[°Y^ILE«¥MII¥EI&SinrY' *933 jE 3 T **|i^J| BEGINNINGS Reminiscences of Early Des Moines BY TACITUS HUSSEY y. 1919 Published by American Lithographing and Ptg. Co. Des Moines, Iowa —a Co How the Canoe "Dabchick" Stuck Her Nose in and Helped Make the Picture THE FRONTISPIECE The Frontispiece was a really, truly "happen so.'' On a beautiful October afternoon I went aboard my canoe, "Dabchick," and turned her prow up the Des Moines river, then known by courtesy of the Park Commissioners, as "Lake Tac. Hussey." The breeze which caught the sail was very light and the progress slow, but not less enjoyable. A little below the spot where the North Western Railway leaves the east bank of the river, stood an artist, Mr. Birkson, with his camera, to take a snap shot of the east bank and the North Western train as it came flying up the river to enhance the beauty of the picture. Just here the impudent little "Dabchick" with her crew poked their noses into the line of vision, with a pleasing result. The artist was so well pleased that he made an oil painting of it. TACITUS HUSSEY The Author CONTENTS Page Frontispiece 5 Introductory 6 Early Des Moines History 9 Dwellers in Officers' and Soldeirs' Cabins 19 Organization of Village 55 Tragedy of the Demoine House 95 Fishing and Hunting 100 Steamboats on the Des Moines River 109 Ninth General Assembly and the Demoine Belle 127 Social Life of Early Des Moines 134 The Bag of Gold 153 The Des Moines Valley Railroad 163 Appendix : 18b Autobiography of Tacitus Hussey 18V Six Bonaparte Dam Elegies 198 Tac Hussey Materials in Historical Department 20b Songs 209 The Old Flag 211 Iowa's Queen 214 Iowa, Beautiful Land ' 216 My Country ! Oh, My Country ! 218 The Booster Song of Iowa 220 Index 222 ILLUSTRATIONS Page The Canoe "Babchick" ., 4 Tac Hussey '/ Official Plat of City of Ft. Des Moines 8 Old Fort Des Moines in 1843 12 Isaac Cooper 21 Hoyt Sherman 24 Barlow Granger 25 Lampson P. Sherman 27 •Sherman Block 28 B. F. Allen 33 W. W. Moore ' 36 First Frame House 38 Phineas M. Casady 39 Mrs. Agusta G. Casady 40 Facsimile First Postmaster's Commission 43 Central Presbyterian Church, 1853 48 Rev. Thompson Bird : 49 Peter Newcomer 54 Des Moines' First .Stage Coach 67 State House, 1858 ' 68 Old Exchange Block, Third and Walnut 70 First Savery House 73 Pair of Old Des Moines Boots 79 Dr. Campbell's Old Store 89 Demoine House 94 Earliest Catholic Church 98 Two Canoe Idlers at Flood Tide 124 View of Lake Tac Hussey 126 Mrs. Allie Smith Cheek 165 Col. Edward F. Hooker 174 W. H. McHenry 181 F. M. Hubbell , 182 Frank M. Mills 183 Late Photo of Mr. and Mrs. Hussey 188 Mrs. Jennie Clement Hussey 190 INTRODUCTORY THIS book ran and lost a race with death. On the ninth day of August, 1919, Mr. Hussey .died. The week before he passed away he ex plained to his publishers that his anxiety for the book to appear was mainly on account of oncoming children who might wish to know the way things began in Des Moines. He mentioned especially his account of the party at the home of B. JB\ Allen, which "at first thought", he said, "the reader will feel is un necessarily detailed, but there had never before been a party of that sort in the city". The de tail thus has its value and interest. Those who engaged with Mr. Hussey and with one another to assist him in producing his book have tried to leave it in print as nearly like it was in his own manuscript as could be done. I invite the blame for all short-comings of the book, for Mr. Hussey and the others left no duty undone that strength and oppor tunity admitted of their doing. Mr. Hussey again and again uttered, and I cheerfully set out, his deepest gratitude to Mrs. W. B. Kerr and Miss Blanche Wingate who so faithfully served him as his eyes and ears and ofttimes his hands in this his last task. Edgar R. Harlan. Curator of the Historical Department of Iowa. VANS HILL. I CAPT ALLENS QUARTERS 2 OFFICERS QUARTERS 3 SOLDIERS QUARTERS < ADJUTANTS OFFICE S SURGEONS OFFICE 6 COMMISSARY WAREHOUSE 7 SUTLERS STORE 8 GUARD ROUSE 9 SUTLERS RESIDENCE /O DRAOOONS STABLES 0 FLAG STAFF B BLACKSMITHS W PUBLIC WELL C CORRALS Obpioial Plat ob the City ot? Fort Des Moines CHAPTER I EARLY DES MOINES HISTORY. THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE. Iowa was at one time a part of what is known as the "Louisiana Purchase". This purchase was made from France in 1803. It was a large tract of land and made, for the United States, twelve states and two large ter ritories, Iowa being one of those states. PURCHASE FROM THE INDIANS. The Black Hawk Purchase: The first pur chase of land from the Indians occurred in 1832 and was a strip of land fifty miles wide on the west bank of the Mississippi. A small second purchase on the west was made in 1837. The Third or New Purchase made in 1842, took title to the remainder of the claim of the Sacs and Foxes in what is now Iowa, but per mitted them to occupy the portion west of Red Rock until new homes in Kansas were found for them in 1845. Coming of the Dragoons: In the early spring of 1843 Captain Allen selected a site for the new station at the junction of the Des 10 A History of Early Des Moines Moines and Raccoon Rivers. Cabins for the officers were built facing the Des Moines river, those for the companies of dragoons fronting the Raccoon river. There were two companies of dragoons and infantry, one under command of Captain Allen, the other under command of Lieutenant Grier. There was also a warehouse for commissary stores, a guard house, and ad jutant's office, stables and corrals for crippled or unserviceable horses, a well, a flag staff and all appurtenances to an army post. • Arrival of the First Steamboat: The Agatha, Captain J. M. Lafferty, with two keel barges bringing a cargo of government sup plies from St. Louis, Missouri, and the soldiers and equipments from Fort Sanford near the present site of Ottumwa, Iowa, arrived at Fort Des Moines, May 9, 1843, and landed at or near the old "covered *bridge," the land mark of so many years. The government warehouse was near that point. Building of Cabins: There was a great. quantity of the building material brought from the adjacent forests and the ground all around the location selected held great quantities of *A bridge crossing 'Coon river about a hundred' feet above its original mouth. — E. R. H. By Tacitus Hussey 11 material which soon took shape when soldier workmen began to build the cabins, and Cap tain Allen sought out every available man he could find.* BRICK INDUSTRY STARTED Mr. Trullinger. who came here in May, 1843, was persuaded to add his genius to the force, and, with the aid of an uncle, Gordy by name, was a factor in the building of the cabins. The lack of brick for chimneys and fire places was a puzzler, but Mr. Trullinger _ solved the problem as his uncle knew how to make brick; and selecting a spot 'of soil suitable. to its manufacture, soon had a brickyard started and a kiln of brick ready for the burning. When the brick was ready for use there was no lime to be had; but by pros pecting on the banks of Four Mile Creek some stone was found which, when burned, made an excellent quality of lime. So the cabins were complete with chimneys and fire places before winter set in. The demand for brick was so great that two more kilns had to be burned be- *John D. Parmalee was authorized by the government to build and operate a mill and furnish lumber from a site on Middle river near its mouth. — E. R. H. By Tacitus Hussey 13 fore the season closed ; and that was the begin ning of the brick industry in Fort Des Moines. As there were no churches nor church bells the people, especially in the employ of the of ficers of the garrisons, kept right along with their work. The dragoons generally spent the Sabbath day in cleaning up their guns. Captain Allen was pretty strict with his men, but when the command was turned over to Lieutenant Grier the soldier boys had a little more fun, in their own way. Rations: Those who were on the pay roll and in the government employ had the same rations as the soldiers. The rations generally served were : Flour, baton, ham, codfish, rice, and at intervals other provisions, including tobacco and half a pint of whisky. Those who did not use tobacco nor whisky could trade it off to comrades for something else. There was a mail every two weeks ; and when a news paper was received it was read "out. loud" to various groups of people or handed about until it was in tatters. Military Station Completed: The cabins to shelter the officers and soldiers were finished in the fall and winter of 1843, and the military 14 A History of Early Des Moines station was not unlike any other station on the frontier. Camp Life: The routine of camp duties was strictly observed. The Indians went out on hunting parties, fished in the Des Moines, Rac coon and other near by streams. There were some very expert trappers among them and during the seasons that furs were most valua ble they brought in quantities of mink, otter. beaver, raccoon, deer, muskrat, skunk and other furs. At early springtime when the trapping season closed, fur traders, who were always on the lookout for bargains, found their way here from the east and when per mitted by Commandant Allen, after being as sured they carried no whisky or other contra band articles, were admitted to the Indian tepees and allowed, by the aid of an inter preter, to bargain and trade tobacco, powder, shot, lead and such other articles as the In dians desired. All this was done in a peace able way and no matter how many sharp bar gains were made, all ended in peace and good will. The Indians were inveterate gamblers and would bet their last coon or muskrat skin on the speed of their ponies against the horses By Tacitus Hussey 15 and ponies of the whites. There were no houses in the way and no obstructing streets from the present Ninth Street to the outcome on Fifth, near where the old Methodist Church used to stand, so many a race was pulled off there amid the encouraging whoops of the whites and the stimulating cries of "hiyi yi, hiyi yi, yi" by enthusiastic redmen, which some of the sportmen interpreted as "git there Eli." These races drew from the garrison all sol diers who were off duty, the pale-face helpers about the "Fort" and the Indian squaws with their papooses strapped upon "'their backs. Many a mink, otter and raccoon pelt changed hands on these races and many a pale- face had to dig down deep in his jeans to pay for betting on the wrong pony. However, the Indians were true sportsmen and lost their bets with out the trace of a frown, while some of the pale-faces looked as if "they would like to kick themselves." Names of the principal settlers who were permitted to occupy themselves in raising crops for the garrisons were, John R. Scott, W. A. Scott, James Drake, the garrison gunsmith, John Sturdevant, Alexander Turner, William Lamb, "Joe" M. Thrift, tailor for garrison, 16 A History of Early Des Moines George Washington and- Washington George Ewings, Dr. Thomas K. Brooks and H. S. Saylor, who furnished hay for the garrison. Departure of Indians: At midnight, Octo ber 11, 1845, the signal shot was fired from one of the cabin roofs as a notice to the public that the treaty had expired ; and the red man's rule in Iowa was over forever. The Indians Old Indian Agency Building in East Des Moines had knowledge of this fact, and supposed that if they broke up in small bands and scattered over the state where they could not be found they would thereby be allowed to remain in Iowa. These simple-minded creatures did not know that a correct list of the tribe had been kept, even to the latest born papoose, and that By Tacitus Hussey 17 they would be checked up and sent to their new reservation in Kansas as soon as possible. A large body of them had got away to Boone county and were found camped on the Des Moines river,, at or near Madrid, and were brought in by the dragoons. When first dis covered they began to shout "No go ! No go !" But the government troops paid no attention to their clamor and brought them in. The hunting up of the remnants of the tribe and the checking off their names took some time; but when it was finished they were escorted to Kansas doubtless with many a regret and lin- gernig look,* which was taken from Van's Flill** as they passed to the south under the escort of Captain Allen's dragoons. Coming of Settlers: The settlers began taking possession of the cabins as soon as they could make arrangements with the govern ment officials and in 1846 the cabins were be ing filled. Steamboatst were making occa sional trips so that the "squatters" in the vicinity, who had money to spare, had no *A striking delineation of this event is the painting by Charles Atherton Cumming in the Polk county court house. — E. R. H. **A11 Des Moines immediately below 'Coon river on the right bank of the Des Moines was laid out by Chas. C. Van and the trail out southward, therefore, lay over Van's Hill. — E. R. H. tSee chapter on Steamboats. 18 A History of Early Des Moines trouble in supplying their wants — besides there were government stores in the warehouse which could be supplied at reasonable rates, as the government and military business was not closed up until the year 1846. "Fort" Des Moines in those days was at the head of navigation and as there were only a few steamboat arrivals each year carrying the meagre supplies, an arrival helped the few wood cutters to get rid of their accumulated stocks of fire wood at remunerative prices. Many of the early settlers had not neglected to bring their school books among their other possessions; and at intervals there would be an improvised spelling school, by young and old. Some of them had taught country schools in the states and were not averse after sides had been chosen to "give out the words" to the participants and in this way many a pleasant evening was passed. Many of these dwellers in the officers' and soldiers' cabins had a little store of gold which they were saving to. buy land of the government at one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre and were awaiting the time when the government land office would open, and most of them received what they desired. CHAPTER II DWELLERS IN OFFICERS' AND SOLDIERS' CABINS. So soon as the treaty expired October 11, 1845, and the Indians were taken to their new reservation in Kansas, the settlers, with the consent of the government, began to make ar rangements for occupying the empty cabins.* Below is a list, made out in 1848, of those oc cupying the cabins, which has been in my pos session for nearly fifty years; and which was made out and handed to me by one of the dwellers there, now dead, but who was one of the founders of our city. "Pete" Myers and wife occupied one of the cabins in Raccoon Row. He was a very en thusiastic man, and though handicapped with clubbed feet, managed to get about with as much speed as most men and was a useful member of society. He was enthusiastic in everything with which he was intrusted; and *A rojW of cabin barracks parallel with the Des Moines river for officers' use later was known as "Des Moines Row." A row parallel with the 'Coon river for use of private soldiers eventually became known as "Coon Row" or "Raccoon Row."— E. R. H. 20 A History of Early Des Moines when B. F. Allen commissioned him to go to the steamboat market and buy a steamboat he accepted the job promptly. When he came steaming in, standing at the bow of his new purchase, the "Colonel Morgan," he was greeted with lifted hats and hearty hand shakes as "Captain Peter Myers". It will be a good place here to tell that the leading citizens of Fort Des Moines had been seized with the steamboat fever and a steam boat company was at once formed. "In con formity to Chapter 44 of the Code of Iowa, approved February 5, 1851, a steamboat com pany was formed by the early settlers, with a place of business at Fort Des Moines, to con tinue for twenty years." Among the known owners of stock were B. F. Allen, James Sher man, R. W. Sypher and James Campbell. There was also a proviso that the charter could be renewed at the end of twenty years at the option of the stockholders and directors The incorporators were: Samuel Gray, Curtis Bates, Otis Briggs, Reuben W. Sypher, P. M. Casady and Augustus Newton. The directors were: Addison S. Vorsc, Samuel Gray and Reuben W. Sypher. It is generally believed there were no dividends to By Tacitus Hussey 21 speak of. If there were, no mention is made of them. Isaac Cooper was one of the "Forty-Niners" who went to California overland. The other three were John Stanton, C. D. Reinking and Henry Hutsonpillar. They returned, it is said, about the same financially, as when they started. Mr. Cooper was one of the builders ISAAC COOPER One of the First Settlers of our own city and if he were alive today he could boast of having the richest son-in-law* in *Mr. F. M. Hubbell.— E. R. H. 22 A History of Early Des Moines the State of Iowa. He came to Des Moines in 1846 or about that date. Thomas (or "Tom") McMullin, as he was called by his intimate friends, was an occupant of Raccoon Row. He was a hunter and was always ready to join a hunting party. He, like many of the early settlers, dabbled in real es tate. His name appears on the court house books in connection with a Mr. Campbell as "Campbell & McMullin's" addition. He could tell a joke with, so sober a face as to "deceive the very elect." When the first fire-fighting machine arrived it was paraded all over our little village by the fire boys assisted by a team of fiery steeds. One of our citizens who was a little behind on such matters, very innocently asked Tom McMullin, "Where are they going to get the water to supply that thing?" Tom told him with a very grave face, "The city council made a contract with J. H. Thode to haul the water for it." When it was known that Thode had the sorriest looking team in town and was very deliberate in his move ments, individually, it was not hard to see the point to the joke, but the inquirer could not see anything to laugh at. If, on the next clay, he could have seen the machine By Tacitus Hussey 23 at work at the mouth of Bird's Run on Locust street and been plentifully be-sprinkled as some of us were, he would have known "how the old thing worked." Mr. McMullin lived in Raccoon Row and was our first Recorder. C. D. Reinking, Raccoon Row, was one of the four California "forty-niners" who went to California overland and, coming back about as rich as he went, settled down and helped to build our city as the "old Reinking Block"* will amply testify. Some of his descendants are with us unto this day. R. L. Tidrick, Raccoon Row, was for years a partner of P. M. Casady. The firm of "Casady & Tidrick" was one of the earliest and best known real estate firms in the west. Mr. Tidrick built one of the first houses on Center street near Third, which was a land mark for many years. Hoyt Sherman, Raccoon Row, 1848-9, was born in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1827. He reived as postmaster for a short time, being- appointed by President Pierce, which office he held until he resigned. His two brothers, James and Lampson Sherman, lived here at *Northeast corner of Eighth and Walnut streets. — E. R. H. 24 A History of Early Des Moines the same time. He was one of the incorpora tors of the Equitable Insurance Company and the State Bank of Iowa. He was active in pre serving Iowa history, as can be found in the Historical Department of the State of Iowa. He was a brother to John and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Mr. Sherman was the MAJOR HOYT SHERMAN Builder of Sherman Block, Corner Third Street and Court Avenue builder of Sherman Block, still standing at the northeast corner of Third and Court avenue, one of the most historic in the city, being used as a court house while our "second By Tacitus Hussey 25 court house" was being built. His last resi dence in the city, west of Fifteenth street, between Pleasant and Woodland, is the home of the Women's Club, Barlow Granger, Raccoon Row, was one of the most interesting characters of "Fort Des Moines" early history and his name BARLOW GRANGER Editor of "The Des Moines Star," the First Paper Published in Des Moines, June 26, 1849 will go down in history as that of the first printer and publisher of a newspaper in Fort Des Moines, known as the "Fort Des Moines Star," the first number of which ap peared in June, 1849. A file of this paper is 26 A History of Early Des Moines preserved in the Historical Department of the state of Iowa. He was born in Cayuga County, New York. It was in the days of Martin Van Buren, William H. Seward, Horace Greely, Thurlow Weed and men of that class. He was a printer who understood all the branches of the printing business as taught in the early days of primitive machinery. He was a lawyer, also, and was admitted to the bar in 1848; was mayor of our city at an early date and won the title of "Colonel" by being appointed on Governor Hempstead's staff, an office he held for four years. To keep Barlow Granger's memory green the Park Commissioners have bought his old homestead on the "south side," overlook ing the city, out of which will be made one of the most beautiful parks, made historic by his long residence there. Thus will be kept alive the memory of the man who helped to lay the foundation of the city of Des Moines. Lampson P. Sherman, Raccoon Row, was a brother to James and Hoyt. His name will go down in history as the editor and publisher of the "Fort Des Moines Weekly Gazette," a file of which, in a good state of preservation, considering its age, can be found in the news- By Tacitus Hussey 27 paper division of the Historical Department of Iowa. This paper, like the "Star," was pub lished in one of the deserted cabins in Raccoon Row. LAMPSON P. SHERMAN Publisher of First Whig Paper, 1830 Alexander Bowers, Raccoon Row, was a German by birth. He was a stalwart man with a loud commanding voice, and a terror to evil doers and mischief makers. Row.. The date was early in 1850. It lived a year. Mr. Sherman was third mayor of "Fort Des Moines" and was for many years Recorder and Treasurer, dying in 1900 at the age of 79. 28 A History of Early Des Moines When Sherman Block was built in 1856 and "Sherman's Hall" turned over to the public, Mr. Bowers was made its custodian. He had many a wordy tussle with some of the boys and girls in earning his salary ; yet he general- Sherman Block. Built 1856 ly came out ahead, especially as he had the law on his side. Our old friend, T. A. Walker, after having a little difference of opinion with him, always spoke of him as "the man who wound up Sherman Hall and the Methodist By Tacitus Hussey 29 Church", for he was sexton of that church also. He was faithful to all trusts and never shrank from a task even if some disagreeable work had to be done. Reuben W. Sypher, Raccoon Row, was one of our merchants doing business on Second street. Flis store contained the usual assortment of dry goods, hats, caps, boots and shoes. His second wife was Mrs. Samuel Keene, a widow," who now lives in Dallas, Texas. Mrs. Sypher still has a deep love for her former Iowa friends. Melville Hoxie and his wife, Ruth P. Hoxie, lived in Des Moines Row with their children, Herbert M., or "Hub" as he was familiarly called, Melville B., James, Rose and Wm. H. The father died in 1847. Mrs. Ruth P. Hoxie was an energetic woman and with the aid of her oldest son "Hub" kept the family together, keeping boarders and such other work as came to her hand. "Hub," when a little older, did clerical work at the court house, was elected to a county office and became in time one of the prominent politicians in Polk county. He is credited in later years with untangling many a political snarl in the republican ranks and re storing harmony and peace when a party war 30 A History of Early Des Moines seemed to be inevitable. He made a great name for himself as United States Marshal; and he is still spoken of as one of Iowa's brightest citizens. Melville, his brother, was a law student before studying for the ministry; but his name has been lost sight of as have many who have gained residence in other states. Miss Rose Hoxie grew up in Des Moines and was noted for her beauty and sweet disposition. She was known as the "Belle of the Village" and was married to Andrew J. Stevens in 1860 or '61. Wm. H. Hoxie -was a brave soldier in the "War of the Rebellion" and edited and published a paper in the southern part of Iowa after the war. He rose to the office of Captain before the war closed. Dr. P. B. Fagan came here with Judge P. M. Casady, with whom he was early associated. He was one of our earliest physicians. They arrived in a buggy and were ferried across the river by Ed Clapp, then the barefooted, one suspendered ferryman who announced the fact to his associates as follows: "Boys I've just ferried over two of the starchiest fellows I have ever seen. They had on black coats, trousers and vests — and if one By Tacitus Hussey 31 of 'em didn't have his boots blacked I'll be damned." The father and his three sons owned a farm, now in the corporate limits. One other son built a mill on Walnut creek, well remembered by the early settlers as "Fagan's Mill." Abner Rathbun and wife, Mary Marie Rathbun, lived in Raccoon Row and were the parents of four children, Ezra, Jonathan, Elizabeth and Mary D. This family were founders of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Des Moines. The father was a licensed ex- horter in the Methodist church. Ezra Rath bun was a licensed Methodist Minister and was in much demand in those early days. He was the first Minister and preached the first sermon ever preached in Fort Des Moines, it being at the funeral of Lieut. Grier's baby. Mr. Grier was one of the commanders of the "Fort." Rev. Rathbun had many calls from the sparsely settled parts of the territory now known as Polk County. Jonathan was the class leader in the Methodist Church. They were the first members of the class formed March 4, 1855. Miss Elizabeth grew up in the village as did also Mary D. Reese, now an inmate of the "Home for the 32 A History of Early Des Moines Aged." The family came here well provided with provisions, wagons and teams, and did not endure the same privations as others. Others were, as I recollect it, B. F. Hoxie, William Deford and wife, Mrs. Jewett and her daughter, Mrs. Thrift, Grandma Wellman, Mary Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Solanberger; and these persons, so far as can be learned, were the founders of the present Methodist Church. A. D. Jones,* Raccoon Row, was the first surveyor of the town of Fort Des Moines, beginning the work in the summer of 1846, a few months after the departure of the Indians. He had no surveyor's chain and used a rope instead. The jog in Walnut street be ginning at Fifth was said to have been made by the rope getting wet and shrinking. Whether that statement is true or not I can not say, but the jog is there. Mr. Jones, as county surveyor, laid out many of the streets in the village in 1846, and later. *A. D. Jones was a pioneer in Mahaska County, surveyed and platted the original town of Fort Des Moines, laid out the towns of Winterset, Peneuch (now Adel), Council Bluffs, and Omaha. He was one of the commission to locate the county seat of Harrison County, surveyed and located many of the early highways of Iowa, also one of the many cross state railroads that were never built. He was the first judge in Omaha, member of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature and speaker of its House of Representatives. — E. R. H. B. F. ALLEN Until 1875, Mr. Allen Was a Leader in Des Moines Banking Circles 34 A History of Early Des Moines B. F. Allen, Des Moines Row, came here a young man and began business in drygoods near Second and Market streets under the firm name of Lyon & Allen. A little later he started a bank up the street which grew to be the leading bank of the village. As business began moving west he built a building on Court Avenue and Fourth; the site, after being en larged, was occupied by the Register and Leader for several years. Mr. Allen's resi dence then stood on the southwest corner of Fourth and Court Avenue. W. F. Ayres, Raccoon Row, was the first County or City Treasurer, being elected by a good sized majority at the first election held