USA > Iowa > Jackson County > Annals of Jackson county, Iowa, Vol 1-6 > Part 36
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"Bill Warren was a social fellow and the right sort of a man for the country in those early days. While he was the sheriff he took the census of the country and collected the taxes. There wasn't much tax to collect, to be sure, but there was some. No one had much money to pay taxes with. Warren would take peltry, cooperage-in fact anything there was any chance to convert into money or exchange for county benetits. When going to Galena I used to cross at Bellevue and go up on the Illinois side and quite frequently Warren would go up with me. He was an inveterate smoker and in those days always smoked a clay pipe with a stem not to ex- ceed an inch in length. There were no matches at that time and a coal had to be used to light up with. One trip going up Warren had me stop where an Irish woman was boiling soap so he could light his pipe. He stood near the fire rubbing up a little natural leaf and packing it into his stub of a pipe when the Irish woman said to him, 'Faith mon if that be the longest pipe stem ye hev ye never'll smoke inybody's chimney but your own."
A CORNER THAT STOOD LAW.
"Uncle Ance" said when the country was settling up he one day came to a couple of neighbors who were setting up some kind of a land mark and upon asking them what they were doing received the reply from one of them, "We are establishing a corner." "But," says Mr. Wilson in a jocu- lar way, "it wont stand law, " and received the prompt reply "Well, it will if Uncle Kim and I say so." Mr. Wilson said although the governmene urvey had located the corner several feet away the one set up by thost two neighbors was always considered as the boundary between them and has never been moved which proves there is a law higher than law.
A WELL PRESERVED RED OAK TREE THIRTY-FIVE FEET BENEATH SOD NEVER TURNED BY THE HAND OF MAN.
After "Uncle Ance" had mentioned the laughable incident of Cal. Tee- ple's visit to Miss Cox and other matters mentioned, he said soon after he came to Iowa territory he and Mark Current, Sr. dug a well for Teeple on
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top of the rise of land north of Nashville, where Calvin Teeple lived and when they were down thirty-five feet they came onto a red oak tree trunk some eight or ten inches in diameter, well preserved, and with the bark still on. The tree lay horizontally across the bottom of the hole they were dig- ging. They chopped a piece out and dug about five feet farther and struck water in a bed of gravel and sand. Some force of ice, wind or tide must have scooped out the hole Nashville stands in and swept the dirt north and. buried that tree long before the red bones came to the country. If it didn't what did, Mr. Geologist?
ALMOST A RELIGIOUS INDICTMENT.
As "Uncle Ance" traveled in his mind from one milestone to another that maps the past, it was evident there were events in the little world of churches that were pioneering here as well as among other things. Some switch thrown on his line of reminiscences led him to speak of the coming of the Rev. William Salter, who in 1843, founded the first Congregational church in the Maquoketa valley with seven members consisting of Wm. H. Efner, Mrs. Sophia Shaw, Thomas S. Flathers, Eliel Nims, Elizabeth Nims and Mrs. McCloy and her husband, Joseph McCloy, who on Mill creek just south of the present limits of Maquoketa built the first grist mill in Jackson county, that bolted flour and done custom work there for over half a cen- tury. There came as missionaries with the Rev. Salter several others known as the "Iowa Band." About a year afterwards one of them, that was locat- ed at Cedar Rapids came to visit the Rev. Salter who took him around to call on members of the church here. Toward noon they called at the Mc- Cloy home and Mrs. McCloy insisted on their staying to dinner. They ac- cepted and said while she was preparing dinner they would go over to the mill and visit with Bro McCloy ... While they were there Mrs. McCloy sent a"girl to the mill for a little flour for cakes. McCloy tilled the dish from a grist he was grinding at the time for some customer. Mr. Wilson said there was probably one or two cents worth of the flour and McCloy probably gave it no thought as grain was about as cheap as sand in those days. But there was a vital religious principle outraged (a cents worth) and it was thought best to have it investigated at the next meeting. It became noised among the profane world, and another meeting was called and a petition signed to have the church proceedings quashed as to Mr. McCloy's cent's worth of forgetfulness of one of the ten commandments. He might have thought that cent's worth of flour came under the head of Christ's command to his dis- ciples to take of the corn to sustain the present but none to carry away. None were anxious to present the petition of the people so Shade Burleson, who took a delight in most things of life from the sublime to the ridicu- lous, arose and moved it be presented by the humblest man in the country and a ballot be taken to locate him. A certain settler (won't name him) who "Uncle Ance" said was the humblest man he ever saw in his life, rose up and addressed the chair, "You needn't go to the trouble to take a vote as I am already elected." Burleson asked him if he would qualify and he said he would so the petition was turned over to him to present at the fol- lowing church meeting.
