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 7
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The first persons who settled within the limits of the city of Burlington were Morton M. McCarver and Simpson S. White, who moved there with their families previous to " the extinguish- ment of the Indian title, suffering all the privations and difficul- ties attending the settlement of a wilderness country, which were very great, and but a few of them." Mr. A. Doolittle purchased a one-third interest of the property, and became a citizen in 1834. The original town was drafted and surveyed by Benjamin Tucker and Wm. R. Ross, in November and December, 1833. A. Doo- little and S. S. White being the proprietors gave it its name. The whole town was resurveyed by G. M. Harrison under the direction of the general government in 1837.
The town of Fort Madison derived its name from a fort which once had been built there and known by that name. The fort was built in 1808, and soon after Black Hawk and his party un- dertook to destroy it but failed, an account of which has been given elsewhere. Another unsuccessful effort was made in 1812. In 1813, the Indians made another fierce attack and commenced a regular siege. The garrison having been reduced to the great- est extremity for want of provisions, the commander resolved to abandon the post, and to effect this to the best advantage, a trench was dug from the southeast block honse to the river. There were some boats belonging to the garrison, and about that time they
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Hon. A. R. Barnes.
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succeeded in capturing one from the Indians. When the boats were prepared, and all things made ready for the departure, orders were given to set fire to the fort; and although the Indians were encamped with a large force near by, these arrangements were made with so much precaution and secrecy, that the soldiers were out of danger, and the fort completely wrapped in flames before the enemy were aware of their departure. In 1832, after the Black Hawk purchase, Zackariah Hawkins, Benj. Jennings, Aaron White, Augustine Horton, Samuel Gooch, Danl. Thompson and Peter Williams made claims at Fort Madison. In 1833, these claims were purchased by J. H. Knapp and Nath. Knapp, upon which, in 1835, they laid out a town for the first time, and sold lots, though the towns were resurveyed and platted under the direction of the general government.
Soon after the Black Hawk purchase, the tract of land at the head of the rapids of the river Des Moines, which was occupied in 1799 by Lewis Fresson was selected by the United States gov- ernment for a military post, and it was called Fort Des Moines. They erected a large, commodious house for officers, and other suitable buildings for barracks for soldiers. In 1834, the post was in command of Lt. Col. Stephen W. Kearney. This was retained as a military post till 1837, when the soldiers were removed to Fort Leavenworth, and the buildings were sold by the authority of the government to private individuals. At this place the pres- ent village of Montrose is situated.
In the year 1838, Capt. Benjamin W. Clark, a native of Vir- ginia, who had settled on the Illinois shore, where the town of Andalusia is now located, moved across the river and commenced settlement upon the present site of the town of Buffalo, and was probably the first settler in the county of Scott. He subse- quently kept the public ferry across the river, and in 1835, erected a public house, and a saw mill at the mouth of Duck Creek.
The claim upon which Davenport now stands was first made in the spring of 1833, by R. H. Spencer and A. McCloud ; these gentlemen, having some difference, to end the dispute, sold their claim to Antoine LeClaire for the sum of one hundred dollars. This claim comprised that portion of the city lying west of Harrison street, being outside of what was known as LeClaire's reserve. In
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1835, this claim was sold to some eight persons, and the town of Davenport was laid out and surveyed. The first improvements were made by Mr. LeClaire upon the grounds now occupied as a railroad depot.
CHAPTER XI.
EVENTS OF 1836-7.
Wisconsin Territory - Iowa a Part of Wisconsin - Banking, etc. - Fight over the Capital - Treaties with Indians, etc.
