USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 13
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The cream separator, with the creamery for a regular customer, the mod- ern churn, washing machine, pump and wood saw, all operated by the gasoline engine, the fine up-to-date heating and lighting plants and water system now installed in the best country homes, surpass the luxuries of kings and queens of a hundred years ago. Yes, less than that. And the old ramshackle ox cart, the old squeaky spring wagon, and even the pretentious top buggy, have now been replaced by the automobile and Ford. Nowadays nearly every farmer ean afford at least a Ford. This is a meager comparison between days that were with days that are, and the improvement in erops and live stock on the farms is just as marked. Years ago the great majority of farmers paid more attention to wind and weather than to soil and seed. Now their first attention is to the soil, and secondly, although not of minor importance, is the seed, not intimating that the weather is not a most fundamental necessary adjunct, but here in Iowa, and particularly in Buchanan County, we are practically assured of the right kind, at seed time and at harvest, and most of our promised erop failures prove to be mental drought or drench. Farmers as a class, are rather inclined to be pessimistic about their crops and the prices they receive (yon will pardon the criticism when we aeknowledge the fault), "we" know. because "we" are "they." invariably we are agreeably disappointed in the harvest, for no matter what failures of crops are anticipated, there is enough and to spare. The time of real crop failures here is past, we hope, and now could we but stamp out that awful pestilence, hog cholera, we would all be literally rolling in wealth. Other diseases ravage the domestic animals, but nothing is so widespread and devastating as hog cholera, which has destroyed millions of dollars' worth of property, besides the millions more or less that have been spent by individuals,
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schools and Government for preventatives and cures, and it remains the scourge and drawback of this splendid, lucrative industry, which every few years sweeps through the country, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Blessed be the man who tirst discovers a cure ; everlasting monuments and eternal fame and glory shall be his reward.
Oxen were largely used in former times For farm work and even for driving purposes, and the census reports of as late as 1865 show 549 in this county. Now they have entirely disappeared.
Horses have always been well thought of here, and consequently are of a good quality and far above the average in other parts of the country. If you are at all doubtful of this, just notice the splendid, strong, well-kept farm teams you meet on a trip to the country, compared with the small, scrawny, underfed, shambling equines you see elsewhere. During war times horses sold very high, prices ranging front $75 to $100, caused by the great demand for the army. At one time 400 horses were bought in and around the county at prices ranging from $112 to $125, for the cavalry troops, but later years they became so plenti- ful that a good horse often sold for $20 or $25. Now they are higher and undoubtedly of a superior quality. Horses, sheep and fowls, like all other farm produets, have been greatly improved in this county, better breeds and better rare having caused this condition. Just within the last few years has the value of superior stock been generally and thoroughly appreciated, and now the pro- gressive farmer studies, selects, nurtures and improves his stock as zealously and carefully as he does his children, and often with more zeal and care. The best of housing, feeding and grooming is none too good for his fancy, high- priced stock. In Buchanan County we have some very fine stock, as is testified by the blue ribbons awarded at the state fair to Buchanan County exhibitors. But to say that good stock was not at all appreciated in the early times is a mis- statement, for we read of some of those pioneer farmers who scoured the entire conntry for the quality of breeding they desired; especially was this true of their efforts with sheep.
In those days, this county was considered perfectly adapted to sheep rais- ing, and many of the farmers went into it on an extensive and expensive scale, hundreds of head were brought in from Michigan, Wisconsin and the New Eng- land States. The first important floek was introduced by Mr. Ephraim Leach, in October, 1861, when he brought 640 head of fine Merino sheep from Michigan. Mr. C. H. Jakway, of Buffalo Grove, was another of the original and largest importers of sheep in the entire state. He owned some very valuable stock; two tine ewes and three bucks he had selected from three celebrated flocks in Ver- mont eost him $1,000. Messrs. Mills and Bryant brought 1,600 sheep from Michi- gan. Most of these flocks averaged about $2.00 per head. In 1864, there were 9,830 sheep in our county which had increased to 15,858 in 1865. Day after day enormous flocks were driven through Independence for other parts of the state. Such was the extent of this industry that a project for a woolen mill was greatly agitated through the papers, and at a meeting held at Quasqueton, the farmers subscribed $4,000 and the proposition to lease or buy the Quasqueton water power by a joint company seemed a most favorable projeet, but the projeet never materialized.
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Ede's opened a wool carding establishment on Pine Creek which turned ont excellent work but great numbers of valuable sheep were killed by dogs and sometimes by wolves ; sometimes owners losing almost their entire droves. Dogs killed $1,428 worth in one year which at $2.00 per head makes a startlingly large number.
This great slaughter on the sheep folds and the eventual appearance of foot-rot, caused by the continued dampness of the soil, discouraged the pursu- ance of this industry, but in the last few years it has again come into favor. Our 1910 census report shows 8,097 sheep in the county and their value as $40,925. worth almost three times as much per head as in the '60s.
