History of Audubon county, Iowa; its people, industries, and institutions, Part 2

Author: Andrews, H. F., ed; B.F. Bowen & Co.. pbl
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis : B. F. Bowen & company, inc.
Number of Pages: 1014

USA > Iowa > Audubon County > History of Audubon county, Iowa; its people, industries, and institutions > Part 2

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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1

1

160

Schools

1 240, 241

Surveys of

135

Voters, by Years 1

1

1

1

1

J

299

W

Water System

34

Whitted, Peoria I.

113

Wild Animals

40

Wild Grasses 33

Woman's Relief Corps. 248

"Woods Rats"

145

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BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX

A

Agnew, George 573

Aikman, Ambrose F. 788 I

Aikman, Robert F. 772

Alt, George J.

589

1

Alt, William, Jr.

679

Anciaux, Roy 454

Andersen, Jens C. 628

Andersen, Nels J.

582

Andersen, Nels P.

695

Andersen, Peter

669

Anderson, Abram R.

592

f

Anderson, Andrew F

781

F

Anderson, Doc B. 709 1 1

Anderson, F. L.

522

1

Anderson, J. K.

674

1

Anderson, Peter H.

850

Andrews, Hon. Henry F. 840

Artist, Daniel

590

B

I 1 Bagley, Charles 321 I 1

Baker, Edward B. 568 I I I 1 1 t

Baker, J. Henry 800 1 I 1 I I I 1 1

I 1 I 1 Baker, William O. 564 1 1 1 1 I

Ballman, John 426 I I 1

Barten, John W. 1

1 375

Baylor, Andrew J. I 1

759

I Beers, Samuel 444

Bisom, Charles L. 739

1 Black, Benjamin J. 594 1 1 1

1 Bladt, Hans A. 837

1 Blake, James 792 1

Boehme, Charles 816 I

I Bonnesen, Hans P. 653

Bonwell, John C. 528

1 Boyd, Mahlon 638

Brooks, Alfred, M. D. 336

I Burr, August 518

Buthweg, Fred A.

356

Butterton, John

581

C

Caldwell, Joseph A.

378

1

1 Callow, William J. 566 1 1 1 1

Campbell, George A.

542

1

1

1

Campbell, James A.

1

1

1

1

715

Campbell, Thomas 557 1 I 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 Carlson, James M. 399

I Carter, Perry L. 718 1

I

Channon, James

827

1

1

Childs, Ratford F., M. D

871

I

Christensen, Chris

555

Christensen, Chris 819

Christensen, Christ

672

Christensen, H. N.

358

Christensen, Lars P.

450

Christensen, Matt

719

Christensen, Nels 498

Christensen, Thomas 487 1

Christiansen, Chris H.

812

Christiansen, Rev. Gottleib B.

608

Christiansen, Rev. Jens P

400

Christoffersen, Lars C.

480

Clark, Riley P. 675

Clark, William A.

1

1 435

1 Clark, William L. L 1 561 1

Clark, William M.

563

1

Clausen, Christen T.

1

826

1 1 I Clemsen, N. P. 775 1 1 1 1

I 1 1 Cotton, Fred H. 361 1

I

I

Covault, William H.

I

491

1

Crees, Walkup M.

1

1

476

I I Culver, Anson S. 349

I 1 Curtis, Simeon C. 360

D

Darnold, Benton L.

397

Daugard, Soren P.

690

1

I

1

I

I

1

1

1

1

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

David, Albert 511

Davis, Frank 625

Davis, William D. 678

Deletxke, Rev. Alfred H.

801

Dennis, John S.

407

Dimick, Calvin I

685

Dimick, John M.

405

Doffing, Bernard

861

Donaldson, John K., D. D. S 337

Dreier, August 847

Dryden, Edward 472

Duvall, Frank E. 512

Duvall, Horace W.

