USA > Iowa > An illustrated history of the state of Iowa, being a complete civil, political, and military history of the state, from its first exploration down to 1875; > Part 37
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Wheat, corn, oats and barley, are the principal grain products of Chickasaw county, wheat taking the lead. The farmers have given their attention to stock raising, and the luxuriance of native and tame grasses makes the country specially suitable for that branch of enterprise. Mixed farming |
county, and the greater breadth of oc- cupations has many advantages, as it permits of rotation in erops and con- stant renewal of fertility. The county produces all the farm growths neces- sary for domestic and general con- sumption, leaving always a fair sur- plus for market.
There are but few quarries of build- ing stone at present exposed, but the quality and quantity of lime stone observable in beds of the numerous streams may be accepted as a guaran- ty that materials for building will never stand at a very high premium. The agicultural resources of the county must constitute the main reliance of the present generation of settlers, but eventually, the well endowed sons of the present race of farmers will be- come manufacturers, giving employ- ment to thousands where a few hun- dreds are now fighting the battle of life. Flouring mills have been estab- lished at convenient points, but the highest value must some day, before long, be obtained by the adaptation of the unrivalled water powers of the streams to the highest orders of ma- chinery. The manufacture of woolen goods, agricultural implements and other such industries, will come next in order of succession.
Railroads traverse the county in sev- eral directions in the manner which we will endeavor to make clear. The Iowa and Dakota division of the Mil- waukce and St. Paul runs from east to west, having stations located at New Hampton, Lawler and Chickasaw. The Illinois Central Railroad, by its Cedar Falls and Minnesota branch crosses the southwest of the county with a station at Nashua. Two roads rapidly approaching completion eross diagonally from the city of Dubuque, and have reached Fayette already on their way to occupy the central sta- tions of the county.
Next in importanee to railroad traf- fic, if not even before that item in im- portance, is the matter of public schools, and in that respect the eiti- zens of Chickasaw county have never objected to reasonable taxation. The schools are well organized.
The settlement of Chickasaw county dates from 1852, near the point where Bradford is located, on the east side of the Little Cedar River, near its
CROSSCUP & WEST-SC. PHILA
S. F. Spafford.
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
junction with the main Cedar river. [ road passes the east side of the town Two years later, many persons came, following the pioneers, and desirous to enter into their labors. There was was an attempt to organize the county in 1853, early in the spring, but some of the movements having been ad- judged informal, the act of organiza. tion stood over to August of that year, when the desirable object was accom plished. Chickasaw was then named as the county seat, but a change was subsequently made to New Hampton.
NEW HAMPTON, the county scat was incorporated in 1873, and it occupies the geographical center of the county. The town contains one thousand in- habitants and the health rate of the locality is very good. The drainage of the place could hardly be improved, so well was the work of selection done when the town was first platted. The public school is a commodious build- ing in which a graded school of four departments is conducted, and the av- erage of attendance is good. The claims of New Hampton to be the seat of justice and administration have been disputed by Forest City, but the vote of the county gave the preference to the present location. The court house was built in 1865, but the authorities chose to incur but little expense in raising the edifice, hence, it is suffi- ciently commodious without being or- nate or costly. The Chickasaw coun- ty agricultural society has extensive grounds and the necessary buildings near this town.
NASHUA is an important town in the southwest of the county, near a bend of the Cedar river and within easy reach of the largest body of timber in the county. The confluence of the Little Cedar with the main river oc- curs near this little town. The river valley, now that the stream has worn its way down into the underlying strata, affords an excellent plateau of high and dry land beyond the reach of floods and upon that table the town was platted. It has inclination toward the river sufficient to secure drainage, and the town is sheltered from strong winds. The surrounding and enclos- ing timber is beautiful as well as valu- able. The Cedar river affords excel- lent water powers and a good flouring mill is already established near the town. The Cedar Falls and Minnesota division of the Illinois Central rail-
and then crossing the river makes its way towards the north. This line of road is of great value to Nashua, as there is an extensive depot established in connection with which elevators and warehouses have been found necessary to facilitate shipments of produce. The commercial import- ance of Nashua must increase steadily, as there is a very extensive agricultur- al country, parts of three counties, which must long continue to make that town the headquarters of their business. Handsome residences and commodious business premises are the rule in Nashua, and the prevalence of shade trees gives an air of ele- gance to the place. This section of Cedar Valley has long carried the palm for the value of effect- ed improvements and for the produc- tiveness of soil which has warranted so much outlay. The same features continuing to exercise their proper influence on the growth of the com- munity must build up Nashua to great wealth. Waverly is in one di- rection the first large town which can enter into competition for the bus- iness of the districts served; Nashua, and Charles City on the other direc- tion, but neither of these will prevent this beautiful growing town from ag- gregating a very large share of pros- perity from many sources.
