USA > Iowa > Jackson County > Annals of Jackson county, Iowa, Vol 1-2 > Part 10
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I have deferred answering this invi- tation until this date hoping to secure transportation through a personal friend of my family, but who is out of the city at present.
I have always desired to visit Waquo- keta and Jackson county from the fact that it was the home of my husband's family in early days and is fraught with dear memories, of which I have heard so much through him and his father. I may assure you it would have afforded me the keenest pleasure to be present at the unveiling of a monument to so dis- tinguished and deserving a man as the Hou Thos. C. x, but which under these conditions I must now forego As I read of the promient part he took in the early history of fowa, I am led to reflect that his was an upright and well ordered life, one that constitutes in its efficacy a a most eloquent persuasion to higher and better life, and as one among you, I would be permitted to pay homage, and revere his memory. Iam,
Very truly yours, MRS. JOHN S. BRIGGS, 2809 Bristol St., Station A.
From Miss Eliza Moss, daughter of Hon. James K. Moss, who succeeded Col. Cox as member of the Territorial House in 1811.
Dear Sir and Friend : It is with fuel-
ings of regret that owing to a condition of ill health, it will be impossible for me to meet with you and witness the unveiling of the mounment to the Hon. Thomas Cox of pioneer fame and his- tory. As the sole representative of my dear father, James K. Moss, and as one of the now all too few vissible links di- rectly uniting the past of the real pio- neer to the every day world of the pres- ent, I feel that it would be good to meet with those, who like myself, are so close- ly connected with both the past and tho present of Iowa and Jackson county, and with them give honor where honor is due. Though I can not be with you in person, I can sympathetically join in the honor you show to the memory of the man who stands foremost in early history of our county-Jackson.
I thank'the committee, of which you are chairman, generally and yourself particularly for the remembrance mani- fested so kindly. Very truly,
ELIZA MOSS.
Sabula, Ia., June 27 1805.
From Hon. Samuel MeNutt, State Senator 1864 to 1870, member of House 1878 and 1890.
Muscatine, Ia., June 21, 1905.
Dear Sir: Your kind invitation to be present at the public exercises attend- ing the unveiling of a monument to the memory of Hon. Thomas Cox, pioneer legislator, (Illinois 1818, Iowa 1838) ou the coming 4th of July, is received, for which please accept my thanks.
Being myself one of the "Pioneer Lawmakers" of our beloved Iowa, it would give me great pleasure, now in the 80th year of my age, to be with you on that occasion, but circumstances will prevent ine from being with you. I am delighted, however, to know that tho good people of Jackson county are still mindtol of their distinguished deed. Hoping that you will have a pleasant day for the exercises, I remain.
Yours very truly. SAMUEL MENUTT. House 9-17-23 Senate 10.11.1.211-G. A.
From Hon. W. J Moir, member Gen- eral Assembly 1862 and 1864. now 81 yeas old
Eldora, Iowa, June 22, 1805.
Dear Sir; Your kind invitation to be present during the public exercises at- ending the unveiling of a monument in honor of Hon. Thos. Cox, is received, accept my thanks Monuments are erected in honor of men for heroic deeds, Sometimes for acts faithfully performed and sometimes for words beautifully written.
In Washington stands a monument 555 feet skyward in honor of him who was first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countryman. In one of the principal streets in, Baltimore stands a monument erected in 1865 to the memory of Thomas Wilson, for charitable acts performed. And in Oak Hill cemetery was erected a monument by W. W. Corcoran, the great philan- thropist, in honor of John Howard Payne, who made his name honored by all peoples throughout the civilized world, when he penned those 14 lines, "Home sweet Home, there is no place like home." Well did he deserve that beautiful epitaph carved on his monu- ment :
"Sure when thy gentle spirit fled,
To realme beyond the azure dome.
With arms outstretched God's angels said,
Welcome to Heaven's Home sweet Home."
It is sweet to be remembered. I hope you may have a very enjoyable time on our nation's natal day.