in April, 1846. It could be truthfully said that he was a faithful officer. Cyrus Mosier, Des Moines Row, was one of our earliest shorthand reporters and was probably as well acquainted with our earliest court affairs as any one in the city. He made it his business to be well in formed in all matters with which he had to do and if he could have been persuaded to leave a record of his life and doings in a legal way, his memoranda would have been invaluable to historians. He had a well-stored mind and a By Tacitus Hussey 35 fine memory and was often solicited to leave his recollections for the public; but his brain gave away toward the last and the last inter view I had with him showed all too plainly that he was in no condition to do such work. Much hard work and close confinement was probably the cause of losing his health. John H. Given, Raccoon Row, was one of our early plow makers; and it is to his credit to say that his plows had a reputa tion second to none in this part of Iowa. The saying that "his plows would scour" was a watchword among the farmers of Iowa; and many an agriculturalist kept his plows bright by constant use in the summer season. His chil dren were noted for their brightness at school and his oldest daughter, Miss Pauline, was one of the first women newspaper reporters in Des Moines. Mr. AI Swalm carried her away with him when he received his appointment as Con sul to Southampton, England, from whence reports of a happy home and duties faithfully done, have come. W. W. Moore, "Billy," Raccoon Row, came here in the early days of 1848 and was probably one of the best known men in the city. He was an employee at first but 56 A History of Early Des Moines soon acquired capital "to go it alone." He was a jolly, happy man and had a faculty of mak ing friends with every one he met. Business of all kinds was done on Second Street for sev- w. w. MOORE By Tacitus Hussey 37 eral years, until some of the bolder merchants seemed inclined to seek business locations fur ther to the west. One of these enterprising merchants was Mr. Moore, who built a store on Walnut Street between Third and Fourth and began business in a larger way. Mr. Moore was an advertiser and did some of it in rhyme, as some of the columns of our old papers plainly show. Here is a little verse some of the country boys and girls used to re cite at school : "Sound the trumpet, beat the drum ; From housetop and from steeple ; For Billy Moore is now on hand And bound to please the people.'' These little quips which appeared at ten cents a line always brought customers and shekels. His old Opera House still stands, at the time of this record, 1919. Dr. F. C. Grimmell, Guard House; F. C. Grimmell, Guard House; George Sneer, step son, Guard House. Guard House was ar ranged in two rooms, one of which was used as an office and drug store and the other as the living room. In this room Mr. P. M. Casady, then a rising lawyer, plead his first case with Miss Augusta Grimmell, won her, and they 38 A History of Early Des Moines were happy. Later Dr. F. C. Grimmell built a house on the northwest corner of Sixth and High, where St. Ambrose Church was afterwards built; and there, on June 27, 1848, the marriage was consummated in the presence of a joyous assembly compris ing a large portion of the villagers. Dr. Grim mell afterward built a fine residence on the Sixth Street hill on the spot now occupied by the Victoria Hotel. The Grimmell family, one First Frame House, Built by Dr. F. C. Grimmell, in Which Judge P. M. Casady Was Married By Tacitus Hussey 39 and all, were in their day and generation, helpers to lay the foundations of Des Moines in good citizenship. James Sherman, Des Moines Row, was a dry goods merchant. He was a brother of Hoyt, Lampson and Gen. W. T. Sherman, one of the Generals of the Civil War. His son, PHINEAS M. CASADY Des Moines' First Postmaster Charles, was a druggist occupying one of the best drug sites in the city. Another son, Hoyt Sherman, Jr., married one of our popular young ladies of the long ago and removed to Salt Lake City, Utah. Mrs. James Sherman was a much loved woman in those pioneer days MRS. AGUSTA G. CASADY Widow of Late Judge Phineas M. Casady By Tacitus Hussey 41 and did her full share in making the early be ginnings as pleasant as possible. Hon. P. M. Casady, resident of "Raccoon Row," was the first postmaster and letter car rier of "Fort Des Moines" and had his office in "Raccoon Row." His office fixtures were very simple consisting of a table, a chair or two and his tall. plug hat. Once a week when the mail carrier came in on horse-back, with the locked mail-bag he unlocked and gave it a few exrta shakes over his hat and handed back the empty sack. Assorting the letters one by one he placed them in his hat ready for delivery. The distribution of the mail was not an irk some task, as it gave the postmaster the oppor tunity of meeting neighbors, hearing and see ing them and telling the latest neighborhood news. In those days Dr. F. C. Grimmell, who lived in the deserted guard house, received more letters than any of the other settlers in the colony; and besides, he had a daughter, Augusta, of just the right age to attract a young man. Her eyes were like stars, her step as light and graceful as a gazelle. This young postmaster won her later, "hands down" as you might say, and they were married in the Grimmell residence on Sixth and High streets. 42 A History of Early Des Moines A man by the name of Hayes lived in Rac coon Row. He had a wife, a son and a daugh ter. Mary Hayes was a stalwart young woman of immense strength and was very peaceable as a general thing. She publicly announced "that she would not take 'sass' from any one — man or woman ;" and she became a noted character among the dwellers in the officers' and soldiers' cabins. On some occasions when wood was scarce she would yoke up her father's oxen, go into the nearby forest, cut down a tree and swinging it beneath the "hind axle" of the wagon "snake" it near the front door of her father's cabin, and cut it in proper lengths for burning in the open fire place. As there were no bridges over the two rivers in those days she acted in the capacity of "ferryman" and in this capacity ferried Judge Joseph Williams over the Des Moines river. "Judge Joe," as he was familiarly called, was a joker, and it is believed that his meeting with Mary Hayes was the first time he was ever worsted by a woman. When reaching the middle of the stream he called a halt and said "Mary"; and she very respectfully answered "Sir"; and the Judge continued: "Suppose I should just turn this boat around, carry you off to St. Louis, and OATB JOEBSOH, TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THE9E PRESENTS, GREETING: ramertno, ti, <& ¦ fy „-S ¦ s/.,,..,.y/:,j,j.nm^„ iK.„rt. .„//;,, ,„(.„,/,. ,.„„,or<,„,„, r,„., ,:,, ,.,,. ®8«, lint It &l, «.*fi/ly m /& in/,r,/r «4 tf„ ,„,!' ,.[ tl„ 8W C|]',tt SWoii U te ofJUd, at Oit'ai™,,^,,. IR^fe' ** ,. ', ¦ , ^ JalJ tf ~.^V. - ¦'' T.. if, „m, .;' „ SW clu tfUi.Mn*) djft IWowil and (wW* an* ,| Ik, JinVjimcW of lluVH'ml.J 'Jlnlo UU MinUS Facsimile of First Postmaster's Commission, Issued to Phineas M. Cassady, December, 1846. 44 A History of Early Des Moines marry you." And Mary made answer : "You carry me off and marry me? Why I wouldn't have such an old dried up cracklin' as you, if you were the last man on earth and a woman could not get to heaven without a husband. If you don't stop your nonsense and be have yourself I'll pitch you out of the boat and you can continue your journey to St. Louis alone." She rowed him to shore, collected her ten cent ferrage and they parted. The Judge probably told the joke on himself at one of his entertaining "Talks of Pioneering" in the later years of his life, for he was a very interesting talker on all subjects. Mr. "Lamp" Sherman who started a Whig paper on Jan. 1/1859 was sitting in his print ing office early one morning when Mary Hayes called with "blood in her eye" and asked abrupt ly "Where is your foreman?" Mr. Sherman answered quietly "He has not come in yet — what do you want of him?" "I want to thrash the ground with him ! I am going to whip him till his hide won't hold shucks. He insulted me last night." Mr. Sherman made a mental picture of "pied forms," upset cases, broken windows, a general demoralization of his ten by twelve newspaper office and he sent a trusty By Tacitus Hussey 45 errand boy to his foreman's boarding house with a request that his foreman should absent himself. In the meantime he arranged for an armistice, and with contrition in the heart of one and with ample apology and forgiveness on the part of the other the matter was amica bly adjusted. Later, in the early fifties, a man going with a wagon train to California married Mary Hayes and their honeymoon was spent somewhere between Des Moines and Sacra mento, California. It is said to have been a case of "love at first sight" and there is scarce ly a doubt of it. She was an expert ox-driver, a good cook, and could pick him up and carry him on her shoulder in case of a break-down, and what more could a man ask in those days of pioneering? Judge "Joe" Williams was one of our early Supreme Judges. Besides being so well versed in law that very few of his court decisions were ever reversed or even questioned, he was a musical genius, playing on four or five musi cal instruments, a singer, a mimic and a ven triloquist. Dr. Alexander Shaw, then doing business as a druggist, corner of Second and Market, in honor of Judge "Joe" Williams, a man he much admired, gave an "impromptu 46 A History of Early Des Moines Dutch lunch" as he was pleased to call it, on a certain evening in November, 1855. There were about twenty guests present and after we had partaken of the sausage, crackers, cheese and cider, Judge "Joe" Williams entertained the company with a half hour programme of songs, sketches, imitations, a German mono logue, ending by singing the Star Spangled Banner, accompanying his voice on his violin. This was a fit ending to his entertainment and gave us a lasting idea of his wonderful capabil ities. On the following morning while break fasting at the Demoine House, he sent Mrs. Joseph Warner, one of the ladies of the hotel, scurrying up to her bed room to see what was the matter with her baby Hattie, whose cries she imagined she heard, to be laughed at by those who sat at the same table with this imita tor of crying children; for when she arrived at the bedroom she found her baby daughter in the sweet sleep of babyhood. Miss Hattie Warner, the then baby, is the wife of Hoyt Sherman, Jr., of Salt Lake City, Utah. A sketch of Judge Williams' life can be found in E. H. Stiles' Biography of prominent Iowa men in the Historical Department. By Tacitus Hussey 47 Austin Rush was a stepson of Barlow Gran ger and got his first knowledge of the printing business at the Iowa Star office, the first paper printed in "Fort Des Moines" in 1846. Bar low Granger was a practical printer and set type by the side of Horace Greeley in New York. Later he took Mr. Greeley's oft repeat ed advice, "Go West, young man, Go West". In those days agents for entertainment troupes carried their stereotype plates with them and had their bills printed at the country printing office. One of these agents came to Fort Des Moines in an early day and brought a stereo type plate from which to print the bills. "Aus" Rush took an impression of it and laid it before the editor to have the "proof" read. The editor in charge, Dr. W. H. Farner, who was not a practical printer, read it over slowrv while "Rush" stood silently by as if waiting for suggestion or errors. Farner turned to the sober-faced boy and asked, "Who set that up?" "I did," said the solemn-faced joker. "Well," said the aston ished and gratified editor, "that's the best job ever set up in this office." The joke leaked out some way and it cost Dr. Farner a peck of apples — and apples were apples in 48 A History of Early Des Moines those early days. Poor Aus! He was not lucky enough to escape a- rebel bullet at Shiloh and was killed there. Samuel Kellogg, Des Moines Row, was the first Elder of the Central Presbyterian church organized June 4, 1848. Central Presbyterian Church, 1853 Rev. Thompson Bird was the founder of the Central Presbyterian church in 1848 with a membership of five. He was born in Cas well County, N. G, January 7, 1804. He was ¦ f ''„¦ v. ¦¦-«¦«£ r\ -JS|H| Vl ¦ ¦ *•¦¦': ¦"¦¦¦•' /,{:':';.:''.^-:\';y:'.':. JH fet. "' ¦¦:<.fi"i'' ¦'¦-'. V s*W-- .;-...¦ REV. THOMPSON BIRD First President of Town Council, 1851 Pastor of First Presbyterian Congregation, 1848 50 A History of Early Des Moines educated at Chapel Hill College of his native state, attended the Theological Seminary at Andover, Mass., was married December 18, 1838, to Miss Anna P. Knowlton of Hartford, Vermont. In 1840, not being in sympathy with the institution of slavery, he removed to Thorntown, Indiana, and from thence to Red Rock, Marion County, Iowa. On January 1st, 1848, by invitation of Hon. P. M. Casady, he preached his first sermon in "Fort Des Moines" in one of the officer's cabins in "Des Moines Row." A little later, June 5, 1848, the Central Presbyterian Church was organ ized with five members. On September 2, 1865, he met with the session for the last time. He passed away January 4, 1869. Mr. Bird was the first Mayor of Des Moines in 1851. He resided for a time in one of the deserted officers' cabins designated as "Des Moines Row." Mrs. Anna P. Bird, his wife, was a scholarly lady and the best reader in the village at that early date. The school board in later years perpetuated the memory of this pioneer by naming the building at 21st and Woodland, "The Bird School." " The following is a list of dwellers in the officers' and soldiers' cabins whose history or By Tacitus Hussey 51 a sketch could not be written because of a lack of data. Their names were : Col. Thos. Baker, Raccoon Row. A. C. Breckbill, Raccoon Row. P. H. Buzzard, Raccoon Row. Addison Cane, Des Moines Row. W. W. Clapp, Des Moines Row. Benjamin Coffeen, Raccoon Row. Isaac Cole, Raccoon Row. Wm. Deford (first blacksmith) Raccoon Row. Jesse Dicks, Raccoon Row. Alonzo F. Dicks, Raccoon Row. Edward F. Dicks, Raccoon Row. Children of Jesse Dicks. Victoria Dicks, Raccoon Row. William Dilley, Raccoon Row. Henry Everly, Des Moines Row. A. B. Fuller, Raccoon Row. Edwin Hall, Des Moines Row. Townsend Hall, Des Moines Row. James Hall, Raccoon Row. James Holcomb, Raccoon Row. Jacob Holcomb, Raccoon Row. Richard Holcomb, Raccoon Row. William Holcomb, Raccoon Row. Lewis Jones, Raccoon Row. 52 A History of Early Des Moines Isaac Lawson, Raccoon Row. Doctor McBride, Raccoon Row. William McClelland, Des Moines Row. Judge William McKay, Des Moines Row. Addison Michael, Des Moines Row. John M. Perry, Raccoon Row. Col, John Rose, Raccoon Row. A. B. Shoemaker, Des Moines Row. Jacob Shoemaker, Des Moines Row. James Stanton, Raccoon Row. Hamilton Thrift, Raccoon Row. C. C. Van, Raccoon Row. George B. Warden, Raccoon Row. William Ware, Des Moines Row. Lewis Whitten, Des Moines Row. L. D. Winchester, father-in-law of W. W. Moore, Des Moines Row. Squatters who occupied land while waiting for the Land Office to open so they might enter land at the government prices $1.25 an acre: John Barlow John D. McClain George Beebe John D. McGlothlin Benjamin Bennett Wm. H. McHenry Thos. K. Brooks D. C. Marts J. F. Burgett W. H. Meacham P. H. Buzzard Thomas Mitchell By Tacitus Hussey 53 Elijah Canfield Philo L. Case Thomas M. Clough John S. Dean F. E. Elliott Stephen Farr J. H. Finch B. F. Frederick Jacob Frederick B. F. Grimstead J. J. Harrods Thomas Henderson Robert Howard William Hughes J. C. Jordan James Lafferty Newton Lamb Daniel Mock Charles Morrow. Franklin Nagle Thomas Napier Peter Newcomer David Norris Walter Oyler Hugh Pursley J. P. Saylor John Q. A. Saylor Aleck Scott L. D. Sims James Stanton C. Stutsman William Van Dorn Reason Wilkins FIRST COUNTY OFFICERS Elected April 6, 1846 John Saylor, Probate Judge Thomas Mitchell, Sheriff James Phillips, Coroner Thomas McMullin, Recorder W. F. Ayres, Treasurer G. B. Clark, Assessor Addison Michael, Collector. 54 A History of Early Des Moines Benjamin Saylor, W. R. Meacham and E. Fouts, County Commissioners. Number of votes cast 175. Number of people in Polk county estimated at 500. PETER NEWCOMER One op the First Settlers CHAPTER III ORGANIZATION OF VILLAGE In 1851 an election was held to decide whether or not the village should be incor porated. There were forty-two votes cast in favor of incorporation and one against it. Rev. Thompson Bird, P. M. Casady and Lampson P. Sherman were elected to write a charter. They reported on October 11, 1851. On the 18th of October the charter was submitted to the voters and was adopted unan imously by twenty- five votes. Ten days there after the new council was elected : Rev. Thomp son Bird, President (or Mayor) ; councilmen, W. T. Marvin, R. W. Sypher, Jesse Dicks, P. M. Casady, C. D. Reinking, Lampson P. Sherman and Hoyt Sherman. "WE ARE BUILDING A CITY HERE." One dark night in October, :'n eighteen forty-five, The Pioneers were waiting for the gun Which should start them helter skelter on their now historic drive, For the Redman's race in Iowa was run ! And when, from the block-house roof came the longed for musket-shot Which echoed up and down the river's shore, 56 A History of Early Des Moines There was hurrying of men each to claim his wished for lot Which his greedy eyes selected, long before ! Then, by starlight, torchlight, lantern, or perhaps the waning moon Slowly setting far adown the distant west, With surveyor's chains and ropes were measured off above the 'Coon, The lands and lots which seemed to them the best ! The southern hills looked down, all approvingly the while, The mingling rivers murmured their good cheer, The October smoke-veiled sun said with nod and wink and smile, "Thus begins the building of a city here." Grangers, Casadys and Shermans, all came a-flockin' in, The Redheads, Griffiths, Campbells, Aliens, Clapps And Grimmels, with ox-teams, all ready to begin With their families, "household goods ai'd traps !" And every added family put forth its strength and might Increasing thus the settlement's good cheer, Joining in with their new friends in a sturdy, plucky fight, To begin and build a real city here. Then the clay, beneath the hills, said : "Pray do not leave me out — "You can mold me into any form you will — "Burn or trample upon me ! For there surely is no doubt "That for the stuff with which to build, 1 fill the bill." "Old King Coal !" was "cropping out" from under hills not far avvay, Shouting, "I have tons and tons of stuff to burn ! ' "Since Noah went out boating, I've been waiting for this day ; "And I'd like a chance to give your wheels a- turn !" Said the faithful old Des Moines, with her bed and borders fair, "You've no other burden-bearer to the sea, By Tacitus Hussey 57 "Launch upon my ample bosom all the boats that I can bear, "Put your transportation questions up to me." The Raccoon, swift and crooked, said: — "I want to do my share — "With my gravel bed and bottoms, crooks' and kinks, "Go ahead and build your city, good and big and clean and fair. "I'm prepared to set 'em up to baths and drinks." Then two railroads, strolling in, said : "We're visiting the West "For the first time and we'd like to haul your freight — "And if you build a city here, we'll do our level best "To make it the best and biggest in the state !" Then Old Lightning1 hit the town with 'his unresisting stroke, Laid the slow, old, dinky horse-car on the shelf, Saying: I'll help build a city here, with the assistance of Jeff Polk. "For alone that guy could do the job himself." THE FIRST WHITE CHILD "Joe" Thrift was garrison tailor. When the garrison was abandoned in 1845-6 Mr. Thrift found himself out of a job. It appears that in those early days the office of "Garrison Tailor" was an appointive one and Mr. Thrift had received his appointment at Fort Madison, Iowa, arriving there in 1842. He was trans ferred to "Fort Raccoon," the name given to the new station in 1843, by Commander Allen which was changed to Fort Des Moines by government authorities who thought the lat- 58 A History of Early Des Moines ter name a little more dignified. Joe Thrift arrived here on the steamboat "Agatha," Captain Lafferty, the boat which brought up a portion of the soldiers and supplies from Fort Sanford, near Ottumwa, Iowa, locating with wife in "Raccoon Row." The boat with barges landed at the mouth of Raccoon, near the site of the "old covered bridge" built some years later. Knowing that his office would cease when the treaty expired in 1845, he made claim to a tract of land at or near our present Union Park and built a *cabin there; and it was in this cabin the first white child in Polk County was born, little "Hannah Jane" Thrift, the pet of the women and girls of the little village, which in after years became the capi tal of the richest agricultural state in the Union. Through her marriage she became connected with the "Jewett Family" of which George A. Jewett, the "Prince of Lumber Dealers", was historian. Some time in the fif ties Mr. Thrift joined the great caravan of Iowans going to California, overland; and here, so far as Iowa is concerned, his history ceases. ?William H. Thrift, fourteenth Adjutant General of Iowa, 1905-1909, was a son of "Joe" Thrift and was born in the cabin referred to. — E. R. H. By Tacitus Hussey 59 FIRST SCHOOL IN DES MOINES This school was taught by Miss Mary Davis in 1846 in one of the soldiers' cabins in Rac coon Row. It is to be regretted that the first names of the children could not be obtained; but they are given as belonging to the dwellers in the cabins abandoned by the soldiers. Teacher, Miss Mary Davis The Scott family, 2 children The Warden family, 1 child The Hayes family, 2 children The Tucker family, 2 children The Morris family, 4 children The Hoxie family, 2 children, — Rose Hoxie, * William H. Hoxie. It was understood that on the arrival of a steamboat the school was dismissed for the time being. When the District Court wished to hold a session, the school mistress and scholars took a vacation. FIRST PRIVATE SCHOOL This was called Mrs. Thompson Bird's "Female Seminary." It was a log house built in 1851-2 and stood on Second Street between Walnut and Locust, the site later occupied by 60 A History of Early Des Moines the Des Moines Electric Car Company. Mrs. Bird was the principal, teacher and manager all in one. By some lucky chance the writer is enabled to give the names of the graduates of this school, some of whom are still residents of Des Moines at the date of publication of this book. They are: Mrs. Frances Cooper Hubbell, Mrs. Lida Hull -Potter, Mrs. William Winchester Moore, Misses Kate, Maria and Ella Holland (daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Granville Hol land), Anna Eider, Elizabeth Chester Lyon, Eliza Lyon, Lizzie Lawson, Mrs. Lawson Sherman, Mrs. Minerva Jones Hallett, Alwilda Jones, Victoria Dicks, "Till" Eider, Pomroy Cooper, Mrs. Laura Lyon White, Edward Jones, George Reinicker, William Reinicker, L. H. Bush, George Lyon, Arthur Given, Rob ert Dewey, Charles Sherman, Hoyt Sherman, Jr., and Simon Casady. These last ten names mentioned were not, strictly speaking, eligible to scholarship in the Female Academy; but to increase her. revenue and to keep them from under their mothers' feet in the cramped quar ters, they were given places in the Academy. By Tacitus Hussey 61 The "Academy" was subject to dismissal by mutual consent when the prolonged whistle of a steamboat was heard down the river, and the students with hastening feet, followed by the preceptress with more dignified steps, went to the boat landing — "three days from the Mississippi, linking us to civilization." other "first things" On the 11th of October, 1845 midnight, the signal gun was fired, which told to the world that the Redmen had relinquished to the white men of Iowa, their entire belongings. That was the beginning of Fort Des Moines, to be the largest city in the best and richest state in the Union. These are a few of the beginnings : First political meeting, February 14, 1846, was held to select candidates for the several county offices in Polk county. First election, April 6, 1846. First District Court, July 6, 1846; election held in one of the deserted cabins on Raccoon Row. This cabin was also used for first school established same year by Miss Mary Davis. First Sheriff of Polk county, Thomas Mitchell. 62. A History of Early Des Moines First church organized was the Methodist, 1846. First Sunday School organized, 1846, with seven children. B. T. Hoxie and Ezra Rathbun. First Sermon, by Ezra Rathbun at funeral of Lieutenant Grier's baby, 1845. First Clerk of District Court, Perry Cross- man, 1846. First church building, erected on Fifth Street, a frame building, Methodist, which stood where Iowa Loan and Trust (now Polk) Building stands. First physician, (Civilian) Dr. Thomas K. Brooks, 1845. First two story frame building, corner of Third and Market Street, July -1847, by David Solenbarger. First brick building, on court avenue, site now occupied by the Randolph Hotel, by L. D. Winchester in 1849. Billy Moore, one of our best known and loved early merchants, was married in the Winchester residence in the long ago. Mr. Moore died May 5, 1918, the oldest settler in the city. By Tacitus Hussey 63 First tavern on East Side, by W. H. Meacham. It was a log structure standing near East end of Grand Avenue bridge. First tavern on the west side was a log cabin on Market Street. It had been used as a black smith shop in 1843-4-5, by the dragoon's blacksmiths, and was added to by "Martin X Tucker," who became the landlord. He signed his name with an "X" as he could not write, and has thus gone down in early history. He afforded much amusement to our early settlers. First public school, in 1849-50, in court house on Cherry Street, taught by Rev. J. A. Nash, assisted by Leonard Brown. First Public School building, finished 'in 1855, corner of 9th and Locust Streets. This edifice was nearly two years in building, Joseph H. Stickney, principal, Miss Assenah White, assistant. The first Fourth of July celebration was held in 1836, and was a very unique affair, according to Aaron W. Harlan, one of the oldest steamboat captains on the Des Moines river. There were no women present, no speeches, toasts nor refreshments except as mentioned below. Iowa was then known as 64 A History of Early Des Moines "Wisconsin Territory." There were about four hundred men present and the celebration was held on a big flat boat or "broad horn" as such boats used to be called. It was held at Croton, on the Des Moines river. The com pany clubbed together and bought a barrel of whiskey, rolled it on deck, tapped it, supplied plenty of tin cups, placed it in charge of a man by the name of James Jenkins, to be dealt out by him at his discretion — free of charge. This he did for a part of the day; but finding the business a little monotonous, he asked the com mittee to excuse him, which they did. During the remainder of the day every man who wished a drink, drew and drank at his own pleasure. There was no excitement, no quar rels nor fights, and there was but one drunken man ; and only two or three who seemed any worse for the liquor ! Mr. Harlan who seemed to have, the matter in charge wished to have this fact mentioned as something which, in these days of prohibition, would be impossible. And so it goes down in history. Mr. Harlan's statement in his own handwriting is still pre served. The first Court House was built about 1850. It was a two-story brick, standing on Cherry By Tacitus Hussey 65 Street, south of the present Court House. The second story contained four offices, for audi tor, clerk, recorder and treasurer. The first floor was used as a court room, public hall, and on Sunday for religious meetings. The lot is now occupied by the Union Station. The first jail stood a little to the east and was about twenty or thirty yards from the court house. It was one of the safest jails in the state. It was built of logs; was twenty feet long and about fifteen feet wide. The jailer lived above this structure. There was no stairway reaching to the jail, but when a prisoner was brought in he was let down to his cell through a trap door with a rope fast ened around his body, which, when untied, gave him the freedom of the entire roomy cell. His food was lowered to him by the rope route in a bucket, and all refuse was brought up in the same way; but probably not in the same bucket ! A portion of two logs was sawed out on the opposite sides, making an opening of three feet, on which iron bars were bolted, giving air and light. No glass adorned these windows. If a prisoner wished to view the country to the north he could cling to these bars and see the little pioneer Methodist 66 A History of Early Des Moines Church on Fifth Street, or if he wished to look to the south he could see the Raccoon river with its wealth of willows, hastening to join the Des Moines in its race to the sea — the length of these views depending very largely on the strength of the prisoner's arms and clinging proclivities! When "Pap Hewitt," assisted by his wife, assisted a prisoner down to his cell by the rope route, he would express his belief as regards the safety of the prisoner, "He's there to stay b'gosh !" and go about his other employment in full confidence that the prisoner would be there when he got back to attend to his midday duties ! First drug store, 1846, started by Dr. F. C. Grimmell, in the Guard House, which was also his residence. First regular mail arrived March 3, 1846. First post office building was built by Hoyt Sherman, P. M., 1850 on the northeast corner of Second street and Vine. First marriage license was issued for the marriage of Benjamin Bryant and Elvira Birge, June 11, 1846. First census taken July, 1846, population 127. By Tacitus Hussey 67 First record of sale of town lots, August 14, 1846. First mortgage on record, June 27, 1847. First Ice dealer, Ed R. Clapp, 1846. First meat market, "Uncle" David Norris, second street, 1846. Des Moines' First Stage Coach, July 1, 1849 First town council meeting in first court house on Cherry Street, October, 1851. First President of Town Council, Rev. Thompson Bird, 1851. First newspaper, The Iowa Star, June 26, 1849. Barlow Granger, editor and proprietor, (Democrat). State House, 1858 By Tacitus Hussey 69 First Whig paper, The Gazette, January 1, 1850, Lampson P. Sherman, Editor and Pro prietor, discontinued at end of year. First Great Western Stage Coach Com pany's stage to enter village, July 1, 1849. First grist mill, (horse power) W. H. Meacham, east side, 1846. First stove store, on Second Street, Jesse F. Dicks, 1849. First coal dug for garrison use, in 1843. First lawyer admitted tp practice law in the district court, William D. Frazier, September, 1846. _ Temporary capitol building opened to the public, January 3, 1858, and was made the occasion of great rejoicing. First fraternal society was the Masons, January 16, 1850. First tailor, J. M. Thrift, first in employ of garrison, 1843. •Afterwards on Second and Market, 1846. First plasterer, Samuel Gray, 1848, plas tered first court house in 1850. First photographer, 1856, G. L. Reynolds, Exchange Block, Walnut Street. Second pho tographer, Joseph Sherman, 1857, Second Street. 