ON THE 20th of April, 1836, congress passed an act creating the territory of Wisconsin, which territory embraced within the boundaries prescribed in the organic act, all the territory em- braced in the states of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota and a part of the territory of Dakota, and it was provided that after the 3d day of July of that year, it should constitute a separate territory for the purpose of a temporary government. Henry Dodge was
appointed governor. The legislature of Michigan had divided this section previous to the organization of Wisconsin territory into six counties, known as Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa, Brown, Milwaukee and Crawford; all the territory west of the Missis- sippi river was embraced in the counties of Des Moines and Dubuque. Gov. Dodge immediately proceeded to the discharge of his duties, and caused the census of the territory to be taken, and on the 9th of September, 1836, issued his proclamation for an election to be held on the second Monday of October ensuing, and ordered that the members of the legislature elected should convene at Belmont in Iowa county, on the 25th of October. Out of the twenty-six members of the house and thirteen members of the council, Des Moines county had seven representatives and three member of the council, and Dubuque had five representatives and three members of the council. To this legislature John Foley, Thos. McCraney and Thos. McKnight were elected to the coun- cil ; and Loren Wheeler, Hardin Nowlin, Hosea T. Camp, Peter H. Engle and Patrick Quigley, to the house from the county of Dubuque: and Jere Smith, Jr., Jos. B. Teas, Arthur B. Ingham were elected to the council; and Isaac Leffler, Thos. Blair, War
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ren L. Jenkins, John Box, Geo. W. Teas, Eli Reynolds and David R. Chance, members of the house from Des Moines county. The legislature was organized, Henry S. Baird of Brown county, pres- ident of the council, and Peter H. Engle of Dubuque county, speaker of the house. One of the acts of the legislature was to district the territory into judicial districts, and the counties of Des Moines and Dubuque were known as the 2d district, and David Irwin was assigned as judge. At the time of the conven- ing of the legislature, there was all over the country a great mania on banks; and the settlers of the west, thought they could furnish their own circulating medium as well as to be dependent on the banks of the east. At this session, there was an act passed estab- lishing a bank at Dubuque, called the " Miners' Bank of Dubuque," which was the first bank in Iowa, and subsequently claimed con- siderable attention before the public and in the legislature. An- other act divided the county of Des Moines, and the counties of Lee, Van Buren, Henry, Louisa, Muscatine, Cook (now Scott) and Des Moines, were made in the southern part of the territory. The counties of Van Buren, Henry, Louisa, Muscatine and Cook were bounded on the west by what at that time was called the Indian country. The act creating these new counties made provisions that the new counties should assist in paying the debts (which at that time were quite large) of the old county of Des Moines, in proportion to their populations. Another and perhaps the most important bill enacted at that session was the locating of the seat of government of Wisconsin. This bill created great excite- ment. The position of the locality of the capital of the new
territory was the all absorbing question. It is stated by one writer that Jas. Duane Doty, afterwards governor, who represent- ed the interests of Madison, the present capital of Wisconsin, sup- plied himself with a full stock of buffalo robes and went around camping with the members and making them as comfortable as he could, until he organized a sufficient vote to make Madison the permanent capital, and Burlington the temporary capital, and car- ried the project through the legislature, much to the disgust of the people of Dubuque. It was evident that the Des Moines delega- tion in both houses favored the location at some central and con- venient point between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan, antici-
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pating the early division of the territory of Wisconsin, and the organization of the territory of Iowa; when they apparently hoped to secure the location of the capital in their portion of Iowa territory, which they evidently accomplished.
In accordance with the pledge given by the members from Des Moines county, conditional on the establishment of the temporary seat of government at Burlington, Jere. Smith built a very suita- ble building near the present mills of Mr. Sunderland. The building, at that day, cost Iowa eight or ten thousand dollars, and was well adapted to the wants of the legislature, which met at that place on the 1st of November, 1837. At that time there were no railroads; the entire carrying trade was by water or wagon, and both were expensive. Early in the fall of 1837, the river filled with floating ice, but it was late in the season before the ice blocked so as to stop navigation. The result was, that each thaw brought boats. up from below until late in December. At that day, steamboats wintered where] they froze up along the shore. One evening, after dark, a boat came in and, before she was made fast at the shore, some one on board gave the word that a mob at Alton had killed the "abolitionist Lovejoy " and destroyed his press. That same night, a few hours later, the new capitol took fire and burned to the ground. There was no insur- ance on the building. Subsequently, the house of representa- tatives met over a store, and the council in a small building near by.
