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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
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Cornell University Library F 627.K6R32
History of Kossuth County, lowa /
3 1924 008 314 951
OLIN LIBRARY - CIRCULATION DATE DUE
Intermbiary Loaf
SEP 23-2055
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B. F. Reed
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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY IOWA
A Record of All Important Events in Any Manner Relating to its Existence, Organization, Progress and Achievement from the Earliest Times to the Mid-Summer of 1912
By BENJAMIN F. REED, LL.B.
President of the Kossuth County Historical Society, Member of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and Member of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association.
Joel 1:3-"Tell ye your children of it and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation."
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME 1
CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1913
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TO THE MANY NOBLE MOTHERS AND WIVES, WHOSE UNRECORDED SACRIFICES IN HELPING TO ADVANCE THE PROSPERITY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY HAVE BEEN AS GREAT AS THOSE OF THE FATHERS AND HUS- BANDS WHOSE DEEDS HAVE BEEN CHRONICLED ON THE PAGES OF HISTORY, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
General Introduction.
Page.
I
CHAPTER IL
THE REIGN OF THE RED MEN.
A Glimpse of the Sacs and Foxes
Z
The History-making Sioux
I
CHAPTER IIL
Some Geological Features
..
CHAPTER IV.
LONG-AGO JOURNEYS ACROSS KOSSUTH.
Capt. Magee's Expedition-1820. 25
Boone's Neutral Ground Survey-1832. 20
The March of the Dragoons-1835. 30
Capt. Allen's Expedition-1844 32
Other Pre-settlement Visitors .. 3.3 ... . .
CHAPTER V.
Emigration Westward.
........ 32
CHAPTER VL
SURVEYING KOSSUTH IN THE EARLY '50S.
Experience of D. A. Haggard 47 Report of C. C. Carpenter. . .. 50
iv
CONTENTS CHAPTER VIL
COMING TO KOSSUTH IN 1854.
Page.
Judge Call's Experience.
5.5
Hon. Ambrose A. Call's Record.
56
Capt. W. H. Ingham's Report
59
Experience of Malachi Clark. 65
Side-light Paragraphs.
65
CHAPTER VIIL
THE RIVER SETTLEMENTS.
Arrivals in 1854. 73
The Upper Country-1855. 76
West Side Arrivals-1855. 80
East Side Lower Country-1855. 83
The Upper Country-1856-1864. 85
The Cresco Country-1856-1864. Q2
The Irvington Country-1856-1864.
95
CHAPTER IX.
THE TWO RIVAL VILLAGES.
Algona in Pioneer Times, ....... 99 The Pioneer Irvington Village. .... 118
CHAPTER_X.
FRONTIER PICTURES AND SITUATIONS.
A Glimpse at Conditions 127
The Cold Winter of 1856-7. 1 38
The Old-time Blizzard. 141
The Notable Wet Year-1858. 144
The Annual Prairie Fires 146
The Period of Hard Times
148
Wild Animal Life. 153
The Feathered Game 162
The Dreaded Rattlesnake. 164
Familiar Old-time Names 165
Pioneer Anecdotes. _. 6
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER XL
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.
Page.
The Defenders of the Flag
175 Company F, Second Iowa Cavalry
179
Company A, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry. 181
Company I, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry 184 Volunteers to Other Regiments. 184
Regiments Unknown 185
Enlistments After Going Away 186
Needless Sacrifice of Lives. 187
Lincoln Memorial Service. 188
The Sanitary Flag ... 189
The Civil War Veterans.
. . . .. 191
CHAPTER XIL
DEFENSE AGAINST THE SIOUX.
The New Ulm Massacre 199
Northern Iowa Border Brigade
201
Addenda. ..
204
Commemorating Fort Defiance.
206
CHAPTER XIIL
The Sod House Period.
211
CHAPTER XIV
ESTABLISHING COUNTY AND TOWNSHIPS.
County Named After Patriot 219
The Three Different Boundaries
220
Rise and Fall of Crocker County. 221
Births of the Civil Townships.
224
CHAPTER_XV.
THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT,
The County Judge and His Court. 229
Administration of the Supervisors. 234
The Old Courthouse and the Present Edifice. 239
County Jails and Sheriff's Residence 245
248 The County Farm
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER XVL
INTERESTING HISTORIC EVENTS
Heroic Defense at the Maxwell Cabin.