70 A History of Early Des Moines First carpet bought in village, an ingrain, by Mrs. F. R. West, 1849. 111 . ,-.'"^>i&"-i-r^. Old Exchange Block at Third and Walnut Streets First full blooded Irishman, Michael Mc- Tighe, 1854, landlord of the "Shamrock House" on Second and Vine. In connection with Michael Drady, ran the first ward to their satisfaction. First amusement hall, Dr. M. P. Turner, on Court Avenue, near old Register & Leader Block, 1856-7. By Tacitus Hussey 71 First iron foundry, H. N. Hemingway, in autumn of 1856. First steam boiler works, N. S. McDonald, near east end of Court Avenue bridge. First brass band, C. A. Mosier, leader, 1855. Members : William E. Boyd, E flat trumpet ; Dr. F. C. Grimmell, E flat trumpet; Alonzo F. Dick, tenor E flat trumpet ; Thomas Boyd, bass ophicleide; F. C. Karns, tenor trombone; Cy rus A. Mosier, E flat saxhorn; Horace Bush, French horn; John H. Boyd, bass drum; George Sneer, snare drum. First piano, brought to Des Moines in 1853 by Captain F. R. West. When Miss Thusa West touched its keys at the West residence on Third Street on a summer evening, a surprised and delighted company paused to listen ; for it was a novelty in the then "Far West." First drayman, Michael Kennedy. He drove his dray overland from Iowa City, ar riving here in 1853. It was the first two- wheeled dray ever seen in the village. He re ceived a warm welcome and a liberal patronage. First power printing press was introduced by Thomas H. Sypher d, on which to print the 72 A History of Early Des Moines Iowa Weekly Citizen, 1856. When John Tees- dale, the new State Printer, took over the office, he changed the name to the Iowa State Regis ter. The "Guernsey" press was still used; but was too slow for the increasing business, and was replaced by faster machines. First Brewery, George Hierb, corner Cen ter and Seventh Street, 1855. It was a favor ite place to hold elections. First buggy built to order was built by O. W. Munsell, for Captain F. R. West, and wife, some time in 1867. The seat was fully six feet wide, with wheels as low as practical. It ought to have been preserved for the good that it has done. First daily issue of the Register, January 12, 1862. LTp to this time Des Moines readers had to depend on the Burlington "Hawkeye" for "War News." First cord of wood to be sawed on a lost election bet was sawed at the east front of the old Savery House at Fourth Street by Edward B. Whitcomb, then assistant secretary of the Hawkeye Insurance Company, some time in the seventies. The Chronicler says: "The sawbuck and saw were furnished by Well- slager & Ledlie, the buckskin gloves by George By Tacitus Hussey 73 B. Goodwin;" but as to who furnished the bacon rind for greasing the saw blade, the Chronicler is strangely silent. It was some sport for the boys and girls of that date. A bevy of school girls lingered near, who had volunteered to carry away the severed sticks J*. -'-•,^<,'i«e B*&&-'- P *' '''¦** jrP^*" - " ,jijlfii(IIP|lf lliptl Utinii The First Savery House. Built 1856 and pile them out of the way. Their names were Kitty Allen, Nettie West, and three sis ters, Kitty, Hagie and Lizzie Hooker. At half past three in the afternoon, a blare of trumpets 74 A History of Early Des Moines announced that the bet had been paid. Then the brave sawyer was placed on a hastily con structed platform and carried about the streets to the music of the village band. First Presbyterian sermon, by Rev. Thomp son Bird, January 1, 1848. For seating the congregation all the chairs in the settlers' cabins had to be borrowed, and they were lent on condition that they were to be returned by dinner time; and Mr. P. M. Casady saw to it that the promise was religiously kept. The first bridge was of the pontoon order, and was on what is known now as Grand Ave nue. It was a single track bridge and not available in case of floods. The first three men who held a "Silver An niversary" on December 25, 1875, were Billy Moore,' Lampson P. Sherman and Dr. W. H. Ward. The Old Settlers' Association gave each one of these happy couples a silver service set; and the three pioneer judges, Casady, Wil liamson and Phillips, made the presentation speeches. The first "home made" pair of shoes ever made in the village was made by Isaac Cooper in 1845. The shoes were made from an old saddle skirt found in one of the deserted cabins By Tacitus Hussey 75 occupied by the Dragoons. Mr. Cooper's old est daughter needed a pair of shoes, and as Mr. Cooper was handy with tools, the pair was made and worn by his daughter, Frances, for a year or two, and did good service. The first company of runaway slaves from Missouri arrived in Des Moines in 1862. They traveled all night to Peach the borders of Iowa, and then felt safe. There were thirteen in all ; they traveled with two two-horse teams, "bor rowed" for the occasion, and one of them, Jeff Logan, rode his master's horse for "this occa sion only." Gen. William Duane Wilson, uncle of Woodrow Wilson, who was always on the lookout to do good, organized them into a Sunday school at the Central Presbyterian Church and with the aid of others, taught them to read and laid the foundation for an education, with other teachers and scholars of the school assisting. Previous to coming to Iowa the slaves had never seen any white bread, and could hardly believe' their eyes when it was placed before them. One of their number, Mr. Jeff Logan, made a career for himself, and his "Possum Sup pers" were well known to many senators, representatives and governors in Iowa. 76 A History of Early Des Moines The first ice plough was used on the Des Moines river in the winter of 1856. It at tracted much attention when Ed Clapp set it to work. It could do more work than four cross-cut saws operated by four men by hand. The first flock of sheep was brought to the village in 1846. They were pastured on the open prairie near where the present court house stands. The open space reached from Fifth Street to Ninth Street. A portion of this tract was used by the dragoons as a parade and drill ground from 1843 to 1845. Jim Campbell had the sheep in charge. The first town lot was traded for a suit of clothes in May, 1848. Uncle "Billy" Moore had just arrived to take a position in B. F. Allen's dry goods store. His trunk had been delayed,- but it finally came one Sun day morning. In opening it he displayed his worldly goods in a reckless manner. Meantime, a dapper little fellow, named Sprague, came into' the store. "Look here," he said, "I have a lot up town I will give for that coat and pair of pants — provided they will fit me." The clothes proved to be a perfect fit. He drew them off very reluctantly and they went By Tacitus Hussey 77 out to see the lot. The bargain was closed. The suit of clothes was handed over and the deed was made out the next day. Three years thereafter the trustees of the Central Presbyterian church purchased the same lot for $600 cash, the negotiations being made by B. F. Allen. The price of the lot sixty or seventy years later would buy a well-stocked clothing store, including a, modern automobile ! The church was built in 1853; was burned on a November .night, 1867, destroying every thing of value. The following Sabbath serv ices were held in the court house, and the pas tor took his text from the eleventh verse of the sixty- fourth chapter of Isaiah : "Out holy and our beautiful house is burned with fire; and all our pleasant things are laid waste." The first church bell ever rung for a 'horse race was the Methodist bell on Fifth street. There were no encores. It was done to secure a promised subscription, banteringly offered by Jim Campbell, and accepted by "Alex Bowers," sexton. 78 A History of Early Des Moines TO A PAIR OF OLD BOOTS. Here you are in the attic you homely old things, The sight of you sends me on memory's wings Back to the youth of Des Moines and of me. Had you something to do with those days? Let us see. Well, who made you, old Boots, in that long time ago? Bert, or Charles Corning, Stacy Johns & Co.? Kemp, Kahler, Utterson, Rogers or Mills — These names the whole list of old time makers fills. And who wore you, Boots, in that good old day? Did love, liquor or money direct you the way Through quagmire and mud, through sleet, snow and slush Over velvet of prairie, through stumps, stones and brush? Were your red sheep skin tops, cowhide uppers and soles Once smooth, soft and shapely, without rips, wrinkles and holes ? Did you once please the eye of matron and maid As you clattered the clog or swung in parade? Were you Major Sherman's in 1854 Striding along as a king 'twere you bore? Or old Barlow Granger's in 1855 Who could not wear you out while he was alive? The men of your time aimed, and worked toward, good ends. Whoever your maker or wearer, old friends, They wrought with ambition for country and self. They who laid our foundations, laid you on the shelf. '*.])"£; See Poem — "To a Pair of Old Des Moines Boots" CHAPTER IV A WALK UP SECOND STREET IN 1855. Hall's Ridge on the north, and Van's Hill. on the south smiled down on each other over the almost uninhabited space on a level plateau. The Raccoon and the Des Moines joined at the "Point" at which was located "Fort Rac coon," the first name of the military station, afterwards known as "Fort Des Moines," by the order of General Winfield Scott, then the Commander of • the military forces of the United States. The dusky sun of an Autumn day looked down upon the scene while the two united rivers ran ' their race peacefully to the Mississippi. Suppose, on this beautiful after noon of November 20, 1855, we take a walk up Second Street, the then Broadway of "Fort Des Moines," the future capital of the richest and best agricultural state in the Union. Before we start on our hike let us take a drink of the water fcom the "Dragoon Well" dug by the garrison in the spring of 1843. This well was located on Elm Street about ' By Tacitus Hussey 81 forty feet from Second Street and supplied the garrison from 1843 to the end of the treaty in 1845, and afterwards the pioneers, who oc cupied the officers' and soldiers' quarters. It afterwards became the public well, until it fell into disuse sometime in 1856. Not far away from this well, there remained the stump of the flag staff from which "Old Glory" floated, probably the first flag to kiss the breeze in the region, between the early spring of 1843, until it was hauled down when the military station was abandoned in 1846. The "stump" of this flag staff is mentioned because it looked as if the flag staff had been cut down in the night, hurriedly, Avith a dull ax; and tradition has it that a man who owned a bakery near by, felled the flag staff and cut it in suitable lengths, with which to heat his oven. It was not the age of "conservation" and the most valuable historic relic would weigh very lightly with a man who wished to turn out a well browned batch of bread, which would bring him the cash. Regrets are vain, and we will continue our walk. In going up this, then Broadway, on the afternoon mentioned, nearly sixty-two years ago, we note that a portion of the old "Parade Ground" reached down to a portion of 82 A History of Early Des Moines land on Second and Elm, and Market, the main part, reaching up to about Eighth Street, where the stables and the corrals for the disabled horses were. On the west, on Second, was located Lovejoy's Lumber Yard, occupying half a square. On the east side of Second, starting from Elm, there were two or three small houses before we come to W. J. Gatling's Law Offices, a frame building of two rooms, one of which he occupied, the other he rented. In a modest little one-story building in this block, directly opposite Lovejoy's Lumber Yard, lived Michael Drady, one of the heroes of Company D, Second Iowa, at the battle of Fort Donelson, as brave a little Irishman as ever drew breath. If, at any time you should see him at a meeting of early settlers, get him to tell, how, one night, he sought and found Lovejoy's Lumber Yard. It is worth ten min utes' time of the busiest man on earth. The story in short is this : He got out with "the boys" one night on our then "Broadway" on the upper part ; and when the boys separated to go home, he had a somewhat confused idea of directions but he knew that if he could find Lovejoy's Lumber Yard, it would not be hard to find his home. So he travelled the length By Tacitus Hussey 83 and breadth of the village inquiring of those whom he met if they could tell him where Lovejoy's Lumber Yard was; somehow, by instinct perhaps, he found himself on the lower part of Second Street, and seeing a light in a window he made bold to knock at the door. It was opened by a woman with a candle above her head, and he asked in a faltering voice: "Madam, can you tell me where I can find Lovejoy's Lumber Yard?" and the familiar voice of his wife replied : "Why Mike, are you crazy? Come into the house and let me put you to bed." When he awoke in the morning "clothed in his right mind" he saw the much sought lum ber yard just across the street. There is just a little more to it. The brave stormer of Fort Donelson should have told it in his own in imitable way. Mumma's Hotel, corner of Market and Second, comes next. Mr. Mumma gave most of his time to his real estate business while his wife and daughter managed the hotel. It was afterwards called the American House under the management of C. F. Whitney. It was a very popular house, and dozens of our young men found homes there. Mr. Mumma formed 84 A History of Early Des Moines a partnership in real estate under the firm name of McGaughey, Mumma & Bare. When this sign caught the eye of Frank West on coming down the street he could not believe his eyes. He looked at it from the middle of the street at first, and then con cluded to take a nearer view. Then walking up to within ten or twelve feet he pronounced it "A Gawkey, A Mummy and A Bare. Well, that's a hell of a firm." And his hearers did not seem to disagree with him, especially those who were under the influence of Tanglefoot. Now, as we continue up the street, we find a log cabin with a basement occupied by a tailor and his family, and then in a small frame building is August Reinig, with a bakery and lunch room. It was in this cozy little room in 1856, that the first Ben Franklin dinner was held by the printers of Fort Des Moines. The members of the craft present were: Dr. W. H. Farner, editor of the Statesman; Will Por ter, assistant editor; Braxton D. Thomas, fore man; John L. Dailey, Artoise Collins, Tac Hussey, compositors; E. F. Russell, pressman, and Joe Thrailkill, "Devil." Toasts and short speeches were made by editors and foreman. No intoxicants adorned the festal board. By Tacitus Hussey 85 The next building is the Post Office, a pic ture of which is carefully preserved in one of Hussey' s numerous scrap books, Wesley Red head, . Postmaster. On the corner of Second and Vine, Ingham & Starr had a clothing store where after busi ness hours, the "Young Bucks" met to improve their dancing steps and perfect themselves in the "arts of polite society." As this walk is not to see how much ground we can cover in one afternoon, but for reminiscent purposes, let us return to the corner of Second and Market on the west side. On the corner stood the drug store of Alex ander Shaw. It was a two story building with offices in the second story. In one was Tal mage E. Brown, attorney at law, and in the other J. F. Howes, attorney. Mr. Howes dropped out of history in 1857. Mr. Brown lived here for many years to assist in building up the city as history proves. The furniture store of J. D. Reinicker came next. He was one of our earliest furniture dealers, but evi dently found a more favorable location. In a one story building was the dry goods store of Allen & Lyon, B. F. Allen and Jonathan Lyon. Mr. Allen found banking more profitable than 86 A History of Early Des Moines dry goods and started one of the first banks in the city, a few doors up the street. Next to Lyon & Allen's store was the office of Hervey, White & Bradshaw. This was a brokerage firm with plenty of leisure time on its hands. It was really the foundation stone on which our early society was built. When the society ladies assembled to discuss a function in the near future and the list of available men was gone over, a chorus of voices would announce with assurance, "Well, there's Hervey, White and Bradshaw," and the function would be assured. And yet there were other young men "wallflowers" so to speak, whose names were mentioned as an after thought, as it were : H. C. Nutt, Walter Scott Pritchard, Geo. W. Bailey, J. H. Starr, B. F. Tritle, who came all the way from Pennsyl vania to accept the office of Secretary of our Baptist College under the management of Professor Weiser, and perhaps others, but the names of this trio have gone down in history as the foundation layers in early Des Moines society. Chas. Good had a two story building in this block where he dispensed drugs of all kinds including whisky which was generally sold on By Tacitus Hussey 87 the prescription plan. The upper story was used for religious meetings and if a preacher was not handy, Mr. Good attended to it him self, as he could take a text and follow it to a logical conclusion quite as well as many back- wood orators of the old style. He was very orthodox in one thing, he always "took up a collection!" Some son of Belial in order to more fully express his feelings at this incon gruous state of affairs pinned this piece of dog gerel on the door where the religious meetings were held : "There's a spirit above and a spirit below; A spirit of love and a spirit of woe ; The spirit above is the spirit Divine, The spirit below is the spirit of wine." Burrell Campbell had a grocery adjoining, a one story brick with a blue front. The lot on which it stood was paved with brick, the first brick paving in the village. Just opposite on the same street stood the swinging sign of "The Shamrock House" kept by Mike Mc- Tighe. The sign Was ornamented by a Sham rock painted in a vivid green ; and it must have thrilled the hearts at the recollections of the "Sprig of Shelelah and the Shamrock so Green"— ,88 A History of Early Des Moines This was a rallying place for the "Irish B'ys" and many a political slate was made or broken at this little hotel. Allen's first bank stood where Green's foundry now stands. Sheets and Lovejoy had a two story frame dry goods store above Vine, and the upper story was used as a lodge room by the Masons, Odd Fellows and Good Templa'rs, a portion of the week. Mrs. Susan Sharman had a school in the next building with a music room where she gave lessons. Miss Lida Hull, the Lyon girls, the Harter girls, Emily Taylor, Victoria Dicks, Mary Levis, and other young ladies of that time here received their, education. This school was quite an attraction to the young men of the village; and many a group of the boys and girls have had their pictures taken here by Joe Sharman, who had a picture gallery in one of the adjoining rooms. This block also- contained Harry Stephensons' store, Cyrus P. Luse, hardware, William B. Baker, drugs, Simons, Billstein & Strauss, Goodwin & Purdy, jewelers, William Eng land, gunsmith, Childs, Howell & Sanford, sign of the "Big Anvil," H. M. Bush, bak ery, James Crane, dry goods, with Add Hepburn as confidential clerk and head By Tacitus Hussey 89 salesman. One morning early in January, 1855, Mr. Hepburn found "Uncle Jimmy Crane", as he was familiarly called, with deeply wrinkled brows and perturbed counte- DR. CAMPBELL'S OLD STORE First Brick Building in Des Moines nance, pouring over his cash book. The sight of his employer thus in trouble arrested Add's attention and he asked : "What is the matter, Uncle Jimmy? Anything gone wrong last night ?" Uncle Jimmy raised his grief-stricken eyes and said: "I have been robbed." "Much 90 A History of Early Des Moines taken ?" asked Add laconically. "Eighteen dol lars and fifty-five cents," replied Uncle Jimmy as he resumed his adding on the cash book. When Uncle Jimmy was in any kind of trouble he always "took something for it." When he had gone out on his errand, Add picked up the cash book and saw that the year 1855 had been placed perilously near the cash column head and had been added to the cash by mistake. When he returned this mistake was pointed out and he was so overjoyed that he wanted to hug everybody in the store beginning with Add Hepburn. The rebound from sorrow to joy was so great that he had "to take something for it," also, and did not appear at the store for three days. Whenever he had one of these "lapses" as his wife charitably termed it, she took his place and business went on as usual. Whenever she appeared, all merchants knew the cause and passed it up as an "incident." Right on the opposite side of the street, in 1855, could have been read the sign of "Simon Keffer, Boot & Shoemaker." Mr. Keffer, the father of the well known and loved "By" Keffer" outlived all his old competitors, Jim Kemp, Dave Utterson, Charles Kahler, Stacy Johns & Company, and John Rodgers. By Tacitus Hussey 91 Beginning with Vine and the west side of Second, is Billy Moore's Hoosier Store, after wards occupied by R. W. Sypher, dry goods, then the Dunkle Bros. Dry Goods and Clothing. The big wooden clock in the window of a small frame building told us that Joseph Rogg could make a wooden clock or repair watches. Mr. Rogg was the father of Chas. Rogg, our famous druggist. W. G. Andrews, watch maker and jeweler, came next, but whose story we cannot follow further, for he disappeared from history sometime in 1857. The "Agricultural Bank of Tennessee" stood along in this block. A. J. Stevens was the supposed protective man of this currency. Many of our citizens, among them Simon Casady, have a few dollars of this currency on hand. The "run" on this bank in 1858 was a fitting close of the "bank" without a "re deemer." However, the little frame building still stands on Second Street. Just across Court Avenue on Second Street stood John McWilliams' wholesale grocery store. This was one of the few brick buildings on this street. He was a very popular grocer and always had something in his back room which was very attractive to some of his cus- 92 A History of Early Des Moines tomers, most of whom emerged smiling and wiping their mouths. Among the "hangers on" was a man by the name of B. F. Reynolds. Some of the "boys" intimated that the "B. F." in his name stood for "Big Fist;" and it was said that the application was not a misnomer. It was told that he would "camp down" on one of McWliliams' coffee barrels, fill his big coat pockets with coffee and carry it home in that condition. This practice might have continued much longer if it had not been for his hired girl's gossiping, and "wondering" in the pres ence of some gossiping neighbors, "Why her employer preferred to carry his coffee home loose in his pockets, rather than to have it tied up at the grocery in the regular way." Mr. McWilliams "excused" him from visiting his store. Near Walnut Street on Second, J. Jeroleman built a one story "grout" store, which he oc cupied for a time as a dry goods store. When he went out of business, the building stood vacant for a while and then fell into the hands of some disreputable people and became a "dive" of the vilest kind. In this house one morning was found the body of a murdered By Tacitus Hussey 93 man by the name of Johnson. The murder was .fastened on a man by the name of Howard. He was tried, convicted and given a life sentence. The people were not pleased and took the matter into their own hands, gained admission to the jail and hung Howard to a lamp post on the north east corner of the square and quietly separated. No one has ever found out who so skillfully knotted the rope which encircled his neck, allowing the residue to fall to the ground in such graceful ringlets to the foot of the lamp post, but we know that when "Judge Lynch" does it, it is done with out hesitation and deft fingers. Wc will continue our walk on the east side of the street where we find the wholesale grocery of E. L. Burnam & Co., and a little nearer Walnut Street, Ayers Drug Store. We are now so near the old Demoine house, that I cannot forbear telling of a tragedy which took place there on the night of the Fourth of July, 1855. It was not known generally, and it did not find a place in the column of our weekly paper. I was told the story by the attending physician more than a third of a century ago. DEMOINE HOUSE Built 1854-5, on the Present Site of Postoffice, First and Walnut Streets CHAPTER V TRAGEDY OF THE DEMOINE HOUSE. The Demoine House was finished in 1855 near the Fourth of July, with the exception of the plastering of the dining room. The lath ing was done and there were some broken places in it where between that and the weather boarding the young men could hide a bottle of whisky if they chose. A Fourth of July dance had been advertised to take place in the evening and young men from the near by settlements were expected. Two young men from Guthrie County came down in a buggy to attend the dance, and to add to the festivi ties they had bought a quart of whisky. It was partaken of lightly at intervals during the day, and as a