The poultry industry in early days was of minor importance, home con- sumption being the only incentive. Eggs ranged from 5 to 12 cents per dozen, and in the market reports poultry was scarcely ever mentioned, so we eon- clude there was no demand for such delicacies. The only quotations we found were in 1858 and 1859, 4 cents per pound ; in another $1.00 per dozen, although at that same time they were selling at 35 cents and 40 cents apiece in Dubuque, but probably the abundance of quail, prairie chicken and other wild game had much to do in governing the price. Quail were 60 cents per dozen and prairie chickens 75 cents. Eggs were shipped by the pound and in the early reports we have no means of knowing the number of dozens.
Dairying has always been quite a forte of this community. In the census of 1865, 311,801 pounds of butter and 20,097 pounds of cheese was the output. The prices were 8 to 10 cents for butter and 6 to 10 cents for cheese. This industry had not increased as might be expected, in fact, has decreased ; the 1910 census showing 258,012 pounds of butter and no cheese produced, but 456,836 pounds of butterfat being sold. An explanation of this might be that creameries have monopolized those industries and much of the cream is made into ice cream, and although the number of milch cows has increased from 4,372 in 1865 to 18,607 in 1910, over four times as many, the dairy products have greatly dimin- ished.
To be sure the largest per cent of our cattle are raised for beef, but what becomes of those thousands of gallons of milk is a mystery.
Bee raising was and is of some importance here in Buchanan County. In 1865, there were 936 colonies of bees which produced 10,168 pounds of honey. This amount had increased to 1,631 colonies and 24,297 pounds of honey.
The manufacture of sorghum was begun in this county and flourished quite extensively for a number of years ; some sugar was made too, although not of as good a quality as the syrup. The price of sugar was so extremely high that any substitute was greeted with cordial appreciation. Refined sugar, or granulated, as we now call it, sold for 12 and 13 cents per pound, erushed and pulverized. 161/2 cents, and even brown sugar was 10 and 12 cents per pound, and molasses and syrups ranged from 65 cents per gallon for the poorest molasses, up to 90 cents per gallon for the best syrups. Mr. Matthias Harter was one of the first experimenters and manufacturers of sorghum, syrup and sugar in the state, and it was his boast that he could make those articles as good as could be manu- factured from southern sugar cane, and sold his syrup for 50 cents per gallon. Mr. Harter went into it very extensively for a new venture, expending $1,500 the first year, most of which was a total loss owing to poor seed and production and
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buying a worthless boiling apparatus, but nevertheless he was confident in the eventual success of the sorghum industry here, and by his perseverance succeeded in making 800 gallons of first-class syrup and 300 pounds of fairly good sugar in 1861. He also manufactured rum and alcohol from the sorghum. From all these evidenees, this plant was destined to become one of the most productive grown in America, the seed being equal to corn for feeding stock and the stalk producing sugar, rum, alcohol and even an adipose substance from which candles could be made, but with the material decrease in the cost of sugar and sorghums, the demand for home manufacture became less and less and the saving in manu- facturing it did not compensate for the labor expended. It took a great deal of skill to make it right, much of the home product being of a black, rubbery consistency hardly fit to use. In 1861 about 10,000 gallons of sorghum and 1,000 pounds of sugar were made. Myers Miller was the largest manufacturer, making 960 gallons. Harter & Bush made 850 gallons, Timson 800 gallons. Ransom and T. (. Bartle each 700 gallons, besides many others who were in the business. This at only 50 cents per gallon (the price paid here) gives $5,000-quite a material saving. Mr. Ransom Bartle made 200 pounds of sugar and Mr. Harter 300 pounds, and that when it was an experiment for this county, though later the amount of sorghum syrup had increased to 28,815 gallons while the sorghum sugar had dwindled to one pound. The 1910 statisties show 55 aeres of sorghum cane planted and 4,057 gallons the production.
A rash conclusion by the manufacturers of that time was that sugar and syrup manufacture would be our principal industries and that in future years Buchanan County would produce all the sugar and molasses it used. Advertisements for sorghun seed were important items in the papers and great controversy arose between the various manufacturers as to methods employed. Numerous sugar evaporators were invented by local geniuses to promote the facilities.
Many different articles appeared in the Buchanan County agricultural re- ports which have since become obsolete, such as hops, tobacco, lint, wine, and even "coal" of which fifty bushels were mined in Buffalo Township in 1865. In 1865 there was produced 41534 pounds of hops. 8,073 pounds of tobacco, 776 pounds of lint, and 177 gallons of wine.
