USA > Iowa > Jackson County > Annals of Jackson county, Iowa, Vol 1-6 > Part 50
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"Nathan Said, Jesse Said, Bartlett Said, Caleb Said and Thomas Said, all brothers came from Illinois at about the same time that grandfather did, and located on land in western Farmers Creek and eastern Brandon townships.
I neglected to say in its proper connection that my grandfather Furnish served in the Blackhawk war, playing fife in a military bind, and was pres- ent at the Brown raid, known as the Bellview war, and also at the hanging of Grifford and Barger, and was prominent in ass'sting to break up the lawless combinations of that early date.
Eliakim Wilson, father of Eli Wilson now of Iron Hills, Edward Lark-
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ey, Geo. Larkey. James Dillon, son-in-law of Edward Larkey, Russell Dut- ton, a Mr. Dutton, the father of Ezra and Emory Dutton, David McDonald, and possibly others that I cannot now call to mind settled at an early date in Farmers Creek township in sections 17 and 18 Most of the last named parties came from Nauvoo, Illinois soon after the raid that drove the Mor- mons out.
Mr. Barger, who killed his wife, settled in Brandon township on section 13, and was living there in 1849, when he went to California, and on his re- turn a few years later to find his wife had a child in his absence. is suppos- ed to have caused the trouble that led to the killing of his wife. Barger lived on land adjoining my father's place, and my people knew the inside of that case better than the general public did."
The above statement is substantially as received from my informant, R. H. Buchner, and serves to post the reader with the beginning and progress of the Larkey settlement prior to 1850. Since this last date the writer has personal knowledge, except in one or two instances, which when authentic information is obtained, will give the nucleus for a final chapter on the his- tory of the Larkey settlement prior to 1850, so far as the writer is concern- ed.
LEVI WAGONER.
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191
Preston in Its Early Days-Official and Otherwise.
We glean from an early history of Jackson county that Preston came into existence simultaneously with the survey of the old Sabula, Ackley & Dakota railroad in 1869, and that the first train on said road entered the town in December, 1870. For one season Preston was the western terminus of the road, but the next year it pushed on to Marion. The first plat of the town of Preston was made in the fall of 1870, the land, 136 acres, being pur- chased from the late Christ Farley, Dr. Amos and Mr. Gillett. The land was purchased by the railroad construction company and Z DeGroat, for a consideration of $7,000, an old deserted dwelling being the only building on the land when it was purchased. About 75 lots were sold the first year and in 1877 Mr. DeGroat bought out the interests of the construction com- pany in the unsold lots. The town was named in honor of Col. I. M. Pres- ton of Cedar Rapids, who was prominently identified with the building of the new road.
In 1875 an election was held on the question of incorporating the town, the proposicion being defeated by seven votes.
Going back of the building of the town, the first settler in that part of the country was Andrew Farley, who came from Galena'and entered a claim which included a portion of the land now occupied by the town in 1836, some of the other land in the vicinity being entered by E. P. Weed, the same year.
The first schoolhouse in that immediate vicinity, known as District No. 8, Van Buren township, wis erected about 1850, and the first teacher was Miss Marcia Weed. The Independent school district of Preston was organ- ized Aug 14, 1872, with L. B. White, S. F. Vinton and Alva Mclaughlin as directors. On May 3, 1873, the district was authorized to issue 84,500 bonds, bearing 10 per cent interest, for the purpose of erecting a new school building, and the main part of the present handsome school building was then erected. In a little aside we might remark that the present edi- tor of the Gazette mixed every hod of mortar used in the brick work on said building. The building was erected with the first story completed and furnished at a cost of $7 176 87, and the 10 per cent bonds were refunded wtih 8 per cent bonds in 1879.
The postoffice was established in the spring of 1871 with J. F. H. Sugg as the first postmaster. He was succeeded in 1875 by Z. DeGroat, who re- signed two years later and II. V. Hicks was appointed. Among the earliest business houses established in Preston were: General merchandise, F. H. Rodewald, Elliott & Reed and Alva Mclaughlin; hardware, John Peters,
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R. M. Essick, D. S. Swaney; bank, Bartholomew & Riley, organized in 1871; wagon making, Frank McGuire and Day, Hobart & Sullivan; harness, Frank McManigal; hotels, DeSota House, by J. S. Prior and Specht's Hotel, by Henry Specht; attorney, A. L. Bartholomew.