place of concealment during the evening, it had been put between the lath and weather boarding, a short time before the dance began. One of the young men ex pressed a wish to his companion to take a drink before the festivities began. The hiding place was pointed out. Then, taking out the supposed bottle in the dimness of the room he took 96 A History of Early Des Moines what in those days was called a "gentlemanly swig." A few minutes later he sought his friend and said, "My stomach burns like fire!" "Then," said his friend, "let's go around to Ayer's Drug Store and get a glass of soda." The soda was swallowed, but it did not ease the pain; but it was rather increased. Dr. H. L. Whitman, not far away, was called and asked, "What have you. been drinking?" And he was told "Whisky, followed by a glass of soda." "Your symptoms indicate that you have drunk 'corrosive sublimate,' " said the Doctor, and set about giving the usual antidotes. A search was made, a bottle of corrosive sublimate was found in the same place where the whisky had been hidden; placed there by one of the cham bermaids, after her battle with bed bugs. The young man was removed to another part of the house, and the doctor was surrounded by a sorrowful group with fervent inquiries of "Oh, Doctor, cannot his life be saved?" And the Doctor replied, "If I had been called within fifteen minutes after the drink was taken, I could have removed the poison by a stomach pump and then could have cleansed the stomach; but now, according to your own ac count it has been nearly forty minutes since By Tacitus Hussey 97 the drink was taken and by this time the poison has eaten off the coating of his stomach and is eating "its way to the vitals. The only thing I can do is to relieve his agony with opiates but can give no hope of saving his life!" Tradition has it that within the sound of dancing feet and the squeaking notes of the fiddle of Henn Bunn, the village fiddler, he passed to the Great Beyond. AN INCIDENT OF THE SPRING OF 1855. Father Plathe was the first Catholic priest, in 1854, having been sent here by Bishop Mat thias of Dubuque. Father Plathe was a Ger man, and began his work with energy. Two small frame buildings were erected on Sixth and Locust for school purposes. Many of the old settlers will recall the incident here record ed, in the early spring of 1855. Some families of Irish descent, recently arrived, lived in the lower part of the city. Being very hungry for some greens, they gathered some plants they supposed were harmless, and boiled them to give relish to a few slices of bacon. The first effect was about the same as swallowing some bad whisky, and they did all sorts of hilari ous things. Supposing they were all drunk, The Earliest Catholic Church at the Right. The Second at the Left By Tacitus Hussey 99 and fearing a riot, some of the neigh bors sent for Father Plathe, and Dr. Whitman, the oldest physician, was sent for, and also Dr. McGorrisk, if he was in the village. These three doctors, after a little inquiry, discovered that the singular actions were caused by eating "Jimson" they had cooked as greens, and gave them copious doses of emetic, followed by large draughts of warm water. Their lives were saved, but they did not get over the effects for a day or two. Father Plathe resigned not long after, and was succeeded by Father John F. Brazil, who was ever ready to do a good turn for Des Moines. It was due to his influence that Des Mpines, in 1 870, won her capital — a single vote by influence over a voter who was inclined to "flunk" but was brought up to the sticking point. CHAPTER VI FISHING AND HUNTING. The Des Moines river was alive with fish from its early days until about 1890. The Indian dwellers lived very largely on fish and game, which could be had for the taking. Rac coon, Beaver, Walnut and Four Mile Creeks were famous fishing places and hundreds of pounds of the finest fish in the west were taken from these streams at all proper seasons of the year. The biggest pike captured, and which weighed thirty pounds, history accords to Frank Posegate an attache of the "Star" print ing office. It was sold to Uncle Charley Good for forty cents. The next largest was a pick erel captured by B. F. Allen, and, while a little longer than Posegate' s pike, it did not pull down the scales to within a pound of the cham pion pike. Among the names of the fisher men mentioned in the catalogue were Mary Hayes, the Campbell brothers, Tom McMullen, Billy Moore, Col. Thomas Baker, H. M. Home, Jack Shoemaker and others living then in Des Moines and Raccoon Rows. By Tacitus Hussey 101 Then there were hunters who made occa sional trips to the wilds of Polk County during the hunting season, bringing home wild game of all kinds. When a surplus of game was killed, it was sold at low prices to settlers and the money spent in fresh supplies and ammu nition; for it must be remembered that with our primitive dealers, in case of bad roads or low rivers, even powder, lead and percussion caps grew scarce. A hunter of Des Moines on a spring hunt "at Twin Lakes found the nest of a wild goose with nine or ten eggs in it. He brought them home to Des Moines and placing the eggs un der a trusted hen, the entire brood was hatched. During the summer of 1855-6 the goslings grew into genuine wild geese and delighted our boys and girls with a view of a flock of wild geese at close range. One November day or night they suddenly disappeared and it was a mystery to all except to well-informed orni thologists. One dark night a flock of wild geese were moving from north to south as is their migratory custom and their loud honk- ings attracted our half -tamed wild geese — and instinct did the rest. They arose in a body, at the signal of their leader, to join their wild 102 A History of Early Des Moines companions and with a few goodby honks were on their way to the Southland. HOW JULES PARMALEE CAUGHT THE BIG PICKEREL. After the Williams dam, at the foot of Center Street, was completed by the late L. J. Wells, the Des Moines River below the dam in the spring, and above in the autumn months, afforded famous fishing places. A novice, if he knew how to bait a hook with a wriggling worm, or a fat chub from Four Mile or W'alnut Creek, had no trouble in catching "a good string" of the finest black bass, wall eyed pike, pickerel, goggle eyes, or the slow- moving cat-fish ever placed in a frying pan. It was not an unusual thing for an expert to invite a company to a "fish breakfast" and set ting his alarm clock for the hour of half past four, hie away to the river, catch a dozen game fish of various kinds, get home at six o'clock, clean them and have as many as were needed, ready for the frying pan in an hour after they were taken from the water. On some oc casions, the east and west shores below the dam, would be pretty well lined with anglers, By Tacitus Hussey 103 who as a general thing, were well rewarded for their early rising. At that date (1860), there stood on the fu ture site of the Edison Electric Light Plant, two trees near the edge of the river. One of these was a pretty good sized box alder, the other, the fragment of a large sycamore which had for years stood the shocks of flooding ice and driftwood, but had been broken off by the wind. There were a number of struggling branches still clinging to it which budded and put forth leaves just as if nothing unusual had happened. The robins and orioles used to con gregate in these two trees, seemingly for the purpose of encouraging these fishermen, or cheering them on account of their early rising. The space between these two trees was well marked with a rocky shore, extending quite a distance along the river, and where the bass congregated in great numbers. If a fisherman could not "get a bite" at one of these points, he would feel very much like winding up his line and going home. The writer has known, on a favorable morning, one hundred and fifty bass, pickeral and wall-eyed pike to be taken from this rocky point in two hours by four expert fishermen. 104 A History of Early Des Moin;:s One bright May morning in 1861, there were a few sportsmen congregated here, among them were Tom McMullen, Jim Bur- bridge, Charley Weaver, Geo. O'Kell, the writer and a few amateurs. Some very good catches had been made; but nothing larger than a three-pound bass had been taken. A little later in the morning, there appeared a small, well-dressed young man, with the usual insignia of a fisherman, a rod in a case and a pair of high rubber boots. He very leisurely took his jointed rod from the case, adjusted its several parts to his satis faction, placed the reel on the handle, carefully securing it. Then he unwound one of the smallest lines we had ever seen, trained it through the loopholes and out at the tip. Then he attached a sinker of suitable weight and last of all, what we afterward learned was a "Buell Spinning Bait." This caused considerable curiosity as it was something new ; for we sup posed that minnows were the only kind of "taking bait." The stranger very leisurely stepped to the water's edge, ten or fifteen feet above the nearest fisherman, and whirling the line sev eral times around his head, sent it with a By "Tacitus Hussey 105 "swish" as the reel unwound, far out into the river. The line was reeled in very slowly, not allowing the artificial bait to touch the bottom. This was repeated several times and finally there was a "strike," and the slender rod bent quickly in response. The line was gradually shortened and a two pound bass was landed. Three more bass were taken in the same way; and the group of fishermen began to be inter ested. Stepping a little farther out into the river, a longer cast was made into the swift current ; and it seemed to the watchers that the shining lure had scarcely touched the water, before the slender rod almost bent double. The line began to tighten and pass through the water with that peculiar hiss so musical to a fisherman's ears. The young man was all alert now. His thumb was placed on the reel in order that the line should not be paid out too rapidly. The springy, rod was held well up as the reel was wound very cautiously, so that when the hooked fish made a sudden dart for deeper water, the line could be paid out stingily, but at the same time kept safely taut. The young man showed no sign of excitement, yet the spectators could see that he was giving all his 106 A History of Early Des Moines attention to the business in hand, watching every movement of the hooked fish with the deepest interest. Three times did the pickerel display his size as he leaped into the air, shaking his gills and snapping his angry jaws in his effort to rid himself of the unwelcome hook. One of these leaps was nearly three feet in the air in which he almost doubled himself up in his effort to strike the line with his tail. Now he would come in toward the shore with such speed as to cause the rapid reeling of the line in order to keep it taut. Then, with a motion as quick as thought, he would change his tactics and make a run for the deeper water, making the line whiz as it was given out grudgingly; and the slow reeling in would begin again with many side rushes and circles. Each one of these movements brought him nearer the shore and each struggle seemed weaker than the last. The fight was nearly over! Finally, with the cunning maneuver well known to all expert fishermen, he was brought near the shore, the line shortened, still with the thumb on the reel, in case there was enough strength in him for another rush, he was "played" up and down the stream near the By Tacitus Hussey 107 shore until he was "drowned," to use a fisher man's parlance and ceased to struggle vigor ously. Then, with one hand on the reel, the rod still bending under the weight of the par tially submerged fish, the angler waded into the shallow water and placing one hand under his well earned prize, threw him on the shore, struggling and gasping, while the captor wiped .the perspiration from his animated face ! When the "strike" was made and the group of fishermen saw that the struggle was to be a prolonged one, they courteously took their lines from the water in order that there might be no entanglements. They did not offer assist ance nor suggestions, as it was evident from the beginning that the stranger was equal to the occasion. The fish was "guessed" at fif teen pounds but the actual weight was twelve .and a half pounds. When the admiring company gathered around the big catch to offer congratulations, one of the boldest of them asked, "To whom are we indebted for this object lesson in the skillful handling of the big pickerel?" "My name is Jules Parmalee," he answered mod estly. "My brother and I have recently opened a jewelry store in the Savery House 1C8 A History of Early Des Moines Block, corner of Fourth and Walnut Streets. I thank you for your courtesy to a stranger." And "stringing his fish," he departed as quiet ly as he came. And it was thus the fishermen of Des Moines added another name to the "Anglers Club" which met at the river banks during the many fishing seasons which fol lowed, few of whom are now left to "wet a line or tell a fish story!" CHAPTER VII STEAMBOATS ON THE DES MOINES RIVER FROM 1837 TO 1862. To the dwellers in the abandoned cabins in 1866 and later there was a sound which came from far down the river which was very sweet to their ears — the whistle of an incom ing steamboat. There was little for a steam boat to carry up in the way of freight — and much less to carry down — and steamboats in those days did not frolic around on rivers for the fun of the thing. So, when a steamboat whistle was heard at or about "Rattlesnake Bend" all business at the "Fort" was suspend ed and a sudden desire would be evinced to be at the landing without any further invitation; and if there were any of the inhabitants miss ing it was because of absence from the village or sickness. The women would bring out their knitting and the men would- fill their pipes or take a fresh chew of tobacco and chat as they waited. If the boat did not make her appearance in the time usually allotted to her, some man who had experienced the difficulty 110 A History of Early Des Moines of voyaging through this stream of water, would exclaim, "I'll bet she's had to warp through" and this was not an unusual process as has been experienced by many a voyager in those early days of steamboat navigation. This bend was a tortuous stretch of the river with thickly wooded shores and in some places very narrow, high banks. Sometimes a swift current would catch a pilot unaware and allow the boat to drift against the bank where she would be held as in a vise and no amount of pushing with setting poles by the deck hands, the adjurations, profanity and abuse of the surly mate could move her from her position. It was then she had to be "warped off," and for the benefit of the rising generation the pro cess is explained. One end of the cable was given a turn or two around the capstan. The remainder of the cable was carried forward by the crew in a boat and firmly fastened to a tree on the opposite side of the steamboat. Then the hand spikes were placed in the stops of the capstan and the winding process by four strong men would begin. The first round or two caused them to exert all their powers and soon the tightening cable came to the surface By Tacitus Hussey 111 of the water with a "swish" and the bow of the boat would leave her imprisoned position. Then the current would take her toward the middle of the stream, giving room for the stern wheel and pilot to get in their work. It was then that the men at the capstan swiftly followed each other in the winding up of the slackened cable to prevent it from drifting- under the boat and becoming entangled in the wheels. This "warping" process might have to be repeated two or three times in passing this stretch of the river, depending on the direction and force of the wind, the experience of the pilot and other unforeseen circumstances. But when the wait ers at the "Fort" heard the exhaust pipes giving out their notes at regular intervals they knew that the coming boat was on her way with no further interferences. And this was made doubly sure when she sent up a pro longed note from her whistle which was heard from the point where our "pork houses" used to stand; and which was given back by the echoing hills by which our military station was surrounded. And it was thus when the boat landed and hospitably shoved out her gang plank our pioneers were once more permitted to shake hands with civilization, three days 112 A History of Early Des Moines from the Mississippi river. Is it any wonder that her decks were soon crowded, that hidden bottles were' produced and hilarious greetings exchanged ? NAMES OF STEAMBOATS AND THEIR STORIES. The Caleb Cope — Captain Joseph Price. This boat arrived on July 5, 1851, bringing up a cargo of provisions to an almost famished lot of people as it was said — and the facts can be verified that flour was so scarce that corn meal had to be substituted for flour in making cake for the Fourth of July celebration in the present Court House square under improvised bowers of cotton-wood cut by the boys at Horseshoe Lake. The captain of the boat gave a complimentary excursion up the Des Moines as far as the mouth of Beaver, where they danced the afternoon away and returned to a supper of wheat flour biscuits in the eve ning. The Clara Hine — Captain Gault. This boat was one of the most active little crafts on the river and has carried thousands of tons of freight in the days of her activity. By Tacitus Hussey 113 THE STORY OF W. C MORRIS. W. C. Morris, of Cedar Township, Van Buren County, Iowa, belonged to the crew of the Agatha. Pie relates the story of the trip, as follows: "I was eighteen years old in the autumn of 1842, when I left my home in Cedar Township, Van Buren County, Iowa Territory, to obtain employment of some kind. I went to the Plymouth Mill, one-half mile above the town of Farmington. There I found work until the winter set in, on the ninth day of November, with a ten inch snow which never went off until the 15th of April, 1843. On that day the ice in the river broke up. I was at work at that time for Mr. Jacob Doofman, in Farming- ton. A few days after the ice went out, a steamboat by the name of The Agatha, came up to Farmington and tied up just below Death's Mill. The captain of the boat, J. M. Lafferty, was afraid of the condition of the dam at Plymouth Mill. There was a beginning of a lock for the benefit of boats ; but it was not in a condition for them to pass through. He made the attempt, however, and got about half way through and had to stop. As she dropped 114 A History of Early Des Moines back she raked off about twelve feet of her guard against the corner of the mill. Then she went back down the river and was gone a few days returning with two large keel-boats, which were to be used in case the steamboat could not reach Raccoon Forks with her load of supplies for the garrison there. This time she hired fourteen men to push these keel-boats up to the Forks, provided the steamboat cOuld not get there. I give the names of the men who were engaged to take up the keel-boats, with the assistance of the Agatha, which divid ed her load with them : "Captain, Charlie Milard, Croton; pilot, Levit Milard, Croton ; clerk, Mr. Ward, Farm ington; Charles Davis, poleman, Farmington; Moses Davis, poleman, Farmington; George Ten Eych, poleman, Farmington; John Elis, poleman, Vicinity ; Jim Willits, poleman, Vicin ity ; Tom Burns, poleman, Vicinity ; Ed Slaugh ter, poleman, Vicinity; Eli Selgrove, poleman, Vicinity; Eli Glimpse, poleman, Vicinity; Sam Snow, poelman, Vicinity; W. C. Morris, pole- man, Cedar Township, all of Iowa Territory. "I was the youngest of the fourteen. They had poles made about twelve feet long with a knob on one end to place against the shoulder ; By Tacitus Hussey 115 and on the other end had an iron spike to give a firm hold on the bottom of the river. It was a slow process as we had to stop occasion ally to cut wood for the steamboat for steam purposes. "Polling a barge, heavily loaded, is toilsome work. Three or four men on each side of the barge, march to the bow, let the end of the setting pole touch the bottom, put the knobbed end against the shoulder in a firm manner and walk, to the othdr end of the boat. Then the next man mounts the gunwale and joins the procession, then the third; and in this order the pole men proceed all day long; and the boat goes up the stream at a slow, but steady pace day after day with an occasional interrup tion, until the end of the journey is reached. A halt is made at Keosauqua to allow the steamboat, Agatha, to take on some passengers who were going to *Eddy's Trading Post. There is a bend in the river at this place which is about fourteen miles around, which, in a straight line would have been about four miles. "Our next stop was Fort Sanford, where Captain Allen and a few soldiers took passage on the Agatha. At the. bend of the river our *Later Eddyville. 116 A History of Early Des Moines keel boat stuck fast on the ledge of rocks known as the Appanoose Rapids. We worked to release her until dark. In the morning we succeeded in shoving the boat off. Before we left that vicinity the surveyors had commenced staking off the town of Ottumwa, and that city was born on the 2d day of May, 1843. "The next stop was made at Eddy's Trading Post ; and here Doctor Obers and Squire Stan ley took charge of their families and goods. From this point we had no stops unless it was to chop wood for the steamboat or take on board the Agatha some of the big Indian chiefs such as Keokuk, Appanoose and their squaws. They were on board two or three days. "About seven miles below the Forks we found the last island just before we reached the Forks ; and just as we reached the head of it the steamboat went fast on a rock. Then we keel-boat fellows had to poll the keel-boat seven miles against a stiff current up a very crooked channel, which we afterwards learned was called "Rattle-snake Bend." We landed at the point of land where the Raccoon river empties into the Des Moines. It was then about sunset ; but we began unloading at once. It was 2 o'clock in the morning when we start- By Tacitus Hussey 117 ed to bring up the steamboat. It was one of the windiest nights I ever saw, and the river being crooked, sometimes we were going straight down, and then, sometimes, cross wise! When we were within^ two hundred yards of the steamboat, the wind blew our keel-boat against the shore and onto some rocks where she stuck fast. We had to get out into the water and lift her off with levers; and finally managed to get her along side of the steamboat. The freight was then divided, which lightened the Agatha, and we started for the Forks, which we reached by the middle of the afternoon. On attempting to make a landing the steamboat grounded on the sand, and it was dark before we got to work unload ing. We worked all night, and about sunrise we had our last article ashore. The temporary barracks were about four hundred yards from where we unloaded; but we did not have time to go out and see the soldiers. As soon as the unloading was done, we shoved across the river and cut a lot of wood, as there was none suit able on the point where we landed. Then, with a good head of steam, we started down the river at a lively pace. All we keel-boat fellows had to do was to wash out the boats ; and it did 118 A History of Early Des Moines not take us long to give them a thorough cleans ing, and then we took things easy. "We landed at Farmington about two weeks after leaving there on the up trip. I do not re member the exact date; but I know that they paid us for fourteen days' work at seventy-five cents a day. I have a vivid memory of Clerk Miller clipping off the bright, new bills from a sheet of bank notes of the State Bank of Mis souri, with a sharp pair of scissors, to pay us. Two dollars was the most money I had ever had at one time before; and when I stepped off the boat with ten dollars and fifty cents in my pocket, I was the proudest 18-year-old lad that ever set foot in the streets of Farmington! "The Agatha was the first steamboat I had ever seen and Captain J. M. Lafferty the first steamboat captain. We had the trip to Rac coon Forks and back with a steamboat crew, fourteen of us "country pick-ups," and never had a fight — nor even a quarrel! There was plenty of whiskey on board the boat; but we had only one drunk! W. C. Morris.*" *The manuscript in the handwriting of Mr. Morris, who was one of the polemen, is carefully preserved among other historical documents in Mr. Hussey's collection in the His torical Building. -E. R. H. By Tacitus Hussey 119 The Kentucky — Captain J. C. Ainsworth. This boat was a favorite among the shippers of Fort Des Moines. John B. Gordon— -Captain W. H. Farris. The Globe— Captain C. F. McCune. The Luella — Captain Charles Mason. Colonel Morgan — Peter Myers, captain. This boat was owned by Des Moines men as a stock company, named "Fort Des Moines Steamboat Company," capital stock $20,000, divided into shares of $100.00 each. It was a proud day when the Colonel Morgan came steaming in with the gallant captain standing at the bow waving his hand to the assembled crowd on the shore. The incorporation was to begin in 1861. There is no record when its books were closed. The "De Moine Belle"— Captain Tisdale, with Joseph Farris, pilot. This boat was built in Des Moines in the winter of 1858. She made one trip to Fort Dodge in 1859; was sunk near Ottumwa in 1860; was raised by Grant W. Hill and re-named "The Little Morgan," and was thereafter commanded by him. The Charley Rodgers — Captain F. E. Beers. This boat made a few trips to Fort Dodge. 120 A History of Early Des Moines The Flora Temple — Captain W. Farris. This boat was a "side wheeler" and was the largest boat ever coming to Des Moines. Hundreds of people visited her during her two trips here in 1850. The "De Moine City"— Captain Robert Far ris. Was built at Pittsburgh for the Des Moines River trade. The "Badger State"— Captain D. C. Sheb- ble; J. P. Dixon, clerk. The "Alice"— Captain W. H. Farris. A very popular boat. The "Defiance" — Captain's name not re membered. Owned by men at Red Rock, Iowa. "Julia Dean" — Captain Lyon. A large sidewheeler. "Jenny Lind" — Captain J. C. Ainsworth. "Ed Manning" — Captain Davis, Ottumwa. Named for Hon. Ed. Manning of Keosauqua. "The Skipper'?— Captain Russell. This boat caused lots of sport to river men; carried home a part of the General Assembly of 1858-9. The roads were so bad that the stages could not run at the time of adjourn ment of the General Assembly. By Tacitus Hussey 121 "The Michigan" — Captain J. W. Johnson. The smallest freight and passenger boat ever coming to Des Moines. "The Nevada"— Captain W. H. Farris. This boat was a "sidewheeler." "Little Morgan" — expressly for Des Moines trade. Captain Grant Hill. The "Laviathan" (a keel boat) built at Ot tumwa. Captain T. C. Coffin.. Loaded with corn, wheat, pork and other Iowa produce for St. Louis and New Orleans in 1853. The "Sangamon" — Captain unknown. "Revenue Cutter," Colonel McQuiggan, owner. Captain W. H. Harris. The "George H. Wilson," — Captain not re membered. Said to have been the most power ful boat on the river. "Time and Tide" ; Captain Morrison. "S. B. Science"— Captain S. B. Clarke. This was the first steamboat mentioned in the history of steamboating on the Des Moines river and was brought up by Aaron W. Harlan in 1837 loaded with goods for Keosauqua and going up as far as Iowaville. The "De Moine Valley" — Captain unknown. Alexander Rodgers — Captain Wilson. The Providence — Captain unknown. 