Yours respectfully, W. J. MOIR.
: From Hon. Chester C. Cole, judge of Supreme Court 1861 to 1876.
Des Moines, Ja., June 23, 1905.
Dear Sir : I have your invitation to be present at the public exercises attend- ing the unveiling of the monument of Hon. Thos. Cox on July 4th, 1903. I thank you for your invitation and re-
gret that circumstances are such as to preclude my acceptance I should de. light to be present and thereby manifest my cordial approval of those who have contributed to the monument and to the magnifying influence of its unveibug. I had nor the advantage of a personal acquaintance with Mr Cox, but ) have some knowledge of his private character and public services and think they fully justify the fullest measure of honor which can be given. I sometimes think that the people of Iowa do not fully ap- preciate the value of the services rend- ered to those of future generations. by their sagacity, fidelity and integrity. - Iowa stands today more exalted thall some of her sister states, because of the faithfulness and integrity of its pioneers. The Iowa pioneers as law makers were really more wise in their conduct than they themselves appreciated. In their integrity, aprightness and conduct, they exercised a potent influence, 'aud even in the discharge of their daily du- ties they manifested an interest and ex- ercised au infinence more potent than they knew. The many enlogies upon Iowa as a state, and its people as citi- zens are indeed eulogy upon the wisdom and integrity of Iowa pioneers. They do- serve houor and you do well in the erec tion of the monument to Thomas Cox. to whom and to whose services Iowa is largely indebted.
Very truly yours, C. C. COLE
From Hon. P. W Crawford present Senator from Dubuque.
My Dear Sir : Please accept my hear- ty thanks for your esteemed invitation to be present at the unveiling of the monument to Hon Thomas Cox at Ma- quoketa, July 4th. I should ho greatly pleased to accept, but a prior engage- ment for that date will prevent. The occasion would be of especial interet to me as I have a very lively personal reo. ollection of Col. Cox, and remember when a boy to have seen and heard han
talk several times, once at least in my father's office in Dabuque, when he gare a very graphic description of the affair at Bellevue, April 1, 1840, when Brown and seven others were killed, and of which he was a witness and took a prominent part.
The last time I ever saw him was at my uncle's (Theophilis Crawford, first state senator from Dubuque district) in New Wein township, Dubuque county, in the summer of 1842, when he was canvassing as a candidate of the Coun- cil. He staid over night at my uncle's who was then the ouly voter in that (New Wein) township, now densely set- tled. I was greatly interested in his reminiscenses of his life in Illinois, and his experiences while a member of the legislature of that state.
I well remember that he also relat- ed the circumstance connected with the execution of Jackson, the first man ver hung for murder in Jackson coun- ty. He said that Jackson, having made an agreement or understanding with Sheriff Bill Warren, that the execution should be so conducted that his neck should not be broken, was firmly per- suaded that he would survive the opera- tion and be resuscitated. He consulted Col. Cox the night before the execution as to whether it would be advisable for him to remain in the conuty, or had better go to Texas. Unfortunately the hanging, arranged by tying a rope to the limb of a tree and driving the wagon in which Jackson was seated from un- der him, was fatal, and he necessarily remained in the county. Perhaps the tree is yet standing in Andrew.
.
I recall that Col. Cox, at the time mentioned, did not feel very sure of his election, as he was not a nominee of his party, but was running independent. Jackson county was then a part of the Dubuque district, which extended, 1 think, indefinitely to the British pos- session on the north, and the Pacific ocean on the west, but there were few
or no voters in it north of the Turkey, or west of the Wapsipinicon. The regular democratic nominees for the Council in 1842 were Francis Gehon and Hardin Nowlin, both of Dubuque county Steph- en Hempstead, second Governor of the state, was also an independent candi- date. At the election, the voters of Jack- son county all voted "single shot" for Cox, and he was elected and there was a tie between Hempstead and Nowlin, and Gehon was behind. At a subsequent special election, Gebon, by the help of Jackson county was elected and both Hempstead and Nowlin were left It was said at the time that the final out- come of the election was the result of an agreement between Gehou and Col. Cox.