In 1878 Preston was visited by two disastrous fires that were a hard blow to the striving little city. The first occurred in January, flames being discovered in the clothing store of one Longini, just after dusk. In the blaze that followed A. S. Riley lost a frame dwelling, $1.200: F. McManigal, harness shop, $400; John Peters. two buildings, $2,000, and stock of hard- ware $300; Longini stock of clothing, $2,400 (insured )
Preston of Today -- Gillette Street Looking West,
The second tire was discovered about one o'clock in the morning, June 6th, in the hardware store of John Peters, and before noon some of the finest business houses in the city had been wiped out. The loss was summed up as follows: C. Farley & Co , stock and building, $1,000; Reif & Behrns. general stock, $5 000; John Peters, stock and building, $6,500; H. Specht brick building, $6,500; total $18,000.
The Preston cemetery association was organized and incorporated under the laws of towa, Dec. 21 1875, by Alva McLoughlin, Asher Riley, J. R. Case. S. F. Vinton, A. Groves. W. R. Lambert, J E. Reed, J. Van Stein- burg, Z. DeGroat, W. J. Gillett, M. H. Eiton, C. Farley, M C. Scofield and A. L Bartholomew. The trustees elected were A. L. Bartholomew, Z. DeGroat and J. R Case, the first named being made treasurer
The first paper was the Preston Clipper, established by P. R. Bailey about 1875, and lasting about two years The second was the Preston Ad- vertiser, established by H. V. Hicks about 1877.
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The first church building in Preston was erected by the Methodists and Congregationalists combined neither organization being able to erect a building alone. The building committee consisted of Z. DeGroat, Divillo Sweet and J. F. H. Sugg. The church was completed in 1862 by Haight & Vinton, contractors, at a cost of $4,000. The Congregationalist had an organization in that locality, previous to the existence of the town, their meetings being held in the schoolhouse. Among the ministers officiating being. Rev. O. Emerson and Rev. Eells of Sabula.
The Methodist church was formerly organized in 1873, with thirty mem- bers. The Preston church was then joined with the stations at Center and Charlotte, in which was termed the "Preston Circuit, " the parsonage and minister being located at Preston. The society was incorporated in January, 1877, by Divillo Sweet, William E. Coe, Jas. Heather, Benj. Holroyd and Lewis Carmen. A parsonage was erected during the same year at a cost of $1,100. Among the first pastors of the church were Revs. J. Gilruth, Geo. Crinklaw, Rev. Aldrich, Isaac Lusk and W. S. R. Burnette.
The Christian Church building was erected in 1873. The society had been organized many year previous, at Mt. Algor, and for some years previ- ous to the removal to Preston, services had been held at Miles Corners. The building committee in charge of the erection of the church in Preston was Alva Mclaughlin, Geo. A Fell, O H. Legg and Z. DeGroat, the cost of the structure being $3,500. The first ministers were Rev. J. N. Smith, Rev. Pardee, William Swaney, I. H. Ingram, J. W. Henry. The first church officials were A A. Jacobs and J. W. Sewell, elders; Alva McLaugh- lin and Avery Miles, deacons: Justice Miles, clerk.
The first fraternal organization was Stranger's Refuge Lodge No. 242, I. O. O. F., which was organized Jan. 30. 1873, the charter members being A. L. Bartholomew, B. F. McManigal, H. W. Parker, E. L. Jacobs and A. E. Allen. H. W. Parker was the first Noble Grand.
Astral Lodge No 324, A. F. and A. M., was organized March 10, 1873, with A. L. Bartholomew, J. F. H. Sugg, Z DeGroat, Coleman Amos Wm. M. Amos, M. C. Scotield, Emory DeGroat, Asher Riley and S. T. Randolph, as charter members.
In January, 1878. Messrs. Baker, Cravens and Bailey came down from Maquoketa and started a temperance reform movement that soon gathered strength and enthusiasm enough to lead to the organization of the "Pres- ton Reform Club." with 35 charter members, on the 24th of that month. The officers were Thos. H. Gilroy, president; Dan Stinrod, vice-pres. : J. Frank Huntoon, secretary ; J. F. H. Sugg, treas ; W. S. R. Burnett, chap- lain; J. Forrett, J. A. Holmes and J. F. H. Suggg, executive committee.