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After the regular sermon was delivered by the Rev. Salter and services closed, he remarked. there was a little church business to come before those interested. All present were interested and when the subject was brought up "the humblest man in the country" walked up with his petition and laid it on the alter. The Rev. Salter glanced over it and remarked, "Breth- ren the charge against Brother McCloy will be dropped for the present." . "Uncle Ance" said it always stayed dropped.
This half hour spent with "Uncle Ance" Wilson was interesting and instructive to the writer, as he is a man of known reliability, social activity and the last living link between the present and the time prior to 1840 of those, who at man's estate, came to Jackson county. This narrative is only a memory record of a social chat as such things go between men, but in the main is true to details.
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How it was Spent in the Van Buren Township Neighbor- hood Sixty Years Ago.
(From Sabula Gazette.)
As the season of the year notities me of the near approach of Christmas, and not being busy I thought I would write a few lines either for the Gaz- ette or the waste basket, which I will leave the editor to decide, and my mind runs back to the Christmas time in this neighborhood, sixty years ago, the busy times in this old Wyckoff home, a part of which was built on purpose for merry making on Christmas and other holidays. My revered father, Col. R. B. Wyckoff, in building a kitchen which he needed, con- cluded to make one that would answer two purposes, so he built it 16x36 and put in a swing partition so when he wished to make it into a dance hall he could. The partition was swung up to the wall and it made a hall 16 feet wide and 36 feet long, which at that time was the most elaborate hall in the country. As I look back to my boyhood days I can see that kind old mother with sleeves rolled up mixing the material for those fam- ous mince pies which only mothers can make, besides the gingerbread and fried cakes that tasted so good to me, and as I write it seems to me that although she has been dead fifty years I can hear her say, "Now Char- ley, don't touch those pies or that gingerbread or those fried cakes, they are for Christmas. Well, now if you will be a good boy and split those dry rails so when father comes he can build a fire in the oven, I have 25 more pies ready to bake and I will give you a cake and a piece of the ging- erbread." The oven spoken of was built of brick, arched over on top with an iron door. It was heated by filling with wood and when the wood had been burned down, the ashes and coals were taken out clean and what was wanted to bake was put in. Mother could bake 25 fine pies at one heating. I have counted 200 mince pies on the pantry shelves alone time. Perhaps, should this miss the waste basket and get to the readers of the Gazette, there will still be some who will read it with pleasure. At the time I am writing about the company did not wait until eight or nine o'clock to
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come but commenced coming in the afternoon, often as early as 3 o'clock. At 4 o'clock supper commenced and tables had to be set in the dance hall. As fast as people come they were served as it was expected that all would be through with supper and the hall cleared ready to commence dancing by 6 o'clock. Should any one be belated they had to eat supper in a small place. After the hall was cleared the music was generally furnished by Robert Westbrook and John Scarborough, well known in the home of the Gazette, which furnished as guests, the Canfields, Schramlings, Bards, Mc- Elroys, Whites, Vials and others. Hauntown furnished the Hauns and Griwsolds. Bellevue furnished Hood Davis and others. Andrew furnished the Butterworths, Palmers and Snyders; Deep Creek furnished the Far- leys and Dickeys, besides our home Baldwins, Osburns, Swaneys, Prussias and Hatheways. There was the old tin candlestick that used to hang beside the wall to hold the candles made from deer's tallow, and hog's lard. There was no Stanard Oil in those days, and none of your whirl- around-stand-up-and-squeeze-them dances. It was quadrilles, money-musk or Virginia reels. It will be remembered by the early settlers that my father was quite a singer and would otfen entertain the company with a song. John Scarborough would tell the very amusing story. The mince pies, the gingerbread man and the cake was set on the pantry shelves and everyone helped themselves through the night. Those from Sabula and other distant points often staid until after breakfast. If snow was on the