USA > Iowa > Jackson County > Annals of Jackson county, Iowa, Vol 1-6 > Part 44
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Polo
A. B. BOWEN, M. T
BOWE
97
a weak affair that it was impossible to properly defend the prisoners there, especially with such a small force of men. The stairway to the second floor of the Court house came up through and opened on the floor of the second story, and securing boards we covered over this stariway, thus really floor- ing over the stairway, which made our position as strong as possible. We were all well armed with revolvers, and the sheriff's orders were not to fire until he gave the order, but when we did fire not to waste any ammunition.
By this time the mob began to arrive and soon numbered about one hun- dred and fifty men. They advanced up the stairway and demanded the pris- oners. Sheriff Belden informed them that he was able to defend the prison- ers and would not surrender them, and that the first man to show his head above the boards would get hurt. Possibly the position of the defending party at the head of the stairs with revolvers drawn, added some weight to the sheriff's statement, for after consulting among themselves, they asked to talk to Belden privately, promising to return him if they should fail to come to an agreement with him. They promised not to molest the prison- ers if Belden would give his word that he would take Watkins to Dubuque and place him in the jail at that place. This he promised to do and the mob began to disperse. We were in the Court house with the prisoners about two hours before the mob began to leave.
Shortly atfer this time about thirty horsemen arrived from Maquoketa, Belden having succeeded in sending word to his deputy, to send him aid at once. Belden soon started for Dubquue with Watkins, and placed him in the jail at that place as he had promised to do. The other two prisoners furnished bonds and were released.
This was the last demonstration of a mob in Jackson county so far as I am informed, and was also my last experience with a mob.
HOTEL. I
MAIN STRUC MAQUO The Best Sa. ALFRED
RAC BAN
CLOTHIERS FURNISHERS
A. B. BOWEN, M. D.
J C. BOWEN, M. D.
BOWEN & BOWEN
PHYSICIANS SURGEONS U. S. PENSION SURGEON. SURGEON to C. & N. W. Railroad.
W. C. AND F. C. GREGORY ATTORNEYS AT LAW
OFFICE IN MITCHELL BLOCK
References: First National and Jackson Co. Banks MAQUOKETA, IOWA
Teas and Coffees
C. M. SANBORN & CO.
We buy Teas and Coffees direct from the im- porters and are prepared to sell you better Tea and Coffee for the same money. Try our 40c, 50c or 60c Tea. Coffee 20c, 25c and 35c. Call for sample FREE. C. M. Sanborn & Co.
... HOTEL HURST ... .
MAIN STREET
MAQUOKETA, IOWA
The Best $2.00 House in Eastern lowa. ALFRED HURST, Proprietor.
BANGHART & TRACY
CLOTHIERS FURNISHERS
A EYBUROTTA
STIM MIBOIS
M .O
0
HOLEI
ATONOUOAM
000€
FAIR 0000 VA
POLYSCEN.
20. ad 6, 1907 0000
BYEMHOTTA
ISTOH AM
THOUDAM
0 000 JACKSON MAQUOKE'
CUNTY FAIR 0000
-- IOWA
3
DOPO SEPTEMBER 3, 4, 5
and 6,
1907 0000
3
Pt. 5
Early Local History.
1
From J. W. Ellis' Life on the Plains.
While stationed at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in the fall of 1866, I was detailed on one occasion to dri e an ambulance to convey a doctor from Fort Sumner to Fort Stanton, a distance of more than 100 miles. The doc- tor had come up from Albuquerque and had with him as part of his house- hold a rather good looking young Meixcan woman, and a negro boy for cook and general servant. In addition to the four mule ambulance that I drove there was a six mule team carrying the doctors outfit, and an escort of ten cavalrymen. The first day we drove out to Salt Creek a distance of 12 or 15 miles, and camped, for the next drive was a long one, fully sixty-five miles to the next watering place which was called Stinking Springs, and the road for a large part of the way was extremely rough, being known as the Dry Hornado. It was customary for freight teams to carry water in kegs when traveling this road for the horses or cattle.