There is an agricultural society with its headquarters in Nashua, and a good trotting park association, which hold their grounds in common near the track of the railroad. The public school building is an admirable struc- ture, and the affairs of that institution are well administered. The town has good banking accommodations, a large staff of professional residents and a live newspaper, and is incorporated as a city of the second class. Good building stone is easily obtainable, and there is a fine quality of clay used in brick making.
LAWLER is on the line of the Mil- waukee and St. Paul railroad in the eastern part of Chickasaw county, and is a shipping point of considerable value, as it commands the support of a very rich agricultural country, and has a fair share of prosperity.
CHICKASAW is mainly dependent on the shipping facilities which it can give to the farming community near
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SKETCHES OF COUNTIES.
the center of the county. The old vil- [ virgin soil before it was pressed by the Jage is two miles west of the railroad, foot of the white man but the new village called Ionia in the records is customarily denominated Chickasaw. As a trading point the village ranks high, although nearness to New Hampton is not an advantage to the residents there.
BASSETT is a station on the railroad near the eastern boundary of Chicka- saw county, and the shipping business that is done there assures a large share of labor continually.
FREDERICKSBURG in the southeast of the county is a village on the east Wapsipinicon, surrounded by a fertile country, occupied by a lively com- munity of farmers bound to go ahead.
BRADFORD was the first location of the county seat before the superior merits of New Hampton secured the vote of the county. Its natural ad- vantages once commanded attention as the most important point in the coun- ty, but in consequence of the railroad Jines turning away from the little cen- ter of prosperity, Nashua carried the palm away from Bradford.
JACKSONVILLE is in the northwest, and is located on Crane creek, where its importanee as a village will be recognized by and by.
Besides the towns and villages named, there are postoffices at Deer- field, North Washington, Stapleton and Williamstown.
Clarke County is in the southwest of Iowa, and is one of the small coun- ties of the state, being twenty-four miles in length by eighteen in breadth, containing 276,480 acres. The general surface of the county is high, undulat- ing and rolling prairie, and it has no large streams, but its small creeks are numerous and the land is well drained and watered. The Charlton river, Whitebreast, Bee creek and Long creek occupy the central and southern - portion, South Squaw, North Squaw. Brush and other creeks flow through - and across the cast and northeast. The west and northwest have Seven Mile creck and South river, and these streams at all seasons of the year when water can flow, furnish abund- ant supplies for stock. Many smaller streams which have not been named are yet valuable, and many of these have their origin in clear and copious springs which welled forth from the
The waters which flow over Clarke county are in a large degree tributary to the Mississippi river, about one- third only flowing to the Missouri. Well water can be obtained custom- arily at a depth of about twenty feet. Along all the principal of these streams timber is more or less abundant, and there is not a township in the county which has not a supply. The south- east and southwest are the sections most liberally endowed by nature in this respect. Troy, Ward, Washington and Madison, in the northwest, have the least. The timber is of good qual- ity ; but the work of denudation which is incident to a rapidly settled country, must be counterbalanced by protection to young groves, or the continuous planting by farmers. This matter has already attracted the attention of set- tlers, and before many years the supply will be much larger than it is now. Pine lumber brought from a distance by the railroads is now much used for buildings and fences, and from its cheapness that consumption may be expected to continue. It has been noted that wherever hazel trees prevail, as is the case in some parts of the county, the soil has special fitness for growing wbeat.