During the early part of February the well known temperance orators. Hofstittler and Rowell, held a series of meetings in Preston and the mem- bership of the club was greatly increased. A free reading room was estab- lished over Behren's store, the furniture being burned in the fire of June. 1878. Another room was rented and called the "Temperance Hall," the organization being maintained several years.
This brings the local review down to about 1880, since when it comes within the memory of nearly all of our present citizens.
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Indians Revisit Jackson County-Some of Their Pranks.
It was after the Black Hawk war in 1832 that most of the Indians who were harassing the settlers on the frontier east of the Mississippi river were removed by the government to the west side. It was in the same year that the famous chief, Black Hawk, was captured in Jones county, Iowa, in the neighborhood of Edenburgh which was the first county seat of Jones county, lowa. It was from this place the chief was taken to Washington and other cities of the East to show him the strength of Uncle Sam's domain, after which he was permitted to return to his people who were given free range of and westward of Black Hawk county, lowa. It was on the Cedar river that a reservation of limited extent was granted to a remnant of the Black Hawk tribe. As late as 1865 these Indians still held undisputed possession. Although they were constant y decreasing in number they did not cease making their periodical pilgrimages to their favorite hunting grounds in Jackson county and across the Mississippi into Wisconsin. It was the cus- tom of the tribe to come by the same route by which they went when Gen- eral Taylor drove them across the Mississippi river through Jackson county and into Jones county, where the great chiet was finally captured.
It was in the fall of 1854 that the writer first saw the Indians on their periodical march to their relatives in Wisconsin. Their route was through Black Hawk valley where the whole tribe wintered previous to their cap- ture in 1832 There were over 100, including men, women and children. It was on this occasion that one of the papoose's became violently ill that the whole party pitched their wigwams near the village of Canton in the west- ern part of Jackson county for the purpose of securing medical advice for a severe case of colic. The village doctor. who promptly responded to the call, soon succeeded in relieving the little sufferer of the acute pain under which it was laboring, and naturally as a mother would feel toward a bene- factor the squaw offered the doctor 10 cents for his services but the doctor politely declined the fee and bowed himself out of the wigwam before the vermin thereabouts would find him out. It was not long till the sick pa- poose gained its normal health and the tribe began to look around for a camping place for a month's stay. This they found one mile north on the Maquoketa river on lands owned by Dr. G. W. Trumbull. From him they procured a written permit with certain restrictions. On this ground the redskins established themselves for hunting purposes for one month, for in those days wild game was still sufficiently plentiful to warrant a supply for the time of their lease. But some of the oldest of the settlers who had some experience in dealing with the red man, protested against their newly
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arrived neighbors on the grounds that they were troublesome customers, that they were professional beggars and would also steal. This occassion soon proved true to a letter. The men done the hunting and the stealing, and the squaws did the begging. Usually the squaws were mounted on ponies and of these they had a large supply, and practically all the farm houses for several miles around were visited by the begging squaws. At night was the time the men visited the neighboring corn fields to forage for the ponies.
Adjoining the camp, one J. S. also owned some timber land and on one occasion after missing some corn that was taken from a nearby field, he de- termined to notify the Indians to leave forthwith, and in serving his notice he took several of his neighbors with him, all of whom were armed with rifles, not however as warriors, but simply as hunters. The committee the acting chief received cordially, and after compliments were passed Mr. J. S. informed the head man of the camp that they were no longer wanted and that they must leave that place inside of 48 hours, but the Indian was not much disturbed at this demand but simply smiled and asked Mr. J. S. by what authority he gave the order. Because this is my land, replied J. S. At this the chief straightened himself erect and looked fierce and pointed his finger at J. S. and said "White man lie, this is big doctor's land. " It was true the doctor was a man of more than ordinary size, and was also true that the camp was not on J. S. 's land. The Indian now pointed to J. S. 's rifle asking him how far it would carry a ball straight. To this J. S. re- plied : As far as I can see a mark distinctly; as far as that big tree in the opening about 40 rods north. Well, said the chief, I will have a mark plac- ed on that tree and I will select three of my men to shoot mark, and you shall pick as many of your men, and if your party beat my men in three rounds shooting I will move this camp within the time you have named, but if not then we will stay here as long as we please. To this proposition J. S. readily agreed for he believed that he and his men were easily better at long range than the Indians could be. But in this he was woefully mis- taken. The Indians planted their balls all inside of a circle of three inches, while S.'s men all shot outside the circle. This decided the matter and the Indians remained as long as their lease remained in force.