122 A History of Early Des Moines The Movestar — Captain unknown. The Maid of Iowa — Captain William Phelps. This is the only boat which in 1851 made a short trip up Soap Creek and had to back out. The Light — Captain Richard Cave. The Lighter — Captain unknown. Jennie Dean — Captain not remembered. She was a big St. Louis packet and in 1851 made a trip as far as Croton and fearing she would be caught by a falling river, sought the widest place for turning and hastened back to the Mississippi. The Pandodging — Captain Sweezzey; a home made boat built somewhere on the river between Keosauqua and St. Francesville. The captain, craft and crew afforded consider able sport to steamboat men and dwellers near the river during the year of 1853. She had no rudder but was steered by an oar and "yawed" from one side of the river to the other in a most eccentric way. The boatmen called her "The Yawer." The New Georgetown — Captain unknown. Jesse Cave built a steamboat at Bonaparte, Iowa, about 1840, which was taken to St. Louis to be finished up there and made her trial trip By Tacitus Hussey 123 to Bonaparte in 1841. Name of boat not re membered. steamboat traffic affected by war. In March, 1862, Adjutant General Baker made arrangements with the entire line of steamboats running to Des Moines from Ot tumwa, Iowa, for carrying to their homes all the wounded, disabled or discharged soldiers. The orders were very sweeping and included all the boats on the Des Moines city line. Hal f fare was arranged for soldiers, presenting their credentials from commanding officers. The boats making regular trips were the De Moine Belle, De Moine City, Little Morgan, Nevada, Alice and Clara Hine. HIGH WATER. On April 5, 1862, The Little Morgan arrived with a heavy cargo of goods. Seven of the merchants lived on the west side of the river and one, Isaac Brandt, had his store on the east side in the Griffith Block, Locust Street, near the Northwestern depot. The west side goods were delivered all right ; but the delivery of the east side consignment was a puzzler ; for there was no "land in sight;" however, the 124 A History of Early Des Moines saucy Little Morgan was equal to it. She cruised down the river a mile or so, and strik ing the right place in the river bottom, nosed her way up to the store which stood on the Two Canoe Idlers at Flood Tide of 1903 "second ledge," or bank, threw out her gang plank and unloaded the goods as if it were an every day occurrence, backed out gracefully, found the regular channel and was soon on her way to the Mississippi. A large crowd collected to see a steamboat so far inland, and many were the handshakes- and congratula tions extended the adventurous voyager as well as congratulations to the merchant on the safe arrival of his cargo. A memorial slab should have been placed on this spot for it was the most notable event that had taken place in our city. Wishing to confirm the story of the Little By Tacitus Hussey 125 Morgan's great feat Mr. Isaac Brandt was ap pealed to and sent in the following note : "Friend Hussey: I remember quite well the incident you refer to as I was the merchant who received the goods; molasses, tobacco, sugar, glass and queensware. It occurred during the first week in April, 1862, which was a fearful week for wetness. The newspapers mentioned it as 'raining day and night.' The legislature ad journed on the 8th of April; and all who could, went home by boat. Senator J. B. Young's wife, who was sick at Dr. Alexander Shaw's house, (then opposite the temporary capitol). was taken down to my store, and there put in a skiff and rowed over to one of the steamboats belonging to the "Des Moines River Line," from thence she went down the river to Keo kuk, and thence up the Mississippi to Lyons; and from there to their home in Marion, Linn County. I measured the water a day or two after from a boat near the landing, where now stands the N. W. station, and found it twelve feet deep ! There was quite a channel of deep water running along the' second ledge, making- its way to the main channel of the Des Moines River." — Isaac Brandt View of "Lake Tac Hussey" prom State Capitol The flooded region of Main and Bluff Streets, 1903, and so named in friendly humor in token of Mr. Hussey's interest in the matter. CHAPTER VIII THE NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE DE MOINE BELLE The legislature adjourned April 8, 1862, as stated by Mr. Brandt, and as the bottoms had fallen out of the roads, and the stage line was very uncertain, all the members of the House, Senators and attaches, who could by any possi bility reach home, or go in the direction of it, took passage on the De Moine Belle, running between Des Moines and Ottumwa. The fol lowing is a list as it appears on my memo randa, and is. probably correct': SENATORS NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. George W. McCrary, Lee; Abner M. McCrary, Van Buren; James Pollard, Davis; Nathan Udell, Appanoose ; E. T. Esteb, Wayne, Decatur; J. C. Hagans,' Ringgold, Taylor, Page, Union, Adams and Montgomery; Harvey W. English, Fremont, Mills and Pottawattamie ; 128 A History of Early Des Moines John G. Foote, Des Moines ; Theron W. Woodson, Henry ; J. Monroe Shaffer, Jefferson; M. C. Angle, Linn; Geo. W. Trumbell, Jno. D. Jennings,. Dubuque. George W. Gray, Allamakee ; J. W. Dixon, Wapello; Warren S. Dungan, Monroe and Lucas; James S. Murley, Louisa; Wm. G. Woodward, Muscatine; W. E. Lewis, Washington; M. N. Williams, Mahaska; Jarius R. Neal, Marion; Benjamin F. Gue and Joseph E. Leake, Scott ; Norman Boardman, Clinton; James M. Kent, Cedar; Jesse Bowen, Johnson; W. H. Holmes, Jones; D. Hammer, Clayton; D. C. Hastings, Delaware; Lucian L. Ainsworth, Fayette and Bremer ; George F. Green, Jackson; By Tacitus Hussey . 129 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Charles W- Lowrie, T. C. Stevenson, Martin Thompson, Godfrey Eichorn, Lee, Harvey Dunlavy, David Ferguson, Davis; Oliver P. Rowles, Monroe; Thaddeus M. Stanton, Jno. W. Quinn, Washington ; Geo. C. Shipman, Michael Price, Muscatine ; Henry M. Martin, Iowa; Geo. W. Parker, Jno. S. Maxwell, Clinton; Otis Whittemore, Jno. Russell, Jones; James McQuinn, Benton; Thos. Hardie, Wm. McLennan, F. M. Knoll, Christian Denlinger, Dubuque; Racine D. Kellogg, Decatur; W. C. Woodworth, Jno. P. West, Henry ; John Wasson, Louis Hollingsworth, Keo kuk ; W. B. Lakin, Levi Fuller, Fayette; Joseph Burton, Allamakee; Geo. Schram, Joshua Glanville, Van Buren; Geo. Stewart, Edw. J. Gault, Appanoose; Jno. Cleves, Louisa; Hiram D. Gibson, W. E. Wetherell, Marion; Rush Clark, Samuel H. Fairall, Johnson; 130 A History of Early Des Moines James T. Lane, Jos. R. Porter, Jos. H. White, Scott; M. C. Loomis, James Rothrock, Cedar; Joseph B. Young, Isaac Milburn, Linn; Leander Clark, Tama; Hartley Bracewell, Wayne ; J. Wilson Williams, Franklin Wilcox, Cal vin J. Jackson, Des Moines ; Joseph H. Flint,Thos. McGlothlin, Wapello ; Salue G. Van Anda, (gave his religion as "Barbarian") Delaware; J. F. Wilson, Chickasaw; W. H. Baker, Ole Nelson, Winneshiek; A newspaper reporter adds this little inci dent to the legislative steamboat trip and which took place at Ottumwa: "A big, fat legislator who gave his religious affiliations as a 'barbarian,' and there were about two hun dred and twenty-five pounds of him, tried to walk over a ditch on a slab turned round side up, fell into the ditch, bag and baggage, and had to be fished out. His name was given as S. Van Anda, representing Delaware County. "Senator George F. Green of Jackson County was also a victim of the deceitful slab and had to be helped out. The 'ducking' was taken in good part, and neither was the worse for it; By Tacitus Hussey 131 but it caused a hearty laugh to all who wit nessed it. Such an accident could not possibly happen again as navigation on the Des Moines river closed on that year of 1864; and all the steamboats found a big job in the south of transporting troops and supplies." HOW MR. AND MRSi IRA COOK TOOK AN EXCUR SION ON THE DES MOINES RIVER. Mr. Ira Cook was a member of the firm of Cook, Sergeant and Cook, bankers from 1854, and several years later at 310 Walnut Street, Des Moines. Mr. Cook told this story of high water in 1858: "In August, 1858, my wife was in Daven port on a visit; and I found it simply impossi ble to get her home by stage coach on account of the famous 'Skunk Bottom' ; and so, in that memorable year when we had 'water, water everywhere' I decided to bring her home by water. The steamboat, Clara Hine, was mak ing regular trips from Bentonsport to the 'Forks'. I boarded the Clara Hine, intending to go to Keokuk, having written Mrs. Cook to come down on the packet from Davenport and meet me there. Just before we. reached Ot- 132 A History of Early Des Moines tumwa, Captain Patton suggested that if I crossed over to Burlington in the stage, and telegraphed Mrs. Cook to start at once, we could get down there in time to come back with him on his own boat, the Clara Hine. I thought this a good scheme and acted accord ingly. I arrived in Burlington, telegraphed my wife and received answer that she would be down on that day. The boat arrived that afternoon and I went on board and found my wife and her sister. We reached Montrose some time in the night. We arose very early next morning to take the train for Keokuk. Almost the first man I met that morning was Captain Patton, "who lived at Montrose. He said he should stay at Keokuk until the after noon train for Bentonsport where his boat was, and advised us to do the same. We went up to Bentonsport by train and found out that the boat had been sent off an hour before in charge of the mate ! Here was a dilemma. However, Captain Patton said we could hire an extra coach and overtake the boat at Keosauqua. This we did, and eight or ten of us piled in and started. But alas ! the mud was deep and our progress very slow. When we reached Keo sauqua, the "boat was out of sight." It was By Tacitus Hussey 133 then nightfall. After supper six of us hired two carriages and made another start, Captain Patton assuring us that we could overtake the boat at Ottumwa. Our drivers made fair headway and we thought our prospects good. At eleven o'clock that night and when two miles from Libertyville, on the stage road from Ottumwa, there came up a tremendous thun der storm and we turned into a farm house, where we stayed until morning. Then we went over to Libertyville the following day and stayed until 11 o'clock that night when two Western Stage Company's mud wagons came along, which we boarded for home. I shall never forget that stage ride! The streams were all out of their banks and many times we were compelled to put the baggage on top of the coach while the passengers climbed on top of the seats to keep out of the water. As an instance of our progress, we were five hours going from Eddyville to Oskaloosa, a distance of ten miles. I also remember that we had dinner, supper and breakfast at every station between Ottumwa and Des Moines ! And this will have to pass as our only steamboat excur sion on the River Des Moines." CHAPTER IX SOCIAL LIFE OF EARLY DES MOINES. THE NOTABLE HOUSE WARMING. Nearly a quarter of a century after the Redman had taken an unwilling departure from the territory of Iowa, the mansion known as "Terrace Hill," now occupied by F. M. Hubbell, was built by B. F. Allen at a cost of nearly $250,000.00. While the holi day joys of 1868 were in progress, or earlier, there were rumors that on the fifteenth, an anniversary of the marriage of B. F. Allen and Miss Arethusa West, January 29, 1854, the "Crystal Wedding" .would be celebrated at this new and beautiful home, then completed. This information was confided to a few friends; but the news was so good and was such a fruitful topic of conversation that it was not long before the entire village of 7,000 souls was well informed of the coming, event, the date of which was fixed for January 29, 1869; and the female portion of the popula tion were soon busy iii overhauling their ward- By Tacitus Hussey 135 robes so as "to be prepared in case they should be struck with the lightning of an invitation. There were some very close to the "inner circle" who could predict with some degree of accuracy the numbers of dozens of eggs, gal lons of cream, macaroons, flowers, cakes, tur keys, hams and other substantials it would take to entertain the thousand guests who were to be invited. The estimates and preparations were too great for the mathe matical genius and ability of Des Moines and was turned over, in the main part, to the ex perienced caterer, John Wright of the Opera House of Chicago, and to him was given the entire supervision of the most remarkable en tertainment ever given in the northwest at that early date. The weather was stormy and forbidding but no invited guest stayed away on that ac count. The beauty of the house, the many decorated rooms, the general warmth and the cordial welcome made such a pleasant con trast to the inclement weather, that no one even thought of it. At the top of the broad staircase was formed of evergreens the dates "1854-1869" which, told the story, mutely, of the couple who had walked together in sun- 136 A History of Early Des Moines shine and shade for fifteen years. There were flowers everywhere; and a midwinter had been turned to the month of June by a miracle of blossoming. The tables and decorations were the finest ever seen in the west. Let a favored guest of thirty-seven years ago describe them as they came from the hands of a skillful caterer. In the midst was a bouquet of rarest flowers, costing $700.00; boned turkey at each end smothered in port colored jelly; three baskets of natural fruit; two charlotte russe baskets; two pyramids trimmed with vintage grapes and oranges ; two fruit cakes weighing twenty- five pounds each; a basket of ice cream trimmed with iced fruits; one statuette of Washington in lemon ice; one lion in vanilla ice cream; one basket in which there was a mammoth strawberry iced. Then there were the substantials, the foreign nuts, fruits, oysters, comfits, confections, lemonade, tea, coffee, chocolate served in china and silver ware. The spacious dining room was thrown open at ten o'clock and from that hour until all were served, the happy guests ate, drank and were merry. During the evening Mr. Will H. Leh- By Tacitus Hussey 137 man and Professor Apel rendered some musi cal selections on the Grand Square Pickering piano, flooding the rooms with melody. Miss Kitty Allen, Miss Mata Newton and Major A. G. Studor favored the company with solos and Mr. Thomas Hatton and Joseph P. Shar man sang a charming duet. Although it was a "crystal anniversary" and it had been previously announced that "no present would be accepted," it did not prevent some persons, unknown, from bringing some beautifully colored glass ware as a loving remembrance of the happy occasion. One rare piece bore the wish "Dieu vous garde", a sentiment which found quick response in the hearts of all the guests. There were a number of invited guests from Chicago, among whom were: L. L. Coburn, R. A. Ketchum, W. F. Brackett, J. B. Ray mond, W. B. Walker, James Wood, Charles J. Connell, Miss Matteson, Miss Rosencrans, Miss Rue, Miss Doty, Mrs. Cable, Mr. and Mrs. Boyington, Fred W. Cook of the Chicago Tribune, W. A. Campbell of the Chicago Re publican, J. W. Knowlton of the Chicago Times, Judge Finch and wife of the Indian apolis Mirror, and others. 138 A History of Early Des Moines Among the distinguished guests were Gov ernor Samuel Merrill, Gen. Ed Wright, Secre tary of State, some of the Supreme Judges, Hon. F. W. Palmer, John A. Kasson and others. Mrs. Allen, the hostess, was elegantly at tired in a rich black velvet robe, made plain, her dark hair decked with roses. She enter tained her guests with the grace and dignity of nature's gentlewoman and an accomplished lady, her bright face wreathed in smiles which betokened the pleasure felt in the cordiality thus bestowed on others. Miss Kitty Allen, a very pretty maiden of only fourteen years, most ably assisted her mother in the reception and entertainment of the guests, and throughout the evening, like a graceful fawn, flitted from room to room, her bright presence always welcomed. She was attired in a short pink dress, the skirt trimmed with flounces of the same material, half panier puffed, and white kid gaiters. Miss Florence McKay was attired in a lav ender silk, square neck and long train, hair crimped and adorned with roses. By Tacitus Hussey 139 Mrs. Major Wm. Ragan wore a white satin with crystal bead trimmings, square neck, flowing sleeves and train. Mrs. George C. Tichenor, a handsome lady, wore a beautiful blue silk with white lace over- skirt, looped with pink roses. Mrs. R. T. Wellslager wore a rich black silk with satin and lace trimmings. Miss Susie Wilson, a pretty and fascinating blonde, was most becomingly gowned in a white grenadine, with a white puffed upper waist, the dress trimmed with pink satin, hair curled and ornamented with a wreath of white roses. Mrs. W. C. Pritchard, a handsome lady, was dressed in a purple silk with white lace overskirt, looped with buff roses, low neck and short sleeves. Mrs. J. B. Stewart wore a lavender silk, square neck and long train, trimmed with white point lace and lavender silk, a very pretty costume. Mrs. E. F. Hooker wore a light tinted watered silk with white chenile trimmings, square neck and long train. 140 A History of Early Des Moines ' Mrs. E. H. Gillette was becomingly arrayed in a handsome white silk, corsage waist, train, flowing sleeves, dress trimmed with white satin — an elegant dress. Mrs. C. C. Howell wore a short brown silk with lace overskirt looped with roses. Mrs. John Mitchell, a bright and pretty brunette, wore a drab and striped silk, square neck and long train, green satin trimmings. Miss Ella Keane, a pretty young lady, wore a green silk dress with train, green satin trim mings. Miss Nettie West, a pretty and sprightly lit tle miss of seven summers, was very taste fully dressed in buff alpaca with blue silk trimmings. Mrs. L. F. Andrews, a white alpaca, train, square neck, with pink satin overskirt. Mrs. Gov. Merrill wore a handsome dark purple silk, long train, purple satin and fringe trimmings — a rich costume. Miss Jeanette Russell wore a rich green silk, long train, with white lace overskirt looped with roses, white puffed lace waist. A pretty young lady. By Tacitus Hussey 141 Miss Kitty Johnson, another pretty young lady, was modestly attired in a short drab al paca, with a scarlet opera cloak. Mrs. Add Hepburn wore a rich green silk dress, made plain. A very handsome lady. Miss Mollie Rommell, a very pretty young lady, was attired in white alpaca, puffed waist and long train. Mrs. A. C. Talbot was becomingly attired in plain book muslin with double skirt looped with roses. The Misses Le Bousquet, a couple of bright and pretty sisters, were similarly attired in dresses of white swiss muslin, long trains, puffed waists, pink sashes, dark hair orna ments. Miss Mattie Whitledge, a very pretty lady, wore a light blue silk, long train and flowing sleeves; dark hair decked with roses. Miss Hattie Ankeny, a pretty brunette, was dressed in a buff alpaca, square neck, flowing sleeves, long train; dark hair decked with roses. Mrs. William Foster wore a pink satin with broad flounce, white point lace overskirt, with white puffed waist, low neck and short sleeves. 142 A History of Early Des Moines Mrs. E. J. Ingersoll was dressed in a lilac silk, square neck, flowing sleeves and train. Waist trimmed with point lace. Miss Kellogg wore a white alpaca, puffed waist with white satin trimmings, hair decked with roses. Miss Mata Newton wore a buff alpaca, square neck and long train, with white satin fringe. Mrs. J. D. Seeberger was attired in a light drab satin with white lace sleeves bound with scarlet satin. Mrs. J. C. Savery wore a rich and costly black satin robe de Paris, ornamented with white beaded lace. Mrs. Charles Spofford, a pretty lady, wore a white lace dress trimmed with white satin. Miss Sadie Washburn, a pretty blonde, was attired in a white alpaca, long train, square neck, heavy purple satin trimmings. Mrs. William Quick wore a light drab silk, made plain, with white lace and satin trim mings. Mrs. John Knight was beautifully attired in a blue watered silk, white point lace, flowing sleeves and long train. By Tacitus Hussey 143 Miss Maggie .Lyon, a pretty young lady, wore a pink alpaca, made plain, waist trimmed with satin fringe. Mrs. Tac Hussey, white organdie, baby waist and full skirt, pink roses in hair. A trim and vivacious little lady. A MASQUERADE PARTY The most hilarious party of the winter of 1860, and one long to be remembered was one given by Mrs. Warren Hussey and others at what was then known as the "Sanford House," since removed, to give place to the new "Mor gan House." It was, as the invitations stated, to be "A Masquerade and Fancy Dress Party," and about the first one of the kind given, so you may rest assured that it was discussed in "society circles," and those intending to take part in it, at once set about preparing a cos tume, carefully guarding the secret as to how they should appear. There were about sixty invitations given, mostly to married people — and but few regrets, as people in those days did not allow any trifling circumstance to keep them away. I give the characters as I remem ber them, aided somewhat by some of the par ticipants, who yet look back upon it as one of 144 A History of Early Des Moines the bright spots in their pioneer experience when friendship's chain had not been weak ened by corroding cares and conventionalities, which "grows with our growth and strength ens with our strength." The guests appearing in costume were as follows : Mr. B. F. Allen, Indian Chief, with usual accouterments, including moccasins and ankle bells. Mrs. B. F. Allen, "Bridget Ann," a new Celtic importation just arrived from the "auld sod" — a splendid character and well acted. Mr. Hoyt Sherman, a Chinaman — a cos tume to "deceive the very elect." Chinamen were unknown in this locality in those days, and "Ah Sin Chin" created a sensation. Mrs. Hoyt Sherman as Mrs. Partington, was the best character of the evening. During the dancing, in which she took part, she was so engaged in looking after her scissors, spec tacles, work-bag, filled with cookies and knit ting, and her son "Isaac," that she had no time to"swing partners" but walked through the cotillion as one entirely absorbed in the anxieties and troubles of a busy life. By Tacitus Hussey 145 The character of "Isaac" was well sustained by "Jed" Warner, who kept close to his mother and was more than willing to read his "compo sition" if there was the least desire on the part of any one to hear it. "Isaac" was in luck — there were no refreshments served and he was the only one who had access to his mother's work-bag of "cookies." Mr. Byron Rice appeared as a ghost, or domino, with "sheet and pillow case attach ments." Dr. Brownell as a French officer. C. W. Keyes as Brother Jonathan in a Yan kee suit built for the occasion out of calico. During a lull in the amusements he dressed up four of the characters in sheets — covering them up entirely and drilled them in singing — a very good hit, but tough on the listeners, as the voices were all unused to the task set before them. Mrs. Byron Rice appeared as "Huldah," a Yankee lass with short dress of striped mater ial. She carried in her hand a "yellow ban- danner" handkerchief heavily charged with perfume de peppermint, and was perfectly willing to share it with the friends. 146 A History of Early Des Moines Mrs. Dr. F. W. Woodruff appeared as a housekeeper, with an immense bunch of keys attached to her girdle. Wesley Redhead as a clown made lots of fun for the crowd. Samuel H. Lunt was a "Big Injun" with a tomahawk, and scalping knife. He livened his performance with genuine war whoops — an accomplishment he had evidently learned on the frontier. Charley Spofford was a Jockey, with top boots, cap, whip and a pile of "Agricultural Bank of Tennessee" money. William D. Wylie, Highlander. Add. Hepburn, Turk. Douglass Houghton (sometimes called "Whack"), a Dandy. Mrs. Tac Hussey appeared as Mrs. Daffodil, with snuff-box, reticule, spetacles and knit ting. This character was so well made up that the on-lookers were mystified for nearly half the evening. Warren Hussey, a Yankee, calico coat, striped pants, with straps and white hat. D. O. Finch appeared as a strong-minded woman, in Bloomer costume, fan and the very By Tacitus Hussey 147 necessary article for a winter's evening — a parasol. The girl who attended the door had a great deal of trouble with this character, who would insist on going into the gentlemen's dressing room, which she did not think at all proper. Tac Hussey was an "Irish Washerwoman," arrayed in a dress borrowed from the tallest woman in town, Mrs. J. W. Cattell, and a cap borrowed from "a broth of a boy," who bor rowed it from his mother. A very thin mous tache was sacrificed for this occasion. Will Doty appeared as a rollicking Irish lad — a part he could play to perfection. Poor lad, he gave his life for his country, falling bravely at Fort Donelson, Feb. 15, 1862. Mrs. Warren Hussey's costume represent ed "Evening." Mrs. S. R. Ingham was an aged Yankee woman, with usual costume, not forgetting the twang. Mrs.D. O. Finch appeared as a Quakeress, a very quiet costume, but eliciting many com pliments for its quaintness. Mrs. S. J. Dangler was Martha Washington. Miss Abby Mitchell appeared as Red Riding Hood. 148 A History of Early Des Moines Mr, J. B. Stewart was "Friend Broadbrim." a Quaker. It is said he would occasionally get his "thees" and "thous" in wrong — but the writer does not believe it. Miss Mary Love, Flower Girl. Mrs. Thomas Carpenter, English Dowager. Mr. A. Newton, an Ancient Dame with cane and knitting. Dr. C. H. Ranson played the part of an old Doctor, and went around among the charac ters prescribing all manner of impossible things, and insisting on their being "well shak en before takin'." Mrs. John A. Kasson appeared as a French Lady of Honor, with powdered hair and cos tume of pink silk, after the style of the six teenth century. A splendid costume, which elicited much admiration. Helen E. Reed, a Turkish Peasant girl. Mrs. James Savery, "Madame Lafayette." Lyman Munger, Domino. W. S. Pritchard, "Continental Gentleman." S. J. Dangler, Dutchman — a "good one." Walter G. Reed, a Monk, with cap and gown. Miss Bonnie Van Tuyl, "Morning." Mrs. E. F. Hooker, Turkish Sultana. By Tacitus Hussey 149 John A. Stuart, Spanish Cavalier. There were also present as spectators, or participants whose costumes and characters I have forgotten, Mr. and Mrs. Gov. Kirkwood, Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Luse, Mr. and Mrs. George A. Childs, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Howell, Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Spofford, Dr. and Mrs. Shaw, Miss Annie Seymour, Mr. S. R. Ingham, Dr. and Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Brownell, Mr. and Mrs. A. Newton, E. F. Hooker, and no doubt others whose names have slipped away from me after a lapse of so many years. a women's party. I have heard recently some murmurings among the "Lords of Creation" that in these latter days the ladies are getting entirely too exclusive in their company. They are "leav ing the gentlemen out" of their lunch parties; some of these murmurers say that it was not usually so in "the good old days." Let us refresh our memory a little and see if some of us did not "get left" then, as well as now. In the first part of October, 1859, there was a large party of ladies made up to go 'in car riages and buggies to a popular place in those 150 A History of Early Des Moines days known as "Swan's," * about ten miles south of the city. The hotel was kept by a very genial gentleman, Geo. Swan, and was a fav orite resort for parties of young and old, who wished a good dinner or a supper and a gen eral good time. The preparation for the trip was made by the ladies and the party was com posed of thirty-eight or forty. It was especi ally forbidden that any man, married or single, should have anything to do with it, except, per haps, the hitching up of the teams before start ing. It seemed like a rash undertaking, but the ladies determined to carry the enterprise through, so on a bright morning in the early part of October, 1859, they started. A break down at the start of the buggy containing Mrs. C. P. Luse and Mrs. Tac Hussey, caused a halt of a few minutes, but they very pluckily sent the horse back by a passing acquaintance, took seats in another conveyance, and went on their way rejoicing. The country people whose houses they passed were divided in their opinions as to whether the cavalcade was a moral circus or a troupe of Mor mon women on their way to the "promised land." The country people who were met com- *Norwalk, Warren county. By Tacitus Hussey 151 ing to town with teams side-tracked themselves as the eighteen vehicles approached, supposing the procession to be of grave import, and sat in their wagons with countenances expressing astonishment, mingled with awe. One man was heard to remark after they had got safely by — "Say, Jim, that's the jolliest funeral pro cession I ever saw." It is safe to say that it was one of the most enjoyable larks ever set on foot by the ladies, and the occasion was looked upon with much pleasure in after years. Word had been sent to Swan's of the expected raid the day before and full preparation had been made for their coming. With appetites whetted to the keen est edge by their long ride across the prairie, ample justice was done to the tempting dinner for which the house was rioted. The women unhitched, fed and watered their horses with out the aid of any of the sterner sex, and ar rived at home safely at sunset, much to the relief of their somewhat anxious friends. The ladies taking part in this expedition were Mesdames R. L. Tidrich, S. R. Ingham, L. A. Pelton, Martin Winters, Thomas Car penter, Mrs. Bachus, .