251
Ingham's Experience with Umpashotah.
255
The Sioux Follow Mrs. Asa C. Call 262
Kossuth's Indian Battle Ground.
263
Assisting a Runaway Slave ..
268
Buffalo Chasing in 1855.
269
Rescuing the Johnson Family.
275
Building the Forts and Scouting.
278 Inkpadutah and the Spirit Lake Massacre ..
283 Chasing and Killing the Last Elk
201
Deer Chasing on Prairie Creek. 203
Grasshopper Invasions 296
Destructive Cyclone of 1804.
301
A String of First Events
305
CHAPTER XVIL
OUR REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS.
Historical Summary.
. 315
Pre-emption, Homestead and College Lease Privileges . 317
Rise in Land Values. 319
Swamp Land Controversies. 328
Chain of Title to Kossuth.
336
CHAPTER XVILL
IN THE REALM OF POLITICS,
Notable Campaign Events 3.32
353
Congressmen 353
3.5.3
Representatives
354
County Officers
3.54
List of County Supervisors.
358
CHAPTER XIX.
JUDGES, COURTS AND LAWYERS.
District Judges
... 361
Circuit Judges.
.......... 363
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Tabulated Election Records.
State Senators.
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CONTENTS
Page. The Kossuth County Bar. The Growth of Legal Ethics 371
364
An Elephant for an Attorney Fee
374
CHAPTER XX.
The County Medical Profession
..... 377
CHAPTER XXL
Editors and Their Papers
.. 383
CHAPTER XXII,
THE GREAT JUBILEE CELEBRATION-1904.
President E. B. Butler's Address 403
Hon. Ambrose A. Call's Address 403
Capt. W. H. Ingham's Address 404
Address of Hon. Geo. W. Hanna. 405
Address of A. F. Call, Esq. 408
Sen. Chubb's Recollections. 411
Mrs. Florence Call Cowles' Address. 413
CHAPTER XXIII
Evolution of the Public Schools
........ 421
CHAPTER XXIV
COLLAPSE OF COLLEGE ENTERPRISES.
Northwestern College of Iowa. 431
The Wooster Seminary.
. 432
Algona Seminary and College 433
Northern Iowa Normal School
438
CHAPTER XXV
OVERFLOW HISTORICAL TOPICS.
Deaths from Freezing. 445 A Peep at the Old-time Hack Drivers. 448
Two Phenomenal Events
... .... 450
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CONTENTS
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Presentation of Cane to Judge Call.
452
The Coming of the Railroads ..
453
The Various Milling Projects. 457
Career of Company F ( with Addenda)
459
Roster ..
462
The Grange Movement.
168
The Kossuth County Historical Society
460
The Old Settlers' Association. 470
James C. Taylor G. A. R. Post. 471
K. C. Agricultural Society
477
CHAPTER XXVL
THE CITY OF ALGONA.
Church Organizations
480
.. .. 505 Banking Institutions.
Leading Industries. 508
The Graded Public Schools
513
The Free Public Library.
517
Lodges, Clubs and Associations 518
Miscellaneous Information. 520
Town and City Officials.
546
CHAPTER XXVIL
Some Evidences of Progress.
551
CHAPTER XXVILL
Algona and Humboldt Townships. ....... 561
CHAPTER XXIX.
TOWNSHIP NINETY-FOUR
Lu Verne Township and Village. 563
Sherman Township.
. 572
Riverdale Township.
575
Garfield Township.
578
CHAPTER XXX
TOWNSHIP NINETY-FIVE
Prairie Township and St. Benedict. 581
Irvington Township, Village and Sexton.
...
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CONTENTS
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"The Roman Empire"
591
Cresco Township ..
. 597
Whittemore Township and Village. 601
CHAPTER XXXL
TOWNSHIP NINETY-SIX.
Wesley Township and Village 615
Plum Creek Township. 625
Union Township. 630
Lotts Creek Township.
635
CHAPTER XXXIL
TOWNSHIP NINETY-SEVEN.
Buffalo Township and Titonka 639
Portland Township .. 645
Burt Township and Village. 649
Fenton Township and Village
650
CHAPTER XXXIIL
TOWNSHIP NINETY-EIGHT
German Township. 667
Ramsey Township.
