USA > Iowa > Jackson County > Annals of Jackson county, Iowa, Vol 1-6 > Part 37
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Again returning to the west, or Maquoketa road, and leaving it at the crossing of Elk Creek and following that stream southward, the first build- ing encountered was a frame on what is now the farm of Nelson Kimball, but where at that time lived George F. Green and family, including the Kimballs, then men, but unmarried. The next along the creek was H. G. Crary's farm, and still further south but adjoining, was that of George Hollis, both farms in later years being owned by Bodie.
With the exception of a small field on the land now owned by Hans Jess and a small one in Clinton county then claimed by a man named Wilson, later owned by Robt. Walker and now the property of John Thompson, all land. right and left, was open and unclaimed.
In closing his article Dr. Sugg says: "Although the foregoing descrip- tion of the condition of Sabula and the surrounding country in 1843, may not be minutely and in every particular strictly accurate, yet it is believed to be substantially true, and that pioneers who survive and peruse it, will recognize the faithfulness of the picture, and fully endorse the statements therein made."
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rifla or sbiot un with a precision
men. It was, however, not many s
better, new nud better housex irurs be 10.toesak abandoned. "The social e
ed, and the circuit of sociability lett their religion on the enat.
Wiumusel ves in fort and these people
.It. therefore.
and act as one people. The pices is Are now called one burse
salary sad were often men of bo
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It was a
western part
ants. .
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An Infidel Helps Build a Christian Church
In Charley Wyckoff's recent narrative of the long ago, it recalls to the memory of the writer scenes that are closely in line with his experience sixty years ago, when the first settlers began to make homes in Iowa, for most part their start was of the rudest kind. Their first cabins were built out of round logs or poles, and as the emigrants usually came in gangs, overland with ox teams, sometimes ten or twelve families in a group and these usually settled as close together as practical, thus making a commun- ity of their own for the mutual help and protection of each other. Much of their work they did making frolicks or what we now call bees. If it was to build a cabin they all got together, the women as well as the men, and frequently began to build in the morning and complete the struct- ure and had it ready for a dance that night. And on such cecasions it us- ually required the entire outfit of cooks with thier utensils to be brought together to be sufficient for the occasion. The so-called Dutch oven, the cast iron tea-kettle, the skillet and the coffee pot, together with a set of peuter plates and spoons and with one-half dozen knives and forks and some tin cups all put together made a good outfit for any one family. The cooking was mostly done by a tire in the open air, the fire place was usually made by setting two forks in the ground eight or ten feet apart with a pole laid across, from which chains or withs were suspended on which to hang the kettles. With these equipments the ladies, who were always out in force, done the cooking. It is hardly necessary to say that such an occasion was as much a feast as it was a so-called raising, for the cooking was invariably first-class. Meats, such as pork and beef were not plentiful in those days. But to supply this deflcen y, wild game was abun- dant: deer, prairie hens, quail, grouse and fish were so plentiful that it re- quired only a'little time occasionally by the nimrod to keep the family sup- plied with meat. And many of the ladies were among those who weild the rifle or shot gun with a precision fully equal with the crack shots among the men. It was, however, not many years till things began to change for the better, new and better houses were built, and the frolicks or bees were by no means abandoned. The social conditions, if anything, were strengthen- ed, and the circuit of sociability was widened, and these settlers had not all left their religion on the east side of the Mississippi river, but formed themselves into common assemblies for worship. But there were yet few regular ministers and these people were of the different denomination of the eastern states. It therefore became necessary to cast aside secterianism and act as one people. The preaching was commonly done by home talent, such as are now called one-horse or plug preachers and these served without a specified salary and were often men of both wit and grit.
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It was about the year 1850 or '51 that the writer was traveling over the western part of Jackson county in quest of land and stop in a small town that was not entirely new and that contained about one hundred inhabit- ants. The proprietor of this town was an energetic business man of genial disposition, a gentleman and withal an outspoken intidel; he owned nearly all the town site besides several hundred acres of the adjacent lands. also the mills that were in operation at this point. And in this little village the people were of the same makeup, kind as elsewhere. And here they re- solved to unite for the purpose of building a union church. As a rule they were poor and it required their united efforts to raise $600. With this amount they resolved to build a house. A committe was now appointed to wait on the intidel proprietor, to if possible, procure a site, and here the committee put forth their most influential man, lest the proprietor's infi- delity woulp lead them to an absolute denial. But the foreman approached him and asked him the price of a lot that the committee had chosen as suitable for the intended church. The proprietor now asked the man what he wanted to build on such a knob as that.