640

1

E

Eagen, George 824 1 1

Egan, James F. 803 I 1 1

Engel, George J. 872 1 1 I A I

Esbeck, John N. 697 I 1 1 1 L I

1 1 I 1 Essington, Thomas J. 603

Everts, George C. 649 1 1 I 1

F

Faaborg, John 530

Faaborg, Soren S. 1 1

848

Fabricius, Hans 516

1 Farquhar, Arthur 332 1 1 1

1 1 Feltner, John 575 1

Foley, George A. 645 1 1

502

1

Forsbeck, Carl D.

438

1

Franklin, Daniel, M. D. 326

Frederick, Albert 832

Fredericksen, Hans C. 463

Frick, Edward 779

Fry, Robert F.

588

G

Garmire, Samuel F. 517

Garnett, Robert H. 543

1 Gebers, Fred 756

Gilroy, Joseph G. 682

1

Goodwill, James

790

Graham, J. M. 380

Grant, C. J. 627

Green, Hon. William R. 464

Grinyer, Rev. Henry P. 551

Groteluschen, Louis 394

H

Hahn, Chris 474

Hallock, Isaac P. 667 1

Hammann, Herman 1

753

Hansen, Christen 799 I

Hansen, Christoffer 440 1

Hansen, Hans I 1 720

1 Hansen, Hans J. 546 1 1 1

Hansen, Hans P., Sr. J

L

1 860

1

Hansen, Hans P.

576

I

1 1 Hansen, Hans R. 705 1

Hansen, Henry

647

1 Hansen, Iver P. 519 1 1

Hanson, Andrew P.

I

658

Harmon, Arthur C. 385 1 1

Hartvigsen, Jorgen 641 1

1 Hartzell, Worth J. 773 1

Harvey, Alfred W. 724 1

Hays, Frew I 1 804 I I

Heckmann, Chris, Sr. 758 I 1 1 1 1

716

I 1 Henriksen, Chris 862 1 I 1 1

Hensley, John I.

I

I

1

1

632

Hepp, Fred C. 1 389 I

Hight, Harvey

1 501

Higley, George N. 537 f 1 I 1

Hill, John F.

1 I I I Hinricks, E. John 866 1 1 1

Hoegh, Niels P. 736 1 1 1 1

Hollenbeck, Plenny A.

I

1 580

Hoogenakker, Henry J. 829

Hoover, George W.

320

1 1 Hoover, Jerry S. 569

Horning, Fred H. 793

Hoyman, William H. 411

Humiston, Jesse A. 796 1

Hunt, Charley O.

630

1

Hunt, James

354

1 Hyen, Jens P. 414

J

Jacobsen, Jens 664

Jacobsen, Robert A., M. D 874

Jacobson, Hon. Ole H 784

Jenkins, Charles W.

869

Jensen, Anders

538

Jensen, Carl M.

509

I Jensen, Christ 657

1

1

I

1

1

855

Heiken, John R. 1

I

I

1 1

I

1

1

1

1

Forsbeck, Andrew G. I 1

1

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Jensen, Rev. Herman L. 822

Jensen, J. C. 585

Jensen, James W. 733 1 1 1 1 1

Jensen, Jorgen H.

636

Jensen, Nels C.

691

Jeppesen, Anders

851

1

Jessen, George, Jr.

696

Jessen, Peter M.

711

Johannsen, Ludwig H.

1

586

Johnson, Charles

392

Johnson, Charles L. 382 1 1 1

1 1 I Johnson, Edwin F. 617

Johnson, Lemuel C. I 1

505

Johnson, Samuel R.

853

I

I

Jorgensen, Albert H.

813

1

I Jorgensen, George L. 810 1 1

Jorgensen, Hans

504

1

1

Jorgensen, J. L. 831 1 1 1

Jorgensen, Jorgen 836 : F F

Jurgens, Charles

468

I

1

K

Kester, T. C. 767

Kienast, August 660

Kitson, Arthur 544

1

Kline, Fred

744

1 Knudsen, Christ J. 613 1

Knudsen, Marius 761

1 Knudsen, Peter 701 1 I 1 1 1 1

1 Knutsen, Chris 735 1 1

Kreamer, Frank 319 1 1 1 I

1 Kuhn, Jacob 328 1 1 1 1 1 İ I

1 Kyhnn, George 507 1 1 1 I 1

L

1 Lancelot, William J. 823 I

Lange, Peter 445 I 1 1 1 1

Lantz, Roy A. 1

I 1 548

Larsen, Dan E.