(afterward Mrs. John Yost), C. C. Nourse, C. P. Luse, Tac Hussey, 152 A History of Early Des Moines A. Newton, Byron Rice, D. O. Finch, Hoyt Sherman, E. F. Hooker, A. B. Woodbury, Alex Shaw, Dr. Brooks, Warren Hussey, J. M. Griffith, Isaac Cooper, B. F. Allen, F. R W'est, A. Y. Rawson, Dr. Baker, Dr. Wood ruff, Miss Goodwin (later Mrs. Thos. F. With- row), Mrs. S. V. White, later of New York, and others to the number of about forty, whose names have not been kept on record. CHAPTER X THE BAG OF GOLD A Story of 1859-60— Of B. F. Allen's Days In Banking. In the business office of the building former ly occupied by The Des Moines Register, at Fourth and Court streets, there were two large vaults with iron doors and combination locks. A visitor to the building might wonder whv a newspaper office should need such large fire proof receptacles of valuables. But the vaults were there when The Register and Leader took possession of the building, having been built and used by the previous occupant, Mr. B. F. Allen. The vault fronting Court avenue was the older of the two, and it is the one particu larly associated with the following true story. In June, 1855, there came to the village of Des Moines a young man not then twenty-one years old, who was seeking a home in the West — a druggist by trade. A situation was ob tained in a drugstore on Second street, near Market, where Mott's elevator was afterward 154 A History of Early Des Moines built. From lowest he rose to highest position in the store, and was finally asked "to come up higher," which meant a situation as assist ant bookkeeper in Mr. Allen's Bank, Second street, not far from Vine, the center of busi ness. When the bank moved to the building espe cially built for it by Mr. Allen, in 1857-8— later the Register block — the young man whom I will call Warren, had become a trusted em ploye, and had risen to the position of Assist ant Cashier — Acting Cashier, in Mr. Allen's absence — with a general charge of the busi ness. The United States Land Office, of which the well known Isaac Cooper was Regis trar, had a room directly back of the bank, on the same floor and having no safe or vault for valuables, obtained the consent of Mr. Allen to vise his vault for storing the coin received in the business of his office, as that was the kind of money the government required in pay ment of dues. As Mr. Cooper only settled with the government once a quarter a considerable sum thus accumulated and was allowed to lie in a bag in the vault till needed to pay the gov ernment dues. Mr. D. O. Finch, a young law yer, who attended pretty largely to the collec- By Tacitus Hussey 155 tions for the bank, had an office in the second story and was given a "pigeon-hole privilege" in the vault for his collection wallet. He came and went without let or hindrance during banking hours. Messrs. Allen and Warren carried the keys and combination of the vault and the latter was the first to open and the last to close and lock it after the day's business was over. One day near the close of the quarter Mr. Cooper came in the back way, as was his cus tom, and going to the vault, said, "I'll take that money out of your way now." "All right," was the reply; "go in and get it." He went in and stayed an unreasonable length of time, and came out with a look of great surprise on his face. "I can't find it!" "Can't find it !" Mr. Allen replied. "It must be there." But it did not so appear. A very careful search was instituted. With trembling hands and fluttering hearts the banker and assistant turned the vault inside out, searching every nook and corner, but no bag of gold was dis covered. The missing bag contained $5,000! 156 A History of Early Des Moines There was only one way to explain its ab sence. It had been stolen, and by whom? It was a very heavy loss, and might seriously complicate Mr. Cooper's affairs. There was only one thing to be done, to find the thief. But how? On the afternoon of that day Messrs. Allen and Cooper held a conference with the law firm of Casady, Crocker and Polk, Sherman's Block, and it was a long and very searching session. It was found that only four persons had access to the vault, Mr. Allen, Warren,* Mr. Cooper and D. O. Finch, and these per sons were discussed and dissected by them and the lawyers, one at a time. It was thought that perhaps Dan Finch might have been tempted to take the money, but the impetu ous Crocker said, with a little profanity, "No, Dan Finch don't think enough of money to steal it, and besides he couldn't hide it twenty- four hours if he had." So it was finally nar rowed down to one person. Warren must have stolen the money, as there was no one else who could have done it._ Mr. P. M. Casady, the sen ior of the law firm, was appointed to see him ?Warren Hussey, Spokane, brother of Tacitus Hussey. By Tacitus Hussey 157 and try, if possible, to get some clue or admis sion that could be followed up by the arrest of the guilty party. The interview took place in a little private room cut off from the bank, near where The Register's bookkeeper, Sim Welling, later had his desk. Just what passed between them the writer" does not know, but at the end of an hour, when the Judge went back to his office to report progress to those in waiting, he was more mystified and in the dark than ever. "Gentlemen," he said, in sub stance, in answer to questions, "This is the strangest case I ever had anything to do with, and I hardly know what to advise. Warren was perfectly cool and self-possessed. When I asked him if there was not a possibility of some one from the outside slipping into the vault while he was busy with his books and getting this money, he replied that such a thing could not be done as he was always on the alert and very careful. He admitted that he had the only key and combination to the vault except those Mr. Allen carried; that the money was there but a short time ago; that it cannot now be found ; that he had no suspi cion of any one outside that could possibly have stolen it, and that it was as much a mys- 158 A History of Early Des Moines tery to him as to anyone. When I told him it looked very bad for him and that he was liable within an hour to be arrested he admitted it, looking me squarely in the face without a tre mor of the lip or a quiver of the eyelid. In fact, he admitted everything except taking the money or having any knowledge of its where abouts. I can hardly believe this young man guilty — at least he did not look so — but the circumstances are certainly dead against him." This very frank and manly statement had its weight, and.it was agreed, after much dis cussion, that things should be left as they were; that Mr. Allen should continue Warren in his employ, and all concerned should watch for some clue upon which to hang a case, and compare notes daily concerning this myster ious theft. In the meantime Warren had laid the case plainly and honestly before his friend, D. O. Finch, asking his counsel. Mr. Finch said, "Keep cool. If the worst comes, I will defend you. I am in the same boat with you, for I have been in and out of that vault at all hours of the day, and am no doubt suspected, as you are. We can do nothing now except wait for a clue. We must wait." To wait under these circumstances was the hardest By Tacitus Hussey 159 task ever set before mortal man. The burden of life was taken up again and made all the heavier by a heart of lead and the conscious ness of a secret which could not be lightened by sharing it with near and dear friends. If the readers please, let me go back to a time three days prior to the startling scenes of the last chapter, and in order that they may understand something of the difficulties of banking as well as other business in those days, it is only necessary to say that we had very little, if any, paper money, in circulation in Des Moines that New York bankers would ac cept. Western currency would not do, and that was about all the paper money we had, so in shipping, gold and silver was the only kind a Western banker could trust to keep his credit good and to draw his drafts against in the Eastern cities. I f I had space I would like to give a descrip tion of the kind of money we were afflicted with in those days, when we had any. All bankers, tradesmen, merchants, etc., studied the "Bank Note Reporter" and "Counterfeit Detector," a copy of which hung by every pru dent business man's desk, with the utmost dili gence, and in receiving money a merchant 160 A History of Early Des Moines would have to satisfy himself by consulting the "reporter," that it would be accepted by the bank "if he run all the way" to deposit it as soon as received. Otherwise he would lose it in case he couldn't find "the man who passed it off on him," and compel him to take it back. So if the receiver's bump of caution was well developed and the amount considerable, it took about as much time to receive the money as to sell the goods. The express company in those days sent out only one shipment a week to Iowa City in an extra stage coach in charge of George Butts, a man who has carried more treasure in this way, perhaps, than any one in the same busi ness in Iowa, and a man of great endurance and faithful to duties assigned to him. As this express stage had no regular time to de part the express agent usually went around to his customers and notified them privately of the time of intended departure so that ship ments might be ready in time, and they would accordingly prepare the shipment and carry it to the express office after night, thereby avoiding a display of the treasure on the streets in day time. Thus it was, after such notifica tion, that Mr. Allen told Warren if he would By Tacitus Hussey 161 prepare the $27,000 he wished to ship to W. S. Gilmore and Son, New York make a memo randum of the same, and leave him the keys to the bank, he would carry the coin to the ex press office at night and save his assistant the trouble of coming back to attend to it. Mr. Allen then lived where the Aborn House later stood, and at 10 o'clock, with the assistance of Billy, his man of all work, he went into the vault by the light of a tallow dip — we had no gas in those days to freeze up and vex our righteous souls — gathered up the bags of gold and carried them to the express office on Third street, and taking a receipt therefore retired to his home to sleep the sleep of the just. A week passed slowly by after the discovery of the theft, another had come and was near- ing its close, bringing not a rift in the cloud of mystery, nor a ray of light to hang a hope upon. Finally, one morning Mr. Allen returned" from -the post office and was busy opening and reading his letters. A letter from his well- known New York correspondent caught his eye — an acknowledgment of the receipt of the $27,000 he thought. The letter was short and terse as nearly all business letters are, and for a wonder had a "P. S.", which read: "In ad- 162 A History of Early Des Moines dition to the $27,000 of which we have advices, there is a bag of gold containing $5,000, of which there is no mention; to whom shall we credit it?" "Glory Hallelujah !" shouted the banker, "The $5,000 is found. Read this !" "Thank the Lord!" said Warren fervently, after reading, and without waiting for hat or coat he rushed up to Dan Finch's office, and throwing his arms about that astonished law yer's neck, shouted "Thank God, Dan, we are saved; the money is found!" and burst into tears of joy. "And what did you do" the writer asked Mr. Finch, after hearing from him the story. "Oh," said the warm-hearted man, "I 'spose I blub bered too." So the mystery was cleared up. Mr. Allen had shipped Mr. Cooper's money with his own by mistake, and the honesty of the New York house saved the good names of all concerned. The lawyers lost their case, and no one rejoiced more thereat than themselves. Confidence was restored and restitution made to Mr. Cooper, and the reader is no doubt ready to agree with me, that "All's well that ends well." CHAPTER XI THE DES MOINES VALLEY RAILROAD There was ever a strong bond of friendship between the early settlers of Des Moines and the city of Keokuk, Iowa. This friendship began when that city on the Mississippi was a young and bustling town and Fort Des Moines was a little muddy, smoky hamlet at the "Rac coon Forks of the Des Moines river." Keokuk, in those days, was our Chicago. There we used to get our supplies. From the capacious warehouses of Chittenden and McGavic, Con- nable, Smyth and Co., B. B. Hinman and Co., Foote and Co., J. B. Carson, Stafford and Mc- Cune and others, perhaps situated on or near the levee, where consignments of goods were stored intended for the interior of Iowa, wait ing transportation by boat, down the river, or by wagon during the dry seasons over a wild prairie, in summer's heat, autumn's haze and through winter's snow-drifts. Keokuk bears the name of the "Gate City." A very appropriate cognomen; for through this gate nearly all the shipments to Des 164 A History of Early Des Moines Moines passed for consumption here and for distribution to the scattered villages and sparsely settled country which surrounds them. There was another bond of friendship which united these two cities. In the beginning of the dark days of 1861, with tears and prayers, the people of Des Moines followed some of their young men who had sprung to their country's call, to that city, where they were uniformed, armed and drilled for the bloody work tc which they were called, and watched them as they were carried away by boat and rail to the front, amid tears, cheers, and streaming ban ners. It was there that Miss Allie Smith, a little Keokuk girl, twelve years of age, with an up turned barrel for a platform sang war songs to the soldiers, cheering the homesick ones, caus ing the hearts of all to throb with renewed patriotic resolves. Later the singer was well known as Allie Smith Cheek, of Des Moines. There is another bond of friendship be tween these two cities which will never be forgotten by the pioneers of Des Moines. In January, 1857, the constitutional convention met in Iowa City and formulated a new con stitution which was to be submitted to the vot- By Tacitus Hussey 165 ers of Iowa in August of that year. In order to make the location of the capital at Des Moines doubly sure, the following clause was inserted at the instance of some of the prom- MRS. ALLIE SMITH CHEEK Standing on a Pork Barrel, She Sang for the Departing "Boys in Blue" in 1861, at Keokuk inent Des Moines citizens : "The seat of gov ernment is hereby permanently established as now fixed by law, at the city of Des Moines, 166 A History of Early Des Moines in the County of Polk, and the State Uni versity at Iowa City, in the County of John son." For jealousy, or some other reason, the various counties of the state opposed the adop tion of this constitution and voted vigorously against it. The people of Polk county being intensely interested, raised a subscription of $100,000 to aid the Des Moines Valley Rail road, and gave a majority of 1,500 for the new constitution. Lee county, in return for this very high compliment to its pet railroad line, gave an immense majority for the constitution, and saved the day ! But it was a tight squeeze ; for the entire state majority was only about 1,600. It took nearly twelve years to build this rail road from Keokuk to Des Moines. Four reg ular sessions of the legislature had been held here, and another was almost due, when the first train came into the city. The project and the work of carrying it to a successful finish, was little short of heroic. Four years previous to the throwing of a single shovelful of dirt there had been an unprecedented flood which had swept the valley of the Des Moines clean of crops, stored and growing, live stock, fences, and in fact all floatable articles and By Tacitus Hussey 167 filled the Mississippi with all sorts of floating debris. The farmers on the upland did not fare much better, as the continuous rains pre vented planting and washed the ploughed fields into unsightly ditches. Iowa came as near to a crop failure and Des Moines to a flood famine as ever before or since. It took three or four years to recuperate. Then there was financial difficulty. Gold and silver, what little there was, had gone into hiding. Cur rency was of the doubtful kind, being free bank money from Indiana, Illinois and Iowa "wild cat currency". The officers of the road in 1855-56 were: President, H. T. Reid, afterwards a gallant soldier in the civil war, and an accurate his torian; secretary, C. F. Conn; Treasurer, W. C. Graham, and a board of directors. Grad ing began in 1855 when a contract was let to Bentonsport, a distance of forty miles. The rails for this distance were ordered by eastern capitalists, September, 1855, and were expect ed in 1856. Grading began again in March, 1856, although the frost was not yet out of the ground. The contractors who were to furnish the ties were going on with their work. On June 17, 1856, the good news was received 168 A History of Early Des Moines that 4,000 tons of the rails ordered, costing $64,000 had arrived at New Orleans and were on their way up the river on seven steamboats. When the boats arrived track-laying began without ceremony, and on the seventh day of October of that year, the first "Excursion train on the D. V. R. R." started from the depot grounds in Keokuk for the first station, Buena Vista. The locomotive pulling this first train had been christened "Des Moines," as a compliment, no doubt, to the city in the dim distance at the terminus of the road. The passengers were President Reid, Messrs. Eaton, Roberts, Leighton, Parsons and others of the directory board, together with a number of -citizens unnamed, but who, no doubt, wished to go down in history as passengers on the first train of Keokuk. Track was at this time being laid at the rate of half a mile a day, and it was estimated that by December first the road would stretch out twelve miles, ever pointing hopefully to its destination. There began on the first day of December, 1856, an unprecedented snowstorm, lasting three days, followed by a blizzardly wind which heaped up the snow all over Iowa from one to ten feet deep, making the graded work By Tacitus Hussey 169 look like an elongated grave of buried, hopes. But under a somewhat belated spring sun the snowdrifts wept themselves away, and on June 10, 1857, Farmington welcomed the "Iron Horse" with loud acclaim, fed and encouraged the officers of the road and welcomed visitors who accompanied them and with a Godspeed waved them on to their journey's end. Bona parte was passed in due time and in the spring of 1858 the road had reached Bentonsport in time to carry to their homes some of the mem bers of the first legislature Des Moines ever had. Some members, who could in any way reach home by boat, embarked on the steamer "Skipper," arriving safely at their destina tion and thence by railroad to their several homes. These members had been courted, had feasted and danced during the winter and left the capital in the best of spirits. The first legislature, the first railroad and the first ar rival of a steamboat' in the spring were events which caused the heart of "the average Des Moines citizen to swell with pride. The Re publican state convention met in Des Moines in 1859, and the entire delegation from Dubuque, one member of which was Frank W. Palmer, came up as far as Agency City, the 170 A History of Early Des Moines then terminus, by rail, and thence by boat to Des Moines. All the delegates who could, came in the same way and were loud in their praise of the quickness of the trip and the courteous treatment accorded them. In the spring of 1862, all the members of the legislature on adjournment, who could reach home by river, embarked on the "Des Moines City," to Ottumwa, and were carried to their homes by the Des Moines Valley Railroad Company. Then by slow and easy stages the road crept up to Eddyville, where it found a tarrying place during a portion of the years when the war was going on, and where it was met by the "Des Moines Steam boat Line" as it advertised itself. This line was used to transport the outgoing troops and to return the sick and wounded and f urloughed soldiers who had been to the front, smelled powder to their cost, and returned home to be nursed back to health and strength by tender hands and loving hearts. But little by little the railroad crept up the river and on July 10th the readers of the Daily Register smiled over one of J. M. Dixon's characteristic couplets: "Sammum Hillum! Something's broke! The cars have got inside of Polk!" By Tacitus Hussey 171 The news had been brought in by a farmer, who, with beaming face, gave the pleasing in formation that track-laying and a construction train had penetrated Polk county nearly half a mile! Then we began to hear of it at "Wood- ville," only a few miles away; for stages met the passengers there for a while and the hearts of the Des Moines people began to beat high with hope, especially after being in the presence of and talking with the men and wom en who were congratulating themselves on coming to Des Moines with so little staging. On the 22nd of August our citizens were re galed by the following : PROCLAMATION 'Hear, oh, ye heavens, and give ear, and hear oh, ye earth ! Let the glad news sweep over the prairies and around the universe, that the first train on the valley road will come into Des Moines on the afternoon of the 29th of August, 1866. Colonel Leighton says it, and his word stands fast ! In view of this circumstance, pre liminary arrangements should be made to meet the Iron Horse and give him a grand reception ! Let the mayor and city council lead off in this matter. About forty persons from Keokuk 172 A History of Early Des Moines will come up on the train as railroad delegates to Des Moines, and there should be marching, bonfires, music, hurrahing, whistling, yelling, and circumscribed and uncircumscribed rip- pings and tearings through all this Land of Promise ! Let us have a perfect roar and rush and thunders of enthusiasm ! Accordingly a public meeting was held at the city council room to make arrangements for the coming event. Mayor Geo. W. Cleve land was called to the chair and Seward Smith appointed secretary. John Morris moved that a committee of seven of which the mayor should be chairman, should be selected to take the matter in charge. The committee chosen was as follows: P. M. Casady, J. M. Moody, B. F. Allen, S. F. Spofford, and Geo. W. Jones. They were given full power to complete the arrangements. On motion of Judge Casady, Mayor Cleveland was authorized to invite the mayor and city council of Keokuk to visit Des Moines on the first train. The meeting then adjourned to meet on the following Saturday, at which time the city council would be asked to make such appropriation as would meet the bills of the committee of arrangements. At the meeting thus appointed Colonel E. F. By Tacitus Hussey 173 Hooker was elected marshal of the day, Colonel S. F. Spofford was appointed committee on transportation of visitors, and John Morris on music, artillery and ringing of the bells of the city. A supper and dance was appointed at the Savery House and given into the hands of Geo. A. Drake, Ten Eyck Beekman and Major Jo seph Lyman, with such sub-committees as might be required. Honorable Geo. W. Jones, Col. E. F. Hooker, and Col. Stewart were appointed a committee on program and they at once selected Hon. John A. Kasson to make the speech of wel come. Other speakers to be called out by the chairman, if desired. The arrangements were as follows: Order of Exercises and Procession. 1. Collard's brass band. 2. Mayor and city council. 3. Invited guests. 4. Masonic order. 5. Odd Fellows. 6. Good Templars. 