We want to build a church the man relpied.
What, A church! A church ! Said the proprietor. And how much
money have you with which to build?
We have $600.
Pugh! Said the proprietor. I will never sell you a lot for a house such as that amount would build. But this I will do. If you build a house worth at least twice that amount, I will donate the lot and give $300 besides.
This announcement astonished the committee, it was so far, from what they expected to hear from the infidel that it soon became the town talk J. J. was converted to Christianity and soon after he was interviewed by two of the most prominent citizens who asked him if it was true that he was converted to christianity. But he said, Pshaw! No, it is business that I mean. Any town that is no larger than ours and is without a church, is a damned town. And if a stranger comes along with the view of making an investment and sees no church, he will hardly stop over night in such a town. No, I am not converted, but my business demands it and if the house is ever built I do not know as I will ever go inside, but let the falacy be ever so great it is nevertheless that, that moves the world. And we must have churches to help our business matters This little speech of the infidel proprietor settled the matter and the church was in due time built, but its future history and that of the town, I will leave to the future historian to relate. OLD OBSERVER.
Ipt.
Frapour, but li wos
acuity-thise men Accompanied This expedition, Bl
ugu hemmabered. It is remembered because he was the
upon the great Salt La He was also the dispays The Webit Hver and the pow famous Weber canyon, both of which
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CAPTAIN JOHN H. WEBER
Brief Sketch of the Life and Character of a Remarkable Man-Discoverer of the Great Salt Lake.
Since our last publication a more complete life sketch of Capt. John Weber has been found which we publish as follows:
The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Altona, then a part of the kingdom of Denmark in 1779. The boy received a fairly good educa- tion, and grew to a vigorous and well developed manhood. While quite young he ran away to sea, and for years sailed the "Briny Deep." He was captain and commander of a passenger ship before he was 21 years old, and in very troublous times too. owing to the wars being then waged between England and France on land and sea. He commanded sailing vessels for nearly six years. In 1810 he settled in the United States and got married five years later on. About this time he became a resident of St. Louis. In the spring of 1822 a company was organized in St. Louis for the purpose of hunting, trapping and trading with the Indians in the Rocky mountains. The name of the projectors and the proprietors of this "wild west" scheme were Messrs. Ashley, Weber and Henry. Ashley, being the rich man of the firm, furnished the outfit, which consisted of two keel boats (steam as a propelling power was then unknown) loaded with provisions, firearms, traps, ammunition, and such other supplies as was considered necessary for the successful prosecution of such an expedition. Fifty men, mostly Canadians, joined the outfit. The party left St. Louis in the spring of 1822 and slowly ascended the Missouri river. They were six months reaching the mouth of the Yellowstone river, where they halted and made a "cache" in which to store the supplies they could not take with them. Each year this "cache" was replenished, and furs shipped to market. Captains Weber and Henry took command of thirteen men each, the others returning or remaining with the boats. Beaver and otter were the furs then mainly sought after by trappers, and they reaped a rich harvest on the Columbia river, where beaver and otter were found in great abundance.
Capt. Weber was not only a trapper, but he was also a discoverer. Of the fifty-three men who accompanied this expedition, his name is the only one remembered. It is remembered because he was the first white man to look upon the great Salt Lake. He was also the discoverer of the Weber river and the now famous Weber canyon, both of which bear his name.
1
fos etil silt to doled18 lohrer
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Capt. Weber and party roved over the Rocky mountains for five years, dur- ing which time they encountered many dangers, hardships and hair breadth escapes from Indians and wild animals.
The Captain returned to his home in St. Louis in the autumn of 1827, to get acquainted with his family, his son William having been born during the first year of his absence. In the spring of 1832 he removed with his mily to Galena, Ill., then far famed for its lead mines, where he contin- ed to reside until 1844, when he settled in Bellevue, and lived here until is death in February, 1859. Capt. Weber was the father of seven children, ve of whom are still living, namely: Mrs. Jourdan of Dubuque, Wm. and Sarah Ceber of Bellevue, Stephen Weber of St. Louis and Fred Weber of Mechanicsville, Ill. Sarah is the youngest.