1 1 485

Larsen, Jens

572

Larsen, Kristen 506 1 1 1

Larsen, Lars P. 655 1

Lauridsen, Peter N. 494 I

Lauritsen, Chris P. 858

Lauritzen, H. P 838 1 1

Mortensen, Nels 482 1

Mullenger, Robert W. 496 1 1

Musson, John A. 370 1 1 1

Leffler, Bird

1

1

1

Liken, John F. 422

Lohner, J. B. J. 712 1 1

Loveland, Russell J.

1

1 339

Mc

McGaffin, Samuel 870

McLaughlin, Frank R. 1 1

768

McLeran, William P. 604 1 I 1

McMahon, Patrick 455 1 1 1 1

McMichael, Thomas 523 1 1 1 1 I 1

McMurphy, Abraham L.

1

859

M

Madsen, Hans 420

Madsen, Peter 477 ]

Madsen, Soren 325 1

1 1 Mantz, Halleck J. 308

Marcusen, Christian 535

Marcusen, Jorgen

808

Mardesen, Martin P. 539

Marquesen, Evans 334 1 1

Martin, John W. 694 1 I 1 1 1

1 Mason, Thomas E. 331 I 1 1 1

Masterson, Melvin I. I 1

I 430

Mathisen, Peter

1 402 1

May, Franklin L.

1 437

May, George A., M. D 1 1

Mayer, Rev. Jolın 704

Mease, O1.

510

1 Mendenhall, Hiram 1 1 1 Meurer, Anthony 661 1

342

] Meyer, George J. 749 1 1 1

Miller. Alfred 865

I Miller, Conrad 577 1

Miller, Frank L. 726 1 1

Miller, Jacob F. 583

Miller, Ludwig F. 404

Miller, Oscar 778

1 Miller, William 470

Minerman, Henry

656

Moller, Christian C. 729 1

1 Moore, Jolın 600 1 1 1

Mortensen, Hans 732 1 1

Mortensen, Martin E. 1

1

1

391

1 Layland, William 340 1 1

Leanord, Val

1

1

1

1 867

556

Musson, Thomas F. 466

1

1

1

J

1

1

1 1

I

I

1

1

1

1

I 1

1

1

1 I 419

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

N

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

312

623

597

479

683

693

635

721

570

500

612

384

752

446

521

323

434

365

699

740

387

327

700 484

700

741

371

567

743

620

448

619

601

410

558

750

689

687

432

493

663

864 417

Peterson, Peter F.

Porch, Elmer C. Phelps, Ren

Preston, George W. Potter, Eugene

Quinby, John J.

598

665

616

376

766

388

396

374

560

526

344

782

684

547

460

452

441

688

666

610

643

490

562

373

424

364

587

606

525

821

362

351

379

611

352

Nash, John A.

Nelsen, Hans

Nelsen, Iver

Nelson, Anton

Nelson, Gilbert P.

Nelson, Hans A.

Nelson, John

Nelson, L. Peter

Nelson, Soren R.

Nielsen, Hans J.

Niklason, Frank O Nielsen, Marinus

Nissen, John

Nissen, Peter R.

Northup, Harry A.

Northup, Jasper

Northup, William

Nymand, Hans

Nymand, Jesse

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

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1

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1

1

I

1

1

I

I

1

I

1

1

1

1

Parkinson, George J. Pardee, Charles A.

Patty, Theodore

Pedersen, Soren C. Paulsen, Henrick P. Paul, Herman

Perrine, W. W.

Petersen, Chris C. Petersen, Chris Petersen, Anton

Petersen, Hans P.

Petersen, Henry C.

Petersen, Lauritz

Petersen, Nels P.

Petersen, P. C.

Olsen, Chris

Olsen, Wilhelm C.