The gcology of Iowa gives to this county the upper coal measure alone underlying the drift deposit. Good building stone has been obtained from quarries easily exposed, and limestone is abundant. Clay, for the manufac- ture of bricks, has been procured in many places, and sand is readily avail- able; consequently there will be no dearth of materials for building; but coal, should it ever be found in such quantities as to warrant the employ- ment of labor, must be procured by deep mining in the most favored local. ities.
Corn takes the lead among the pro- ductions of Clarke county, hut oats, barley and wheat are also largely raised. Stock has been for some time one of the smaller staples, but it is probable that in consequence of the success with which all grasses can be cultivated, that the branch of enterprise named will come into greater promi- nence. Fruit growing has become a settled and profitable industry. Osage orange fences have been largely con-
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
strueted, and they serve many purposes which are highly appreciated by the farmers. Among other good results from their planting and growth, they afford protection against the strong winds prevalent in the county.
The year 1846 saw the first white settlement in Clarke county, when a little colony of "Latter Day Saints;" who were on their way from Nauvoo to cross the desert, lost themselves in this section of country, and established a home for their families in what they called " Lost Camp." The Mormons remained several ycars in that location, being joined by other wanderers from the Illinois abode; but eventually when Gentiles came into the country in numbers, they moved off; but whether they crossed the plains to Utah, or merely went further west, this deponent saith not. Perhaps the wan- derers who remained so long off the track of the other saints were not very desirous to join their fortunes with the great hody that rendezvoused at Coun- cil Bluffs, being prudently willing to wait the course of events under the leadership of Brigham Young.
Gentile settlers came to the county in 1850, and from that time there was an approach toward organization, the necessary steps in that direction being taken in the session of legislature of 1850-51. August, 1851, saw the first election, and the county seat was lo- cated at Osceola, in the same month. Osceola now stands upon an area of two hundred and fifty acres, having been largely inereased since the day of small things. When the great re- hellion broke out, Clarke county was patriotic to the core, and in every in- stance when drafts were made the quo- tas were largely exceeded. This is a record of great value, as it exhibits the morale of the settlement from its very earliest beginning.
The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad gives to several points in the county facilities for shipment and travel as it passes through from east to west having stations at Osceola, Wood- burn, and Murray. The prosecution of the works in connection with that road gave an impetus to settlement and production which is highly appreci- ated by residents, and will continue to affect the status of the county as a field for an ever extending population.
position and beauty eutitle it to notice Three miles northeast of the town is the poor farm, on which persons re- duced to want within the county are located. The land was purchased in January, 1875, and about $2,000 have since been expended in improvements upon the two hundred acres of which it consists. The institution works well. The town lies on a broad tract of prairie land, and its position is such as to facilitate drainage. The streets are wide, and provided with shade trees. There is a central square around which the principal business houses have been erected and the place bears a good reputation for commercial sounduess and general health. As & shipping point, Osceola commands a large share of business, as much grain and live stock are raised in the sur- rounding country, and besides that ad- vantage, it is also the site of a woolen mill. In the year 1868, there was a public school building erected at a cost of $23,000, and it is now proposed to add thereto at a cost of $8,000, from which facts it will be understood that the citizens are as solicitous as could be desired for the welfare of the rising generation. The building is arehitect- urally handsome, and the management of the school is progressive and effi- cient. There are several newspapers published in the town of Osceola, and the banking institutions therein de- serve mention.
WOODBURN is a very enterprising village on the line of railroad already mentioned, the Burlington and Mis- sonri, and the station there attraets a large average of business of all kinds. The village is ten miles east from Os- ceola.
MURRAY is another village mainly dependent for its prosperity upon the Burlington and Missouri road, which has a station there, ten miles west from Osceola. The surrounding agricultu- ral country from considerable dist- ances, drive their stock and bring their produce to this thriving little village.
HOPVILLE, SMYRNA, LIBERTY, LA- CELLE, GREEN BAY and PRAIRIE GROVE are villages of small extent, which wait for some special impetus to rise into importanee. They are lo- cated in positions which will eventu- ally secure for them railway commu-
OSCEOLA is not a great city, but its | nieations east and west, and from that
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SKETCHES OF COUNTIES.
time, come when it may, the future of their fortunes will be assured.