Captain Weber was no ordinary man. Nature had done well by him. ne was a man of large and powerful frame, of erect carriage and graceful manner. His face indicated the superior intelligence behind it. He had a nose on him like a Roman Emperor, and an eye as regal and piercing as that of an American eagle. He had the courage of a hero, and the staying qualities of a martyr. Those who knew him well say that they do not be- lieve that he ever experienced such a thing as a sensation of fear. But he was impetuous and peculiar in many ways, and at times disagreeable and unhappy. His was a mercurial nature that went up in hope or down with lespair. He made $20,000 by hunting, trapping and trading in the Rocky mountains. but was beaten out of what was then a great fortune by dishon- est partners. He never made or saved much wealth afterwards and died .-. r. He performed clerical work in the county offices and for Bellevue merchants for years before he died He, at last, became a victim of neu- ralgia in the face, and suffered all the torments which that dread malady is able to inflict. Life became a burden to him, and he resolved to shuffle l' the mortal coil that bound him to this world with his own hand. He herately committed suicide in 1859, by cutting his throat, and bleed- ing to death in a few moments afterward. His remains lie buried in the North Bellevue cemetery. No stone of any kind marks the grave of this re- markable man who was one of the first pioneers of our now great western empire, the discoverer of the great Salt Lake, Weber river and Weber can- yon.
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IN BYGONE DAYS.
Scraps from the Early History of Jackson County-The- Cottonville Tragedy -- The Horse of the Murdered Man Starves to Death
One of the most cold blooded and brutal crimes ever committed in Jack- son county, was the murder of Samuel S. Cronk, on the night of the 23rd of January, 1867, near Cottonville. The crime was evidently committed by persons who ought to have been his friends, for the money he was supposed to have about him. Cronk was a young man who had been raised upon a farm in Farmers Creek township. by W. B. Whitely, had served three years in the army, and at that time of his death was about 20 years of age.
In 1866-7. Mr. Whitely with his family, including young Cronk, was living in Andrew, and was conducting a store. On the 22nd of June. 1867, Cronk was sent by Sheriff W. S. Beiden to serve a subpoena on Jetil Wilson at Lamotte. On the way he stopped at Cottonville, where he met some of his old army comrades, among them Rueben Jamison and Samuel P. Watkins, who persuaded him to stay over night and attend a dance at Cottonville that night. After the dance he went to Lamotte and servert the papers, and on his return the next day stopped at Cottonville when he met Watkins again, who proposed to him that they go to a Mr. George Nelson's a couple miles east of Cottonville, where there were two girls with whom both were acquainted. They spent the evening at Nelson's uo- til about 8 o'clock, when Cronk spoke about going, and asked young George Nelson to accompany him back to the Cottonville road; but Watkins r marked that he was going over to Mr. Hunter's to spend the night, cons quently they would be going the same road. They left Nelson's isethe both walking, Cronk leading the horse, and no one ever claimed to ha seen Samuel S. Cronk in life again. . Watkins claimed that he accompani Cronk to the Mort Phillip's place, put him on the road leading to the I buque road, and then parted with him, he, Watkins, taking a cross road Cottonville.
The next morning the lifeless body of young Cronk was found by Day Gleason and other school children about twenty rods east of the schoolty The tracks and blood and position of the body indicated that therun m. had been murdered in the road by persons lying in wait, who had crushe his head with some blunt instrument. The body had been, carried to fence on the south side of the road and tumbled over into the field. . Wh
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found the head was lying against the fence, and the feet extending into the field. The cape of his soldier overcoat was drawn over his head, and the hat and pants were gone, as well as the horse, saddle and bridle. The boys on finding the body informed their teacher, Miss Mary Hurd, that there was a dead man lying in the field. She said that she doubted the state- ment of the children at first, but finally went to where she could see the body; that she noticed tracks of a number six or seven boot going north; noticed where the borse had been tied to a small hickory tree just off the road; only saw two tracks, one small and one large; the blood and snow was frozen and crusty. The teacher went to Mr. Hunter's and sent Dan- · iel Gleason to Mr. Sawtell's. The news spread fast and there was quite a crowd gathered. Reuben Jamison was the first to recognize the body as that of his old comrade, Samuel S. Cronk. The body was loaded into a sled and taken up to Cottonville to Squire Abbey's office, where an inquest was held.
