USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, from the earliest historic times to 1907, Vol. I > Part 1
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HISTORY
of
POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IOWA
FROM THE EARLIEST HISTORIC TIMES TO 1907
BY
HOMER H. FIELD AND HON. JOSEPH R. REED
.
ALSO BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME PROMINENT CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. I.
CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO.
1907
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 63562, ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS, R
1913 1
PO
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HISTORY OF
POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IOWA
THE FOUNDING OF COUNCIL BLUFFS.
Although Pottawattamie county was not organized until as late as Sep- tember, 1848, its real history begins at a much earlier date. During the administration of President Jefferson. in 1804, an expedition was fitted out under Captains Lewis and Clark to explore the country just purchased from France, or that part lying along the Missouri river to its source. On referring to the journal kept by Patrick Gas on this expedition we read: "Tuesday, August 2. 1804, two of our men had gone ont from camp to hunt for horses that had strayed, returned with them, and also two large bucks and a fawn. Others brought in an elk they had killed.
"The Indians we had expected came in at dark: Captain- Lewis and Clark held a council with them, who seemed well pleased with the change of government and what had been done for them. Six of them were made chiefs, three Otoes and three Missouris. This place we called Council Bluffs, and on taking observation found it to be in latitude 41 degrees. 17 minutes."
Although the exact spot is not positively known, this brings us to the Mynster spring, just at the north limit of the city, where the great bluff comes down to within a few rod- of the river. and must have been a favorite meeting place for the tribes, as shown by a burying ground back on one of the bluffs, where are buried hundreds of all ages and both sexes, but covered so lightly that the boys used to dig them up. This is the first we hear of Council Bluffs and brings us on to the soil of Pottawattamie county, and, although no permanent settlement was made for many years, it was a recog- mized point and designated on the early maps of the country and visited by trappers and traders that exploited this region with St. Louis as their base of operation.
I am aware that other points claim the distinction of being the original Council Bluffs, notably Fort Calhoun, about fifteen miles above Omaha, and another at Traders Point, six or seven miles south of the city of Council Bluffs, but as there are no bluffs at either of these places, the name would not be appropriate. Again, their journal describes the broad bottoms, and jungles abounding with wild grapes and alive with wild turkeys and other game, exactly as they were fifty years later, and further, if we accept the Fort Calhoun theory, in place of 41° and 17" it would be 41° and 30", while Traders Point would fix it at 41° and 7". We also find them on the east
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
side of the river when Sergeant Floyd died and was buried on the top of a high bluff a few miles below Sioux City, which still bears his name, as well as the little river close by.
At all events our first settlers found the name lying around loose and when granted our city charter we appropriated it, like it, and intend to hold it until some one with a bigger stick than ours takes it from us.
The conditions above described continued until 1838, when. during President Van Buren's administration, the Pottawattamie Indians were as- signed to a reservation here, and Davis Hardin was appointed to instruct them in farming. He with his family and a company of soldiers arrived here on the steamer Antelope from Fort Leavenworth in the spring of that year. This was an event. As before stated. many trappers and traders had frequented this region, intermarrying with the natives, but here was a family of refined Americans come to stay, backed and protected by the gov- ernment. AArriving here they found the country a solitude. They located by a big spring on what is now East Broadway and the soldiers immediately commenced building a house for the Hardins, and then a fort on a promontory that was a continuation of the hill between Franklin and Lincoln avenues, and which at that time jutted into what is now Broadway, where the dwelling of the late John Clausen now stands. The Pottawattamies, escorted by a company of cavalry, arrived a few days later, having come across the country. They found it indeed a goodly land, and it is doubtful if the landscape re- vealed to Moses from the top of Pisgah, extending from the cedars of Leb- anon to the palm trees of Zoar, equaled in beauty that of Pottawattamie county as viewed from the summit of these bluffs. Though not possessing the awful grandeur of mountain scenery, for natural beauty it is doubtful if it can be excelled on this little world of ours. To the north the bluffs almost assume the dignity of mountains, visible for forty miles. To the south they roll away until they appear blue in the distance of fifty miles. At your feet lies the broad bottom lands, compared with which, for fertility, the valley of the Nile is a desert. A vast natural meadow sprinkled with flowers, while the great Missouri sweeps by in great graceful curves until lost in the distance, while to the east and west the view extends until lost in the curvature of the earth's surface.