Clay County is located in the north- west of the state, and is twenty-four miles square, consequently it contains 368,640 acres. The county is drained and watered in nearly every part by the Little Sioux river and its numerous tributaries, which extends by numer- oua windings to fully seventy miles in the county, and gives a large number of water powers, which must eventu- ally attract the attention of manufac- turers. Ocheyedan creek is the largest of the Little Sioux's tributaries, and there are fertile valleys through which both streams flow to their junction near the town of Spencer. Willow, Prairie, Muddy, and Henry creeks also deserve notice. There are several small lakes in the eastern part of the county, prominent among which are Lost Island Lake, Swan, Pickerel, Vir- gin, and Mud, besides other lakes of too little volume to be named. There are fish in abundance in the several lakes and streams.
This part of the state is not favored by nature in the matter of timber, but this county ia more fortunate than some of its neighbors, and the soil will respond liberally should groves be planted. The surface of the county undulates pleasantly, and it is said by those who are competent to pronounce, that it has no waste land, every acre being capable of growing the staple products of the county, such as wheat, corn, roots, oats, and grass. Nutritious wild grasses and pure water in abund- ance will make this county the para- dise of farmers, who will unite grazing to their other pursuits.
The first white families that came into the county to settle drove their stakes in 1856, and the little colony was barely twelve months old, when the Sioux, on their way to the Spirit Lake massacre, made their raid through the territory, destroying prop- erty, and driving off stock in a spirit of pure wantonness. The conduct of the Sioux on this occasion depopu- lated the county, as all the families cleared out, and did not return until many months had elapsed.
The organization of the county was effected in October, 1858, and the coun- ty seat was located at Peterson, to meet the wishes of the bulk of the set-
tlers, who were in the southwest cor- ner of the county, but when at a later date the population had become more diffused, the location was abandoned. Peterson had the advantage of a large body of timber, and a good water pow- er in the Little Sioux river, which was used to drive a sawmill, but the place has not made much progress.
SPENCER is now the county seat, hav- ing succeeded to the honors relin- quished by Peterson. The town is sit- uated on the east side of the Little Sioux river, in a broad and fertile val- ley. The first settlement on this spot, appeara to have been made in 1869. The river affords several good powers at and near the town, and beyond ques- tion the place will become noted for its factories, but its growth has not been rapid. The first settler upon the Little Sioux river, at this point, would have located the town on the opposite side of the river from that on which it atands, but immediately after the town was platted, and before his own resi- dence had been commenced, the pro- jector left for the war in the south, and his intentions were frustrated.
Clayton County ia bounded in part by the Mississippi river, and it em- braces an area of seven hundred and ninety-two square miles. Seven of its townships front the Mississippi. Gen- erally the surface of the country is rolling, but along the streams and water courses a rough and broken aspect presents itself. Bold and pre- cipitous bluff's look down upon the deep channels cut by the rivers in this county, in some cases several hundred feet. Here and there can, however, be found bordering the streams small val- leys of bottom lands, which are excep- tionally fertile. The uplands are at their best about six hundred feet above the Mississippi level, where the surface becomes a beautiful agricultural coun -. try, undulating, well drained, product- ive, and healthful as any portion of northern Iowa. One-third of the coun -. ty is prairie, and of the remainder a considerable portion is wooded land ..
There are three prairies in this coun- ty which are deemed sufficiently im- portant to be described. High prairie is the largest, and it varies in width considerably, being at its widest aix miles across, and at its least expansion only one. Commencing at a point
30
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
three miles west of the Mississippi, it | the river averages one chain in width. runs to the northern line of the county,! gradually receding from the river.
Between the rivers Turkey and Vol- ga, is another prairie of less extent, stretching to the northwest until bro- ken by a belt of openings. This prai- rie rolls more considerably than High prairie, and its undulations are much more abrupt.
Garden prairie extends across the southwest of Clayton county, varying from one mile to three miles in width, and the land is thickly settled, being well watered and much less broken than the others. Besides these there' ale many smaller prairies, which dot the county in all directions, and are valued as locations for grazing ånd stock raising farms, second to none in the state of Iowa. Water can be easily obtained anywhere. and timber is suf- ficiently abundant for all purposes.