It was now nearing winter and the Indians moved their camp nine miles southeast, also on the Maquoketa river. At this point they also remained about a month. At this place they had full swing of the hunt- ing ground of the big woods, for it was but sparsely settled at that time. Here during their stay they killed 84 deer besides the other wild game that was found in their scope. Here as at Canton the squaws were out beg- ging while the men were hunting, and both the squaws and the hunters could frequently be seen on their ponies six to eight miles from their camp. On one occasion two squaws and a girl of about twelve years came to my place a'l mounted on ponies and provided with baskets of their own make. These were hitched together two and two, and were swung over the ponies backs and were for a convenient catchall of whatever they could beg on their rounds, and it so happend that we had just finished dressing several
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hogs for the Dubuque market. At the sight of these the squaws laughed out loud, and began to show me where to cut off the heads that they might carry them to their camp in their baskets I gave them two that were al- ready cut off. This gift caused them to clap their hands. They then look- ed toward the fence where livers and hearts were hung up, these they also stowed in their baskets. After this my wife came out and invited them in the house for a lunch that she had prepared, but they would not be seated but proposed to take piece in their hands, and while thus eating they were taking a survey of what was in the house in the line of clothing and pointed out the things they wanted. My wife gave each one some second- hand clothing. after which the oldest squaw patted her gently on the cheek, and said, Good squaw! Good squaw! After which they set out for their camp seven miles distant.
These migrators were well supplied with light wagons in which they carried tent poles and coverings for their wigwams. The wagons were in- variably driven when on a march by the squaws. The men were all mount- ed on ponies, and the papooses were also carried on ponies in baskets made for that purpose, and were hitched together in pairs and thrown across the pony's back and from these baskets could be seen the heads of the children sticking above the basket's rim.
This remnant of the Black Hawk tribe made its last visit to Jackson county about the year 1865, and at this visit their number had dwindled down to less than 40 persons. On this occasion as usual they passed over the Black Hawk road that derived its name because it was their route. On this march the men were woefully drunk and yelled like demons as they passed along, and it was hoped by the settlers that they would go as far as the day was long before they would camp. But in this they were disap- pointed for they scarcely made their next mile till the men were nearly all dead drunk, and they were forced to call a halt, and with the aid of the squaws pitched their tents one mile east of the present Emeline. Here they remained till the whiskey run out and the men sober enough to proceed two days afterward. This was the last visit of the redskins in this section of the country. LEVI WAGONER.
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A Reminiscence of the Pences by the Oldest Settler in Iowa.
Mr. Editor :-
Our good friend. Levi Wagoner, whose interesting reminiscences of ear- ly times we all enjoy, has somehow been misinformed in regard to Chief Black Hawk's capture in the war which bears his name. That celebrated indian was born at the Sac village at the mouth of Rock river in Illinois, and lived there until the village was broken up in 1830, and he may have led hunting parties at times into what is now Jones county, but he certain- ly was not there after or during the Black Hawk war.
Black Hawk, with his associate chiefs, the Prophet and Ne-a-pope, fled northward and eastward after the battle of Bad Axe, intending to take re- fuge with those whom they regarded as freindly allies, the Winnebagoes of the Lemonweir valley, and the broken country around the Dalles of the Wis- consin. But the Winnebagoes of that region were under charge of Gen. Joseph M. Street, Indian Agent at Prairie du Chien, who held their entire confidence, and they were ready to do his bidding in everything. They not only took no part in aiding Black Hawk in his desperate struggle, but their warriors went out under Gen. Street's instructions and brought into Gen. Atkinson's camp at Fort Crawford nearly one hundred Sacs, who had scat- tered through that country after their disaster at Bad Axe.