Notwithstanding the United States had purchased from the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux the lands which were embraced in the counties of Winneshiek and Alamakee, yet, by the terms of the purchase, they were to remain as neutral grounds, and not to be occupied by either of those nations of Indians, or by the whites.
At this session of the legislature, there was a law passed cre- ating a board of county commissioners for each county, consisting of three persons, whose duty it was to take charge of all county business.
During this time, the whites had been permitted to pass over the Mississippi and make settlements on the new purchase. The tide of emigration had been flowing rapidly into the new country, and inany settlements had been made on the very borders of the
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yours Fraty
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Indian territory, and it had become quite an object with the United States to extend the boundaries of her domains.
In the fall of 1837, the general government called to Washing- ton a deputation from most of the tribes residing in the valley of the Mississippi. Prominent among others, were delegations from the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux, between whom, at the time, open hostilities existed. The ostensible object in calling these deputations to the seat of government at this time was alleged to be for the purpose of restoring peace among the hostile nations, but negotiations were held for the purchase of the lands. The council was held in a church, and the negotiations between the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux were spirited, and attracted much attention.
After the council was opened by a few remarks on the part of the United States, the representatives from the Sioux spoke. Their great effort seemed to be to show that it was useless to make a peace with the Sacs and Foxes, for they were treacherous, and no confidence could be put in anything they might agree to do. "My father," said one of their orators, "you cannot make these people hear any good words, unless you bore their ears with sticks." "We have often made peace with them," said another, "but they never would observe a treaty. I would as soon make a treaty with that child (pointing to Keokuk's little boy) as with a Saukee or Musquakee."
Keokuk did most of the talking on the part of the Sacs and Foxes, and by the spectators he was the observed of the occasion, and in reply to these charges of the Sioux, he said : "They tell you that our ears must be bored with sticks, but my father, you could not penetrate their thick skulls in that way; it would require hot iron. They say they would as soon make peace with a child as with us; they know better, for when they make war upon us, they find us men. They tell you that peace has often been made, and that we have broken it. How happens it then, that so many of their braves have been slain in our country? I will tell you, they invade us ; we never invade them; none of our braves have been killed on their land; we have their scalps, and can tell where we took them." At this convention peace was restored among the Indians of the northwest; a : | the com-
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missioner, on the part of the United States, succeeded in making purchases of land from the Sacs and Foxes and other nations. By the first article of the treaty with the latter tribes, a tract of country containing one million two hundred and fifty thousand acres of land, lying west and adjoining the tract conveyed by them to the United States in the treaty of September 21, 1832 ; also, of all the right and interest in the land ceded by said con- federate tribes on the 15th of July, 1836, embracing the western slope of Iowa, which may be claimed by them under the phrase- ology of the first article of said treaty. This treaty was signed by C. A. Harris on the part of the United States, and ratified and confirmed by the senate and proclaimed on the 21st of February, 1838.
After the business of the convention was concluded, Keokuk and his party made a tour east, and visited Boston, at which place they received much attention. They were received by Gov. Everett on behalf of the state, and by the mayor on behalf of the city, by public addresses, and escorted by the military to Fanueil Hall and to other public places in the city. Keokuk, in reply to this reception, said, "Keokuk and his chiefs are very much gratified that they have had the pleasure of shaking hands with the governor of this great state, and also with the men that sur- round him.
"You well say, brother, that the Great Spirit has made both of us, though your color is white, mine is red; but he made your heart and made mine the same. The only difference I find is, he has made you to speak one language and I another. He made the same sky above our heads for both. He gave us hands to take each other by, and eyes to see each other. I wish to take all by the hand. To shake hands with all my white brothers."
The Indians all received much attention, but the venerable old chief, Black Hawk, although he had been degraded, and lost his position as chief among his people, was the star of the company, and every visitor was anxious to single out the man who had made so much disturbance on the frontier. After partaking of the honors and hospitalities of the city, and receiving many valuable presents, the party made their way back to the villages of their own country.