During their stay here the Indians continued to advance in the ways of civilization. A Catholic mission was established and many of them em- braced Christianity. A cemetery was established on the hill some distance above the fort, which remained until grading Franklin avenue, some thirty years ago, the Pierce street school ground, and Voorhis street, necessitated their removal. which was done, and the remains interred in Fairview cemetery. The government, during their stay here. built a gristmill on the Mosquito creek, three miles northeast from the city, which was run by L. E. Wicks, who was married to a half-breed, by whom he reared quite a family, and when the Indians left for Kansas the Wicks family remained, and he continued to make an excellent quality of flour as late as 1857 or 1858.
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IHISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
The French traders had established posts all along the Missouri river at a very early day. They intermarried with the Indians and some of them became wealthy. Among them one being at Traders Point nearly opposite the mouth of the Platte river by Peter A. Sarpy. in honor of whom Sarpy county, Nebraska, was named.
Contemporaneous with him was Francis Guittar, of Council Bluffs, who married an American woman and reared a family and continued in business until 1857. His son Theodore is a prominent man. has filled several posi- tions of honor and trust. among which was sheriff of the county, and at this writing his father's widow is living in the Bluffs.
Another of this class. a Mr. Busha, is still with us and, although one hundred and twelve years of age, blind and quite deaf, his mind seems clear, his appetite good, as well as his general health. Lewis and Clark encoun- tered one of these, whose squaw wife, Sacajawea (the Bird woman), rendered great assistance in piloting the expedition from the head waters of the Missouri across the Rockies. She has been called the Pocahontas of the west and has been immortalized by a statue erected by the women of the United States and unveiled at the Portland exposition; this was modeled by a woman. Miss Alice Cooper, now of Chicago, but a native of lowa, and for which she received seven thousand dollars.
During the year 1846 the Pottawattamies sold their lands to the govern- ment and by treaty wore assigned a reservation in what is now Kansas.
THIE MORMONS.
Hardly had the Indians left when the Mormon wave rolled in, having been expelled from Nauvoo. This people seems to have been victims of a most relentless persecution, commeneing back in the '30; at Kirtland, Ohio, where they had organized and built their tempie.
From there they gathered in Jackson county, Missouri, where they were again subjected to all manner of abuse, their property confiscated, many men killed and women subjected to indignities. This has been denied by the Missourians, but from subsequent acts perpetrated by the people of this sec- tion during the border ruffian times, we naturally believe the Mormon com- plaints to be true. From here they turned back to Illinois, built a city and erected their temple, but were not allowed to possess them long, for the pre- judice against them was so strong that the state troops could not. or would not, protect them when assailed by a mob. Their president and his brother were assassinated while prisoners, and after a parley they agreed to remove from the state within a specified time, with which they substantially com- plied. Hence, their arrival here, after enduring untold hardships in cross- ing the state in their wagons, the men mostly on foot, leaving the wagons for their goods, women, children and invalids.
It is hard for one now traveling over the same route with his family in a parlor car to realize the hardships endured by a whole community in which were the aged, the invalids and infants, camping with scant store of provisions or medicines, crossing unbridged streams, etc .. but this was accom- plished by a people sixty years ago, many of whom are living to-day.
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
Nothing but religious fanaticism eould have enabled them to endure ) the terrible ordeal.