ground they cime in sieds, if not they came in wagons with a board across the box or flat down in the bottom, and often with ox teams. I don't re- member of any trouble at any of those dances, nor of anyone having too much drink, although on a little stand was a decanter filled with Billy G. Haun's best, free to all who wished it, but right here permit me to say at that time there was no such a place as a saloon. In every trading post eith- er in the back room or cellar there was a keg on tap free to all, and further, most of the young people belonged to some kind of a temperance society, but promoters of temperance quit trying to persuade people to do right and con- cluded to compel them by law, and I am forced to believe the temperance people made a great mistake in trying to make people be temperate. But just one more thought as I am an old man whose sand is most run out, and go back with me sixty years ago to the old swinging bed and help me raise those warm bed clothes made from the wool spun by those busy hands of mother, and help me raise my head on cold Christmas morning and behold the row of stockings knit by the same fingers, hanging along the mantel shelf of the old fireplace, and see those happy faces as we pile out of bed and eagerly take out the little tokens left us by the man that came down the chimney, and together let us thank God that our lot has been cast in a christian land, and that when he calls we shall meet that good old mother in the happy land.
CHAS. WYCKOFF.
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SIXTY-THREE YEARS AGO.
James - Sabula and its Environs as They were in 1843.
(From Sabula Gazette.)
The following article first appeared in the columns of the Gazette of July 31, 1880, and was written by the late Dr. J. G. Sugg. one of the pio- neers of this locality, founder of our Pioneers' and Old Settlers' Association, and one of the most reliable local historians, being possessed of a remarka- ble memory and a fine education. At the time of publication Dr. Sugg wrote of the days "Thirty-seven Years Ago," and the only change is to make it conform with the changes that have been made since the article was originally written, and to omit unimportant matter.
In 1843 Sabula, then called Charleston, had few inhabitants and fewer dwellings. On the river street, from Long's sawmill to the railroad bridge, there were only eleven buildings, namely: A large, rudely built frame ware- house, first owned by a man named Carey, standing on the bank of the river, about opposite the present residence of Henry Cohrt. Next was the old frame dwelling house, then owned and occupied by James Leonard (father of the late Jas. E. Leonard), and standing on the ground now occu- pied by Thompson's store. A short distance below this, and in the street, stood an abandoned log house. A frame building, occupeid then and until his death in 1845, by R. H. Hudson as a dry goods store, was located on the lot south of the present city hall. Then came the "Iowa Exchange" a large two-story frame building, the only hotel in the village. This build- ing was torn down years ago and the handsome brick residence of the late A. H. Berner occupies its site. On the ground now occupied by the old stone store building, north of J. L. Kimbell's residence, stood a rough log house, built for the purpose of supplying the much needed "hash" for the few boarders of those early days. Next came the ancient frame building occupied by the late Dr. E. A. Wood as a general store, on the corner where Geo. Laing's elegant home is now located. This was emphatically THE store, it being, with the exception of the Hudson store before noted, the stock in which was very small and limited, the only store in the place. and had no competitor nearer than Bellevue on the north and Lyons on the south. And even this sotiary store was closed at times while its owner was away at Galena or elswehere, procuring new goods.
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A short distance south of the last building named stood a respectable frame dwelling, since destroyed by fire, but then owned and occupied by Ulyses Steen as a dwelling and hotel: on the river bank opposite were two frame buildings, one being the old store house at the public landing, across the street southeast of Geo. Laing's residence, built by Wm. Hubbel, and a short distance south was a two-story frame residence. And lastly, on the southeast corner of Quarry street, stood a large rambling frame build- ing, frequently called "Wood's Castle", then owned and occupied by James Wood and family, ancestors of the late E A. and Jerry Wood. Not one of the above named remains today (1906) to mark the passing of pio- neer days.