Though that was 63 years ago, the circumstances are still fresh iu my mem- ors and I am confident are exactly cor. rect as I have related them
Col. Cox was a man of strong chirac- ter and a prominent specimen of the western pioneer. I trust that the un veiling of the monument to his memory willbe successful and a memorable oc- casion. Most truly yours,
P. W. CRAWFORD Col. Crawford in a later letter gives other very interesting reminiscences of early times in Iowa.
Dubuque, lowa, July 1, 1905. Dear Sir : Yours of the 25th relating to Col. Cox and inclosing clippings from the Sentinel containing some interest- iug sketches of him, was duly received for which I thank you.
I return the clippings herewith ac- cording to your request In reply to your inquiry as to my knowledge of the first four territorial legislatures, Invist say that I was only a boy then, and know very little personally in regard to them. I.was out of the state at college from 1514 to 1849, and know little dite. ing that period of what was doing 10 lowa except in Dubuque county.
As a boy I knew Col. Andrew Punk-
son, Hardin Nowlin and Loring Wheel- er, members of the first territorial as- sembly, well. Bankson lived on what is still called the "Bankson Prairie" near the present p. o. of Tivoli, town- ship 89, one west. I think he also came from Southern Illinois He was a near neighbor (as then considered) of my Uncle Theophilis Crawford, three miles distant, and I often heard him speak of his early life and of being in the Black- hawk war. He was one of the promi- nent settlers of Dubuque county. The last time I ever saw him was 63 years ago, Sept. 12, 1842, when he came to my uncle's house to vote at the special elec- tion, on that date, for a member of the Council, caused py the tie between Hempstead and Nowlin at the regular August election, when Cox was elected.
I was intimately acquainted in their lifetimes, with Gov. Hempstead, Hard- in Nowlin, Thomas McCrany, Thomas Rogers, James Churchman, M. M. Bain- bridge, (others whose names I do not re- call, members of the earliest territorial legislature from Dubuque aud with Philip B. Bradley and John Foley and his son John P. from Jackson, Fredrick Andross from Clayton and George Wal- worth from Jones.
I also knew well in their day James Watkins and Win. A. Warren, both sheriff's of your county, F. Scarboroug Judge D. F. Sparr, John E. Goodenow, N. Butterworth, Judge Palmer, S Bur- leson, and many others of Jackson coun- ty's early settlers.
I was present when Sheriff Warren bought the rope with which to hang Jackson, at Peter Wapler's store in Du- buque. I think my father, James Craw- ford, was the prosecuting attorney who convicted Jackson for murder committed out on Farmers Creek, in the Millsap neighborhood. In the present day he would never be convicted, or only given & short term of imprisonment, for his ilel was not more than a case of man- slaughter and hardly that.
But I am growing irrelevant, as we old timers are pron to do when we get started on our reminiscences. During more than forty years of his life, I was intimately acquainted with Gov. Hemp- stead, a member of the territorial coun- cil at, I think, the 2d session, and have accounts of bis experiences while serv- ing as a member in those early days One circumstance, I recall, which he used to relate with much gusto. The president of the council was Gen. J B. Brown of Sac county, an old Indian fighter, in the Creek wars, under Gen Jackson, a big, dignified old man, who sat up in the pulpit of the Presbyterian church at Burlington and presided with great dignity, but at times, when busi- ness in the council was dull, was apt to go to sleep. He was accustomed to talk a good deal of his experience while with Jackson in his Indian campaigns. Que day during a session of the Council, while a rather protracted debate was going on, the old General fell off into a peaceful nap. Some member from H. nry county, I think, was making a lengthy speech, who had a very shrill voice. and at times would elevate it to a very high key, and then lower it so as to be hardly audible. At one period of his speech he became quite excited, and raised his voice almost to a yell, at the same time bringing his fist down on his desk with great violence. This broke in on the old president's slumbers, and he sudden- ly, only half awake, sprang to his feet, and shouted, "Injuus by God "
. According to Hempstead's account the whole house was instantaneously convulsed with laughter and applause, and at once adjourned.