It will be remembered that their destination had already been fixed at Salt Lake, which at that time belonged to Mexico, believing they could find asylum there, which seemed to be denied them here. Crossing the river they halted at what later became Florence in order to raise and accumulate sup- plies with which to continue on their course. They went into winter quar- ters there and built eabins, while many of the men went back to the settle- ments and worked at any labor they could find, and here again they were confronted with trouble. The Indian title had not been extinguished there, and complaint was made to Washington, and they were ordered to recross the river, which proved a great blessing to them. as they found hundreds of cabins and farms that had been vacated by the Pottawattamie-, of which they were quick to avail themselves.
No more industrious, frugal and temperate community was ever known. AAmong them were mechanic- of almost every kind, and they proceeded to build a city here, which they called Kanesville, in honor of a brother of the Arctic explorer, who had been a staunch friend during their per-ecution. Not only did they build the city, but the rich valley- became hive- of industry; good crops were raised. which enabled them to assist their fellow pilgrims who were passing through, some with horses, some with ox teams and some with handcarts. In fact. without this halting place to rest. make repairs and lay in supplies. it is hard to conceive how they could ever have made the thousand mile trip across the plains and mountains.
At this time everything was controlled by the church. Idleness and dissipation were not tolerated. There was no jail nor need for one. A news- paper wa- published by Or-on Ilyde called the Frontier Guardian, and al- though the buildings were mostly of logs, good stocks of good- were kept by as honorable merchants as you will find anywhere. All the trade was with St. Louis, with this as the head of steamboat navigation. except an oc- casional boat with supplies for the forts above. Although polygamy was per- mitted and, in fact, eneouraged, it is not probable that ten per cent of the men here had plural wive-, and the strangest feature of it was that the women were the strongest defenders of the practice.
The wife of one of the elders was visiting with the wife of the writer a few days previous to their starting for Salt Lake, and during their conversa- tion my wife said, "I should think you would be afraid your husband would take another wife when you get out there." She replied, "Why, I should expect him to," and her expectation was fully realized. It is hard to under- stand why so much prejudice exists against this people. We know of none of their teaching except polygamy that is more fanatical than that of other churches, and that is practically abandoned. That need not be a matter of anxiety to civilized people. Nature has spoken too plainly on that subject by creating the sexes in equal numbers. and the boys are not going to long permit the old roosters to have a monopoly of the pullets.
As before stated, the Great Salt Lake valley was at that time in Mexican territory. and on breaking out of the war with that country, they. while
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
here, raised a battalion and tendered its services to the government, which was accepted. and as a curious instance of the irony of fate, after the treaty, those that had already settled there found themselves back within the juris- dietion of the United States.
After, by industry and economy, they had become a prosperous com- munity. it is doubtful if a happier one could be found anywhere than here. Work was the order of the day until the crops were raised, harvested and gathered, tithing paid and the poor provided for, after which the winter evening- were devoted to amusement, of which dancing was the favorite, and was encouraged by the clergy and conducted with the utmost decorum, balls being usually opened with prayer and closed with the benediction.
Up to this time and later the country had not been surveyed and con- sequently the occupants had only a squatter's title, but this was good as long as they occupied it, and a quit claim was a valuable asset to a purchaser pro- vided he continued to occupy it in good faith.
This applied to the farming community as well as that of the city, and "jumping" one's claim was a dangerous proceeding.
At this time the whole of Pottawattamie county, which was much larger than at present. as well as considerable adjoining territory, was under ex- clusive control of the Mormons. They made public sentiment, controlled election of all publie officers, and representatives of their faith sat in two sessions of the state legislature. In 1849 the great wave of California im- migration set in, and hundreds of trains and thousands of men assembled here and camped while laying in supplies. and Kanesville became a great outfitting point. and the merchants reaped a rich harvest. The farms fur- nished abundance of grain, while steamboats arrived almost daily with large stocks of goods for the merchants, and the rush was so great that at times emigrants had to wait for days for their turn to be ferried across the river. Not only that, but the Mormons saw money in it and proceeded to establish ranches along the trail, and ferries across the rivers. Among these were two old timers. Uncle Bill Martin and Old Bill Powers, that had a ferry across the Elk Horn. Every week or two they would bring their money down in a sack and put it in Stutsman & Donnel's safe. At the end of the season they would take out the sacks, empty thein down on the floor and sit down, one on each side of the pile: then one would take off a gold piece, then the other would take one of the same denomination, and so on down to the smallest coin until the pile was exhausted. This method of settling partner- ship business they had learned from the Indians and claimed it as the only fair way.
