USA > Iowa > Guthrie County > Centennial history of Guthrie county, Iowa > Part 4
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James Cline remained in Guthrie twelve years, during which time-in 1862 -- he, in conjunction with his brother. John Cline, built the Panora woolen mills. In 1866, he. with a number of the old settlers, went to Oregon, where he remained several years, but finally came back to Keokuk county, where he now resides.
Peter Boblett was born in October. 1791, and his wife May 4, 1794, the former in Bedford, and the latter in Camp- bell county, Virginia. Mr. Boblett served in the war of 1812, under Captain Gray. July 1st, 1854, they came to Panora, where they lived in a tent for six weeks. They then bought the Thomas Roberts farm, where they re- mained two years, when they returned to Panora, where they have remained ever since. This couple are aged, respectively, eighty-five and eighty-two years, and yet they retain their mental faculties, and keep much better posted in the news of the day than many younger persons. Of the family, who came about the same time, Mrs. Rosebrugh, a daughter; Peter Boblett, a son; and Wm. S. Blue, a son-in-law, have passed away. Mr. Blue opened the first harness shop in the county, in the old part of the Van Lahman residence, which then belonged to M. Rosebrugh, who kept a boarding house. Mr. Rosebrugh is living in Stuart; Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Blue, and Mrs. Swartz are all living in Panora, while one son is living in Oregon.
In July, 1854, Mr. John Boblett, went through Guthrie county to Council Bluffs and Omaha, the latter just then being surveyed, and the former but a mere hamlet. He found nothing that pleased him so well as Guthrie, so he returned to Panora and bought the shanty of Hursche & Turner and opened a store. He purchased of " Ed. & Bob. Robinson " a cabin which stood upon the lot now owned by Charley Campbell, which he used as a dwelling. For some
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time they had neither tables nor chairs, and took their scanty meals Gipsy fashion. Bye and bye he purchased of Hursche, a table, two chairs and two rough bedsteads. Dur- ing the dreadful first year they had but little to eat, and sometimes were really hungry. He went to a well-to-do farmer living near Booneville, to buy corn, but he would not let him have any ; however he offered to sell him a small lot, that had been left by a man who had " gone to Texas." Out of five bushels he picked a half bushel, that under or- dinary circumstances he would not have used, but the wolf must be kept from the door by some means. As soon as blackberries, of which there was an abundance, began to " turn " they picked and ate them, as well as green wild grapes. While they were yet living without bed-steads (they had plenty of bedding,) two belated travelers from Sac City sought shelter at their door. Mr. Boblett ex- plained how they were situated, but offered them such rest and shelter as they could give. The wanderers gladly ac- cepted this, and when they were all abed, there was not standing room for a cat, if they had possessed one.
After a time they " fixed up " the "loft " in the Hursche shanty, for a sleeping room for the boys. When it snowed they had a white spread, given gratuitously through the " chinks," and when it rained they "got a ducking."
Mr. Boblett gave two sons to the army, Isaac and Jacob, the former enlisting in the 29th Iowa, and the latter in a cavalry regiment." "Uncle John " has seen hard times and much sorrow, yet he has never regretted coming to Iowa.
Joseph Dyson, with his family, came from West Va. An ox team, with a few household goods, constituted his worldly possessions. He rented the mill of John Anderson, which he operated for some time. He next opened a gen- eral store on the corner of Main and Union streets. Mr. Dyson died several years ago.
It was in this year, '54, that the cemetery west of town was laid out. An incident connected with the selecting of
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the ground, is related with much feeling by some of the old settlers. One of the committee chosen for the purpose, was talking with some neighbors, when he started suddenly, saying, I must hurry and meet the grave yard committee; some of us may die, and there would be no place to bury us." The ground was selected, and a plat made, and in just two weeks this gentleman's wife was laid to rest in the new cemetery. Mrs. Conrad Brumbaugh died on the first day of May, 1851, and was buried here, though there was no burying ground marked out. Her coffin was made of rough boards, or slabs.
In 1855-6 Iowa seemed to be the Eldorado of Indiana and Illinois emigrants, and Guthrie county received her share of the same.