Please excuse the uncalled for length of this letter, and believe me to remain.
Most truly yours, P. W. CRAWFORD.
4
Jesse Wilson, Pioneer.
The secretary of the Old Settlers' so- ciety in making up the memorial report for the last meeting, by oversight left out the name of Jesse Wilson, one of the oldest pioneers of the county, who passed away on Monday, Nov. 28, 1904. Mr. Wilson came to the Waquoketa Val- ley in the s: ring of 1839 with his broth- er, Auson, William and Mark Curre. t, and Ira Stimson. Mr Wilson came here in his early manhood and spent a long, useful and busy life in this locality.
Early History of Canton, Iowa.
In my reminiscences of my early ex periences in Iowa which began in 1850, at which time I visited Iowa for the first time. After a stay of 4 months I returned to my native home in the east. After a relapse of 4 years I turned my face westward. This time not as at first by way of Ohio and Mississippi riv- ers But straight overland by R. R. landing in Rock Island, Aug. 20, 1854. It was in 1850 that I found the country sparely settled and I often travelled 10 or 15 miles between settlements and it was the progress made in the 4 years of my absence that I will endeavor to note. The first settlers believed that the soil and climate were peculiarly adapted to the culture of wheat which at that time easily became the staple crop, which often yielded as high as 40 bushels per acrer When I crossed the Mississippi from Ill. to Iowa I found a great contrast, Illinois being a laud of corn or we might say a sea of corn, often. extending apparently as far as the eye could see." But as already stated, Iowa was given principally to wheat. It was after the wheat crop was in stack that I travelled from Davenport to Cantou in 1850, passing through Scott, Clinton and Jackson counties, which were at that time the most thickly settled. I found the finest crop of wheat in stack I ever had the pleasure of seeing before or since. I sometimes took the trouble to
coutit the stacks iu yards that were near the road in one of the largest I found 39 and such could be seen in every direc- tion as far as the eye could reach. It was between 1850 and '55 that Iowa had its greattst boom, and emigrants by the hundreds were flocking in. Land that 5 years before could have been bought at government price now readily sold for 10 and fifteen dollars per acre and prosper- ity could be seen on every side. The villiage of Springfield of 1850,had chang- ed its name to the' present Maquoketa, which now exhibited all the elements of a thriving town .. In fact, this was true of all the towns through which I passed on my way from Davenport to Canton. This last town being my ob jective point I must give more than a passing notice, which I first visited ip 1850, then but a small villiage had now become the center of trade that drew its supplies from a territory of more than 20 miles in circuit. J. J. Tomlinson was the proprietor who founded the town and owned nearly all the town lots and also about 800 acres of the adjoining land. A saw mill with. a capacity of 24,000 feet every 24 hours was never al. lowed to stand idle day or night. In connection with these mills there were also turning lathes of various kinds manufacturing wood into all kinds of products the market demanded, which gave constant employment to over fifty hands.