Greenwood Township and Bancroft. 672
Seneca Township.
683
CHAPTER XXXIV.
TOWNSHIP NINETY-NINE.
Lincoln Township.
Ledyard Township, Village and Germania. .
Harrison Township and Swea City 702
Swea Township.
710
CHAPTER XXXV.
TOWNSHIP ONE HUNDRED.
Hebron Township. 715 Springfield Township. 717
Grant Township. 718
720 Eagle Township.
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History of Kossuth County
CHAPTER I
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
It appears to have been found necessary, in the opinion of many historians, to prefix to their productions introductory chapters designed to inform the read- ers on subjects which, though indirectly pertaining to the work as a whole, could not be with propriety included in the historically-treated subjects of subsequent chapters. A casual glance at these side-light opening chapters discloses the fact that they are as varied in style, scope and merit as were their authors them- selves in capacity, judgment and sentiment. Macaulay began his History of England in the form of a prospectus, telling what kind of a history he intended to write and giving a summary of the work that would appear when completed.
Reversing the method employed by the great English historian in his intro- ductory, the author of this new History of Kossuth County will endeavor in this opening chapter to impart some information concerning the history of the volume itself which could not be presented appropriately in the body of the work ; as it pertains largely to what has already been written in the subsequent chapters.
A history of the county, embodying a record of all important events relating to its existence, organization, settlements, progress and achievement from the earliest times to the present, has been attempted by the author of this volume, hoping that the work may prove a source of partial enlightenment not only to the present residents of the county, but to future generations as well. For him the past year has been one of intense mental toil in his endeavor to accomplish a task which for months seemed to have no bounds, and which appeared to require more incessant labor as the weeks and months passed by, and the time for the completion of the volume drew near. He had to overcome obstacles that were both perplexing and time-killing in his effort to make the work reliable and trustworthy.
Many of the records pertaining to the official business of the county in early days were so badly kept that absolute facts as to what was officially done can hardly be ascertained, even by the most persistent investigation. For instance the list of supervisors presented in the volume, while not occupying much space, required more labor to compile than any one will realize until one undertakes the task himself. In some instances the election returns are silent about the
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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
election of supervisors, yet the minutes speak about certain new members being qualified before they took their seats. Then again names of persons are signed below the minutes of the board proceedings with no legal authority so far as the election returns show. Furthermore, men holding these positions, whose terms of office had expired, in some instances appear to have continued to trans- act official business. If they were holding over until their successors were qual- ified, there is nothing of record which discloses the fact. Many more obstacles of a similar nature had to be encountered and conquered long before the work was completed.
Only one other history of the county has been published. It is now nearly thirty years since that work appeared. It was hurriedly written from hurriedly compiled data by entire strangers, who knew nothing personally about the move- ments of the early settlers, or about their characteristics. No attempt was made in that work to give more than a brief outline of the county's early history. The volume contained the histories of two other counties besides Kossuth to give it greater size. Notwithstanding its frequent erroneous statements, and the ab- sence of numerous subjects which should have been treated historically, the volume has been one of much value to many citizens since that time as a work of reference.
While the management was gathering items as a basis for that work, the author of this 1912 history of the county gave his assistance by also contributing notes concerning the early history of the southern settlements in the county. This service caused him to become interested in that line of work, an interest which has increased rather than lessened since that time. As a pastime he soon found himself noting on the page margins of the published history the evident errors, then listing the subjects which he thought should have been included in the write-up, and finally doing research work and collecting appropriate and necessary material for a new history of the county. This practice he followed for more than twenty years, and as a result collected much information bearing upon the general subject. This was done with no thought of ever editing a history of the county himself. About ten years ago, however, he conceived the idea of publishing a pamphlet at some future time entitled "Kossuth County in the War Period," but never found a time when he could begin placing his thoughts on the subject in manuscript form.