The prairies, generally, have a deep black loam, the bottom lands have a rich alluvium, and elsewhere, iu what are known among geologists as the " driftless " areas, the soil is commonly thin, and comparatively of little ac- count. The wide diversity of soil thus indicated admits of a very great range of productions, and the intuitions of scientific eulture will probably show that the lands assumed to be least val- uable have special adaptations which can be improved to very good advan- tage.
On either side of the Turkey river and many of the other streams present the same characteristics; the land is tim bered from one to five miles in ex- tent, the woods being generally the same as those named in other counties, and all indigenous to Clayton county.
Turkey river is the largest stream in the county; it varies from two to four chains in width, and runs with great rapidity through no less than eight townships. The bed of the river is mostly limestone pebbles and sand, and it runs between high, rocky bluffs which 'sometimes expand into broad valleys nearly a mile across. . This river has for its main tributaries from the north, Dry Mill, Cedar and Pony creeks ; from the south the stream is fed by Little Turkey, Blue Belt, Elk creek, Peck's Branch, and Volga river. Vol- ga river is a deep and rapid stream which flows through four townships. The bottom is of gravel mainly, and
Deep slopes come down to the river's bank, generally, but at rare intervals there are valleys and bottom lands of great fertility. The principal feeders come from the south, and bear the names of Honey, Cox, and Bear creeks. There are other streams of less mo- ment which need not be enumerated here.
Along the river banks there are ex- posed valuable stones for building pur- poses, such as magnesian limestone, St. Peter sandstone, Potsdam sand- stone, and the Trenton limestone. The geological strata in this county might be made the text for an interesting dis- course on the theory of upheaval, but the temptation must be postponed, and the boulders left to preach their own sermon.
Some lead has been found mixed with silver in this county, but there does not appear to be enough of that material to merit special outlay. It is of much greater importance to the welfare of the state that lime and build- ing materials are plentiful. Some of the clay discovered has been made into excellent pottery.
Before the territory of Iowa was or- ganized, the legislature of Wisconsin passed an act, in 1837, authorizing the establishment of Clayton county. The first settlement had been made five years or more before that date, on Turkey river, four miles from its mouth, and before that time a cabin had been built by a ferryman lower down on the banks of that stream. Most of those persons who came early to this country, were searching for lead, moved thereto by the excitement produced in Dubuque and Galena. The several efforts at settlement which have resulted at length in the prosper- ity now visible in Clayton county would require a volume to treat them with appropriate detail, and in the ab sence of such space it must suffice to say that the work of organization was, after many perturbations, successfully accomplished, and the county has pros- pered.
Prairie La Porte was at one time the county seat; the next location was named Jacksonville, but upon some agitation being manifested, the same was changed to Garnavillo. The town of Guttenberg contested the honor, but was not successful, and the present
CROSSCUP & WEST-SC.PHIL. A.
Capt. Nathan D. Ingraham.
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TUTTLE'S HISTORY OF IOWA.
site was not resolved upon until the year 1860.
ELKADER is the county seat, having been chosen for that honor by a large popular vote in 1860. The county has no court house, but a hall is rented for the purposes of administration, and the county offices are kept in a brick building with fire proof vaults, con- structed for that purpose in 1866. The jail is a substantial building, such as few thieves would like to find them- selves lodged in, as the floors are of stone and the walls lined with boiler iron. Elkader is located on both sides . of the Turkey river, near the geo- graphical center of the county. The scenery is delightful. The town is built on table land, slightly rising un- til it suddenly descends by a steep de- clivity toward the right bank of the river. On the east the bank rises higher before reaching the table land, and from thence a fresh ascent leads to a series of undulating heights of very charming appearance. The sev- eral undulations have been partially improved by the location of residences more or less ornamental and nearly all adorned with trees. The river, flowing below with a rapid current, affords numerous powers which, when thoroughly in operation, will lead to still more charming residences being erected on the higher lands, supported by the waters which now idly murmur at the inutility to which its mechani- cal force seems doomed.
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