The grist mills were equally active. with a capacity of 60 barrels of flour a day which also employed four millers, 2 for day and 2 for night. These mills also gave employment to a large num- ber of teams in carrying the product, to market which was principally in Du- baque. 30 miles distant. The woola inills here were also doing an extensive business and afforded an excellent mar. ket for all the wool grown in the ad. jacent counties and were operated Es John Raynor & Sons. There are still many people living who will re
67
member the Reynor family. But not Inast of Canton was the dry goods busi- iness. There were six stores, most of which kept a general stock Among these, that of E M Eranks, with an $18,000 stock takes first place. That of Jas. Smith & Bro., §10,000. Tomlinson & Smith, $6,000. Dawson, Brenaman and Lowe with lesser stocks aggregating in all $39,000. Aud so complete was the assortment that anything in the line of farming implements and other necces- saries, could here be found. It also cre- ated a good market for anything the farmers had to sell. Wheat, which was at that time the staple product, was ex- teusively handled by E. M. Eranks, who at this time was operating the flouring wills and frequently had 30,000 bushels on hand at one time. Mr. Eranks also dealt in live stock and often had in his feed yards from 200 to 400 cattle and as many hogs on feed. The cattle, how- ever, were not of the kind that feeders now use, 2 and 3 years old, but they were principally superannuated oxen and dry cows. Young steers were altogether too valuable for work and were used for breaking teams for breaking the native sodl. It required from 10 to 12 oxen to make an effective team. Mr. Fraoks also operated a packing house of suffic- ient capacity to use all the porkers that the farmers marketed at this point. The packing was all done in the winter and the stock was marketed after it was dressed. The manufacture of oak shing- les throughout the adjacent timber, which extended eastward for a distance of more than 20 miles, was not the least of industries that contributed to the trade of Cauton. It was not uncommon to find 500,000 shingles piled up about the stores. They were taken in exchange for goods by all the merchants at an av- Frage price of $3 25 per 1000, and resold to the prairie farmers covering a territory of at least 300 sq. miles. Coopering was also an important business that largely contributed to the trade of Canton.
Over a territory of 12 miles in length beginning at Canton and eastward there were by actual count 160 men working at the cooper trade making pork and flour barrels, for in those days flour was altogether shipped in barrels. The vil- lage of Ozark, situated three miles north of Canton, whose proprietor, J. E. Hildreth, was doing a thriving business with his flouring mi ls, with a capacity of 60 barrels every 24 hours and which also run day and night, and his saw mills, together with his general store, with $12,000 in stock, gave this little village a business second only to that of_ Canton. But these were the days of Canton and Ozark's greatest prosperity and glory. The large body of fine tim- ber now began to get thin, and the Midiand branch railroad was now pro- jected and the business speedily left Canton to points along the new rail- road. E. M. Franks and J. J Tomlin- son, the leading spirits, sought new locations. Mr. Franks procured several hundred acres of fine prairie land, in- cluding the site of the present Onslow. J. J. Tomlinson organized a colony of lumberman, who he took with him to the far west, where he again engaged in the lumber business. Of the early settlers of Canton there are now so far as the knowledge of the writers goes, only four left, to-wit: J. B. Alberry, Henry Wilmon, Hiram Keister and Mrs. Cecelia Belden, now a resident of Maquoketa, as also is J. B. Alberry.
LEVI WAGONER.
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The Jackson County Historical Society.
The Jackson County Historical Society was organized at a meeting called by J. T. Ellis, for that purpose at his office in Maquoketa, April 25th, 1903. There were present Osceola Goodenow, P. D. Griggs, Harvey Reid, J. M. Swigart, M. T. Fleming, D. A. Fletcher, C C. Dud- ley, C. M. Dunbar and James W. Ellis.
D. A. Fletcher was made chairman, and J. W, Ellis secretary, and a com- mittee consisting of J. W. Ellis, Harvey Reid, and O. Goodenow was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws.
The next meeting was held at D. A. Fletcher's office, on the 29th of April, at which the committee presented draft of constitution and by-laws which was adopted and the following officers were elected. :
President, D. A. Fletcher ;
Vice President, M. T. Fleming ;
Secretary and Curator, J. W. Ellis ;
Treasurer, Harvey Reid.
At the last annual election beld De- comber 12th, 1904, the following officers were elected :
President, George L. Mitchell ;
Vice President, Harry Littell ;
Treasurer, Harvey Reid ;
Secretary and Curator, Jas. W. Ellis ; With D. A. Fletcher, W. C. Greg- ory, James Fairbrother and Will Cundill as members executive board.
On the 20th day of June, 1905, the so- ciety filed articles of incorporation under chapter 2, title 9, of the Code of Iowa.