7. Citizens on foot. 8. Carriages and equestrians. COL. EDWARD F. HOOKER Owner of First Stage Coach in Des Moines By Tacitus Hussey 175 Marshals : Colonel E. F. Hooker, chief marshal. Colonel S. F. Spofford, 1st assistant. Joseph C. Warner, 2nd assistant. Harry Stephenson, 3rd assistant. Augustus Newton, 4th assistant. John Bacon, 5th assistant. Returning, procession will form in the same order from depot on Market street, thence from Market to Fourth, from Fourth to Court Avenue, from Court Avenue to Third street, up Third street to Walnut, up Walnut to Savery House, where the procession will be dismissed by Hon. George G. Wright. When the whistle sounded somewhere near the Brooks farm on the afternoon of August 29, 1866, the crowd with one accord shouted: "She's a coming!" When the train came in sight, as far down the track as could be seen, there was a wilderness of handkerchiefs, hats and hands waving from the windows of the cars, while on the crowded platforms could be seen men waving their hats and shouting their greetings to the assembled crowds on both sides of the track. When the stop was finally made, there were speeches, but not a third of 176 A History of Early Des Moines the crowd heard them. They were too happy to listen. A majority preferred to inspect the cars and shake hands with the engine, so to speak. Many of the assembly had never seen a train of cars, especially the younger portion of the generation. Some of the older ones had not seen a train since they bid adieu to the rail road on the east bank of the Mississippi years ago, as they journeyed into Iowa with eyes fixed on "Fort Des Moines," the prospective capital of the state. John A. Kasson was at his best that day, as was also Judge Wright, who had been "wait ing for the wagon" for the last twenty-five years. His face beamed with the satisfaction he felt, and he convulsed the listeners with some of his old-time stories of early transportation, by ox-team, stage and steamboat. The visitors responded in their happiest vein and the crowd was the jolliest ever seen and heard in Des Moines. And the women ! They were there in great numbers; for where the men are, there will the women be also. Then the procession was formed and the march to the Savery House, Fourth and Wal nut, was made in the same order as the previous By Tacitus Hussey 177 procession, yet with much more enthusiasm and noise. All were so happy that they had to give vent to their enthusiasm in some way and it generally took the form of shouting and singing. When the destination was reached the procession was dismissed by Judge Wright in a few well-chosen words and the procession melted away. The visitors were assigned to the Savery, the Des Moines House and other hotels, while not a few were taken care of by friends and acquaintances at their private resi dences. The people of Des Moines seemed to be fully in accord with one of the voices of the day, which said: "They waited for its coming! They prayed for its coming! They talked of its coming un til their tongues grew eloquent with the theme ! But they died and were all in their graves be fore their eyes saw the glories of this latter age ! Through the films of death they struggled to see the glory; but a cloud from the Shadowy Land, freighted with the chills of the grave intercepted all vision and encom passed the dying with universal darkness ! It is here! All doubts have fled! The great triumph has been achieved! The promised train is here today ! The sun shines in a clear 178 A History of Early Des Moines firmament! The day, yea, the hour of final victory has come!" The supper and dance at the Savery House was all that could be wished and was enjoyed until a late hour of the morning. Some of our staid citizens did not go to bed at all, but "made a night of it!" Des Moines never saw a hap pier throng of citizens, and none was more happy than Judge Wright, Judge Casady, B. F. Allen, Col. Spofford, Col. Hooker, J. B. Stewart, Thomas Hatton, Ed R. Clapp, Geo. W. Jones, Sol. Stewart and hundreds of others who had waited for years for the coming train which was to bind Des Moines in bands of iron to the outside world, and cause her to stretch her limbs in the great race of prefer ment. For the benefit of the younger generation a list of the guests is given that they may go down into history as participants in the first railroad excursion in the capital of the greatest state in the Union: From Keokuk: J. M. Billings, S. C. Carter, D. Payne, J. Jewell, R. Patch, E. Griswold, Judge S. F. Miller, B. S. Merriam, F. H. Wickersheim, E. J. Leech, J. W. Delaplaine, Wm. Patterson, mayor of Keokuk, James Coy, By Tacitus Hussey 179 William Thompson, J. C. Patterson, S. P. Patterson, Harry Fulton, W. Wilson, John P. Wise, Geo. E. Kilburne, Captain Ball, Major Lowe, J. L. Rice, C. Bailey, Col. J. A. Vaill, D. Urinick, J. K. Cochran, D. B. Drummond, C. Gaber, C. Thompson, H. Kerr, W. Sample, Capt. Add Hine and son, Gen. H. T. Reid and son, Howard Tucker, Wm. Brownell and son, H. J. Miller, Jas. H. Wilson, Joseph L. Kerr, Captain Pearmain, General McKenney, Geo. J. H. Wilson, U. S. A., Col. C. P. Haines, H. A. Whitney, Isaac Anderson, S. M. Anker, W. N. Stannus, H. Robertson, S. Pollock, W. S. Roche, B. Williams, Michael Gregg, James Mayer, G. W. Kerr, Col. A. W. Sheldon, E. H. Jones, W. C. J. Vines, G. W. Pittman, Rev. Mr. Hassall, H. S. Farrar, Sam M. Rankin, D. Mooar, M. K. Taylor, C. P. Birge, James C. Bruce, E. Sellers, J. W. Rankin, Col. D. B. Hillis, J. R. Copelin, H. B. Ten Eyck, Col. J. C. Parrott, R. H. Wyman, A. C. McQueen, Hon. J. W. McCreary, H. T. Cleaver, I. N. Sterne, Gen. W. W. Belknap, Doc Lowe, D. W. Blackburn, A. J. Wilkinson, George E. Yarman, S. Cary, S. Younker, George Cabus, P. D. Foster, H. W. Bobsnik, J. M. Hiatt, Rev. John Burgess, D. W. Tucker, C. E. Snow, 180 A History of Early Des Moines John W. Bowers, J. W. Pearmain, J. Gush, E. M. Buell, Geo. L. Coleman, P. Gibbins, Geo. B. Smyth, A. Bridgeman, O. C. Hale, Thomas Clyde, Thomas J. Tucker, J. J. Goodwin, Geo. R. Stafford, J. P. Carl, J. Tibbetts and Alex Barclay. From Oskaloosa: W. H. Seevers, J. R. Needham, M. T. Williams, Geo. J. Bennett, W. H. Needham, E. Moore, D. W. Loring and C. G. Moss. From Burlington : A. D. Wentz, L. Carper, E. Chamberlain, Mark S. Foote, C. P. Squires, James Morton, A. G. Adams, Dr. Beardsley, James Pittman, H. E. Hunt and T. W. Bar- hydt. From Ottumwa: Gen. J. M. Hedrick, J. Howley, Jr., Hon. E. H. Stiles, Gen. E. Gilles pie, E. M. Gibbs, J. J. Robison, and W. H. Caldwell. The same train took the excursionists back the next day and bore on one side of the en gine a banner reading : "Keokuk-Des Moines, the gate open to the Capital." On the other side of the engine a banner read: "D. V. R. R. — The link which unites us." And the train moved out across the wide stretch of prairie amid the goodbyes .'and cheers By Tacitus Hussey 181 of the happiest people in Iowa. And thus Des Moines shook hands with the outer world by rail. The first locomotive entering Des Moines was the "Marion" on the 28th day of August, W. H. McHENRY with rails to finish laying the track, James Carl, engineer. The engine bringing in the "excursion train" on August 29, 1866, was the 182 A History of Early Des Moines "Keokuk No. 1," James Tibbetts, engineer, and R. Patch, conductor. Robert Given, later of Dallas, Texas, was conductor of the first freight train entering F. M. HUBBELL Des Moines, August 30, 1866, drawn by the "Leighton," Jack McKeachie, engineer. This train brought up a big consignment of lum ber for H. F. Getchell & Co. By Tacitus Hussey 183 FRANK M. MILLS APPENDIX Autobiography of Tacitus Hussey A FRAGMENT My father, Lieutenant George Hussey, was a soldier in the War of 1812. A short time after the bombardment of Ft. McHenry — of which he was one of the defenders — he came west and settled at Terre Haute, Indiana, and entered into the mercantile business in a small way. Afterwards he bought a farm of 160 acres, and with the aid of some hired men, cleared up the land, built a house and a barn, and began making arrangements to go to farming in earnest. My mother's name was Mary Brockway. This family came west from Schenectady, N. Y. There were, three brothers with four teams of horses. My mother rode a pony, ac companying the wagon train all the way, with a hymn book on one horn of her saddle and a Bible on the other. There were sixteen in the party. They rode all day, and camped where ever night found them, pitching two large tents for sleeping purposes and a smaller tent used as a kitchen. Their destination was a Late Photo of Mr. and Mrs. Hussey Appendix 189 point on the Wabash river, eighteen miles from Terre Haute. I do not know when or how my father and mother met, "Unless, by chance, the usual way," as the old song recites it, and I can imagine it was at the "Brockway settlement up the river" as we used to call it. The meeting resulted in an intense admiration, a mutual love, a courtship of three months, a proposal, an acceptance, a happy marriage soon after, and a new home at Terre Haute. A happy life of eight years was lived here. and here I, the fourth child of the family,. was born on October 10, 1832. My father, who was looked upon by his neighbors as one of the few scholars of those times, was reading a history of the Romans by Cornelius Tacitus, at the time of my birth. Hence I was named Tacitus. If there had not been a rule in our family against giving mid dle names, I should probably have been called Cornelius Tacitus Hussey. In the absence of schools and the distance they were away, my father taught his first three children, Preston, Ann and Tacitus, (Brockway, my next older brother, having died in infancy) their letters from the old 190 Appendix Webster's Elementary Spelling Book, used by all pioneer boys and girls. Abraham Lincoln in his history of his life tells of how he studied this book by an open fire place and how he re ceived his first knowledge in this way. I used this old book as a speller and reader both, but had never been to school. MRS. JENNIE CLEMENT HUSSEY A Pioneer Teacher at Lyon School House, Corner Capitol Square One Sunday morning at breakfast my father informed us three older children that we were going to school on the next Monday morning. The school was one mile away to the north through a forest of hard sugar Appendix 191 maple and oak trees. There were no roads nor paths to the school house. My father mounted one of his horses, and with a hand ax, rode to the schoolhouse "blazing" the trees on the route every thirty feet apart on opposite sides of the route, and we were instructed to walk between these blazed or marked trees and we would reach the school by following these directions. The schoolhouse was built of logs with a window on each side. There were six or seven rows of slab seats with the upper sides smoothed off with a carpenter's plane, with legs cut of proper lengths to suit the height of the scholars. A wide open fireplace filled the larger portion of the building, in which a fire of logs was burning. The master came in bringing a small bundle of hickory whips, which he laid on his desk with a thump, serv ing on his pupils, large and small, notice of what might be expected if there were any in fraction of rules. For in those days "lickin' and learnin' " walked side by side in the halls of learning. The books in this school were primitive. The highest was Trast's History of the United States, the English Reader, Ray's Arithmetic. 192 Appendix Grammar may have been taught, but if so I do not recall it. Teachers, if they knew the multi plication table and ciphered as far as the double rule of three, were acceptable to the trustees, providing they could "handle the big boys." I had six terms of three months each in a log schoolhouse. These were winter terms. In March, maple sugar making began, and other work of clearing the fields of winter's accumulated rubbish and getting the plows ready for spring plowing. At the age of sixteen I reported to my father that I was ready to obey his wish that I should become a printer. A place was found for me on the Wabash Courier, with the pro vision that after a month's trial I could have a change of employers, if I wished. The Courier was not to my liking, because the pro prietors were not. practical printers and the foreman did not like to be "bothered by coun try boys." I found a place at the Terra Haute Journal, edited and published by Bentley and Moore, two practical printers, with whom I stayed four years, or, as they expressed it, until I could "hold a case anywhere." To Cyrus Bentley I am indebted for my first les- Appendix -193 sons in "concentration of mind." He was a fine compositor, taking an article to be put in type and reading the first sentence, he would put it into type without referring to the copy again. Then the next sentence, long or short, he would set up in the -same way. Ordinary compositors, for lack of concentration, or a lapse of memory, would have to refer to the copy several times. He wrote his editorials in the same way, and it would have puzzled a literary critic to have found a word out of place or a dull expression. I thought it worth while to master his system of "concentration," to reinforce my good memory, which it may be I inherited from my mother. My father kept a journal or diary, which every farmer ought to do; but when it came to a show-down between the diary and my mother, it was about a stand off between the carefully prepared journal and a mar velous memory. I had just enough education to make me wish for more and improved every opportunity to read the best books I could find, which filled my heart full with a burning desire to become a writer. 194 Appendix My younger brother, Warren, was an am bitious young man and wanted to see the world. Having learned the business of a druggist and wishing to see the far west, he joined a wagon train bound for California. He was taken sick enroute and had just money enough to bring him as far as Fort Des Moines. He found a place as a druggist at Dr. Shaw's drug store, and being lonesome, he got a situation for me as a printer, where I joined him on November 9, 1855. I found Fort Des Moines a dirty, smoky little place of four hundred people. Yet the greeting the people gave me won my heart and I resolved to make Fort Des Moines my home for all time to come and have not had the least desire to change my mind. The Statesman office was a loosely constructed building and so badly heated that steady work was impossi ble, so as soon as possible,. I found a new place. The Exchange Block at the corner of Third and Walnut was just then finished and when a new Republican paper was established by T. Y. Sypherd, I went to work in that office. Work was plenty and the snow did not blow in and fill up our type cases. I had plenty of time for reading . and study and improved Appendix 19b every minute, during which I gathered a good deal of history, which stood me well in hand in the later years. I took up job printing in 1857-8 with N. W. Mills and Co. and worked under instruction for six months. At the end of that term I took a situation with them at fourteen dollars a week and in the absence of the two brothers had direction of the work. N. W. Mills was an excellent printer, a verse writer and a news paper writer, and seeing that my mind ran in that direction, he gave me encouragement after seeing an occasional article from my pen published in The Register of that early day. After that, having written a series of articles under the nom de plume of "Steven Billings," I was encouraged to send in my communica tions under my own name. Many of these articles are preserved in scrapbooks in the His torical Department of Iowa. I am indebted to Frank W. Palmer of The Register for many literary hints so grateful and helpful to an amateur writer. The next step forward was made in estab lishing and publishing an advertising paper in the interest of Carter, Hussey & Curl, called the "New Broom" which, in the language of 196 Appendix The Register, "swept the cobwebs off the city," for a couple of years. A complete file of this saucy little sheet can be found in Tac Hussey's compartment in the Historical building, with other literary curiosities. I do not remember the exact date when my first verses were written. The writing of them came so naturally that I kept no dates, and they were written whenever a subject ap pealed to me and the Muse would not take no for an answer, but insisted that they must be uttered. When Colonel Roosevelt was nomi nated and elected president the first time a paragrapher in The News said, "President Roosevelt must congratulate himself greatly these days because his name cannot be rhymed," and yet I rhymed it eight times in the eight verses of a little poem that was writ ten in his honor. On the occasion of his visit to Des Moines some years ago, The News printed one edition of the paper in his honor. One copy of the issue, printed on white satin, with my poem in it, was presented to Colonel Roosevelt in person by one of the editors. A copy of the verse can be found in one of my numerous scrap books at the Historical building. Appendix 197 I edited a part of the Mail & Times two or three years, but the sickness and subsequent death of the editor, E. S. Whitcomb, caused the publication to change owners and finally to die outright, or to be merged with another publication. My petition for a fishway in the Bonaparte dam, presented in rhyme, is still remembered as one of the winning, petitions of the legis lature of a few years ago. My last newspaper work was done on the east side paper known as Plain Talk, published by the Bishard Brothers. I had to quit this work because of failing eye sight; and when my book of "Beginnings — an Encyclopedia of Very Early Des Moines," is published and de livered, I shall feel as if my literary work is finished, and, folding my hands, wait for a joyful meeting with the loved one who has passed on before, and who is waiting to meet me with a welcoming smile. Six Bonaparte Dam Elegies" Which Assisted in the Passage of the "Bill Condemning a Fishway in the Bonaparte Dam.'' Passed by Senate, March 8th. Passed by House, March 22nd. 1902. "Music hath charms," 'tis said, "to soothe the savage breast ;'' But for putting in a "Fishway" "portry" works the best! A DAM ELEGY. Said the Pickerel to the Catfish : "I heard rare news today ; That the dam down here at Bonaparte Will have a good fish-way ! I can't be pious here below ; For staying where I am I bump against the structure And invariably say 'Dam !' " Then the game fish fell to shouting At the good news they had heard — The Catfish opened wide his mouth, But never gasped a word! Said the Quillback to the Sucker : "I hate to be confined To this one spot forever— I'm afraid I'll lose my mind; This dam roaring makes my head ache"- "Say, look here," said the Bass : Appendix 199 "Ask the Fish and Game Committees To give us all a pass !" Then the Quillback took the bandage From, off his aching head — "You're a scaly lot of fellows !" The big-mouthed Catfish said. Said the Salmon to the Goggle Eye : "When this fish-way is in place, I'll strike out for headquarters At a good two-forty pace ! The dam roaring and head-thumping Will ne'er again be mine — And perhaps our friends, the fishermen, Will be dropping us a line!" Then the game fish burst out laughing, Nodding each expectant head — "Meeks will roar much louder than the dam !" The grinning Catfish said. Said the Mullet to the Catfish : "I've just heard something new ; That the Fish Clubs and Game Warden Have been making 'game' of you; That the 'Sucker Tribe' you've shaken And you're classed with Pike and Bass !" Then said the smiling Catfish : "Yes, I'm swimming in that class !" Then the Eel began to grumble About this new-found preference — "Well, a big mouth," said the Mullet, "Often stands in stead of sense!" When the fish-way had been finished, And the Meeks had shed their tears, There was the biggest "Fish Convention" That had been held there for years ! With their loins now firmly girded, And in each fin a staff, 200 Appendix They prepared to give "Old Bonaparte" The "Grand Razzle-Dazzle" laugh! As they climbed the road to freedom Everybody had to smile, For the glad flip-flapping of their tails Could be heard for half a mile! Tacitus Hussey. SWEELEY REPLIES TO HUSSEY. Second Elegy on the Bonaparte Dam Makes Its Appearance. It is now in order to make arguments on legislative matter in poetry. A rhythmical, rhyming production entitled, "Elegy No. 2" made its appearance today in the House. It is signed "A Member," and is attributed to Sweeley of Woodbury. The production is an answer to "A Dam Elegy," written by Tac Hussey not long ago, and which was presented and read before the senate and referred to the committee on fish and game. The Hussey poem was an appeal from the fish of the Des Moines river asking the General Assembly to put a fish way in the Bonaparte dam at Bonaparte, which dam has no fish-way and has been under controversy for years. DAM ELEGY— No. 2. Said the Statesmen to the Poet: "We have read your Elegy Telling how the finny tribe Have held a jamboree At the stoppage in the river 'Gainst which their heads they jam, Making all of them most wicked By continually saying 'Dam.' We will very gladly help you If you'll show an easy way How to get the Dammed stream open Without furnishing the pay. Appendix 201 We appreciate the troubles Stated in your Elegy, But we really can't remove them When it pulls our L — E — G. You have fought the battle nobly But you cannot count it won Till you show us how to do it Without putting up the 'mon.' " Marlin J. SwEfiLEY. Member from Woodbury. THIRD "DAM ELEGY." "Dam Elegy No. 3" has made its appearance, the same be ing written by Tacitus Hussey, author of the original "Dam Elegy," and being in reply to a production written by Sweeley of Woodlbury upon the subject of the Bonaparte dam. Hus sey's reply reads as follows: Said the Fishes to the Statesman: "We were very much amused At the poultice you are placing On our heads so long contused By the dam bumping we've received For forty years or more! Do you wonder, oh, Wise Statesman, That our heads and hearts are sore? Should you ask us, 'Weary Wigglers' : 'Are you happy in your plight?' We would shout, with fins uplifted, No 1 Not by a dam site !' " "Pull your leg? Why how immodest ! We don't ask for wealth in chunks, But a modest path to Freedom — Say, about five hundred plunks ! 202 Appendix 'Our Iowa' has no 'rubber neck', But we've been glad to see That her legs are of material that Will stretch from Woodbury to Lee! Now which think you the cheaper In ending this long fight — The small appropriation asked for Or a lift of dynamite?" Tacitus Hussey. DAM ELEGY— No. 4. Said the Statesmen to the Fishes : "We have heard your latest call, Saying that to get your freedom The expenses will be small ; We are always sympathetic — To do good we're ever tryin' — If a doubt of this you harbor Ask the member from O'Brien ! There's a feeling now existing That for happiness to gain We must have our duties ended And be headed for the train. Speaking of the train reminds us, That like you we'd had the blues Had the amendment not been tabled To that bill prepared by Hughes. It is now our understanding, That you're strictly in our class, And through the dam at Bonaparte You want to travel on a pass ! We're convinced now more than ever, And for aught that we can see, No obstructions should you hinder, For all travel should be free ! Appendix 203 So we'll try to be consistent Tho' the voters our heads jam, And as we did not dam the pass, We will help you pass the dam." Marlin J. Sweeley. DAM ELEGY— No. 5. Said the Fishes to the Statesmen Of the Twenty-ninth G. A. : "You've caused our hearts to sing for joy Because we feel so gay ! You have promised us our passes And our joy we cannot name, But we flip our fins in gladness, And hope you'll do the same ! "Our King, the big Mud Catfish, About Jim Brenton's size, With his wealth of corpulency, And looking quite as wise, Is waiting, self-appointed, In some cool, shady nook, For the first chance that is offered To swallow Lambert's hook ! "With the general wish expressing, Which seems now to prevail, That when Blanchard goes a-fishing He may always catch a whale! Then the Fish and Game Committee Of the House has done first rate — Though it may have had a Cruikshank, You bet its heart is straight ! 204 Appendix "And now to our new Dam Poet, Away out on the Sioux, For his rhyming words of comfort Here's a word of love for you: May you scale to top Fame's Ladder ; For you're one with, you know — We'll not play you for a Sucker — But, 'Are you a Buffalo?' L' Envoi. "The needed brain food we'll supply — Of this there's no denyin', And furnish fish on Fridays To the member from O'Brien ! All the baited hooks you drop us We will swallow without fuss, And as for you we'll ever pray — So may you prey on us !" Tacitus Hussey. DAM ELEGY— No. 6. I write to inform you that this very day, While the Solons were busily earning their pay, The bill from the Senate, watched over by you, Was acted upon and went swimmingly through. When the bill is approved by the successor to Shaw, And the "way" is completed according to law, All of Walton's disciples with their jugs full of bait For that big Mud Catfish can lie slyly in wait. Here's hoping that some day before the year's through, He'll come up to Des Moines and be landed by you ! Marlin J. Sweeley. Materials Belonging to Tacitus Hussey Deposited in Historical Depart ment of Iowa Books — Address Book. Adrian, Mich. — Account Book — 1815. Aylesworth, Barton O. — Songs and Fable. Bashford, Herbert — Songs from Puget Sea. Bishard, M. H. — Business Directory of Des Moines Val ley R. R. Towns, 1869. Brassey, Lady — In the Trades, the Topics and With the Roaring Forties. Brocklesby, John — Elements of Astronomy. Brown, Leonard — American Patriotism — Poems of the Prairie. Central Presbyterian Church Calendars (five). Central Presbyterian Church Manual. Clapp, Edwin Ruthven — Biography. Coleridge — Poems. Columbian Orator. Connecticut — Code of 1850. Crane, J. L. — Two Circuits. Custer, E. B. — Boots and Saddles. Dawson, C. C. — Thoughts and Fancies. Day, Parson E. — Public Declamation. Des Moines Blue Book. Des Moines House^Hotel Register, 1864. Diary— 1863. Dixon's Centennial History of Polk County, 1876. Durley, Ella Hamilton — My Soldier Lady. Field, A. G— Footprints Made in the Dark. Fink, Wm. Westcott— Echoes from Erin. Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Frisbie, Alvah H— Plymouth Vespers. 206 Appendix Books — Continued Frost, John— History of United States. Hammill, Prof. H. M. — Four Gospels and Life of Christ. Hammond, Edward Payson — New Praises of Jesus. Harper's Encyclopedia English and American Poetry. Hugh, George Shelley — American Civilization. Hussey, Mary B. — Poems. Hussey, Tacitus — River Bend. Kipling, Rudyard — Barrack Room Ballads. Lee, Franklin W., Rhymes. Lessons in Reading. Longfellow, Henry W. — Poems, 2 vols. Miller, Freeman — Oklahoma, and other poems. Mills, Frank — Jinglets. Mills, Frank — Mills Family and Collateral Branches. Moore, Thos.— Poems. Mulock, Dinah C. — John Halifax, Gentleman, and other novels. Murray, Lindley — English Grammar — English Reader. Poe, Edgar Allan — Works, 3 vols. Polk County History with Biography. Pool, Maria A. — Mrs. Keats Bradford. Porter, William — History of Polk County. Portrait and Biographies Governors of Iowa and Presi dents of U. S. Ray — Elementary Arithmetic. Richmond, Rev. Leigh — Drayman's Daughter. Rodeheaver — Great Revival Hymns, autographed. Rollins, Chas. — Ancient History. Sabin, Henry — Talks to Young People. Sanders, Chas. W. — School Reader. Secor, Eugene — Echoes from the Shelter. Smith, Roswell — English Grammar. Songs for the Sanctuary. Sweet Hour of Prayer. Thomson, James — The Seasons. Thoreau, Henry D. — Walden. Appendix 207 Books — Continued Tourgee, Albion — Bricks Without Straw. Turrill, H. B— History of Des Moines, 1857. Twain, Mark — (A) Tramp Abroad. Van Lenner— Bible Lands. Voices of the Flowers. Walker, J. — Rhyming Dictionary. Wallace, Lew — Fair God, Ben Hur. Ward, Artemus — 2 vols. Webster — Elementary Speller. Whiston — Works of Josephus. Wilson, William Duane — Iowa and Des Moines, Vol I. Wyckoff, W. C— Workers. Young, E. R. — By Canoe and Dog Train. Correspondence — Five Files. Cuts- Box Miscellaneous. Daguerreotype — In Highland Costume. Flask (pocket). Knick-Knacks (Miscellaneous and of no special interest). Manuscripts and Fragments — Newspapers — Adrian, Michigan — Michigan Expositor, Feb. 5, 1850, Boston — Boston Investigator, Oct. 1, 1850. Pamphlets — History Central Presbyterian Church S. S. (8 Nos.). Miscellaneous with footnotes. Photographers — Archery group. Des Moines House, 1864. Des Moines— Old Postoffice, 1845. Old Settlers' group. 208 Appendix Postal Cards — Several packages picture postals. Scrap Books — Miscellaneous clippings (10). Printing (5). Songs Published and for Sale — Booster Song of Iowa. Iowa, Beautiful Iowa. My Country, Oh My Country. Old Flag. SONGS THE OLD FLAG. Ticitdb Hussey. In March Time. H. W. Towner. i -A— N- =s=tn=t ^—* M- ¦ 4 • r.m-V- -*-g- igi±fc-' 1. Oh, star - ry flag, with waving folds 2. Old Flag! we love your colors might; 3. Old Flag! our fathers loved so well, And field of az - ure blue, Your stars ofwhite.so true; The brave Bed, White and Blue. ^ P* -fr-5^ h*^*- § '-*-»>- r a-*- With stars of white and stripes of red, We're read - y ev- er for the fight We'll fol - low thro' the battle smoke, So_prond - ly floating o - ver-head, In Freedom's cause and forthe Right! The can-non's roar and sabre stroke; -v-t- =f5=P= i -N— Si 1 It =»t What are we thinking of you, Old Flag? What are we thinking of you? That's what we're promising you, Old Flag! That's what we're promising you! yic - to-ry'salwayswith you, Old Flag! Vic - to-ry's always with you! SEE * -*-=!- Copyright, 1000, by Tacitus Hussey, Des Moines, Iowa. 211 fcfci Chorus. A tempo. Murcato. .Sopranos. =fc £ ±zrr^n*= =*=£= K--<5- -g-T-*- Old flag! We pledge with heart and haij3JThat'''neilth your folds we'll everstand; And J11.T09. £ s. V ¦N !S ft — «s — Jr rSr^s: =*-^ •Old Flag"! We pledge with heart and band.Tliat 'neatlryour folds we '1J ever stand; And I Tenors. . ¦»—-?- -"— r 01(1 Flag! We pledge with heart and iiand,That 'iieath your folds we'll everstand; And Bassos.. - " ^SZ_^- - - ^^ -t.!— »— JN-»— fc- ¦¦a • pi *-a-.-»- -fc>— l-r-fr-*-1-?.- rtrSfc 4-S--1- -#— #-r-# — #- -fr-0—j- Piano, Strongly marked* 4- ^^ att • *•» p~ p pp> , ! « «. » — »- ¦ I I ' irrt£rg= J H i r-arr I 3==p £E==H « * ne'er "an. "act o.f,- :— r =t =p -* «T" -» -„<- ' a star! ne'er :an act ;'"o£, ours shaljinar" Your' col - ors brigbt.nor dim ±=t- 3*=£ ne'er an act' -of tjurs stiall mar. 'Your col -- ors bright, nor gF=£E£ dim a «tar! ^ j-y anc :£=£ ®E =F=t The Old Flag! S. m &= =tt ft That's what we'repledging to you. Old Flag! That's what we're pledging to you! r* n— v- -*"«.- ^ -*— *- • 'ft! That's what we're pledging to you, Old Flag ! That's wlvat we're pledging to you ! I r -*-*- -* » ^ 2lte That's what we're_pledgingto you, Old Flag! That's what we're pledging to you! I N N S I is :*=£• :| I I 4- * _J.- — ^ * * * * If sung without drill, return to prelude. B-i: ' J- -f. .4 j i^-xt&tr -4- 4 4- 3r£^£ S£fc iSr±: rCsi =£ INTERLUDE AND FLAG DRILL. ( Wave flags alternately right and left at accent marks.) fcrfc l—a i— a ' i—a r-a s -=H — a — ! j i-1 — 0 * ¦ -*t— - *J— r i I'xj *-i — Bg-»-— » e • i i -*--+•-* -jr* -»r Tf • TT -tf~ ^ rfrst- i fefc t|3 Ped. Ped. Fed. — ~ — t5 — ft ^ i — ^-* — $—* — F~^ — P^* — i P- P—t ¦ _l — I ' 1 ru 1 — 1 — -1 — i 1 — 1 LJ LJ 1/ ¦* "J • tt "V- "#¦ ¦»?