Returning to the north end of the then village, there were on Pearl street, first, the brick dwelling house built by William Cameron (who was atferward drowned in the river by the sinking of a flat boat loaded with wood) standing on the corner now occupied by Henry Cohrts' dwelling. South of this was all open ground until we came to Dominy's blacksmith shop, a rough board shanty standing on the ground now covered by Busch's meat market, Goos's barber shop and Dallagher's cigar factory. At the rear of his shop this worthy son of Vulcan made his charcoal for the forge tire, burning cords of wood at a time for that purpose, the escaping gases floating through town and filling the houses and the nostrils of their inmates with odors very different from those of 'Araby the blest'. Adjoining this shop, was a wagon shop presided over by our pioneer townsman, Fred Schramling, and who took in payment for his work what he could get, "just to accommodate", sometimes cash, sometimes pro- duce, and at least once, stocking yarn. He used for his work native timber, seasoned as well as circumstances would permit. A little further south in the same block was a goodly appearing dwelling, not altogether finished, the enterprising individual who started it leaving for parts un- known and forgetting to pay his debts. One of his victims levied upon the house and sold it to our pioneer preacher Rev. Oliver Emerson, the purchase mo' ey being raised by subscription. The building was moved south onto the lot now occupied by M. Gohlmann's handsome home, and fitted up for a residence on the first floor, the second story, used for church services, be- ing reached by an outside stairway. On the lot next to where the building first stood, was a small one story house, owned and occupied by one Miller. South of this and on the east side of the street stood a one-story frame building owned and occupied by J. S. Dominy, who some years later moved it to the rear and erected a stone residence in front of it, being the building now occupied by Miss Eliza Moss, a daughter of Mrs. Dominy by a former husand. Across the street stood a small one and a half-story frame resi- dence, which later was greatly enlarged and became the "Western Hotel" and is now the residence of the late Geo. Bryant and Mr. Freede , The next south was a frame residence owned by James Hudson, on the lot now occupied by Mrs. Thos. Scarborough's home. Then came the frame resi- dence on lot 3 in the same block, which has just recently been overhauled and rebuilt by E. S. Day for a tenement house. The residence on the corn- er of Pearl and Washington streams, now occupied by Walter Willett came
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next, while in the middle of the same block was another small frame resi- dence. Just north of Busch's meat market was a large frame residence, then owned and occupied by E. A. Wood, while on the opposite corner south was the same building that occupies the site at the present time, then owned by Wm. Hubbel, but for many years past the property of Mrs. M. E. Tucker, of Milwaukee. This house, although not very pretentious at the present time, was in 1843 the ultima thule, the ne plus ultra of Pearl street. From that point south all was vacant. West on Broad street, on the lot sou h of S. E. Day's residence, was a frame building occupied by old Mr. Hudson. The next residence was three blocks north; Thos. Mar- shall had just erected a large frame residence, which was, many years later, transformed into a modern home by A. J. Copp, and is now occupied by O. A. Manning. One house three blocks further north completed and ended Broad street. There was also a small shanty looking building just north- west of the present location of the Milwaukee depot, but all the rest of the town site was a "waste howling wilderness", with not a vestige of street, highway or improvement being visible. There was no church nor school house, nor even a graveyard. There was no butcher shop, no barber shop nor bakery nor grocery store, but whiskey was abundant. The only avail- able grist mill was Hubbel's, later owned by the Dickinsons, and that of Luther Bowen, two miles east of Savanna.
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[In the list of "living actors in the busy scenes of those days" in - Charleston, as written by Dr. Sugg, L. H. Steen is the only one living today and he was a small boy at that time. ]
At the period of which this paper speaks, a growth of tall, luxuriant grasses covered every spot of untimbered low lying lands adjacent to the · village. Immediately west of town the grass grew so tall that a man on horseback passing from Sabula westward on the traveled road, couldn't see men making hay, though only a few rods distant, the grass being from five to eight feet high, and indeed it has been known, by actual measurement, to reach 10 feet high in some places.
A tri-weekly mail between Dubuque and Davenport was our best mail service in those days, and it took a full week to correspond with Andrew, the then place of county business. The postoffice was kept at the private house of William Hubbel, and the arrangements of the o ce consisted of 20 small pigeon holes.
When death visited the little community and had chosen its victim, the cost of funeral( including a black walnut coffin with a raised lid) seldom ex- ceeded six dollars-tive dollars being the price of the coffin-a wagon was used for a hearse and, with all the attending vehicles, was furnished gratis by the owner.