Besides all the other important industries was that of fruit growing. This soil was thought to be perfectly adapted to all kinds of fruit growing and farmers were urged to go into it extensively-at the County Fair in 1871 E. B. Older exhibited ten varieties of grapes and three of pears. Dr. Warne exhibited several varieties of grapes and some peaches. Hundreds of apple trees were planted and even peaches, and pears to some extent while the cultivation of grapes was exten- sively engaged in : this climate was considered partienlarly adapted to it.
At the First Annual Fair of the Buchanan County Agricultural Society held in Independenee, September, 1871, the show of fruit was especially fine and at- tracted much attention, being a comparatively new industry in this county. Fifteen different collections of apples, embracing from five to thirty varieties were exhibited. J. S. Bouek showed over sixty varieties of apples, thirty-three of which were his own raising. Some 30,563 fruit trees were in the county in 1865 of which only 1,917 were bearing. Now there are over 38,000 but what number are bear- ing trees we can not state. Apples are the main erop of fruit, there being 25,717 trees, bearing 14,551 bushels ; there are 147 peach and nectarine trees which bore
A BUCHANAN COUNTY FARM
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32 bushels. Small fruit, such as cherries, grapes, currants, and strawberries seemed to flourish and gave promise of becoming one of the principal interests here, but now is of minor importance and mostly grown for home consumption, but are nevertheless of fine quality and flavor. Many of the orchards have died out and although new orchards have been planted, just what Buchanan County can produce in this way is yet to be seen. There were several fine fruit farms in the county. Mrs. I. Knight, east of Independence, had a fine orchard, some of her varieties of apples weighed over a pound apiece ; one owned by J. S. Bouek, one mile west of Independence, and I. Turner, Charles Crary, George Parish, S. F. Searles, W. E. Hill, J. C. Neidy, Stephen Pearsall, J. G. Litts and others were extensively engaged in fruit growing. Mr. George Black has a fine horticultural farm just north of Independence and produces many excellent and rare varieties of fruit and flowers.
An item that shows that the early Buchanan County farmers were progressive appeared in one of the county papers thus: "In 1861, 100 reapers were sold in Independence at $150 apiece." This shows an expenditure of $15,000 for an implement new and comparatively little tried. It was estimated that $10,000 was expended on other farm machinery that year and the day of agricultural machin- ery was just commencing. Practically all of this money (as it still does) goes outside the state, a cause for deep concern to those zealous, ambitious people and this opinion was expressed in a long article by the editor of the Guardian in which he urged the immediate correction of this state of affairs by manufacturing our own implements and moreover he confidently expected that soon we would have manufactories that would supply not only our own need but other counties.
The idea of these early times was to supply every need by home industries. We quote the above to show how far we have drifted away from this conclusion. Quite a bit of simpler machinery was manufactured here in the early days. A sulky plow ("a new and unique farm machine") had been patented by Ingalls, Smith & Clark of Independence and was being manufactured quite extensively, and although we have not fulfilled the expectations of those "pioneer boosters" in the way of manufacture, we must have eclipsed their most exaggerated dreams, and even now the science of farming is but in its infancy. In 1865 there were $94,786.00 worth of agricultural implements in the county. According to the last agrienltural report $996,736 was expended in machinery in this county, while in 1900 the amount was $646,880, and every year sees some new invention and device to facilitate farm labor.
Nowadays the new-fangled machinery, the corn shredder, eutter and sheller, the manure spreader, the eream separator, the disc, the gasolene engine, attract the faney and the pocketbook of our up-to-date farmers. Another sign of pro- gression and prosperity is the advanced price of land in this county, as elsewhere in the state. From the time when the Government sold it for $1.25 per aere to the last legislative assessment of $62 average value is quite a jump, but even this does not adequately show the value.
Fine improved farms, such improvements as were then needed, with living water sold from $2.00 to $3.00 per acre in the early '60s; now those same farms with like improvements would sell for $75 and $100 an aere.
In August, 1874, S. T. Spangler of Buffalo Township went to Kentucky and at some of the large stock sales bought eight very fine cows, paying as high as Vol. L -7
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$500 for the one and $1,695 for the eight head, and the agricultural community owed a debt of appreciation and gratitude to any Buchanan County breeder who exerted constant work and intelligent efforts for the improvement of stock in this vicinity.
This was one of the first herds of blooded, shorthorn cattle imported into the county. This was making a good start for introducing fine stock into the county.
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CHAPTER VIII
THE EARLY SETTLERS ASSOCIATION
ITS ORGANIZATION-"THE OLD PIONEER' -AN HISTORICAL ADDRESS
The Early Settlers Association, as it was formerly ealled (later it acquired the name Old Settlers' Pienie), was formally organized in the autumn of 1875. Several of the old residents of Independence and vicinity united in a call for a meeting to be held on the 9th of September.