Many causes gradually prompted him to begin the laborious task of writing a history of the county. At the time when he first contemplated publishing a booklet on the war, a local event led him to feel that a new history ought to be written by some one acquainted with early-day events. Having accepted an invitation to address the surviving veterans on Bean Supper night at the Armory, he began calling to memory stirring scenes of the war period as a basis for the remarks he was soon to make before the old soldiers. He remembered being present at a farewell supper, tendered to fourteen volunteers who were about starting for the front, at the old Irvington town hall in August, 1862, when a citizen, because of his traitorous remarks, was compelled to hold up his hand. and take the oath of allegiance. With this incident as a basis he desired to elaborate his speech, but he had forgotten who had administered the oath and who had presided at the meeting. He approached every person whom he remem- bered as having been present on that memorable occasion, but no one could give
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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
him the desired information. With no attempt to name these parties the address was given. The inquiry for the names, however, continued for several years before he was given any light on the subject. John K. Fill, now of Marshall- town, who was about fourteen years old when he attended that war meeting, convinced him beyond the slightest doubt that one of Algona's business men, who hardly remembers that war meeting at all, was not only its presiding officer but the very official who compelled the southern sympathizer to swear allegiance to the government.
In the search after this required information three facts became apparent : that men now living who were in mature years at the time of the war are losing their recollection of that period; that those who were younger than about twelve at the time of that soul-stirring war meeting retained no lasting impressions of what transpired; and that those who are best able to give in detail all that happened under their observation are those who were about Mr. Fill's age in 1862. This incident caused the author to become impressed with the idea that if the story of the early-day events in the county was to be recorded on the pages of history, the work ought to begin in earnest by someone interested in the preservation of such historic information. His realization, that much corroborat- ing evidence of past events is yearly disappearing as one after another the oldest settlers pass away, had much to do with spurring him on to edit the work while contemporary witnesses of what happened in the long ago are still living.
An influence from another source also had its weight in causing him to begin the work. The women of the pioneer period have ever been the promoters of old settlers' meetings and kindred gatherings. They have cherished the memory of old-time events far more than have their husbands and brothers. Their friend- ship for neighbor pioneers who endured the privations of frontier life with them has ever been unbounded. They are those who have the most often pleaded for someone to put into book form the full story of the county's early history "before it is everlastingly too late." Many of those who frequently expressed these yearnings of their hearts have already passed over and joined the silent majority. Among the number were the late Mrs. Eugenie Rist-Smith, and Mrs. Caroline A. Ingham, whose constant desire for years that the early history of the county should again be written, is well remembered. Others yet living have expressed similar sentiments at the old settler gatherings, among them being: Mrs. Jane Thompson, Mrs. Mary A. Hofius, Mrs. Mary A. Winter, Mrs. Harriette E. Stacy, Mrs. D. W. King, Mrs. Henrietta Carlon, Mrs. Josephine Sample and Mrs. Joan Pettibone.
In the preservation of source material necessary as a basis for a history, Kossuth has been more fortunate than many of the counties in the state. Dwight G. McCarty, in the introductory chapter of his recently published History of Palo Alto County, says that in his search for such source material he was unable to find a single copy of either the old Democrat, published at Soda Bar in 1864, the Advance, published in the old town in 1870, the Patriot, pub- lished in 1873, the Enterprise, published about the same time, or of J. L. Martin's sketch of the early history of that county published many years ago. He closes his regrets with this significant declaration: "We have waited too late to begin the preservation of the valuable records of the early days."
The only newspaper files in this county which have not been preserved were
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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
those of the old Upper Des Moines, while Mrs. Lizzie B. Read was the editor and proprietor. She founded that paper at the close of the war and ran it till she disposed of the plant in November, 1866. Not a copy of her paper is in existence. For some strange reason she kept no files, and her records of events of those days as a result are lost in obscurity. As it was during her administration, as recorder of local events, that various prairie settlements began to form and sod houses commenced to dot the extensive fertile, grazing portions of the county, the absence of the files of her paper noting these events, as no doubt they did, is a loss to be regretted by all. The principal movements, however, of those years have been called to memory by witnesses of that homestead period, so that the loss of the files is not so great as it otherwise would have been. Since Novem- ber, 1866, the files of the county seat papers have been preserved. The one volume of files of Ambrose A. Call's Pioneer Press, published for two or three years during the war, is in safe keeping at the state historical building at Des Moines.
The great two-days' Jubilee Celebration in 1904, commemorating the time, fifty years before, when the first settlers arrived, elicited many valuable, written contributions from pioneers which have been freely consulted as source material in the compilation of story events for this volume. Likewise the interesting papers which from time to time have been read before the county historical society, and which are on file with Curator E. M. Horton, have been scanned for appropriate material for the general subject. Records on file in the Adjutant General's office pertaining to the military affairs of this county; early maps of this region preserved at the state capitol ; files of early newspapers in safekeep- ing at the state historical building; and official documents on file with the custo- dian of the department of archives have been inspected for the same purpose.