On the second morning out we got an early start with the ambulance and not having fear of Indians in such a desert we did not wait for the es- cort, but made the best time we could and arrived at Stinking Springs be- fore three o'clock, fully two hours ahead of the escort. We found the water about the worst we had ever tried to use, but managed to drink coffee made with it. The next morning we started pretty early and by noon had reach- ed the salt wells near the Pass on the side of the Turkey Mountains. These wells seemed bottomless, the water being as clear as sea water and almost as salty. We cooked dinner and ate it and then crossed the range and came out into the valley in which Fort Stanton was situated.
We found two companies of soldiers stationed there-HI Troop of the 3rd Cavalry and a Company of colored troops that had not been mustered out vet. Lieutenant Dean Monahan, a bright and fearless young officer was commandant at the Fort, and was a man fully intent on doing his duty as he saw it regardless of who was affected by it. Arriving at the Fort, I drove the doctor to the quarters assigned him, then took the team to the coral, and was assigned to the Cavalry troop for rations and bunk
The next morning the commandant . sent for me, and questioned me about the doctor's family, wanted to know particularly about the relation- ship of the Mexican girl to the doctor. I told him that all that I knew about it was that the doctor and the Mexican girl occupied the same bed on the route. That seemed to confirm his suspicions, and he immediately sent a Corporal and file of men to conduct the Mexican girl to the town of Pla- cite about two miles, I think, fiom the Fort. The doctor was very angry at the Lieutenant for sending away his servant, as he claimed the Meixcan to be, but the officer told him he was not sending his servant away but his mistress The doctor followed up and secured a place for the woman, but. was bent on revenge, for what he claimed to be the unwarranted meddling
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with his domestic affairs. He drew up charges or a complaint, at least, and forwarded through the Lieutenant as Commander of the Post, to the Com- mander of the District. This made the Lieutenant more angry than he would have been and he preferred charges against the doctor and had him dismissed from the service.
At that time the Quartermaster at Fort Stanton was an officer of the Colored Troops stationed there, and Monahan discovered that he was dispos- ing of all the government stores that he possibly could for his own benefit. He preferred charges against him and had him court-martialed. Monahan, who was retired as a Major a few years ago, is now residing in Denver, and I have recently had some very pleasant correspondence with him.
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An Incident of Early Days When the Claim Society Was Supreme.
(Written by J, W. Ellis for the Jackson County Historical Society.)
George Ballou, who was an early pioneer of the big woods in the forks of the Maquoketa river, and who left the county in 1854 and came back to the Maquoketa Home-coming celebration, told the writer of an experience that his father had with the Claim Society in 1851, which came very near to precipitating a bloody conflict. His father, Amasa Ballou, at that time owned with one Gammel, what was in later years better known as Slippers Mill on the north fork near Fulton. and lived near the mill. In 1851 Ballou bargained with a man by the name of Lindsey for the relinquishment of his claim of 160 acres, 80 of which he, Lindsey, owned, and the other 80 he had claimed. The bargain was made in the morning and the parties were to meet at Squire Huntley's in the afternoon and complete the transfer. But before the time agreed upon, William Spicer met Lindsey and offered more than Ballou had bought it for, and Lindsey sold to Spicer. When Ballou found that he had lost the purchase he set out for Dubuque by way of An- drew and Bellevue, stopping over night in the latter place, and the next day entered from the government the 80 acres claimed by Lindsey. When Spicer learned that Ballou had gone away from home, he suspicioned his object, and he too started for Dubuque but it was said that he met some convivial companions on the road and tarried too long, and when he reached the Land office, found that Ballou nad entered the land.
A few days later a committee of the Claim Society waited upon Ballou and ordered him to transfer the 80 acres of land in question to Spicer under penalty of being taken to the saw mill, tied on a log and being run through and sawed into fence boards. Ballou refused to be coerced and the commit- tee lett, setting date on which the Claim Society would come in force and carry out the sentence. After they left Ballou wrote several notes, address- ed them to Nathaniel Butterworth, Doctor McMeans and several others, and told George to get on a horse and deliver the notes as addressed.