Of the many who came at this time to Cass township, Mrs. Casandre Roberts, with her two sons, Joseph and Phil., settled where Joseph now resides. The latter had been here in '53, purchased the land and built a cabin- without doors or windows. When they moved, the family consisted of eighteen persons. (only four of whom werethe children of Mrs. Roberts.) They landed on the prairie, where they waited until a doorway could be sawed out; one of the boys crept through under the logs to get inside, in order to assist in the operation of sawing. Tradition says it was Phil. that "went under," but Phil says he was off in the slough, prospecting for water; if his proportions were as ample then as now, I am inclined to think he is cor- rect. For some time their door was a bed quilt, their win- dows the chinks in the walls, and their bedsteads the floor. About two weeks after their arrival, they were visited by a terrific storm; the wind blew the lights out as fast as they could be struck; the lightning glared threateningly, and the thunder was terrible, while the rain was a genuine flood. Each whispered courage to the others, (the whisperings of eighteen voices ought to have inspired courage,) but the lightning revealed anything but courageous attitudes. One Smith, who had been very brave -- with his tongue-was seen
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crouching on one hand and knee, while with the other hand he endeavored to ward off the lightning's fierce darts.
Their first furniture was made of native lumber, sawed at Brumbaugh's mill.
The same fall, '55, came Mr. Leach, now of Highland, and not being able to procure a house, Mr. Robert Wasson, who lived on Bay's Branch, kindly shared his mansion with them. They lived thus for several months, the two families, of fifteen persons, living in one room, and cooking by one fire-place. Mr. Wasson now owns a fine farm in Cass, and Mr. Leach one in Highland.
James Foster, who came in '55, paid $15 per acre for the land he now owns, and not being able to pay for it at once, in '57 sold a part of it at $6 per acre, the financial crash of that year putting a stop to immigration, and causing hard times generally.
B. T. Hook came from Ohio in 1855, and purchased the Hook place. He raised, the next year, one thousand bush- els of corn, which he sold to emigrants at the " handsome " price of two dollars. Mr. Hook was County Treasurer for four years, filling the office acceptably to all. In 1866 he removed to Mt. Pleasant for the purpose of educating his children, at which place he died several years ago. He gave his brightest, best boy, Marcellus, a sacrifice on the altar of his country. George is an M. E. Minister near Sioux City, Robert is in Texas, and Belinda in Colorado.
Thomas Roberts came to Guthrie in September, 1856, and purchased the south half of sections 34-80-30 two miles east of Panora, and which is now one of the most desirable farms in the county, and one of the most home-like homes; good dwelling, good large barns, orchard and evergreens; in short everything that goes to make a home comfortable. The Roberts are noted for their hospitality and sociability, and Mr. Roberts is " Uncle Tom " to every body. He has been extensively engaged in stock raising, secured patents on the 14-mile gun, in short, has been successful in all his undertakings, unless we except his effort to make his neigh-
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bor bray. This one failure of his life is worthy of record. A party of old settlers went to Des Moines, and while there it rained so hard they knew they could not ford the streams, so they bought a skiff and a large, strong rope, and loaded them into the wagon. When they came to the first stream, Walnut creek, this side of Des Moines, they took the wagon to pieces and sent it over in the skiff; they then sent one end of the rope over by W. T., who landed on an island near the west bank. In the mean time the other end of the rope was attached to the " head-stall " of the large mule, while it was supposed the smaller one would follow. There stood T. in the water up to his knees, hauling in the rope, hand over hand, working like a good fellow. When the mules reached the middle of the stream, the current took the little one, which was paddling his own canoe, down stream. Uncle Tom, who had remained behind to see them into the water, became for once thoroughly excited, and as visions of a forty-mile walk, with several streams to swim, - alas he could not swim! - loomed up before his mind, he started down the bank on a run, call- ing out, "bray, Tracy, bray." Tracy never heed- ing, hauled leisurely away, while poor uncle Tom shoo'd and called, and called and shoo'd, and finally succeeded in scaring the creature across. When all were safely over he demanded the reason of T.'s refusal to bray. "Well, Mr. R.," replied he, "I am willing to do anything in reason, but from making a jackass of myself, you will have to ex- cuse me."
"Pete " Hamilton, one of the long-time settlers, came with his parents, who are still living north of Panora, in 1856. He went to Oregon in '65, to Texas in '73, and finally came back to Panora, where he is a fixture, for the present.
Thompson Cline, a settler of '56, who lives northwest of Panora, has a good farm, of which he has made a home, in the true sense. He has one of the best, though not one of the largest orchards in the county; has four hundred trees in bearing, all choice varieties. Mr. Cline has always ta-
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ken a deep interest in religion, sometimes preaching to the people. He is a good citizen, and has the courage to be an original man, quietly and unobtrusively asserting his in- dividuality.