The many articles on historical subjects pertaining to the early history of this county, which during a long term of years were contributed to the press by Hon. Ambrose A. Call and Capt. William H. Ingham, were brought to light, devoured, digested and assimilated. The numerous editorial productions of Har- vey Ingham on historical subjects have also been perused with beneficial results. In short, the information contained in this volume has been collected from every possible source. A large number of story events concerning the county, which have heretofore been scattered in numerous, miscellaneous volumes and other publications, have been collected for the first time and reduced into the compass of one volume-The History of Kossuth County. Statistical and other tables, so often inserted as padding in historical works, have been purposely avoided. Results, as shown by such compilations, have been stated instead, in the belief that such a plan would prove more satisfactory. Furthermore, that portion of the history of the county, which appeared to be in the greatest danger of being forgotten and passing into oblivion, has been given the most attention. On this account the details of events occurring prior to the time when newspapers began covering the field, have been noted more freely than in those which happened in succeeding years.
Whatever criticism may be urged against the contents of this volume, that of prejudice or favoritism would be the most unjust and unwarranted. Facts, rather than extravagant praise on the one hand and bitter denunciation on the other, have had the right of way in the narratives. The charge may be made
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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
that the names of some of the early settlers have been mentioned with greater frequency in connection with events than those of others of the same period. That is true from the fact that some were constantly engaging in events that were history-making in their nature, while others either from choice or lack of opportunity remained inactive in this regard. Moreover, some preserved a record of the history they helped to make by having the story events reduced to print, years ago. These easily became available for this work. Others fully as active in lines of enterprise or public service and equally as deserving of fre- quent and extended notices, left but little of their records in tangible form to aid the historian in doing them justice.
Judge Asa C. Call for instance is included in this latter class. He seldom contributed articles for the press, and when he did they were never historical in nature. He died leaving but little manuscript records of events in which he had participated. While others were making history by chasing and killing elk and buffaloes, Indian scouting and doing military service, he was absent from home and engaged in large undertakings at Washington trying to determine what lands were coming to the county from the state through the gift from the gov- ernment ; at the legislature, first getting the county enlarged, then later preventing it from being subdivided; and then still later at the headquarters of various railroad magnates endeavoring to have lines of railway run into and through the county. On that account, although he was the foremost pathfinder of this region, his name in connection with local events does not occur as frequently as some may have expected. Then again early settlers like Lewis H. Smith and Havens F. Watson, who have been residents of the county since pioneer days and who were active in various lines of business, have never had published any record of their connection with the early history.
So far as the subject matter of this work is concerned, in some instances the stories are presented verbatim as spoken or written by others ; in other instances only a synopsis of what was said has been used: and in still other instances a combination of both appears. In a multitude of cases where the author was well acquainted with the facts stated in the narration of events, he has given credit for the information to others who had related the stories in print or otherwise. Where addresses had been delivered and the press had published them, that por- tion of them appropriated for this work has been generally credited to the speaker and not to the press. Usually no credit has been given for the story of events where numerous parties had knowledge of the facts. In cases where there have been disputes as to what happened and when it occurred, the claims to both sides have been presented. Furthermore, that portion of the county's history occurring between the time of the first settlements and four years later, while the author was not a resident, has been treated to conform to the stories related by those living in the county during that period. In most of the instances where he has imparted information, better known to him than to anyone else now living in the county, he has remained in the background and not taken credit. Sometimes he has referred to himself as "the author," at other times as "the writer," and occasionally he has used the editorial "we," or the words "the historian."
Knowing that a volume of biographical sketches was to accompany this volume, that feature has not entered into the construction of the work except
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HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
in rare instances where it necessarily became an appropriate part of the narration.
That errors may be discovered, by eyes not even critical, is not only pos- sible but probable. The new experience of book-writing and of handling so great an amount of manuscript at one time ; the frequent re-writing of pages to receive some overlooked item ; the chances for error in the compiled data, and the open :- ing up of chapters for revision after they had once been closed, made conditions favorable to mistakes. It is hoped, however, that but few of such errors will be discovered.
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