Gen. Street sent One-Eyed Decorah and a young chief named Cha-e-tor, on a special mission to find Black Hawk and the Prophet. It was easy to follow the fugitives to the Dalles and to obtain audience with them since Black Hawk supposed the Winnebago chiefs to be friends and partisans. When Black Hawk and the Prophet learned of their duplicity, they took advantage of the darkness of the first night to escape toward Prairie La Crosse. The two Winnebagoes simply followed closely on their trail for two days, then found them in a Winnebago village, where, convinced that protection and shelter were denied them, they surrendered and were deliver- ed to Gen. Street at Prairie du Chien on the 27th of August, 1832. Gen. Atkinson sent them on a steamer to Jefferson Barricks below St. Louis under an escort commanded by Lieut. Jefferson Davis, and from there they were taken on the remarkable tour to Washington and the eastern cities. After his return Black Hawk was given a home on the Des Moines river near the present city of Ottumwa.
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I received recently from Captain Warner L. Clark of Buffalo, Scott County, an interesting bit of early Jackson County history. Captain Clark (a steamboat captain for many years) is unquestionably the oldest settler of lowa now living. His father, Captain Benjamin W. Clark made a claim and took up his residence at Buffalo in the summer of 1833, nearly seventy- five years ago. Warner was then a boy of eleven years and distinctly remem- bers the removal from the opposite side of the river in Illinois, which had been their home for several years previous. B. W. Clark established a ferry across the Mississippi at Buffalo, designing to make that an important city and a main crossing place for emigration to the Black Hawk Purchase. A road led directly south to the important town of Monmouth, Illinois, and he knew that directly north across the country was the rapidly develop- ing settlement at the Dubuque mines. He therefore (and this is what W. L. Clark writes me) engaged two young men who had also been his neigh- bors in Illinois-Wallace and Solomon Pence-in the summer of 1834, to go through to Dubuque and locate sites for ferries over the Wapsipinicon and Maqueketa rivers.
This is undoubtedly the trip about which Wallace Pence told Farmer Buckhorn, which that writer mentioned in his sketch of the Pences, as hav- ing been made during the Black Hawk war. It was in fact made two years later. The country around the Monmouth township prairies so pleased the Pences that two years afterwards, in 1836, they took up claims and moved their families there.
The plans of Capt B. W. Clark for making Buffalo a great city were well laid. and promised success, but he died in 1839, leaving his oldest son a mere youth, and no one ready to take up his work with the same aggressive energy, so Davenport and Muscatine eventually overshadowed the earlier settlement at Buffalo. Warner L. Clark still lives on some of the land claimed by his father nearly seventy-five years ago.
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Address at First Meeting of Old Settlers Meeting.
The following address was delivered by Geo. Griswold, at that time president of the Old Settlers Society at Sabula and president of the Clinton County Old Settlers Society at the first meeting of the Maquoketa Valley Pioneer and Old Settlers Society in 1888:
MR. PRESIDENT AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I was ex- ceedingly glad when last September my friend, Mr. Hiram Lockwood, in- formed me that you were about to organize an Old Settlers' or Pioneer So- ciety for this part of Jackson and Clinton counties, knowing from my early acquaintance the people who settled here from 1838 till 1848 that they could easily organize and maintain such an organization. I understand such a so- ciety held meetings here in years past and this is more of a renewal of the same than otherwise. Let us hope and believe from this time on your an- nual meetings will be held while any pioneers are living, and when they too have passed away their children shall maintain the same.
No part of our state is better titted to commenorate its early events, its trials and privations, than this tract of county around what was known as the Forks of the Maquoketa River. And here I will digress a little. Some years since a record was kept of the different ways of spelling the name of the river that has given the name of to this city. Many of them can be spelled while not all of them can be well pronounced.
I have with me now a copy of the petition of Juiien Dubuque to El Baron de Carondelet, Governor-general of Louisiana, when this part of the (now) United States was owned by Spain, bearing date, "New Orleans, Oct. 22, 1796," for liberty to work the lead mines along the Mississippi River and in the same the river is spelled thus, "Moquouquitois, " and may be some of you can pronounce it; I cannot. It looks as though it might be an Indian name and require Indian pronunction. In the same petition the land on which Dubuque now stands was called the "Hills of Mesquaby- nonques, " and let us give credit to Julien Dubuque for changing the name to one that can be pronounced and whoever contracted the first name of your river to its present possible pronunciation should be promoted.
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