Henry Culbertson and Silas Harper, southeast of Panora, are both old settlers, have good farms, and very fine or- chards. In the same neighborhood is also Frederick Knowl- ton, who owns a good farm and orchard.
Among the many other old settlers, are Thos. Frazier, J. B. Youts, S. Wasson, Benj. Mitchell, A. McClaren, R. Farnsworth, Mr. Dubbs, E. Reynolds, J. Deihl, Mr. Ritz, and Rev. S. Anderson. The latter gentleman is a son of Jno. Anderson, who built the first mill and kept the first post- office. He is a gentleman of liberal education, a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian faith, a good man, a desi- rable citizen, and a successful farmer. No one would be more missed from the community in which he lives than the Rev. Samuel Anderson.
There are so many settlers who came early enough to en- title them to notice as " old settlers," that it is impossible, (in a limited work like this) to get all of their names and history. The experience of one old settler is, in all that pertains to the privations and hardships of pioner life, the the experience of all old settlers. They all saw hard times, were lonely, and sometimes even hungry, but they all agree in asserting that the early days of Guthrie County were the happiest of their lives. They lived on corn and game, en- joyed good health, went twenty-five and even forty miles to attend dancing parties, and Fourth of July celebrations, and friendly visits at a distance of five and ten miles, were considered a great treat. The greatest good to the greatest number, was their motto, and with few exceptions they lived up to it.
The First Fourth of July celebration was held at Panora in 1857.
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JACKSON TOWNSHIP.
Among the old settlers in Jackson, not already men- tioned, are, J. J. Morris, Stevenson Mount, T. E. Harbour, D. A. Lilly, A. Swisher, J. A. Trent, M. Mount, J. A. White, D. Brumbaugh, Jos. Kenworthy, Jno. Lonsdale and others.
J. J. Morris, a native of Gurnsey county, Ohio, came to Guthrie from Missouri in the autumn of '51, and, being a bachelor, made his home with the family of Mr. Jas. Moore, who resided on the place now owned by Mr. Morris. In the winter of '52 he bought the claim of Fred Fry. On the 14th of June, 1852, he entered the s. 4 s. w. }, Sec. 35, 79, 30, and lots 3 and 4, Sec. 4, 79, 30. His farm is a very fine one, lying on both sides of the old State road. On the north side of the road is a beautiful meadow, that to the causal observer "tells no tales," but to the old settlers it possesses considerable interest, as being the site of the his- torical cabin of Fred Fry, where the first election in Jack- son was held, as was also the second. at which latter, they had some " spiritual " assistance through the mediumship of one Piper, who was making considerable disturbance, when he was requested by a member of the election board . to desist. "Now, look'e here," said he, " this is Mr. Mor- ris' house, an' if he tells me to leave, I'll git. No other man, 'lection board or no 'lection board, hes any right to boss me, drunk or no drunk." The members of the board at the election, were Benj. Kunkle, Abram Moore and Benj. Marlenee.
Stevenson Mount came to Iowa, settling in Dallas county in 1851. He came to Guthrie in 1854, and bought of J. W. Cummins, lot 4, Secs. 3, 79, 30. Upon the resignation of Mr. Cummins as post master of Allen post office, Mr. Mount was appointed to the position. He has several times been elected county supervisor, which position he has filled acceptably. He has ever taken a warm interest in the welfare and prosperity of the county, and is a much respected citizen.
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HISTORY OF GUTHRIE COUNTY.
T. E. Harbour came to the county at an early day, set- tling near the east line of the county, where he kept a stage station for some time. He has been county judge and treasurer, which positions he filled with honor to himself and satisfaction to the people.
Enoch Kenworthy came to the county in 1854, settling where Mr. Hollingsworth now resides, near Stuart.