Samuel P. Watkins was known to be with Cronk the night he was killed and he was questioned to where he left Cronk. He said they parted at Mort Phillip's place between 7 and 8 o'clock, and that he arrived at home, meaning John Bucklin's. about 9 o'clock; but several members of the Baker family had seen him near Cottonville after 11 o'clock. When the body was found there were three balls of snow and ice on the boot heels. indicating that the young man had been walking for some time, and his mittens were found sticking in his overcoat pocket, where he always carried them when walking.
Watkins was arrested on the evening of the 24th of January, and his ex- amination commenced on the 29th. He was released on bail.
On the night of the 25th of January there was a heavy fall of snow which laid on the ground until about the 1st of April. On the 6th of April. Joseph McCombs, who lived on the Cotton place, fouud the dead body of the horse which Cronk had with him on the night of the murder. The horse had been tied to a small oak tree in a piece of woods near Cottonville and allowed to starve to death. The saddle was on the horse, and Cronk's
hat was found lying on the ground near the body of the horse On the 8th of April, W. B Whitely and a Mr. Dean made a search of the ground in the vicinity of where the murder was committed. Mr. Whitely found on the north side of the road in a brushy place, a small piece of stove wood. On pickingup the stick he found some hair caught in a splinter that resembled Cronk's hair. This was about. 8 or 10 rods north of where the murder was committed. About the same time Whitely found this club, Dean found a piece of plow clevis with a blue denims string on it in Sawtells' field about ten feet south from where the body was found. The piece of clevis had several hairs sticking to it of the same color as the hair on the club. The piece of clevis was recognized by some of the neighbors as one they had seen at the John Bucklin place, which Bucklin's little boy had or a plaything. Bucklin also had a peculiarly shaped boot, which exactly fitted into the tracks made by one of the men at the scene of the murder, and the mate to the piece of clevis was found in his granary. It made a bad looking case against him.
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Previous to the 23rd of January, Watkins had been known to be hard up; had stood a shoemaker off for a pair of boots, and at the dance which he attended with Cronk the night before the murder, had no money to pay for his number. After he was released on bail he had several ten-dollar bills changed. a fact which kept him under suspicion.
On the day the horse was found Watkins had gone to Andrew to swear out an information against some of the Conklins who lived near Iron Hills. One of the Conklin's and one of the Bronson's had been known to pass along the Bellevue road the night of the murder. When Watkins was told of the horse being found, he said, "I am sorry, I am sorry." He was again ar- rested and confined in jail.
After the finding of the clevis and club, the body of Cronk was taken up and the scalp removed, and it was found that the piece of clevis fitted near- ly exactly in the wounds in the front part of the head, which had crushed in the skull. Dr. Ewing said these must have been made by the piece of clevis or something similar to it. Sheriff Belden said there was not one chance in a million that these wounds could have been made by any other instrument.
The grand jury at the March term of court had failed to find a bill against Watkins, as the theory generally prevailed that Cronk had been murdered by highwaymen, from the fact that the horse was missing, but with the finding of the skeleton of the horse and the piece of clevis and club, suspicion reverted back to Watkins, and it was very evident that he had accomplices The clevis and his boots fastened suspicion on John Buck- lin, and it appeared hat the blows making the wounds on Cronks forehead had been given by a left handed man. Calvin Nelson a left handed man, was a brother-in-law of Bucklin's, and his boots corresponded with the tracks made by one of the parties in the snow where the body was found. Watkins made his home with Bucklin. Circumstances pointed to the three men as perpetrators of the awful crime, and they were indicted on a charge of conspiracy and murder. As the indictment is short, we insert it:
The State of Iowa vs. Samuel P Watkins, Calvin Nelson and John B. Bucklin.
In the district court of Jackson county, State of Iowa.