On the day set by the committee for carrying out the threat, about twenty men, all armed and for the most part on horseback. assembled at Ballou's home. About the same time of their assembling quite a large body of men were assembling in an open spot between the Ballou house and the saw mill. After apparently holding a council, a committee of three was seen approaching the house. There was a rail fence around the house and when the three men arrived at the fence. Ballou stepped outside and warned
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them not to cross the fence with their guns, assuring them that they would be fired upon and hurt if they attempted to do so. George and his brother, were stationed at a loop hole upstairs with shot guns loaded with buckshot and had strict orders from their father, in case the men whom they consid- ered enemies attempted to invade the enclosure with guns, to shoot to kill, and George said they would have surely carried out his orders. The com- mittee at first were inclined to disregard the order to halt, but finally be- came convinced that Ballou was in earnest, and halted for a parley, leaving their guns on the outside of the enclosure.
Ballou demanded to know their errand, and was told that they had come to take him before the Claim Society, and of course Ballou refused to go, and about that stage of proceedings Ballou's friends came out of the house. After some further parleying, Paul Ward and two others cf Ballou's friends accompanied the committee back to where the main body of the Society was assembled, and Ballou's position was fully explained, and after a full conference of both parties the Claim Society decided that Ballou was in the right and withdrew leaving him in full possession, and it was said they ex- pelled his adversary from the committee. Some person or persons atter- wards sought revenge on Ballou by burning his property.
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THE PASSING OF A PIONEER
Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Charles Wyckoff. Pioneer of Van Buren Township, Who Passed Away on the 16th of April.
In the Gazette of last week brief mention was made of the death of Mrs. Charles Wyckoff. of Van Buren township, which occurred at the home of her son, Henry J., in Lyons, at nine o'clock Thursday evening, April 16th.
Mrs. Wyckoff went to Lyons the last week of February and submitted to an operation for cancer of the breast. The operation was apparently suc- cessful but the aged lady did not rally from its effects sufficiently to return to her old home. About two weeks ago her condition became very critical and it was soon evident that the end was near. Skilled medical aid and the careful nursing by loved ones did much to ease the last hours. but the rav- ages of the disease could not be combated successfully and at nine o'clock on Thursday evening of last week the spirit of this noble woman was wafted to the higher life.
Mary A. Wyckoff was born at Valona Sprngs, New York, on the 11th day of August, 1835. She came to Iowa in 1855, settling in Van Buren township, the neighborhood which has since been her home. On September 18, 1857, she was married to Charles Wyckoff and the golden wedding of the venerable couple was celebrated by the entire community last September. This occasion was one of the happiest spots in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Wyckoff, for it is seldom indeed taht a couple are the objects of such an earnest demonstration of friendship.
There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wyckoff eight children, all living but one daughter. Alice, who passed away at the age of two years. All of the children, with the father. were at their mother's bedside during her last hours, and all came in time for her to recognize them. The children are: Theodore of Charter Oak, Iowa ; Mrs. John Gries of Ute, Iowa : Henry, Sam and Mrs. David Smith of Lyons; Edwin of Clinton, and John of Green Isl- and. Twenty-three grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren are left to mourn the loving adoration of "Grandma." There also remains a sister living in Pennsylvania.
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MRS. CHAS. WYCKOFF.
A prayer was offered at the home of Henry Wyckoff in Lyons, Saturday morning. by Rev. McCawley and the remains accompanied by a party of rel- atives and friends was taken by train to Green Island. Here the party was met by neighbors and proceeded to the old home. The funeral was held at the house at two o'clock Sunday afternoon, Rev. B. F. Meyers of the Miles Congregational church officiating. The singing was conducted by her old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Benj. Van Steinberg, assisted by the Congregational choir of Preston. The children acted as pall bearers and interment was made in Van Buren cemetery, the resting place which the Wyckoff's have tried so hard to help keep in proper shape. Over 100 teams formed the cortege following the remains to their last resting place.