This great movement of the California immigration in connection with he gradual exodus of the Mormons soon wrought a great change in affairs. Some of the emigrante, on seeing the wonderful fertility of the soil, with its fine groves of timber along the streams, changed their minds, traded part of their outfits to the Mormons for their claims and settled here permanently. Also there were many that considered Brigham Young an usurper, and young Joseph the true prophet. These rejected the doctrine of polygamy
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
and those that remained organized churches. which they still maintain, and are as good an element as we have in the present community.
This, with the natural influx of Gentiles, so changed matters that its character as a Mormon community was lost forever. In faet, their whole doc- trine, religiously and politically, being contrary to all our traditions and teaching, could only be temporary.
Whether this change was morally beneficial is debatable. Under the old dispensation the saloon, gambling and bawdy house were not tolerated, but now blossomed out in full vigor, and as there were no state laws or eity ordinances in force (at least not more than at present), in faet, the eity was what would now be called a wide-open town.
EARLY RESIDENTS.
With the end of Mormon supremacy the people began to look about to see where they were. The county, which was much larger than now, was reduced to its present size, an election held, and A. H. Perkins, David D. Yearsly and George Coulson were cleeted the first commissioners. The first clerk was James Sloan, and its first county judge was T. Burdiek, eleeted in 1851. The first term of the district court was held May 5, 1851, James Sloan presiding as district judge, with Evan M. Green as elerk and Alex McRae, sheriff. Orson Hyde was one of the practicing attorneys in this eourt.
After presiding one year . Judge Sloan resigned and the governor ap- pointed Judge Bradford, who presided until the people elected S. H. Riddle.
In 1848 Evan M. Green was appointed postmaster, but it was some time before a regular mail route was established connecting this with the nearest postoffice in Missouri, and several years before regular mails from the east came across Iowa. In 1848 Orson Hyde started the Frontier Guardian, with Mr. Hyde and A. C. Ford as editors. This paper was politically Whig, re- ligiously Mormon, and lasted four years.
Among the early prominent merchants of this early day was J. B. Stutsman, of the firm of Stutsman & Donnel. the latter being at St. Joseph. In addition to merchandising he built a flouring mill where the town of Macedonia now is. laid out Stutsman's addition to the city, built a good comfortable dwelling, which at that time was the most palatial residence in the city, and which is still in good repair, whne he himself at ninety is still rustling at the city of Harlan, Shelby county.
Another of the prominent merchants of that time was James A. Jack- son, of the firm of Tootle & Jackson. Milt Tootle, as everybody ealled him, lived at St. Joseph, Missouri, and as the county settled up he established stores all along the river as fast as a town was started and placed his most trusted elerks in charge, making them partners. It was Tootle & Jackson here, and later, in Omaha and Sioux City. Mr. Jackson was what you might call an up and up man. As an index to his style, a little incident that oceurred when new cities were being started all along the Nebraska side of the river will illustrate it. He sent a elerk on a eolleeting tour. He was all right with one exception. He had a weakness for liquor.
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
After making some collections he fell in with three most agrecable young men who soon discovered that weak point and proceeded to profit by it. After getting him in proper condition, the inevitable game was proposed wherein three proposed to relieve one of his money, which was soon accom- plished.
On coming to himself he returned, made a full confession, expecting no mercy. Did Jim Jackson kick him out doors or send him to jail? Not much! He gave him fifty dollars more, and said: "Now, go back and insist on another show for your money and I will be around." The scheme worked; they had just got started in a quiet room by themselves when Jack- son dropped in and, presenting a six-shooter, said: "Give that man his money you robbed him of or I will kill every son - of you in a minute." They complied.