The grand jury of the county of Jackson aforesaid, in the name and by the authority of the state of Iowa, accused Samuel P. Watkins, Calvin Nel- son and John B. Bucklin, of the crime of murder, perpetrated and commit- ted as follows:
Ist. The said Samuel P. Watkins, John B. Bucklin and Calvin Nelson on the 23rd of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty seven, in the county aforesaid, in and upon one Samuel S. Cronk, in the peace then and there being, feloniously, wilfully, premeditatedly. and of their malice aforethought, did make an assault, and the said Samuel P. Watkins, Cavlin Nelson and John B. Bucklin, with a certain piece of iron called a part of a clevis, of about the length of twelve inches, and the width of one inch, and with one oak stick of wood of the length of eighteen inches and of the thickness of two inches, which they then and there in
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their hands, and him, the said Samuel S. Cronk, then and there feloniously, wilfully, deliberately, premeditatedly, and of their malice afore- thought, divers times did strike and beat, giving to him, the said Samuel S. Cronk, by striking and beating him, as last aforesaid, with said piece of iron and said stick of wood, several mortal strokes, wounds and bruises in and upon the head of him, the said Samuel S. Cronk, to-wit: One mortal wound on the forehead of him, the said Samuel S. Cronk; one mortal wound on the back and side of the head of him, the said Cronk; and one mortal wound extending from the side of the head to the back of the head of him, the said Samuel S. Cronk; of which said mortal strokes, wounds and bruises, he, the said Cronk, afterward, to-wit. on the day and year aforesaid at and in the county of Jackson, died.
2nd. And the grand jury aforesaid, in the name and by the authority of the state of Iowa. do further find and present that the said Samuel P. Watkins, Calvin Nelson and John B. Bucklin, on the 23rd day of January, A. D. 1867, in the county of Jackson, in the state of Iowa, in and upon one Samuel S. Cronk, in the peace then and there being, feloniously, wilfully, deliberately premeditatedly, and of their malice aforethought, did make an assault, and with the part of an iron clevis. and with a stick of wood, and with a knife, did then and there strike, beat, bruise, cut and wound him, he aforesaid, Cronk, in and upon his head and other parts of his body, and by means aforesaid the said Samuel P. Watkins, Calvin Nelson, and John B. Bucklin, did then and there him, the said Samuel S. Cronk, kill and mur. der. And so the grand jury aforesaid do say that the said Samuel P. Wat- kins, Calvin Nelson, and John B. Bucklin, him, the said Samuel S. Cronk, in the manner and by the means aforesaid, feloniously, wilfully, deliberate- ly, premeditatedly and of their malice aforethought, did kill and murder, contrary to the laws of Iowa in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state of lowa. (Signed)
LYMAN A. ELLIS, District Attorney 7th Judicial District.
The above bill of indictment was presented in open court in the pres- ence of the grand jury, and filed on the 28th day of September, 1867; Wat- kins was held in custody and John B Bucklin admitted to bail in the sum of $3000, and Nelson in the sum of $1500.
Samuel P. Watkins was arraigned at the March term of court., 1867 plead "not guilty, " and the case was continued to the December term of said court. By that time the case had bcome so noted, and had been dis- cussed in the papers and otherwise so much, that it was very difficult to get a jury. Fifty men were summoned by the sheriff, and two days were con- sumed in selecting a jury of twelve men. The jury as impanelled was com- posed of the following named persons: Hon. Geo. C. Hberling, foreman, John Orcutt, Milton Godard, F. G. Potter, F. M. Miles, M. L Hitch- cock. Peter German, Wm. Miller, Geo. Heustis, G. W. House, Wm. Potter and M V. Smith. The court appointed as counsel for the defendant, Wm. Graham and D. A. Wynkoop, C. M. Dunbar volunteering to assist. The state was represented by Hon. L. A. Ellis, assisted by Judge J. S. Darling employed by Cronk's sister.
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The jury was called and District Attorney Ellis read the charges against defendant, according to the indictment found by the grand jury., Mr. Ellis then pointed out the law regarding a case of murder, and called the atten- tion of the jury to the importance of the case then before them defining in brief the distinction between murder in the first and second degrees. This was murder in the first degree. The deceased had been one of our young countrymen and a citizen of the immediate vicinity; a young man whose character was beyond reproach: had been a soldier and braved the dangers of battles and exposure for the common defense of all men and his country in particular; was murdered in cold blood ; the murder was doubtless unpro- voked and made not so much from any spite as for actual gain The in- struments with which the deed had been committed were brought into- court and shown to the jury. The nature of the wounds were described by the district attorney, stating that evidence would be brought to show conclusively that these were the weapons, and that the murderer was a resident of that neighborhood in which the body was found.
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