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The purchase made from the Indians at this time embraced some of the best lands in the state, upon which sprung up some important towns, among which are the county se ats of Jefferson, Washington, Johnson and Linn counties.
CHAPTER XII.
PIONEER INCIDENTS.
Indian Remniscences - "Squatter Sovereignty"-The Burlington Land Office -Sketch of the Land Sale - Interest - Speculation -Anecdotes - The Early Farmers - Produce in 1838- "Iowa."
IN THE early settlement of Iowa, all lands, from the time of the departure of the Indians until they were offered for sale by the government, were under the rule of " squatter sovereignty." Any man had a right to select for himself any portion of the public domain not otherwise appropriated, for his home ; and by blazing the lines bounding his "claim " in timber, or staking it out on the prairie, he was legally possessed of title. Societies were formed in some localities who organized themselves to protect one another in their rights. The secretary kept a book in which all claims had to be recorded. A territorial law existed making contracts for claims valid, and notes given for such were collectable by law. Great speculations were carried on by pioneer " claim-makers," a class of men who no sooner than they had sold one claim to some new comer, would proceed to make another, and commence im- provements. These claims were respected and held in peace (when properly taken) until the sale of the lands by government, when the owners were permitted to purchase them at the mini- mum price of $1.25 per acre.
Hon. Willard Barrows in his interesting history of Scott county, published in the " Annals of Iowa," gives the following incident . "During the fishing season in the spring of the year, 1836, among other neighboring tribes that often visited the Sacs and Foxes to fish in the waters of the As-sin-ne-seps (Rock river), a small band of Winnebagoes were encamped on Rock Island. As usual, the young and more profligate of the tribe were hanging around the groceries in Stephenson and Davenport, bartering such articles as
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they possessed for whisky. On one occasion, two young Indians being crazed by too large potations from the whisky bottle, quar- reled, and one struck the other; an indignity seldom submitted to by an Indian, drunk or sober. The next day they met upon the little willow island just below the town of Davenport, whether by accident or common consent, it is not known ; but the quarrel was renewed, and carried to such an extent that one of them was killed. No whites were present, and various reports were made by the Indians as to the manner of his death. One account of the affair was that the difficulty was settled by a duel, after the fashion of the white man, one of the parties using a shot gun, the other a rifle. If it was a duel, it is the first on record of having taken place among the Indians of the northwest. The shot gun hero was buried in one of the mounds then existing on the banks of the river below the city of Davenport, on the farm of Ira Cook, the site of Black Hawk's last village. There was another Indian buried in the same mound, who died at the same time, having been bitten by a rattlesnake while lying drunk one night. They were placed four feet apart, facing each other, buried in dirt as high up as the waist, holding in one hand the paint, and in the other the tomahawk. The graves were surrounded with pales or pickets some ten feet high, and set so close that no animal of any size could get to the bodies.
The survivor fled to his home in the Shab-be-nah's grove on Rock river, leaving his friends here in deep distress at his misfor- tune, and the dire consequences that must unavoidably follow, according to Indian custom. The fugitive well knew his doom. There was blood upon his skirts. The relatives of the deceased demanded his return. They clamored for his blood. His own sister and some of his relatives went to him and found him in his wigwam, with blackened face, brooding in silence over his act of blood, feeling that the Great Spirit was angry with him, and that no sacrifice was too great to appease his wrath. The sister plead with him to return to Rock Island and meet his fate, and thus appease the wrathful spirit of the departed one. One bright morn- ing in May, a few days after the murder, the quiet camp of the Indians on As-sin-ne-maness (Rock Island) was awakened by the doleful chant of the death song. A few canoes came gliding around
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the point of the island; among them was that of the murderer, singing his last song this side the good hunting ground. His canoe was paddled by his own sister, whom he tenderly loved. The long protracted howl of the Indian crier, soon put in motion the whole camp on both sides of the river. From every cove and eddy along the banks of the river, there shot forth canoes filled with excited natives eager to participate in the bloody scene about to be enacted.