The floral contributions were numerous and beautiful, among them were the following: Shower bouquet of carnations from Messrs. and Mesdames Thos Coleman, John Grant, Samuel McNeil, Henry McNeil, Thos. Holroyd, Geo. Bartlett, Sr., Geo. Bartlett Jr., John Kroeger, Jos. Schaefer, John Menneke, Bert Menneke and Mrs. Geo. Tompkins. Calla Lilies, ferns and roses from Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Bartholomew. Sheaf of Wheat from Messrs. and Mesdames Theo. Westphal, W. A. Altfillsch, Frank E. Tripp and G. H. Lucas. Basket and dove of flowers from the patrons of the Baker Telephone Line. Standing wreath from families of the Bram-
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merlo neighborhood. Sheaf of wheat from Rebekah Lodge No. 369 of Clinton. Bouquet of carnations from Mr and Mrs. Henry Wyckoff. Standing wreath from
Red, White and Blue Lodge of Lyons. Floral bouquet from John Ryan. Bouquet of carnations from Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Hancock of Clinton. Shower bouquet of tulips, roses and carnations from Messrs. and Mesdames Levi Swaney, Cole Tompkins, Chas. Prussia, Albert Demperwolf, John Jorgenson, A. M. Swaney, Mrs. Martha Allworth, Mrs. Harry Bechtel, Mrs. Louisa Prussia, Messrs. and Mesdames Geo. Schmidt, Fred Brandfas, Otto Ringen, Henry Miller, Claus Godes, Claus Ringen, W. C. Meyer. A. F. Schmidt, Louis Ringen and Mrs. E. Osburn.
The loss of Mrs. Wyckoff is a grievous one to the community as well as to the husband and family. She has lived here so many years and her noble traits of character are so well known that words of eulogy are not needed to make sacred her memory. Her ever ready spirit found a service at hand among the sick and needy so that a host of friends rise up and call her blessed. For over half a century she has been among us and in hundreds of instances has been weighed and not found wanting-in motherly love, char- ity and true neighborliness.
At the close of a long and useful life on earth she entered into the higher life with the satisfying knowledge that with her all had been faith- fully and well done, and her life's history is most effectually written in the hearts of those whom she has made happy by her kindness, charity and hos- pitality. She was a faithful wife, a kind and indulgent mother and true, sincere friend to all who needed a friend and worthy of an unselfish friendship. Even the stranger ever found in her home a cheerful welcome and an open hospitality, and for more than fifty years the comforts of that home was never denied to any person worthy of being taken into a home.
She rests in peaceful slumber, but the remembrance of her virtues and the joy of her presence gone from the home, makes the hearts of loved ones hard to cheer in their deep sorrow, and the truth that God alone knows best is the only balm that can heal the wounded spirit and serve as an up- lift from darkness and sorrow.
"In friendship warm and true, in danger brave. Beloved in life and saintly in the grave ; With God to guide her on her way, 'Twas equal joy for her to go or stay."
-Sabula Gazette.
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OZARK TL ARS A
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HOME COMING MAQUOKETA, SEPTEMBER, 1907
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OF our ooun
due Mr. Hildreth
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OZARK FIFTY YEARS AGO.
As early as 1847 there was a settlement begun around what is now the village of Ozark At this point was found an excellent water power on the north fork of the Ozark or Maquoketa river. This site was first improved by one Joseph E. Hildreth in about 1848. Mr. Hildreth built a dam of brush and logs to dam the water sufficient to run a saw mill. It was in 1850 that the writer first visited the place. The town consisted of five slab shanties They were built of slabs set on end in a trench dug in the ground, instead of being set on a stone foundation. The walls were double, the slabs were placed face to face and solidly nailed together, which left the walls as rough in the inside as the outside. But it made a strong and warm house. These shanties were one story high with shed roof which was also made of slabs. Thus equipped Mr. Hildreth with his crew of half a dozen stalwarts, began his career as pioneer of this part of Jackson county.
It was soon after this that emigration began to pour into Iowa, and lumber was in large demand and Mr. Hildreth was unable to supply the demand with his present force of help, and he found it necessary to build more slab houses and double his force of men around the mill to enable him to run at night as well as in day time. It was in 1850 that the writer tirst visited the place and found everything in running order as above described.
Mr. Hildreth was a man of great energy ard business ability, and withal one of the kind that did not leave his religion ou the east side of the Mississippi river, but early in his little village established a preaching point to be supplied by the itinerant missionaries, as they made their rounds. His moral and christian zeal was quite as great as his business en- ergy, and altogether made this first settlement a model community. And as the surrounding country was being settled with sturdy farmers whose first aim was to raise as mich wheat as they could, for wheat in those days was king; Mr. Hildreth soon learned that a flouring mill was the next great necessity. This he proceeded to build in 1853, five vears after he built his tirst slab shanties, but this was not a slab affair, it was a first-class struc- ture two stories high with a capacity of 60 barrels flour per 24 hours, for it, as did the sawmill run day and night, and still was not sufficient to keep up with the constant increasing business for the reason that there was not then a flouring mill, north nor east, short of the Mississippi river 25 miles distant.