Onken, William G. Onken, William Onken, Henry

Owen, William S. Owen, William

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

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1

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1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

A

1

1

1

P

O

Oldaker, Leroy J., D. D. S.

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

I

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Rabe, Henry

Rasmussen, Tony M. Rasmussen, Rev. Peter Rasmussen, Hans P.

Reimers, Herman D. Rice, Edward C. Reynolds, Fred

Ridgley, F. W. Rice, Frank M.

Riley, John, M. D.

Roberts, William S.

Roed, Chris

Ross, George M.

Rutherford, Robert Rucker, William Rubel, Peter

Sampson, Daniel D.

Schmidt, Nels C. N.

Schouboe, Jens P.

Schrader, August

Schrader, William

Schroeder, Jorgen F. Schreiber, Henry

Shoesmith, Howard G. Shaw, William Scotland, Walter

Simonsen, Erik P. Siemsen, John E. Shupe, Albert J.

Sorensen, Kristine M. Soar, David E. Smith, Martin

Sorrensen, Martin

Starck, Rev. Ernest J. W. Spencer, Robert C.

E

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

I

1

1

I

I

R

Q

776

708

541

427

1

1

I

1

1

1

A

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

I

I

I

S

1

1

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1

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1

1

1

1

1

1

[ 1

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1

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1

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1

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1

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1

1

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1

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1

1

1

764

425

1 1

1

1

1

1

1

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1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

I

I

1

1 1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

652

1

1

1

Roberts, Alexander H.

Northup, George C.

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Stearns, Ella M. 315

Steere, Edmund H. 818

Stetzel, Ira

815

Voss, Ernest B. 852

1 I

Stone, Abel S.

738

Strahl, James C.

552

W

Wahlert, Fred, Sr. 746

Wahlert, Fred J., Jr. 495

Wahlert, George, Jr. 795

Wahlert, Jacob F. 416

Wahlert, John 514

Wahlert, Jurgen 633

Weaver, Samuel G. 461

Wedemeyer, Herman C. 755

Welch, Orrin S. 728

Weston, Albert W. 595 1 1 1

Thygesen, Ted S 670

Weston, W. W. 624

1 Tibben, Henry W. 763

Wheeler, Joseph L. 676

Tibben, John C. 747

White, James G. 786

Tibben, William C. 769 1 1 1

Williamson, Thomas 457

797

Torpy, Henry 706 1

Wilson, Clark

488

1 1 Tramp, Louis E. 531 1

Wilson, Eugene C.

368

Tunmann, Charles 1 1

413

Witthauer, Otto 310 1 1

Wolf, Christian J. H. 834 1 1 1 1

Turner, Roscoe T. 1

702

Wolf, Welberg

1 875

Turner, Thomas H. 553

Wulf, George L. 671 1

Twist, John

549

Wulf, John E.

680

U

Y

Ullerich, Herman

723

Yager, William C.

578

V

Z

Vanaernam, George M.

622

Zierke, August

357

J

1

Sunberg, Henry 367 1 1

Swinehart, Joel L. 615 1

1

I

1

Stuedeman, Ernest 857 1

1 Sunberg, Charles 317 1 1 1

Sunberg, Fred

565

1

T

Thomas, Maturon D. 771

Thomsen, Frank D. 429

Thomsen, Thomas B. 650

Topp, Andrew P. 807 1 1

Wilson, Charles R.

I 1 Turner, Nathaniel 805

1

1

1

1

Van Gorder, Charles 305

Van Gorder, Edwin S. 383

HISTORICAL

CHAPTER I.

GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, ETC.

Audubon county is situated in the west central part of Iowa, the third county east from the Missouri river, about fifty-four miles distant. Lying almost wholly on the Missouri slope, its east boundary approximates nearly the summit of the watershed dividing the Mississippi and Missouri water systems. It is bounded on the north by Carroll, on the east by Guthrie, on the south by Cass, and on the west by Shelby counties. Its area is four hundred and forty-three square miles.