Joseph Kenworthy came in 1856, stopping with his brother Enoch, until he could "rear himself a mansion," the lumber for which he purchased at Morrisburg. This shanty, I mean mansion, was 11x12 ft. in size, without a floor, except a temporary one of carpet. A table, which had been in Mrs. K.'s family for nearly forty years, was brought as a keepsake, so they had the advantage, in that particular, over some of their neighbors. For chairs, they used a bench the first year, then David Tomlinson (our " Dave " of Stuart) made them half a dozen from hickory poles, his only tool being a shaving knife. Their bedstead was the ordinary "prairie bunk." Enoch, having the advantage of being a carpenter, and being a little aristo- cratic beside, peeled the bark from the soft maple poles, of which he made his bedstead (the first settlers never had occasion to use this word in the plural). They, (the poles), were so smooth and white, as to excite the envy of his less fortunate neighbors. Mrs. Joseph Kenworthy was very enthusiastic in her praises of the new country and as she thought over the novelty of the situation and congratulated herself upon her freedom, would often indulge in pleasant reveries of the future. One evening, just after she had removed her shoes preparatory to retiring, she was awak- ened from one of these delightful musings, by a peculiar noise that " struck terror to her soul." She bade the little ones (her adopted daughter and a little son of E. Kenworthy) climb upon the bed. She then called to Mr. K. who was out doors, to come and kill a rattle snake. He took the iron bar from the end of his wagon and came laughing, expecting, not to kill a snake, but to quiet a woman's
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HISTORY OF GUTIIRIE COUNTY.
whim. As he approached the door, his snakeship gave him a salute that made him "laugh out of the other side of his mouth." He bade Mrs. K. to jump upon the bed, and just as he raised his weapon to strike, the wind blew out the only light, a skillet of lard with a rag wick. While darkness prevailed the snake rattled so fiercely and in such close proximity to the bed, that its occupants, with clasped lands and blanched cheeks, made up their minds to bid farewell to this fair land, if not from choice, of necessity. Mr. Kenworthy struck a light in time to see the intruder start out through a chink beside the door; he nailed him to the floor with the iron bar or rod which his wife held, while he climbed out of the window and with a tent pole dis- patched the enemy. Possibly they slept sweetly that night, but I think they did not.
In the autumn he built a house on the west side of the farm, the same now used as a barn by his tenant.
Mr. Kenworthy has kept adding to his farm, until he now owns 1,400 acres, 500 of which are under cultivation. This is one of the finest farms in the State; it is well culti- vated; contains a good dwelling, a good barn and other ont buildings. The cosy white house with its green blinds; its ample door yard of green grass and flowers; its ever- green and fruit trees, in short, all its surroundings make it one of the most home-like places in the county.
Travel on the route from Fort Des Moines to Kanesville, through our county, commenced in the spring of 1852. The mail hacks, too, run this route for the first time.
January 19, 1853, the name of Kanesville was changed to Council Bluffs.
The first blacksmithing done in the township was by Mr. Kunkle, who erected a temporary shop on his farm in 18-
Josiah Lamb built the first saw mill on middle 'Coon river, in 1852. This was afterward converted into a flour- ing mill.
MORRISBURG was laid out in 1855 by J. J. Morris, and
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contained forty acres of land-twenty acres from the farm of Mr. Morris, and twenty from that of Mr. Moore. The town was called Fairview; but it was discovered that there was another Fairview in the State, so, in 1856, the name was changed to Morrisburg.
The first building was a log house, built by Mr. Morris for a dwelling. In August, '55, he sold it to a Mr. Closser, who opened a general store. The Post Office was also kept here, it having been moved up from the Mount place.
In 1866, there were several business houses in Morrisburg -- all doing a good business. There was a dry goods store, by Mr. Wright, a drug store, a blacksmith shop and hard- ware store, by Wells McCool, one saloon-but that was short-lived-a hotel, a good school and church-M. E.
After the stages were withdrawn from this route, her oc- cupation was gone, and now all that remains of Morrisburg is the church, the school, and J. J. Morris (This latter is quite an item, as he is six feet six inches tall -- the tallest man in the county.)
In 1865, the stage route was changed to Adel and Panora, which route was used until the railroads, north and south of us, were built far enough west to change it.
Dale City nestled away among the knolls and little hills on the south bank of South Racoon, in one of the most picturesque little valleys imaginable, was laid out in 1862, by Jno. Lonsdale. It contains a woolen factory, estab- lished in 1858, by Mr. Lonsdale. The building is 46x60 feet; two stories high; employs twelve hands, most of whom are women.
Mr. Jas. Lonsdale keeps a dry goods store, which was started by Jno. Lonsdale and Jos. Kenworthy, in 1861.
There is a hotel, by - Bickford: a blacksmith shop, by Wm. Pearson; saddler, John McLuen.
The post office is kept at the store of Mr. Jas. Lonsdale, Jno. Lonsdale, post master.
This post office, like our county seat, has been a per- ipatetic institution, having had no permanent abiding place 4
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until recently. It is the old Allen post office, which has perambulated " through " Allen, Fairview, Morrisburg, and Dale City, for several years, alternating between the latter two places.