In addition to the mills Mr. Hildreth found it necessary to establish a general store. This enterprise he begun on a small scale which he increased as the business increased, until the stock in the store amounted to $15, 000, and employed the time of four clerks.
The first settlers throughout the country almost invariably kept sheep enough for the wants of the family for clothing, which was spun and wove in nearly every house, which was the case in all parts of our coun- try before we had woolen factories as at the present day. Mr. Hildreth
PAIM AILANO
INY AMIN J C
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being a man that was always up-to-date now began to see the necessity of a wollen factory in connection with his other business, and this industry he brought into activity in about 1858.
It was now full 10 years since Mr. Hildreth had began his career at Ozark, and it looked now like being fully developed as a village of over- 100 population. There were no other inducements to build up a town at this point outside the mills that were already there. Among the employees at the flouring mills as boss millers were a Mr. A. Boyd, Mr. Harry Spray and A. Heister. The woolen miils were run under the supervision of John Reynor & Sons. All these mills were run to their full capacity and the little village was one of the busy places of lowa, notwithstanding its tender age.
It was at this time that the village received its death blow. Mr. Hil- dreth, together with Mr. Heister, his miller, were making repairs in a breech of the dam. Mr. Hildreth with a heavy crowbar, was trying to dislodge a large boulder on the bluff to be used in meuding the breach. The rock in rolling down struck the crowbar in Hildreth's hands and the bar in turn struck his head and scattered his brains over several yards of ground. This catastrophe acted as a pall over the village and also affected the settlement of the country around. The property now was placed in the hands of administrators, and when finally settled was sold to parties in Dubuque, under whose management the decline was steady from start to finish. Now there is scarcely a vestige of its former importance remaining.
Among the first settlers of Ozark and its vicinity may be named James Ryan. John Hayden, Tom Mulford, the Howard brothers, Tom Boyd, Geo. Turner, Snyder Horton, E. Harding, Sam Bickford, A. Hildreth, A. Heister, E. Ralston, J. Ratlson, Chas. Basely and others.
Among other industries of the town the cooper business also deserves mention. In those days flour was all packed in wooden barrels, of these the mill used daily from 40 to 60, and of pork barrels that were manufac- tured here, Dubuque and Galena furnished the market. The number of coopers that found steady employment at this point often exceeded twen- ty, that is including those who manufactured shingles which were made from the fine native oak that was found for a number of miles around the village. In this forest the native hoop pole was also found in great abundance.
Of other settlers who came to the vicinity when Jackson county had its greatest boom in 1850, the following may be named: Geo. Duel, John Sınkey, Jack McCullough, John M. Mccullough Sr , Van Shirley, Geo. Mc- Cullough, Joe Pennell, Millen Ralston, Rube Jacobs and others, for the most part these early settlers have lived in this vicinity continuous since that time, but by far the larger number are now dead and their places occupied by the generation that followed.
Having now given a brief description of the early settlement of Ozark and its vicinity we will now follow the river down stream three miles in quest of another early settlement that was made near the beginning of 1845, and is at the present time best known as Crabbtown, which I will describe in my next letter. LEVI WAGONER.
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Crabbtown Fifty-Five Years Ago.
No. 2.
In my last letter my reminiscences were confined to the village of Ozark and its vicinity. We will now go southeast and follow the river, for in the early settlement of Jackson county as in other places the first aim of the settlers was to get as near as possible to the water courses; not that the land was better or even as good as on the adjacent ridges, but was almost invariably rough, but the water privileges seemed to out weigh the advan- tages of the up lands. There was a prevalent idea among the first settlers that the man who owned a good strip of the river had a bonanza, a mill seat, that only needed development to make him rich. So prevalent was this idea that the river land and that which lay along the creeks was the first to be occupied. And in due time the best of the water powers along the Maquoketa rivers were improved. Sawmills usually preceded flouring mills and it was about the year 1845 that a Rev. Dr. Blackburn from Lick- ing county, Ohio, built a sawmill three miles below Ozark on the north Ma- quoketa river.
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