After conducting the business here for several years, he went to St. Louis and engaged in the wholesale grocery business. On finding his health fail- ing, he went to the mountains and engaged in mining and later in stock- raising on the plains, but failed to regain it, and finally died December 24, 1893, and now rests under a beautiful granite shaft in Fairview cemetery, while his venerable widow is at this writing living at Sioux City with her son.
Among those that were bound for California but were attracted and stopped off here was S. S. Bayliss. He was a Virginian of the old school, courteous and dignified, but not accustomed to roughing it. He traded his outfit for claims that included much of the most desirable property of the city. Of this he caused to be platted and recorded as Bayliss' addition, one square of which he gave to the public for a park, and for many years he was considered very wealthy. But in later years money in divers ways slipped from him, his family became scattered and he died in 1874 in comparative poverty. For years there was a band stand in the center of the park where during summer evenings free concerts were given, but later this was sup- planted by a beautiful fountain, and as we enjoy the shade of this beautiful spot, it seems sad that there is not even a statue placed to perpetuate the memory of the giver. There are numerous similar cases, but not all are so pathetic as this.
Addison Cochran was another fine old southern gentleman, who had been a colonel in the Mexican war. He bought more property than he could handle or pay for and when crowded, begged his creditors to take all and re- lease him. This they refused to do and he fled to the mountains, went into mining, made a raise, as well as had his land, during his absence. He sold some, redeemed the balance and became rich at last. He was elected mayor of the city. He also donated a square for a park which has been nicely im- proved. He died May 20, 1896, and has a beautiful monument in Fairview.
But we are going too fast. We must go back to the early times.
The California emigration, added to the Mormon occupation, had brought us to the place where we must assume the duties and responsibilities of estab- lished communities.
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
The county having been organized, it became necessary to have the other accessories. A huge log house was bought of the Mormons for a court house and a small building for a jail. These were built on South First street (then called Hyde) opposite the foot of Platner street. The jail was about eighteen feet square, con-tructed of three-inch plank, doubled so as to break joints, and filled so full of spikes that it would be impossible for a prisoner to saw out, and although occasionally one would escape, it is altogether probable they were let out by some friend having access to the key.
This was called the Cottonwood, and Judge Frank Street had the credit of being the architect. After doing duty for the county a number of years the city moved it down on the northwest corner of Second and Vine streets where Quinn's lumber office now is, and used it for a calaboose. It came to a sad ending in '67 by an unfortunate man being burned to death in it.
At that time there were no police, only the mar-hal. A Jaboring man was put in for drunkenness. The furniture consisted of a bank, wood stove. table and two chairs. It is supposed that he had added wood to the fire and left the stove door open and the fire rolled out and caught. His cries were heard by a near neighbor, but they thought nothing of it. as drunken men frequently kept up a noise, but when the light attracted attention and help arrived it was too late. lle was a harmless man with a family and his only fault wa- this weakness. It was a shock to the entire community.
A- soon a- a good room could be rented the old court house was aban- doned and for years the district court wa- held in rooms rented for the occasion.
Another man that was attracted here by the California emigration was (. O. Mynster. He was a native of Denmark, had been living for some time in Washington City. - topped in St. Louis, bought a stock of good-, and came here in 1850, but too late for the spring rush. and opened a store in the building that later became notorious as the Ocean Wave saloon, where he traded off his stock to the Mormons, who were pulling out for Salt Lake. Among these claims was one that included the famous Myn-ter spring before alluded to. Hle thus acquired a large amount of valuable land. some being in the bluffs, heavily timbered, as well as bottom land. He died in 1852 of cholera. His widow, Mrs. Maria Mynster, managed the estate for many years, living at the corner of First street and what is now Pierce, later built a fine residence on Scott street and Washington avenue, but finally moved to a home with her son, by the big spring. where she died in May, 1892.
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