Mr. Lonsdale, senior, a native of England, came to the county in 1853, and purchased land; came again in 1855, and commenced the erection of his woolen mill. He also prepared a place for his family, and brought them here in 1866. Mr. Lonsdale has a farm of four hundred and eighty acres, well cultivated and improved. A comfortable and commodious dwelling stands on a little eminence that overlooks the river on the north, and the beautiful valley, with its rich prairie, in every other direction.
This delightful little valley, with its cosy little homes, seems a very garden spot of nature. As I sit, this beauti- ful June morning, upon a terrace in the door yard of the hospitable home of Mr. Kenworthy, and listen to the myr- iads of song birds that fill every shrub and tree, and take in the beauty of all the surroundings; the dew upon the emerald, velvety carpet, that sparkles like so many di- amonds; the fragrance of apple and plum blossoms; the bursting buds of the lilac; the beautiful evergreens, with their hice new dress-the old cones still clinging to their branches, reminding one that the old habits may still cling to ns, when the old of our mortal selves shall have put on the new of immortality ;- the broad expanse of prairie, now made into fields of huge proportions, stretching away in every direction, far as the eye can see, even away over the wooded slopes of the 'Coon-the beautiful green knolls rising beyond and above the oaks and elms ;- here and there a farmer, riding leisurely along, committing the seed to the care of Mother Nature, confident that she will, in her own good time, yield him rich returns for his labor ;-- I wonder that, amid so much of loveliness, so much of beauty, there should be discontent and heart-ache; I won- der why the farmer, amid his delightful surroundings, should not have more of the poetry and less of the prose of
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this bright world? Why, in all our transactions, the al- mighty dollar must obtrude its unpoetic face? But, there; I must come back from these enchanting scenes, leave these " refreshing" reveries for the rough practicalities of every day life, still wondering why?
BEAR GROVE TOWNSHIP.
Previous to 1855, Guthrie county had but two townships -Cass and Jackson. In April of that year, Bear Grove was organized, and embraced the west half of the county.
Nathan Davis, now living in Oregon, was the first settler in what is now Bear Grove township, arriving in the fall of 1853.
In 1854, came George Worden, S. R. Saxton, and several others, the former of whom built the hotel known as "Mid- dle River Station," which was kept by Mr. Davis. His one boarder was Capt. Thomas Seely, then a land agent. This was the regular stopping place for the stages of the West- ern Stage Company, and an occasional traveler, independ- ents of the stages, would stop with him.
The commissioner appointed for the purpose, E. B. New- ton, opened this stage road in 1853, and previous to the building of Worden's Station, the stages ran from Morris- burg to Hamlin's Grove, in Audubon county-a distance of thirty-five miles-without a single house being in sight to relieve the lonesomeness of the continuous stretch of prairie, or at which they could stop to change horses, or get a "bite to eat " for themselves. Travellers and drivers were obliged to carry lunches for themselves and feed for their horses.
After the Worden station was built, and Mr. Davis in- stalled as its landlord, two of his friends, Mr. N. and Mr. R., went up to visit him. The bed was of the sapling vari- ety and double, extending entirely across one end of the house. They slept feet to feet, the guests in one end of the bed, and the host and hostess in the other. Said one of the guests, in relating the incidents of this visit: "When we stretched out, we lapped, knee deep; but, with all the incon-
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venience, I enjoyed the visit more than some I've made, in more pretentious style."
Though the pioneers were always civil to strangers, and ready at all times to render any assistance possible, yet some of them were rather laconic in their answers to the questions put to them; and when they meant what they said, wanted to be believed.
One day two men drove up to Mr. D's, and asked him how far it was to the next stopping place. "Fourteen miles," replied he. "Mercy, cried one of the men," is there no place this side where we can stop?" "Yes, d-n it; you can stop on the side of that hill if you want to." They drove on without more questions.
A few years later, when these primitive hotels assumed an " upper story," P. Gad Bryan, who had been up to Au- dubon county, holding court, stopped at one of them, and, out of respect to the dignity of his profession, the landlord gave him the best room in the house, said room being directly over the office. To make it more comfortable, the pipe from the stove in the office extended up through the ceiling and through this room, " so as to take off the chill, you know." Whenever a fire was made in the stove, the smoke would come puffing out through the leaky pipe in the " best room," almost suffocating the distinguished guest.
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