The general surface of the county is rolling, open prairies. The greater and higher lying portions of its lands are of the drift formation and of great fertility, even to the summit of the divides; the lower lying lands along the river bottoms and their tributaries are alluvial deposits of marvelous, match- less richness, often from five to ten feet in depth. The county is nearly free from ponds or lakes. Magnificent stretches of landscapes can be viewed from the high divides in every township in the county. It is rare to witness such fine prairie scenery as abounds in Audubon county.

NATIVE GRASSES.

In its virgin freshness the prairies were vast billows of wild grasses, waving in the wind; the home of the noble elk and graceful deer, but which later became the pastures of numerous herds of horses and cattle, until the native grasses were upturned by the plow of the farmer and converted into veritable gardens. The wild grasses began to grow about April and reached the height of eighteen inches on the hillsides and often six feet in the low- lands. Such noble natural meadows have been rarely witnessed on earth. Many a man remained poor at that period for want of stock to eat up, for, his benefit, the wild, rich grasses.

(3)

34

AUDUBON COUNTY, IOWA.

About the month of October the grasses were killed by the frosts, and a little later the ground was swept by prairie fires, leaving the face of the country a bare, black, lonesome wilderness-a transformation from the beat- tiful to an unsightly, desolate waste. One who has not witnessed such sights can but partially realize them. Those prairie fires, marching and advancing like an army over the hills and hollows in the night-time, illum- inating the sky to noonday brightness, were truly wild, magnificent, grand pictures, never to be recalled or forgotten. Those annual fires, destroying vegetation, were the causes which prevented the growth of timber, except in favored localities.

THE SOIL.

The soil is remarkably free from stone or gravel. There is no coal or building stone found in the county. Sand is occasionally found. There is an abundance of brick clay. The rivers and streams are deeply eroded into the fine, black, alluvial soil and furnish an abundance of pure water. The rolling surface of the country affords the best of natural drainage.

For agricultural purposes the soil of the county can hardy be excelled. Its fertility is widely and favorably known. Except what is occupied by rivers, streams and highways, practically all the land in the county is adapted to tillage or grazing. It would be difficult to find a country in the world containing a higher percentage of arable lands. Horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry, cereals, grasses, vegetables and fruits usually found in this latitude are produced in profusion and abundance.

THE RIVERS AND WATER SYSTEM.

Approximately the northeast half of Viola township is drained into Brushy creek, a tributary of the Raccoon river system, which flows south- east. A small area of eastern Viola township drains into the South 'Coon river. The remainder of the county is drained by the Nishna Botna rivers and their tributaries, which flow from north towards the southwest. The East Nishna Botna rises in Carroll county and enters Audubon county at section 3. in Cameron township ; thence southeast into Viola township; thence south into and across the extreme northwest corner of Melville township, into Leroy township: thence south across Leroy, Hamlin and Exira town- ships, leaving the county near the line between Exira and Oakfield townships ; traversing the county its entire length from north to south. Its principal tributaries are the East branch, which rises in Melville township and enters

35

AUDUBON COUNTY, IOWA.

the river in the northwest corner of the township; Blue Grass creeek, which rises in Cameron township, and flows south across Leroy township and enters the Botna on the west side in section 15, in Hamlin township. Another branch rises in the northwest part of Hamlin township, flows southeast and enters the Botna on the west side in section 27, same township. David's creek rises in the northeast part of Melville township, flows southwest across Greeley township, and enters the Botna at West Exira. Anderson creek rises in the northeast part of Exira township, and flows west into David's creek at West Exira. Sifford creek rises in the south part of Hamlin town- ship, flows south into the Botna on the west side, in section 17, Exira town- ship. Buck creek rises in the north part of Oakfield township, flows south and enters the Botna on the west side, near Lewis, in Cass county. Trouble- some creek rises in the southeast part of Gree'ey and northeast part of Audu- bon township, and flows southwest across Audubon and Exira townships and enters the Botna near Atlantic, Iowa. Crooked creek rises in the south- east part of Audubon township, and flows southwest into Troublesome creek, in Cass county. Indian creek rises in the southeast part of Douglas town- ship, flows south through Sharon township into Shelby county ; thence south into Cass county and enters the Botna near Elliot, Iowa. Little Indian creek rises in the southwest part of Hamlin township and southeast part of Sharon township, and flows southwest across the northwest part of Oakfield town- ship, and enters the Main Indian creek in Shelby county. The East fork of West Botna rises in Lincoln township, flows south across the northwest part of Douglas township, and enters Shelby county at section 18, Douglas township. Lone Willow creek rises in the east part of Douglas township, flows west and enters the East fork of the Botna in section 9, of same town- ship. Another tributary of the East fork rises in the southwest part of Lincoln township, and flows south, reaching the river in section 18, near where it leaves the county. Still another tributary of the East fork rises in the southwest part of Douglas township, and flows northwest into the principal stream in section 18, same township. Thus the three tributaries which form the East fork of the West Botna unite near together in section 18, in Douglas township.

