seem'd come to life You'll all remember long. And this was what they sang: "The morning sun shines from the east And spreads his glories to the west; All nations with his beams are blest. Where'er his radiant light appears." So science spreads her lucid rays O'er lands which long in darkness lays; She visits fair "Columbia" And sets her sons among the stars. The British yoke, the galling chain. Was urged upon her sons in vain; All haughty tyrants we'll disdain, And shout "Long live America." "The Eagle" took an airy flight One day, with Brother Hugh; He bore him far above the clouds — Up where the sky was blue. Soon down he came with mighty thud; And "Deacon" sitting by, Most kindly proffered him his jug, For he thought he must be "dry." Now, Nancy, get your hood and shawl. To the school house we'll repair — To lyceum and the Farmer's club; There's great enjoyment there. THE STORY OF NEVIN. iii Some weighty questions are discussed — Some grand decisions made; Their hterary talent throws Old Boston in the shade. Here men of thought, and matrons grave, And youth and maidens, too, All join to help the program out, With something fresh and new. Their spicy papers and essays Create a "heap" of fun. Then the debaters take the floor, And something's said and done. And you a novice on the farm? Why, they can tell you how — Anything you want to raise, From mortgage to a cow. From the Nevin lyceum has gone out An influence good and great, And better makes the world today, In home, in church, and state. We owe a debt of gratitude — The aged and the youth — To those who early brought to us The messages of truth. Some rest in Rose Hill's calm retreat — They've passed to their reward. And others, from our midst gone forth. To bear the precious word. The joys of friendly intercourse In early days we had. Remember we those pleasant things, And some that make us sad. The class we taught in Sabbath school Is scattered far and wide; Some struggling in the conflict still. And some beyond the "tide." THE STORY OF NEVIN. Now dear old friend of "early times," We close our faulty rhmyes, But know you never can forget The days of Auld Lang Syne. — G. W. G. CONTENTS. Chapter I, 1855-1856. The Parson's Vacation 5 Land Speculation 6 Getting the Land 8 Planning the City g A Journey West 10 Trials and Labors 13 Trying to Farm 14 Building a School-house 16 A Thunder Storm 17 New Arrivals 17 Discouragements 18 Surveying the Land 19 Colonists Scattered 20 Prairie Fires 20 Chapter U. 1856-1857. Building Saw-Mills 21 An Anti-Slavery Recruit 24 The Great Snow-storm 25 Mr. Turner's Visit 27 Wintering at the Mill 29 A Queer Accident 30 A Pioneer Cabin 30 Lo! Spring Approaches 31 Spring Doings 32 Laying Out the Town 34 Chapter IIL 1857. Re-enforcements 35 An Attempted Rivalry 37 Settling the Town ^7 A Maiden from Boston 38 Getting Married 39 New Colonists 41 home Making 43 July 4th, 1857 44 Nichols, Jones and Fales 44 1857 Farming 44 Harris and Stephenson Get Farms 45 A Blue Streak 46 The Mill Property 47 Religious Meetings 48 Early County Roads 48 CONTENTS. Turner and Smith in Nevin 49 Passing of the Mill 50 Digging of Wells 51 Hotel and Store 51 M. J. Hazeltine 52 Richard Sells to Alvin 52 First Bridge 52 A Matron from Boston 53 A Sudden Death 53 Thanksgiving, 1857 53 New England House Occupied 53 Underground Railroad 54 Cemetery and College Lots 55 Kenada Timber 56 Chapter IV, 1858. The Fuel Question 57 Colony Township Organized .- 58 A Surprise Party 58 Amasa Child 59 Early Births 59 The Harlows 60 The Chamberlains 61 Coming of the Jewetts 62 Mr. Turner's Steamboat 62 A Lawsuit 63 Religious Meetings Resumed 64 First School in Nevin 65 Rev. N. Harris's Visit 65 White— Mason 65 Hoskins Family 66 Nevinville Postoffice 67 Ten New Comers 67 Independence Day. 67 A License to Marry 68 The Beaths 70 Uncle Mack 70 "Sir" Richard 71 The Congregational Church 71 The Harris's 72 Carl and Hebron 72 An Honest Dutchman 73 First Fair at Quincy 74 Mr. Lawrence's Whale 75 Farming and Crops in 1858 75 First Bricks 76 Job and Ruth 76 The Party at Atkin's and Pratt's — A Poem 76 Stray Items 77 Chapter V. 1859 and Later. Literary Societies 79 Mrs. Norman's Letter 79 Grant and Sawyer 81 CONTENTS. Dr. Taylor 82 The Deacon's Sheep 83 Alexander 84 Crops in 1859 84 Church Conference 85 The Fair of 1859 85 The Southalls 86 Three Whipple Brothers 87 The Spragues 88 Atkins Brothers 89 Contrabands 89 The Buell Family 90 The John Bixbys 90 Austin — Ballon 91 Jewett — Bugbee 91 Stephenson — Color-line 92 The Ellis Family 93 The Great Tornado 94 A Bovine Ride 94 A Trip to Grand River 95 A Mistake in Horses 96 A Whisky Peddler's Escape 97 To Des Moines in Winter 97 Militia 99 Passing of the New England House 99 Old Settlers Association 100 Nevin Soldier Boys 100 Methodist Class — Brazee Meetings loi The Dickenson Revival loi Church Buildings and Parsonages 103 Ordinations 103 Some Ministers 104 Streets and Landmarks 105 Nevin — Nevinville 105 Mrs. Chamberlain's Poem 106 Auld Lang Syne — A Poem 107 Atig li- '^QOl AUG 10 1901 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 016 085 014 0#