In 1843-4 and 5, a quarter of beef would glut the market, and a single hog of moderate size could not find a purchaser. Two cents a pound for fore quarter of beef and three cents for hind ones, was the ruling price, and pork, when it could be sold or traded at all, brought two or three cents a pound Town lots were freely traded (there was no disposition to pay cash) at from $5 to $10 each, and merchantable produce had to find a cash pur-
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chaser at Galena, there being no other market. In 1844 the writer (Dr. J. G Sugg) sold in Galena a five-year-old steer, a five-year-old Durham cow and a good four-year-old scrub cow for $30 for the lot, and spent four days in going and returning. At this time a fairly good cow with a young calf sold at from $9 to $10. Money was at that time and for some years later, loaned at from 20 to 25 per cent, and yet the law was quite as severe against usury then as it is now.
Leaving town and going northward, there were but nine farms be- tween this place and Clark's Ferry, namely : Carroll's, McCabe's, Cav- anaugh's, Thos. Scarborough's, Plunket's, McMahon's, Newberry's, Camp- bell Caldwell's, Parks, on the Maquoketa bottom. Returning to the road going west there was the farm for many years owned by J. G. Sugg, now owned by the estate of the late Geo. W. Bryant. On this farm Dr. Sugg had a story and a half hewn log house, a log barn covered with hay. and about six acres under cultivation. To the west. on what is now the N C. White farm, was a rough log cabin and a few acres of cultivated land that was held as a claim by Arthur Mullen. Next on the road was Andrew Smiths, now occupied by Peter Schroeder The next, the claim of W. B. Beebe, now owned by John Kunau. 'The next was James Westbrook's farm, now owned and occupied by Martin Harmsen. Adjoining this on the west was a place then claimed by one Shay, now the Jerry Bruce farm. The next one was the farm now owned by Theo. Rodden of which but a few acres was under cultivation. From this farm to the little patch claimed by Bart Gorwin on the waters of Copper Creek -- a distance of more than three miles, was, as far as they could reach, an unbroken wilderness, no trace of improvement visible on either side, and wolves fearlessly traveled on the road at noonday. When Thomas Pope halted near the township line, since cal ed Mt. Algor, and began to prepare for a residence, people wondered at his temerity in settling at such a place and essaying to make a farm so far from timber, springs or running stream. From Corwin's to Deep Creek there were six small farms, one of them a mere "bachelor's nest." What is now known as Van Buren, then called 'Buckeye' contained but nine farms from the Maquoketa road north to the valley of the river of that name, while the country lying to the south of the road and east of Copper Creek was destitute of settlement, and what is now Miles and the adjacent country was known as "the prairie near the big spring west of Green's."
Returning to the west road and taking the one leading south through Canada Hollow, the first imporvement encountered was a little shanty with a few acres broken, owned by B Hudson on Sec. 24, 84-6. The next was a small frame house where Joseph Doty, then a single man, lived and farm- ed the adjoining land. This place is now owned by J. J. Summerville. Next was a hewn log house belonging to Jas. Cantield. A little further south and east lived Peter Schramling and family, and a short distance to the west, on the same creek, known as the Schramling Creek, lived or stayed that jovial and hearty pioneer, Joseph McElroy. Here in his chos- en locality at the foot of a bold blutl', lived our friend in single blessed- ness and where, like Alexander Selkirk, he was monarch of all he survey-
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ed. His abode was well known to the settlers south of him, and although a temperate man himself he has "many times and oft" saved from almost certain death by freezing, his inebriated acquaintances of Clinton county, who, unconscious of their condition and consequent danger, perhaps gave him a call or a shout as they wended their way home. [Joseph McElroy passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs J. F. Schramling in this city, on February 19, 1906, and was the last of those siurd, puntera W v are mentioned in this article, and he still owned the farm referred to above at the time of his death.] From this pioneer dwelling to Haun town (except a few acres lower down the creek, on what was called the Hud- son claim, and an unfinished building on land now owned by Louis Hunde- vard) the all-conquering axe or civilized plow had left no trace. Haun Town was unborn. The place had two small houses and there was an un- finished structure intended by a man named Barber for a hemp mill.
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