TIMBER AND GROVES.

When the county was settled it contained some of the best timber in western lowa. It extended from the county line on the south, up the east side of the Botna river north to the north line of section 14, in Hamlin township. For about fifteen miles, it was an unbroken fringe of timber

36

AUDUBON COUNTY, IOWA.

next to the river, enlarging into several extensive bodies of heavy, fine tim- ber. One large grove on the Ballard land extended from the county line up to the Mark Heath farm, embracing the heavy timber in sections 30 and 31, in Exira township, and in sections 25 and 36, in Oakfield township, about eight hundred acres of timber and brush land in all. Another extensive tract, called the "Big Grove," of about two thousand seven hundred acres, extended from the town of Oakfield north to the Herrick farm and from the river east two miles. It embraced lands in sections 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 28 and 29 in Exira township. It was the largest and finest body of timber in the county. There were other smaller groves at Gault's, Milli- man's, West Exira, at the Wilson and Dodge places, also in sections 27 and 14, in Hamlin township, and at Barlow's and Luccock's groves, in Leroy township. Beginning again at the county line, the timber extended in fringes up Troublesome creek, alternated with the groves of Bowen, Hamlin, Lewis, Walker and Thomas, nearly to the north line of Audubon township, about eight miles. There was a small grove in the extreme northeast of the county and another in section 18, in Douglas township, later called Donald- son's grove. A fringe of timber extended up the creek from the latter- named grove to section 9, in the same township.

In the early days these groves contained many varieties of deciduous trees, namely: White oak, burr oak, black oak, black walnut, shellbark hickory, white hickory, white maple, linn or basswood, cottonwood, white elm, red or slippery elm, aspen or poplar, wild or black cherry, hackberry, willow, ironwood, wild crabapple, wild plum, hawthorn, black haw, occa- sionally a buckeye, with wild grape and gooseberry. Majestic specimens of the lordly oak and towering walnut were found in great quantities, as well as enormous elms. The writer remembers to have seen here in the early days an oak eight feet in diamter and a walnut which made three logs each twenty feet in length, eighteen inches in diameter at the top and three feet at the butt.

There is now growing on the ancient Nathaniel Hamlin estate a white elm tree eight feet in diameter.

THE INDIANS.

As early as 1803 the Sac and Fox Indians possessed the greater part of Iowa. Some of their celebrated chiefs in eastern Iowa were Blackhawk, Pashapopo, Keokuk, Wapello, Appanoose. The Iowas, who inhabited what is now Van Buren county, on the DesMoines river, were nearly annihilated

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AUDUBON COUNTY, IOWA.

by the Sac and Fox tribe. The Sioux, of Minnesota, who extended down into northern Iowa, were a fierce, war-like nation, continually at war with, the Sac and Fox tribe. They made war on the whites at Spirit and Okoboji lakes as late as 1857, and it was necessary to call out troops against the Sioux during the Civil War. The Pottawattamies, whose principal settle- ment was at Trader's Point, in Mills county, went there soon after the In- dian treaty of 1833. They had a settlement at Indian Town, near the pres- ent town of Lewis, in Cass county. It is not improbable that they hunted and trapped in this vicinity, but they had moved west about the time the Mormons came, in 1846. A remnant of the Iowa Indians came back to Tama county in 1842. They were called Musquakies, or mixed tribe, and still live there.