A circle was soon formed a little above the burying ground of the old fort at the foot of the island. A shallow grave was dug, and the willing but trembling culprit was led to it by his mourn- ing sister, and kneeling upon one side of it, the nearest male rela- tive of the deceased approached, and with one blow of the toma- hawk, his death song was hushed, and then his body was cut in pieces by the surrounding Indians.
Some trouble occurred this year among the claim holders. The new comers in some instances were unwilling to go very far to take claims, and considered the squatter sovereignty act too lib- eral in giving to each man three hundred and twenty acres, while none of it was improved. By the system of registration adopted, every man was fully protected in his rights. The law never did and never can protect the people in all their rights, so fully and so completely, as the early settlers of Iowa protected themselves by these organizations, doing justice to all, as well as paying the government fully for the lands occupied by them.
The land officers at Burlington, Gen. Van Antwerp and Gen. Dodge, most heartily entered into the spirit and interests of the settlers at the land sales in securing them their land, for which these early settlers honored Gen. Dodge. politically, as few men were ever trusted by any people. Strange as it may seem to people at the present time, the settlers on the public lands were held as squatters, without any rights to be respected by the gov- ernment or land speculators.
Hawkins Taylor, Esq., of Washington, D. C., an early settler of Iowa, says: "There were thousands of settlers at the sale at Burlington in the fall of 1838 ; the officers could sell but one or two townships each day, and when the land in any one township was offered, the settlers of that township constituted the army on
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duty for that day, and surrounded the office for their own pro- tection, with all the other settlers as a reserve force if needed. The hotels were full of speculators of all kinds, from the money loaner, who would accommodate the settler at fifty per cent., that is, he would enter the settler's land in his own name, and file a bond for a deed at the end of two years, by the settlers paying him double the amount the land cost. At these rates, Dr. Barrett of Springfield, Illinois, and Lewis Benedict of Albany, N. Y., loaned out one hundred thousand dollars each, and Lyne Sterling and others, at least, an equal amount at the same or higher rates of interest. The men who come to Iowa now cannot realize what the early settlers had to encounter. The hotels were full of this and a worse class of money sharks. There was a numerous class who wanted to rob the settlers of their lauds and improve- ments entirely, holding that the settler was a squatter and tres- passer, and should be driven from his lands. You would hear much of this sort of talk about the hotels, but none about the settlers' camps. Among the loudest talkers of this kind was a gentleman from Virginia. This person was going to invest his money as he pleased, without reference to settlers' claims. When the township of West Point was sold, it was a wet, rainy day. I was bidder and the officers let me go inside of the office. Just when I went into the office, 'Squire John Judy, who lived on section thirty-two or thirty-three, whispered to me, that he had been disappointed in getting his money at the last moment, and asked me to pass over his tract and not to bid it off. I did so, but this Virginian bid it off. I was inside and could not com. municate to any one until the sale was through ; and, as I did not bid on the tract, the outsiders supposed that it was not claimed by a settler, and the moment the bid was made, the bidder left for his hotel. As soon as I could get out, which was in a few minutes, and made known that Judy's land liad been bidden off by a speculator, within five minutes not less than fifteen hundred of as desperate and determined a set of men as ever wanted homes, started for the bold bidder. Prominent in the lead was Mr. John G. Kennedy of Fort Madison, who enjoyed the sport. Col. Patterson, now of Keokuk, a Virginian by birth, but a noble, true hearted friend of the settler, and who had been
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intimate with the Virginian, made a run across lots, and reached the hotel before Kennedy and his army. The Colonel informed the bidder of the condittion of affairs, and advised him at once to abandon his bid, which he did, or rather, he authorized the Colonel to do it for him. The Colonel went out and announced to the crowd, that the bid was withdrawn, and that the bidder had withdrawn himself. Both offers were accepted, but the latter was bitterly objected to, and only acquiesced in, when it was found that the party had escaped the back way, and could not be found. There was no other remedy. This was the last out- side bid given during that sale, and you heard no more talk about outside bidding, about the hotels. The squatter's rights were respected at that sale."
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