•• V -Jr- tt "*-• ¦»¦ -J-^.^— ^ ^ *| = =|- \ M>— 1 — ! 1 — I Is— ¦ ¦ • • 1 _.¦!»¦ ,< . 1 Ped. Pec2. Ped. 56 US -"H— ?= 4=t 1!? " -J— SB-»- — » — »— lg fc^r 4—* L S^^i :l=t:: :£=£ Ped. Toe ow piftgr s. Ped. IOWA'S QUEEN. Word* by TACITUS HUSSEY. ;£: ModemtofspKfslm. . ^ nusle by ARTHUR HEFT. Voici. i ^ i t Ah. chcet jr pet 2. O beau icous Ml 1. for ¦•untu «"Los o'er PJANO. woods and fields, At last thou hast a place way - ward one, Thou Gyp - sy Queen of flowers, pra_^* rics wide. And by our purl - Eng streamy I A. monjj the flow era oi the world. Won Why hide ye from the eye of man, In Thy rich per-fumo has gone to waste— Un by thy mod - est grace. Wo bid thee wel - come, bright-eyed rose, Un - tam - ed aa thou Na • ture'B se - cret bowers? Come forth and lift thy dain - ty head, And hear 'the peo - pie heed - ed were thy gleams, But now an Em- blem Flower art thou, And proud -ly will wo 5^ arl;say:sing: Come, rest up • on her teera-ing breast, The choice o[ lo wa's heart! "There's no Slate Flower so fair and sweet As the Rose of I- - o • wa!" "The Wild Rose is the Queenof Flowers'In theState whereCornis King!" Agtialo. ff IOWA~"BEAUTIFUL LAND." Words by TACITUS HUSSEY. Des Moines, Iowa. In March Time. Music by II. AU TOWNER. Coming, Iowa. PIANO. j^^^^^fe=E&= -J— :4-'*.ts=-- I I ' J I I I I Solo, or Voices in Unison. _. A song for our dear Hawk-eye State! 2. The corn-fields of biJ - low - y gold, 3. Her tale of the past has been told, 4. Then sing to the praise of our God, PedY' *Ped? ' I - o - wa— "Beau- ti • ful Land-," In I • o -wa— "Beau-ti • ful Land," Of ' I • o- wa— "Beau- ti - ful Land;" Of I - o - wa— "Beau- ti - ful Land," £E=SJ=6=g=»SE3E^ a bird sings of love to his mate Are siuil-ing with treas-ure un - told. The fu - ture is -not yet un.-rolled And our fa • thers,whose feet ear - ly trod In I • o - wa— "Beau-ti • ful Ivand." In I • o- wa— "Beau-li - ful Laud." Of, I : o- wa— "Beau-ti • ful Land." This I - o- wa— "Beau- 4 4 S si — *" ¦J-* * ^ "^4 1. When Freedom's bell rang loud and long Up -on that na - tal day, 2. O tree of Lib - er - ty, most kind,With leaves baptized in blood, 3. Thou, God, who rul - est wind and wave, And worlds their courses guide, si J m -0~ •*-' -0- -0- -0- m S5E -» 0- X £= r~ _E F£3 *• p w # I %- =4=4- t=t ms. n± *±3i i — r i •And filled the hearts of that vast throng With Freedom's roun-del-ay, Whose fibrous roots our hearts have twined,And per-ils oft with-stood, Bare Thou Thine arm this land to save From fol - ly's ris - ing tide! m > m &. t* j.* ¥^ =t=t P=^- p3£d±±#f£&fe£Msh ^ The sound was car-ried 'round the earth, And o'er the storm-y Stretch forth thine arms to all the world In Chris-tian char - i - Bring peace to troubled hearts to - day, Lord of the brave and J. sea, ty, free, fe *s I* ^m d*E :*=£ * « * * iri- M. L. Bartlett, Des Moines. la., owner of copyright, My Country! Oh, My Country! And tell - ing of a Na-tibn's birth; "My country! Oh, my coun-try:'' And cheer all hearts with flag unfurl'd, "My country! Oh, my coun-try!" That we maygreetour flag and say: "My country! Oh, my coun-try!" m -*— *- %r'.*m J fa£_^ -f- -0-. -0- M. J0-J0- &=* P fe Chorus. Maestoso. =&=&= 6= be^Ss fei ?**=*=? =*=£ t?~Lu * - i - — p O beau-te-ous flag, with heaven's white stars, Wave a-loft glorious o'er .•g^-f- f-t- f 1- .-g-^--g- * » — ^\0 T- 1- ¦*"**- P4D— ^-4>- £^=r^- P— g I)— L)— L)- tU j > ISeS 0 p" land and o'er sea! Hope of the earth, with Freedom's bright bars! Oh, --g^^ ng-rr- t=t 3= =F fr 'J ;i [r^ t?— g-y=£ r^-tr 1 U>JL_i_ 1 ^=*= ft^^=t §£ _*=bM_=JE=HEZ $?=2 coun try! my coun - try! the land of the freel -*_JL -» — k- 1 The Booster Song of Iowa. Words by TAC1T.US HUSSEY Music by GRACE CLARK DE GRAFF. (To be played in' good marckitime) HE6EIEJE3 f — » — Then Her As i 1. Kow "Corn is King fn I-o - va," 2. Her bank3 are full ofmon-ey; 3. Her soil brings "forth by hands-full", 33 3= r£ sing the cho - rus Strang; Pros- pock - ets bulg - ing out; in ^ the scrip - ture days; Her 5 1 ft, =. =C 3* :£=&= -rn^-'-m- P-P *-•-' S==P I . ^•—,—-5" per - i - ty has come to stay — So push the* word a-long! Then sing your songs of glad-ness, Ye "Trade Balances" come her way,Of which there's not a doubt! With "Cattle on a thousand hills", And roost-ers crow the loud - est, And hens join in their "lays"; Her Au-tos are of swiftest class, And "IT* , ' J 1^ *rr^Sl-d3^: £3 -—*-. 3- -T n — 1 — n — i — ^— , -*—»-w 3= 3=r3= -v-^r. J- *-*• ¦*•-*-. ~^=1 I -s— ft- -*<^- ^-r^- bus - y,hus-tling men, To the mu - sic of the reap- er And the cack-Ie of the hen! scads of rich- est milk; With bump-er crops of clo ver, And corn all dressed in silk! toot the loud-cst horn; Her Chauffeurs all wear di- a-monds As big as grains of corn! Copyright. 1914, by Tacitus Hussey. Dea Moine. T. Chorus. #*Ft=\ -4- -1 1 -j — r — i\— p=3>~ — ft" -*= ~ fe- i ^-L-r- =— Oh, Boom, Boom, Boom! — 1 1- — m — - AI ¦ p ¦ ' fal r -I 1 — fa, — -i — 1 — Porli and — n — -i — — 6/ Corn! — —J m 0 M « . i 1 • j— • W— i — #___ f=3 — • — •-T-- # * — 1 — ~P—-\ I^b^H t_s =4 -ll— *- —M. L-=t =4 P - \— J »-r-& — ' Boom, Boom, Booml I o - wa blows her horn! Elow it lond I IrEfir i=i=t- n=*=3= Mi *5|§rf and "3 long »— *" tT-*-^r » =5=Ft 4 Ah! that "Land of Milk and Honey" You hope to share some day; But you'll. have to die to "get there;" — Why not live in Iowa, Where her cows all "give down" freely, And her bees, the season through, Make seven million pounds of honey — Is not that enough for you? ,5 Then, when St. Peter opes the gate And shows a smiling face, And says: "Ah, there! From Iowa? We've reserved for you a place;— Now, please to take those gold-trimnred seats. Right hand at topmost row!" Then you'd rather die in Iowa, Than live in States we know! To be shouted, if desired:— Glory Be! Glory Be! Iowa for Me! A-N-D T-H-E-N S-O-M-E ! ! The Booster Sonj of Iowa.— a Iowa for me! IOWA FOREVER, INDEX INDEX Page Aborn House 161 Adams, A. G 180 Agatha (steamboat) 10, 13, 113, 116, 118 Agency City 169 Agricultural Bank of Tennessee PI Ainsworth, Capt. J. C 120 Ainsworth, Lucian L 128 Alexander Ro'dgers (steamboat) 121 Alice (steamboat) 120 Allen & Lyon 85 Allen, B. F 7, 20, 34, 85, 88, 100, 134, 144, 153, 154, 172 Allen, Capt. James 9, 10, 13, 115 Allen, Kitty 73, 137, 138 Allen, Mrs. B. F 138, 144, 152 American House 83 Anderson, Isaac 179 Andrews, Mrs. L. F... 140 Andrews, W. G 91 Angle, M. C 128 Ankeny, Hattie 141 Anker, S. M 179 Apel, Prof 137 Appanoose (Chief) 116 Appanoose Rapids 116 Ayers Drug Store 93 Ayers, W. F 34, 53 Bachus, Mrs 151 Badger State (steamboat) 120 Bailey, C 179 Bailey, George W : 86 Baker, Adjutant General 123 Baker, Col. Thomas 100 Baker, Mrs. Dr 152 Baker, W. H 130 INDEX. Page Baker, Wm. B 88 Ball, Capt 179 Bank Note Reporter 159 Baptist College 86 Barclay, Alex 180 Barhydt, T. W 180 Bartlett, Maro Loomis 217 Barlow, John 52 Bates, Curtis 20 Battle of Shiloh 48 Beardsley, Dr 180 Beaver Creek 100 Beebe, George 52 Beekman, Ten Eyck 173 Beers, Capt. F. E 119 Belknap, Gen. W. W 179 Bennett, Benjamin : . . . 52 Bennett, George J 180 Bentley, Cyrus 192 Bentonsport 132 Billings, J. M 178 Bird, Mrs. Thompson 59 Bird, Rev. Thompson 48, 50, 67, 74 Bird School 50 Birds' Run "23 Birge, C. P I7y Birge, Elvira 66 Blackburn, D. W 179 Black Hawk Purchase 9 Boardman, Norman 128 Bonaparte, Iowa 123, 198, 200 Boone County 17 Bowen, Jesse 128 Bowers, Alex . '. 27, 28, 11 Bowers, John W , 180 Bobsnik, H. W 179 Boyd, John H 71 INDEX. Page Boyd, Thomas 71 Boyd, Wm. E 71 Boyington, Mr. and Mrs 137 Bracewell, Hartley 130 Bracket:; W. F 137 Brandt, Isaac 123, 125 Brass Band : 71 Brazil, Rev. Father John F 99 Breekbill, A. C 51 Brewery 72 Bridge, First 74 Bridgeman, A : 180 Briggs, Otis 20 Brojckway, Mary 187 Brooks, Dr. Thomas K 16, 52, 62 Brooks, Mrs. Dr .'. 152 Brown, Leonard 63 Brown, Talmage E 85 Brownell, Dr 145 Brownell, Mrs. Dr :.'.'. 149 Brownell, Wm. and Son 179 Bruce, James C 179 Bryant, Benj amin 66 Buell, E. M 180 BuelL Spinning Bait 104 Buena Vista 169 Bunn, Henn 97 Burbridge, Jim 104 Burgess, Rev. John 179 Burgett, J. F 52 Burlington Hawkeye 72 Burlington, Iowa 132 Burnham, E.-L. & Co 93 Burns, Tom 115 Burton, Joseph 129 Bush, H. M 88 Bush, Horace 71 INDEX. Page Bush, L. H 60 Butts, George 160 Buzzard, P. H 52 Cable, Mrs 137 Cabus, George 179 Caldwell, W. H 180 Caleb Cope (steamboat) 112 Campbell Brothers 100 Campbell, Burrell 87 Campbell, "Jim" 20, 76, 77 Campbell, Mr 22 Campbell, W. A 137 Cane, Addison 51 Canfield, Elijah 53 Capitol Building 69 Carl, James 181 Carl, J. P 180 Carpenter, Mrs. Thomas 151, 148 Carper, L 180 Carson, J. B 163 Carter, S. C 178 Cary 179 Casady, Judge P. M 20, 23, 30, 31, 37, 41, 55, 156, 172 Casady, Simon 60 Case, Philo L 1 53 Cave, Capt. Richard 122 Cave, Jesse 122 Census, First in Des Moines 66 Central Presbyterian Church 48 Chamberlain, E 180 Charley Rodgers (steamboat) 119 Cheek, Allie Smith 164 Childs, George A. and Mrs. George A 149 Childs, Howell and Sanford 88 Chittenden & McGavic 163 Chronicler (The) 72 Clapp, Ed. R 30, 67, 76 INDEX. Page Clapp, W. W 51 Clara Hine (steamboat) 112, 123, 131, 132 Clark, G. B 53 Clark, Leander 130 Clark, Rush 129 Clarke, Capt. S. B 121 Cleaver, H. T 179 Cleveland, George W 172 Cleves, John 129 Clough, Thomas M 53 Clyde, Thomas 180 Coal 69 Coburn, L. L 137 Cochran, J. K 179 Coffeen, Benjamin 51 Coffin, Capt. T. C 121 Cole, Isaac; 51 Coleman, George L 180 Collins, Artoise •. 84 Colonel Morgan (steamboat) 20, 119 Cook, Fred W 137 Cook, Ira 131 Cook, Sergeant & Cook 131 Cooper, Isaac 21, 74 Cooper, Mrs. Isaac 152 Cooper, Pomroy 60 Coon, C. F 167 Connable 163 Connell, Chas. J 137 Copelin, J. R 179 Court House 64, 65, 69 Court House Square 112 Counterfeit Detector 159 County Commissioners 54 County Officers 53 Covered Bridge 10 Coy, James 178 INDEX. Page Crane, James 88, 89 Crossman, Perry 62 Croton, Iowa 64, 122 Dailey, John L 84 Dallas, Texas 29 Dam Elegies, Six Bonaparte 198 A Dam Elegy 198 Dam Elegy No. 2 200 Third Dam Elegy 201 Dam Elegy No. 4 202 Dam Elegy No. 5 203 Dam Elegy No. 6 204 Dangler, Mrs. S. J 147 Dangler, S. J 148 Davenport, Iowa 131 Davis, Capt 120 Davis, Charles 114 Davis, Mary 32, 59 Davis, Moses 114 Dean, John S 53 Death's Mill 113 Defiance (steamboat) 120 De Ford, William 32, 51 De Graff, Grace Clark 219 Delaplaine, J. W 178 Delirtger, Christian , 129 De Moine Belle (steamboat) 119, 123, 127 De Moine City (steamboat) 120, 123 Demoine House 93, 95 De Moine Valley (steamboat) '. 121 Des Moines (See Ft. Des Moines) — Barlow Granger elected mayor of 26 Charter for, adopted 55 Charter for, to be written : 55 City council elected 55 Election held to incorporate 55 INDEX. Page. Des Moines — Continued. First- Amusement hall 70 Brass Band 71 Brewery 72 Brick building 62 Bridge 74 Capitol building 69 Census taken 66 Church 62 Church building erected 62 Coal mined 69 Court House 64-65 Daily paper published 72 District court Ci Drug Store 66 Election in 61 Flock of sheep 76 Fourth of July celebration 63 Fraternal society 69 Grist mill 69 Ice plow in use 76 Iron foundry 71 Jail in 65 Marriage license issued' 66 Meat market 67 Mortgage recorded 67 Newspaper published 67 Political meeting 61 Power printing press 71 Post office building 66 Presbyterian sermon 74 Public school 63 Public school building 63 Real estate sale 67 Regular mail arrives 66 Runaway slaves arrive 75 INDEX. Page Des Moines — Continued. Sermon preached . . , 62 Stage enters village of 69 Steam boiler works 71 Stove store 69 Taverns 63 Two story building 62 Whig paper 69 History of early 9 Seat of government established at 165 Sherman, Lampson P. elected mayor 27 Serves as recorder and treasurer of 27 Des Moines Register 153 Des Moines River ' 10, 17, 100 Des Moines River Line (of steamboats) 125 Des Moines Row 19 Des Moines Valley Railroad 163, 167, 171, 172 Dewey, Robert 60 Dicks, Alonzo F 51, 71 Dicks, Edward F 51 Dicks, Jesse F 51, 55, 69 Dicks, Victoria 51, 60, 88 Dilley, William 51 District court 61, 62 Dixon, J. M : 170 Dixon, J. P 120 Dixon, J. W 128 Doffman, Jacob 113 Doty, Will 148 Drady, Michael 70, 82, 83 Dragoons (U. S.) 9 Dragoon Well 80, 81 Drake, George A 173 Drake, James 15 Drummond, D. B 179 Dungan, Warren S 128 Dunkle Brothers 91 Dunlavy, Harvey 129 INDEX. Page Eaton, Mr 168 Eddy's Trading Post 115, 116 Eddyville 133 Edison Electric Light Plant 103 Ed. Manning (steamboat) 120 Eichorn, Godfrey 129 Eider, Anna 60 Eider, Till 60 Ellis, John 114 Elliott, F. E 53 England, Wm 88 English, Harvey 127 English Reader 191 Equitable Insurance Company '. 24 Esteb, E. T 127 Everly, Henry 51 Ewings, Washington George 16 Fagan, Dr. P. B 30, 31 Fagan's Mill 31 Fairall, Samuel H 129 Farmington, Iowa 113, 118 Farner, Dr. W. H 47, 84 Farr, Stephen 53 Farrar, H. S 179 Farris, Joseph 119 Farris, Capt. Robert 120 Farris, Capt. W. H 119, 120, 121 Female Seminary (Academy) 59, 60, 61 Ferguson, David 129 Finch, D. 0 146, 154, 162 Finch, J. H 53 Finch, Judge and wife 137 Finch, Dr. D. 0 147, 152 Flagstaff 81 Flint, Joseph H 130 Flora Temple (steamboat) 120 INDEX. Page Foote & Co 163 Foote, John G 128 Foote, Mark S 181 Fort Des Moines (See Des Moines) — • Brick industry started in 11, 13 Campbell and McMullin's addition to 22 Capt. Allen selects site of 9 Citizens form steamboat company 20 Fire fighting machine arrives at 22 Located at head of navigation 18 Located at the forks of Des Moines and Raccoon rivers 9, 10, 163 Military station completed at 13 Narrative of camp life in 14, 15 Settlers arrive • 17 Soldiers arrive 10 Steamboat Agatha arrives 10 Fort Des Moines Star 25 Fort Des Moines Steamboat Company 20, il9 Fort Des Moines Weekly Gazette 26, 27 Fort Dodge 119 Fort Raccoon 57, 80 Fort Sanford 10, 116 Forty-Niners 21 Foster, Mrs. Wm _. 141 Foster, P. D '. 179 Fourth of July 63 Four Mile Creek 11, 100 Fouts, E 54 Fox, Dr. and Mrs. . .• 149 Frazier, Wm. D 69 Frederick, B. F 53 Frederick, Jacob 53 Fuller, A. B 51 Fuller, Levi 129 Fulton, Harry 179 INDEX. Page Gaber, C 179 Gatling, W. J 82 Gault, Capt 112 Gault, Edward J 129 Gazette, The 69 George H. Wilson (steamboat) 121 Getchell, H. F. & Co 182 Gibbins, P 180 Gibbs,, E. M.'. 180 Gibson, Hiram D 129 Gillespie, Gen. E 180 Gillette, Mrs. E. H 140 Gilmore, W. S. & Son 161 Given, Arthur 60 Given, John H 35 Given, Pauline (Swalm) 35 Given, Robert 182 Glanville, Joshua 129 Glimpse, Eli 114 Globe (steamboat) 119 Good, Charles 86, 87, 100 Goodwin & Purdy 88 Goodwin, George B 72, 73 Goodwin, J. J 180 Goodwin, Miss 152 Graham, W. C 167 Granger, Barlow 25, 26, 47, 67 Gray, George W 128 Gray, Samuel 20, 69 Great Western Stage Coach Co 69 Greeley, Horace 26, 47 Gregg, Michael , 179 Green, Senator George F 128, 130 Grier, Lieutenant Wm. N 10, 13, 31 Griffith Block 123 Griffith, Mrs. J. M 152 Grimmell, Augusta 37 INDEX. Page Grimmell, Dr. F. C 37, 38, 66, 71 Grinstead, B. F 53 Grist Mill 69 Griswold, E 178 Guard House 37 Gue, Benjamin F 128 Gush, J 180 Guthrie County 95 Hagans, J. C 127 Haines, Col. C. P 179 Hale, O. C 180 Hall, Edwin 51 Hall, James 51 Hall, Townsend 51 Hallett, Mrs. Minerva Jones 60 Hall's Ridge 80 Hammer, D. 128 Hardie, Thomas 129 Harlan, Aron W 63, 64, 121 Harlan, Edgar R 7 Harris, Capt. W. H 121 Harrods, J. J 53 Harter, Misses 88 Hassall, Rev 179 Hastings, D. C 128 Hatton, Thomas 137 Hays, Mary 42, 44, 45 Hedrick, Gen. J. M 180 Heft, Arthur 213 Hemingway, H. N 71 Hempstead, Gov. Stephen 26 Henderson, Thomas 53 Hepburn, Add 88, 90, 146 Hepburn, Mrs. Add 141 Hervey, White & Bradshaw 86 Hewett, "Pap" - 66 INDEX. Page Hiatt, J. M 179 Hierb, George 72 Hill, Capt. Grant W 119 Hillis, Col. D. B 179 Hine, Capt. Add 179 Hinman, B. B. & Co 163 Holland, Ella 60 Holland, Granville and Mrs. Granville 60 Holland, Kate 60 Holland, Marie 60 Holcomb, Jacob ' 51 Holcomb, James 51 Holcomb, Richard 51 Holcomb, Wm 51 HoUingsworth, Louis .' 129 Holmes, W. H 128 Hooker, Col. E. F 149, 172, 173 Hooker, Hagie 73 Hooker, Kittie 73 Hooker, Lizzie 73 Hooker, Mrs. E. F 148, 152 Home, H. M 10U Horseshoe Lake 1 12 Houghton, Douglas 146 Howard (murder and lynching) 93 Howard, Robert 53 Hoxie, B. F. 32, 62 Hoxie, Herbert M 29, 30 Hoxie, James 29 Hoxie, Melville 29 Hoxie, Melville B 29, 30 Hoxie, Rose 29, 30 Hoxie, Ruth 29 Hoxie, -Wm. H 29, 30 Howell, C. C 149 Howell, Mrs. C. C 140, 150 Howes, J. F 85 INDEX. Page Howley, J. Jr 180 Hubbell, F. M 134 Hubbell, Mrs. Frances Cooper 60 Hughes, Wm 53 Hull, Miss Lida 88 Hunt, HE 180 Hussey, Lieutenant George 187, 189 Hussey, Tacitus — Ann Hussey, sister of 189 Attends dinner 84 Autobiography of 187, 197 Compositor 84 Death of 7 Gratitude of 7 Impersonates Irish Washerwoman 147 Journeys to Fort Des Moines 194 Materials in Historical Department 205 Printer 195 Hussey, Mrs. Tac 143, 146, 151 Hussey, Warren 146, 153, 156, 162 Hussey, Mrs. Warren 143, 147,- 152 Iowa City 160, 166 Iowa Loan and Trust Co 62 Iowa Star 47, 67 Iowaville 121 Iowa Weekly Citizen 72 Indians 16, 17, 19, 61 Ingersoll, Mrs. E. J 142 Ingham & Starr 85 Ingham, S. R 149 Ingham, Mrs. S. R 147, 151 Introductory 7 Iron Foundry 71 Jackson, Calvin J 130 Jail 65, 66 Jenkins, James 64 INDEX. Page Jennie Dean (steamboat) 122 Jennings, John D 128 Jennie Lind (steamboat) 120 Jeroleman, J 92 Jewell, J 178 Jewett family , 58 Jewett, George A 58 Jewett, Mrs 32 John B. Gordon (steamboat) 119 Johnson (murder) 92, 93 Johnson, Capt. J. N 121 Johnson, Kitty 141 Jones, A. D 32 Jones, Alwilda 60 Jones, Edward 60 Jones, E. H 179 Jones, Hon. George W 172, 173 Jones, Lewis , 51 Jordan, J. C 53 Julia Dean (steamboat) 120 Kahler, Charles 90 Karns, F. C 71 Kasson, John A 138, 173 Kasson, Mrs. John A 148 Keane, Ella 140 Keene, Mrs. Samuel 29 Keffer, By 90 Keffer, Simon 90 Kellogg, Miss 142 Kellogg, Racine D 129 Kellogg, Samuel 48 Kemp, Jim 90 Kennedy, Michael 71 Kent, James M 128 Kentucky (steamboat) • • H9 Keokuk (Indian Chief) 116 INDEX. Page Keokuk, Iowa 125, 131, 132, 163 Keosauqua, Iowa 115, 132 Kerr, G. W 179 Kerr, H 179 Kerr, Joseph L 179 Kerr, Mrs. W. B 7 Ketchum, R. A 137 Keys, C. W 145 Kilburne, George E .- 179 Kirkwood, Governor and Mrs 149 Knight, Mrs. John 142 Knoll, F. M 129 Knowlton, Anna P 50 Knowlton, J. W 137 Lafferty, Capt. J. M 10, 113 Laff erty, James 53 Lakin, W. B 129 Lamb, Newton 53 Lamb, William 15 Lane, James T 130 Land office 52 Lawson, Isaac 52 Lawson, Lizzie 60 Leviathan (keel boat) 121 Leake, Joseph E 128 Le Bousquet, Misses 141 Leech, E. J 178 Lehman, Will H 136, 137 Leighton, Mr 168 Levis, Mary 88 Lewis, W. E ; 128 Libertyville, Iowa 133 Light (steamboat) 122 Lighter (steamboat) , 122 Little Morgan (steamboat) 121, 124 Logan, Jeff 75 • INDEX. Page Loomis, M. C 130 Loring, D. W 180 Louisiana Purchase 9 Love, Mary 148 Lovejoy 88 Lovejoy's Lumber Yard _. 82 Lowe, Doc 179 Lowe, Major 179 Lowrie, Charles W 129 Luella (steamboat) 119 Lunt, Samuel H 146 Luse, Cyrus P 88, 149 Luse, Mrs. Cyrus P .149, 151 Lyon 34 Lyman, Major Joseph 173 Lyon, Captain 120 Lyon, Eliza 60 Lyon, Elizabeth Chester 60 Lyon, George 60 Lyon Girls 88 Lyon, Maggie 143 McBride, Dr 52 McClain, John, D 52 McClelland, William 52 McCrary, Abner M 127 McCrary, George W 127 McCreary, J. W '. 179 McCune, Captain C. F 119 McDonald, N. S 71 McGaughey, Mumma & Bare 84 McGlothlin, John D 52 McGlothlin, Thomas 130 McGorrish, Dr 97, 99 McHenry, Wm. H 52 McKay, Florence 138 McKay, Judge William-. 52 INDEX. Page McKeachie, Jack 182 McKenney, General 179 McLennan, William 129 McMullin, Thomas 22, 23, 100, 104 McQueen, A. C 179 McQuiggan, Colonel 121 McQuinn, James 129 McTighe, Michael (Mike) 70, 87 McWilliams, John 91, 92 Madrid, Iowa 17 Maid of Iowa (steamboat) 122 Mail, first regular 66 Manningj Hon. Ed 120 Marion (The) 181 Marion, Iowa 125 Martin, Henry M 129 Marts, D. C 52 Marvin, W. T 55 Mason, Captain Charles 119 Masons (Free) 69 Martesen, Miss 137 Maxwell, John S '. 129 Mayer, James 179 Meacham, W. H 52, 63, 69 Meacham, W. R 54 Merriam, B. S 178 Merrill, Governor Samuel 139 Merrill, Mrs. Governor 140 Methodist Episcopal Church 15, 28, 31, 62 Michael, Addison 52 Michigan (steamboat) 121 Middle River 11 Milard, Captain Charlie 114 Milard, Levit 114 Milburn, Isaac 130 Miller, Judge S. F 178 INDEX. Page Mississippi River 9, 125 Missouri River 75 Mitchell, Abby 147 Mitchell, Mrs. John 140 Mitchell, Thomas 52, 53, 61 Mooar, D 179 Mock, Daniel 53 Montrose, Iowa 132 Moody, J. M 172 Moore, E 180 Moore, Mrs. William Winchester .•. 60 Moore, W. W. (Uncle Billy) 35, 36, 37, 62, 74, 91, 100 Moss, C. G 180 Morgan House 143 Morris, John 172 Morris, W. C 113, 114, 118 Morrison, Captain 121 Morrow, Charles 53 Morton, James 180 Mott's Elevator 153 Mosier, C. A - 71 Mosier, Cyrus 34 Movestar (steamboat) 122 Mumma's Hotel 83 Munger, Lyman 148 Munsell, O. W ' 72 Murley, James S 128 Myers, Captain Peter 19, 20, 119 Nagle, Franklin 53 Napier, Thomas 53 Nash, Rev. J. A 63 Neal, Jarius R 128 Needham, J. R 180 Needham, W. H 180 Nelson, Ole 130 Nevada (steamboat) 121, 123 INDEX. Page Newcomer, Peter 53 New Georgetown (steamboat) 122 Newton, A , 148, 149 Newton, Augustus 20 Newton, Mata 137, 142 Newton, Mrs. A 149, 152 New Purchase 9 Norris, David (Uncle) 53, 67 Northwestern Depot 123 Nutt, H. C 86 Nourse, Mrs. C. C 151 Obers, Dr 116 O'Kell, George 104 Old Settlers' Association 74 Oskaloosa, Iowa 133 Ottumwa, Iowa 116, 119, 121, 133 Oyler, Walter 53 Palmer, Hon. F. M 138, 169 Pandodging (steamboat) 122 Parade Ground 81, 82 ' Parker, George W 129 Parmalee, John D 11 Parmalee, Jules 102, 108 Parrott, Colonel J. C 179 Parsons, Mr 168 Patch, R 178, 182 Patterson, J. C 179 Patterson, S. P 179 Patterson, William 178 Patton, Captain 132 Payne, D .' 178 Pearmain, Captain 179 Pearmain, J. W ". 180 Pelton, Mrs. L. A 151 Perry, John M 52 INDEX. Page Phelps, Captain William .122 Phillips, James 53 Pittman, G. W 179 Pittman, James 180 Plathe, Rev. G. H 97, 99 Plymouth Mill 113 Poems To a Pair of Old Boots 78 We Are Building a City Here 55 Polk County 54, 58, 61, 101 Pollard, James 127 Pollock, S 179 Porter, Joseph R 130 Porter, Will 84 Posegate, Frank 100 Post office 66, 85 Potter, Mrs. Lida Hull 60 Presbyterian Church (Central) 77 Price, Captain Joseph 112 Price, Michael 129 Pritchard, Walter Scott 86, 148 Pritchard, Mrs, Walter Scott : 139 Providence (steamboat) 121 Pursley, Hugh 53 Quick, Mrs. William 142 Quinn, John W 129 Raccoon River L 10, 100 Raccoon Row 19 Ragan, Mrs. Major William 139 Rankin, J. W 17y Rankin, Sam M 179 Ranson, Dr. C. H 148 Rathbun, Abner 31 Rathbun, Elizabeth 31 Rathbun, Ezra ¦. 31, 62 Rathbun, Jonathan 31 INDEX. Page Rathbun, Mary D 31 Rathbun, Mary Marie 31 Rattlesnake Bend 109, 116 Raymond, J. B 137 Ray's Arithmetic 191 Rawson, Mrs. A. Y 152 Redhead, Wesley 85, 146 Red Rock, Marion County 9, 50 Reed, Helen E 148 Reed, Walter G 148 Register, Des Moines 72 Reid, General H. T.. 167, 179 Reinicker, George 60 Reinicker, J. D 85 Reinicker, William 60 Reinig, August 84 Reinking, CD .23, 55 Revenue Cutter (steamboat) 122 Reynolds, B. F : 92 Reynolds, G. L 69 Rice, Byron 145 Rice, J. L 179 Rice, Mrs. Byron 145, 152 Roberts, Mr 168 Robertson, H 179 Robinson, J. J 180 Rouche, W. S 179 Rodgers, John •. 90 Rogg, Charles T 91 Rogg, Joseph 91 Rommell, Mollie 141 Rose, Colonel John 52 Rosecrans, Miss 137 Rothrock, James 130 Rowles, Oliver P 129 Rue, Miss 137 Rush, Austin ' 47, 48 INDEX. Page Russell, Captain 120 Russell, E. F. 84 Russell, Jeanette 140 Russell, John 129 St. Ambrose Church 38 Sample, W 179 Sanford House 143 Sangamon (steamboat) 121 Saylor, Benjamin 54 Saylor, John 53 Saylor, J. P 53 Saylor, John Q. A 53 Saylor, H. . S 16 Savery House 72, 173 Savery Mrs. James 148 Savery, Mrs. J. C 142 S. B. Science (steamboat) 121 School building 63 Schram, George 129 Scott, Aleck .-. 53 Scott, General Winfield 80 Scott, John R 15 Scott, W. A 15 Seeberger, Mrs. J. D 142 Seevers, W. H 180 Selgrove, Eli 114 Sellers, E 179 Seward, Wm. H 26 Seymour, Annie 149 Shaffer, J. Monroe 128 Shamrock House 70, 87 Sharman, Joseph P 88, 137 Sharman, Mrs. Susan 88 Shaw, Dr. Alexander 45, 85, 126, 149 Shaw, Mrs. Alexander 149, 152 Shebble, Captain D. C 120 INDEX. Page Sheldon, Colonel A. W 179 Sherman Block 24 Sherman, Charles 39, 60 Sherman, Wm. T 20, 23, 24, 39 Sherman, Hoyt 23, 24, 39, 55, 66, 144 Sherman, Hoyt Jr 39, 46, 60 Sherman, James 20, 23, 39 Sherman, Lampson P 23, 26, 27, 39, 44, 55, 69, 74 Sherman, Mrs. Lawson 60 Sherman, Mrs. James 39 Sherman, Mrs. Hoyt 145, 153 Sherman's Hall 28 Shipman, George C 129 Shoemaker, A. B 52 Shoemaker, Jack 100 Shoemaker, Jacob 52 Silver Anniversary 74 Simons, Billstein & Strauss 88 Sims, L. D 53 Skipper (steamboat) 120, 169 Skunk Bottom 131 Slaughter, Ed 114 Slaves 75 Smith, Seward 172 Smyth & Co 163 Smyth, George B ....180 Sneer, George 71 Snow, C. E 179 Snow, Sam 114 Soap Creek 122 Solanberger, Mr. and Mrs 32 Solanberger, David 62 Songs (by Tacitus Hussey) 209 Iowa — "Beautiful Land" 215 "Iowa's Queen" 213 "My Country ! Oh, My Country !" 217 "The Booster Song-" 219 "The Old Flag" 210 INDEX. Page Spofford, Charley '. 146 Spofford, Mrs. Charley 142 Spofford, S. F 149, 172 Spofford, Mrs. S. F 149 Squatters 52 Squires, C. P 180 Stack, Johns & Co 90 Stafford & McCune 163 Stafford, John R 180 Stanley, Squire 116 Stannus, W. N 179 Stanton, James 52, 53 Stanton, Thaddeus M 129 Starr, J. H 86 State Bank of Iowa 24 State Bank of Missouri 118 Steamboats I 109, 112 • Steam Boiler Works 71 Stephenson, Harry 88 Sterne, I. N 179 Stevens, A. J 30, 91 Stevenson, T. C 129 Stewart, Colonel 173 Stewart, George 129 Stewart, J. B 148 Stewart, Mrs. J. B 1'39 Stickney, Joseph H 63 Stiles, E. H 46 Stuart, John A 149 Studor, Major A. G 137 Sturdevant, John 15 Stutsman, C 53 Sunday School, first in Des Moines .62 Swalm, AI 35 Swan, George 150 Sweezey, Captain 122 Sweeley, Marlin J 200, 201, 203, 204 INDEX. Page Sypher, Reuben W 20, 29, 55, 91 Sypher, Thomas H ; 71, 72 Tailor, first in Des Moines 69 Talbot, Mrs. A. C 141 Taylor, Emily 88 Taylor, M. K 179 Tavern, first in Des Moines 63 Teesdale, John 72 Ten Eyck, George 114 Ten Eyck, H. B • 179 Terrace Hill 134 Thode, J. H 22 Thomas, Braxton D 84 Thompson, C 179 Thompson, Martin 129 Thompson, William 179 Thorntown, Indiana 50 Thrailkill, Joe 84 Thrift, Hamilton 52 Thrift, Hannah Jane 58 Thrift, Joseph M 15, 57, 58, 69 Thrift, William H. Adj. Gen : 58 Tibbetts, J 180 Tibbetts, James 182 Tichenor, Mrs. George C 139 Tidrick, R. L 23 Tidrick, Mrs. R. L 151 Time and Tide (steamboat) 121 Tisdale, Captain 119 Towner, H. M 210, 215 Town lots 67, 76, 77 Tritle, B. F 86 Trullinger, Gordy 11 Trullinger, Mr 11 Trumbell, George W 128 Tucker, D. W 179 INDEX. Page Tucker, Howard 179 Tucker, Martin X 63 Tucker, Thomas J 180 Turner, Alexander 15 Turner, Dr. M. P 70 Twin Lakes 101, 102 Udell, Nathan 127 Uinick, D 179 Utterson, Dave 90 Vaill, Colonel J. A 179 Van, Charles C 17 Van Anda, Salue G 130 Van Buren, President Martin 26 Van Dorn, William 53 Van's Hill '. 17, 80 Van Tuyl, Bonnie 148 Victoria Hotel 38 Vines, W. C. J 179 Vorse, Addison S 20 Wabash Courier 192 Walker, W. B 137 Walnut Creek 100 Ward, Dr. W. H 74 Ward, Mr 114 Warden, George B 52 Ware, William 52 Warner, Jed 145 Warner, Hattie • 46 Warner, Mrs. Joseph 46* Washburn, Sadie 142 Washington, George 16 Wasson, John 129 Weaver, Charley 104 Weed, Thurlow 26 INDEX. Page Weiser, Professor ¦ 86 Welling, Sim 157 Wellman, Grandma 32 Wells, L. J 102 Wellslager & Ledlie 72 Wellslager, Mrs. R. T 139 Wentz, A. D 180 West, Arethusia 134 West, Captain F. R 71, 72 West, Frank 84 West, John P 129 West, Miss Thusa 71 West, Mrs. F. R 70, 152 West, Nettie 73, 140 Western Stage Coach Co 133 Wetherell, W. E 129 Whitcomb, Edward B 72, 73, 74 White, Joseph R 130 White, Laura Lyon 60 White, Mrs. S. V 152 Whitledge, Mattie 141 Whitman, Dr. H. L '. 96, 97, 99 Whitney, C. F 83 Whitney, H. A 179 Whittemore, Otis 129 Whitten, Lewis 52 Wickersheim, F. H 178 Wilcox, Franklin 130 Wilkins, Reason 53 Wilkinson, A. J 179 Williams, B 179 Williams, J. Wilson 130 Williams, Judge 42, 44, 45, 46 Williams, M. N 128 Williams, M. T 180 Williams, Dan 102 Willits, Jim 114 INDEX. Page Wilson, Captain , 121 Wilson, General William Duane 75 Wilson, George J. H 179 Wilson, James H 179 Wilson, J. F 130 Wilson, Susie 139 Wilson, W 179 Winchester, L. D 52, 62 Wingate, Blanche 7 Winters, Mrs. Martin 151 Wisconsin Territory 64 Wise, John P 179 Withrow, Thomas F 152 Wood, James 137 Woodbury, Mrs. A. B ". 152 Woodruff, Mrs. Dr 146, 152 Woodson, Theron W 128 Woodward, William G 128 Woodworth, W. C 129 Women's Club 25 Wright, General Ed 13S Wright, John 135 Wylie, William D 146 Wyman, R. H 179 Yarnman, George E 179 Yawer, The (steamboat) 122 Yost, Mrs. John 151 Young, Joseph B 130 Young, Senator J. B 125 Younker, S 179 'rt