There is nothing to indicate that the Indians ever made permanent homes in this county. It was not favorable for such resort. The larger rivers, where fish abounded, were better adapted for permanent abodes of the aborigines. We do not find the remains of an Indian town here. Fish never abounded here. The only source of food supply sufficient to sustain a large body of people permanently was elk, deer, and perhaps buffalo at an early period ; small game could not be procured in sufficient quantity to sus- tain a large population. The burning of the grass and herbage annually in the fall destroyed most of the food supply for the sustenance of wild ani- mals during the winter, and probably large numbers of elk and deer mi- grated during those periods in search of food elsewhere. A limited number only could subsist in the timber and brush lands. The migratory birds did not winter here. But in summer when food for wild animals and birds was abundant, this must have been the Indian hunter's paradise, and the opportunity, no doubt, was improved. Game was abundant and the Indians ate nearly all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as birds, for food.

The Indians continued to make hunting trips here annually in warm weather as late as the year 1886. They were Musquakies, from Tama county, known as "Johnny Green's Tribe." The last time Green himself was seen here was in the fall of 1865, when he was very old. He was a brother of Shabbona, who lived at a grove of that name in DeKalb county, Illinois. Shabbona served with the Indian allies of the British in the War of 1812. As many as fifty in a band, bucks, squaws and pappooses, clad in their peculiar array of shirts, leggings, blankets, etc., with numerous ponies and dogs, came to hunt and trap from June until cold weather. They lived in "wickeups," a frame of sapling rods, covered with mats woven food, and were a nuisance on that account. They were excessively fond

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AUDUBON COUNTY, IOWA.

of "hoggy meat," and not dainty about their food, if not too far decayed. They lived in "wickiups," a frame of sapling rods, covered with mats woven from flags by the squaws. The walls sloped and were open at the top for the escape of smoke when fires were kindled near the center within. They were cozy and comfortable, but not always clean. Later they lived in canvas tents. Some of the Indians were drunkards, but not worse than some white people. Many of them gloried in horse-racing and were not inferior to the whites in that kind of sport. Their favorite camping places were near Wal- ker's place, on Troublesome creek; near the Burton place, on the Botna; near the mouth of David's creek, west of Exira; north of Exira in sections 21 and 27. in Hamlin township on the Botna; at Blue Grass Grove, where the county poorhouse is located; at Luccock's Grove ; and the groves on West Botna, in Douglas township, and at other places.

The late A. B. Houston, of Exira, once said that the Indians came to his place about 1857, and were making free, without invitation, with his little supply of corn, and broke up the nests of Mrs. Houston's sitting hens, seeking food for themselves and ponies. The Indians were normally hun- gry. Houston remonstrated with them and they departed grumblingly.

In 1871, about harvest time, the Indians made a camp in the timber on the Botna north of Exira, in Hamlin township, and were making havoc with the deer. Several hunters, among them John Huntley, John Dodge, Sant. Anderson, William Evans, the writer, and others, armed and mounted, went to their camp. Huntley acted as leader. He drew the profile of an Indian with charcoal on the bark of a tree; then pointing to the picture said: "Him Indian! Indian kill white man's buck! White man skuddaho (whip) In- dian like h-1! Puckachee (go away) !" He then drew a revolver and shot at the picture. The Indians observed him closely and held a consultation among themselves, and one of them, pointing towards the place of sunrise, said: "Morning, Indian puckachee way off." They kept their promise. I have since thought that we treated the poor savages worse than the occa- sion required ; but it was an aggravation for them to come into our settle- ment and kill game under our noses, when there was plenty by going a little farther away.

AN INDIAN APOLLO.

On one occasion, about that period, while the Indians were camped at the same place, several of our young gentlemen took their lady friends and sweethearts to see them on a friendly visit one evening. There was an enormous young "buck" in the band named Jo, who stood six and a half

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