The society is in a flourishing con- dition, has a good fat treasury and is constantly growing in membership and is rapidly acquiring a valuable collection of books, letters, papers and general his- torical matter.
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NUMBER TWO
ANNALS --- OF-
Jackson County Iowa
Reprinted from the Maquoketa Sentinel
Maquoketa, Iowa
Published by THE JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
1906
a
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ANNALS OF JACKSON COUNTY, IOWA.
CONTENTS OF NUMBER TWO.
Reprinted from the Jachson Sentinel
Meeting of Jackson County Historical Society. 1
From A way Back. Jackson Sentinel.
MRS. MARY GOODENOW ANDERSON. 2
Some Early Pioneers of Jackson County 5
JAMES W ELLIS
Early Pioneers of Buckhorn and Vicinity. - Capt. Henry Mal- lard, Joseph S. Mallard and Fayette Mallard &
"FARMER BUCKHORN."
The Buckhorn Country Territorial Pioneers. -- Wilcox Families .. 14
"FARMER BUCKHORN."
Life and Military Services of Captain A. W. Drips. 1>
JAMES W. ELLIS.
Col. J. W. Jenkins, a Soldier and Pioneer. 28
HARVEY REID.
Valuable Relics. Wood from Historic New England Buildings in Ellis Collection. 30
JAMES W. ELLIS.
Col. J. W .. Jenkins ( Portrait). 33
Joseph McElroy, Iowa Pioneer of 1837 ( Portraits). Salnila Gazelle.
Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary Arnold Reiling and Wife 35
Bellevue Herald
A. Reiling and Wife ( Portraits).
39
Anson H. Wilson, Oldest Pioneer Now Living in Jackson County 40)
JAMES W. ELLIS
Anson H. Wilson ( Portrait). 12
Reminiscences of A. H. Wilson JAMES W. ELLIS.
43
Capt. W. L. Clark, Earliest Pioneer. "FARMER BUCKHORN.
50
Shadrach Burleson, Territorial Pioneer : Portrait). 51
"FARMER BUCKHORN."
John O. Seeley-"Farmer Buckhorn" ( Portrait).
Joe Henry's Story. JAMES W. ELLIS.
Letters frow Gov. Lucas' Files. :
Supplied by BENJ. F. SHAMBAVOR. Ph. D
The Bellevue War. A Review. 85
HARVEY REID.
Early Post Offices in Jackson County .. HARVEY REID
A. Il. Wilson on the Bellevue War. JAMES W ELLIS 95
'The articles herein were Bist set up and printed in the Jackson Sentinel newspaper, then the same type airloge in Book Mes all reprinted. This explains the peculiarities of make- up and sun divis- ions.
Early Local History.
Interesting Meeting of Jackson County Historical Society.
PAPERS BY MRS. D. H. ANDERSON AND J. W. ELLIS.
The Jackson County Historical Society held a meeting at the library last Thursday, Jan. 25th, in the evening, to which the public where invited and which was well attended, the assembly room being crowded to its full ca- pacity. The program prepared by the officers of the Society was well re- ceived and enthusiastically applauded.
President Mitchell addressed the audience in his usual happy vein, very ably setting forth the aims, objects and hopes of the society, and requested all who were in sympahy with the movement to enroll their names and be- come members of the society.
Mrs. Mary Goodenow-Anderson was next presented, who read a very in- teresting paper on pioneer times away back, when Maquoketa was a little frontier village. Harvey Reid in a paper showing deep research, told how Iowa City became the Territorial capital of Iowa, due to the tactics of Col. Thomas Cox, Jackson county's delegate, from which we infer that sharp political wire pulling was practiced as far back as 1838. J. W. Ellis read a sketch on the first settlement in the Forks of Maquoketa, describing the advent and locations of the Shinkle, Owens, Edwards, Pate, White and Copeland families, who came and made claims and moved into them. Dr. Charles Collins reviewed some of the bloody tragedies that were enacted in 'Bellevue in the early days as told by Captain Warren.
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