It was intended to hold the meeting in a grove near town, but the inclemeney of the weather prevented, so the meeting was held in the courthouse. There was quite an assembly of old settlers and after they adopted a constitution they pro- ceeded to elect officers for the ensuing year. O. 11. P. Roszell was elected presi- dent ; J. S. Woodward, secretary ; James Jamison, treasurer ; and a vice president from each of sixteen townships. A list of the members was taken at this meeting in accordance with article 9 of the constitution, which read, "Any resident of the county who has resided therein for twenty years may become a member of the society by presenting his name to the secretary for record." One hundred names were recorded at that first meeting. For several years the meetings were held at various places. Often in Dickinson's Grove, on the west side of the river, but eventually the Courthouse Park was selected as the regular meeting place. These reunions were held almost continuously until 1901, when either from laek of interest or because the old settlers depended on the new settlers to keep up the enthusiasm, they were discontinued.
The form of entertainment included a big pienie dinner, which was followed by a literary and musieal program and speeches from the old settlers. To Mr. W. A. Jones belongs much of the credit for the success of these meetings. He served as president for many years and the reunions were always held on his birthday, the 24th of Angust. Mr. Newton Barr succeeded Mr. Jones as presi- dent and was one of the earnest workers for the society, lending his aid not only to the arrangements, but to the programs, contributing several poems of his own composition, one of which we insert as a true portrayal of pioneer life, Mr. Barr being a son of one of the earliest pioneers.
THE OLD PIONEER
"Another year has rolled around Sinee last we met upon this ground : The elderly, the young, the gay, Are here to celebrate today.
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"They like to see the pioneer, Because they know his days are near, Of troubles all he never feared In early days, when here he steered.
"The old pioneer likes to tell How lonely here he used to dwell, Because neighbors here were so few, When this 'beautiful land' was new.
"He likes to tell of land he broke, With oxen of many a yoke; He likes to tell of game he killed, When at that time this land was filled.
"He likes to tell of flowers wild That used to please his little child, That used to fear the Indian brave That now lies buried in the grave.
"He likes to tell of work it took, With cradle or reaper hook, To save the little crops he grew ; Self-binders then he never knew.
"He likes to tell of railroads great That are everywhere in our state, On which he may ride to and fro When he does not want to go slow.
"Ile likes to tell of good old times, When men committed no great crimes; Prisons and jails then were not built, The people were so free from guilt.
"The poor he never did forget, Their little wants he always met; The same trait of him now is true, For he always was of 'true blue.'
"Old Time is fleeting every day ; The pioneer is old and gray ; He soon will be gone to glory, So now ends my little story."
AN HISTORICAL ADDRESS
O. H. P. Roszell, a prominent early citizen of Buchanan County, delivered the following address at the Centennial celebration of Independence on July 4, 1876 :
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"Beginning with the advent of the first permanent settlement in the county, we are carried back about one-third of a century; for the pioneer was one William Bennett, who settled where now is the thriving Village of Quasqueton in the early spring of 1842. Mr. Bennett is said to have been the first settler in the County of Delaware also, and had probably chanced upon the site of Quas- queton .in some hunting expedition. The beauty of the locality captivated his faney, and the rapid stream showed that its power could be utilized. He at once laid elaim to the place and proceeded to make his claim good by erecting a log cabin on the east bank of the river and occupying it with his family.
"It is almost as difficult for us to conceive the appearance which the county then presented to its first citizen as it would have been for him to paint by aid of fancy that which it now presents to us. Approaching his new home from the east, he had crossed many miles of prairie, stretehing away to the north beyond the limits of vision; looking across the stream to the southwest, still the same undulating prairie; and if he passed the river a little to the west he beheld still the same gently swelling sea of treeless green extending towards the north- west to all appearance boundless.
"Ile might have caught some floating canoe drifted from its mooring far up the stream, and following the timber skirted river through the entire extent of the county, no other traees of art or industry would have met his gaze, save perhaps the lodge poles of some deserted Indian eamp. But though he would have found the country a wilderness, it was not a solitude. From every thicket on the river's bank, the dip of the paddles would have startled the deer, and its splash been echoed by the sudden plunge of the otter or beaver, while wild fowls -ducks, geese and the majestic swan, rose at his approach in countless thousands and mingled their screams with the cry of innumerable cranes wheeling their flight far up in the blue ether. The whole country was as if just completed- fresh and new and perfect from the hand of the Creator; an unpeopled para- dise. Hardly had Bennett taken possession of his cabin before he was joined by one Evans, and by Ezra Allen, who settled about one and a half miles north of Quasqueton and in April the settlement was increased by the arrival of Fred- erick Kessler and wife, Rufus B. Clark and family, S. G. and H. T. Sanford, a Mr. Daggett and Simmons and Lambert and Edward Brewer; the latter, who was then unmarried, made his home with Kessler. Clark and Kessler each made claims and built eabins about one and a half miles west of Quasqueton and near together and as soon as possible commenced breaking prairie, so that in June they had ten acres broken which they planted with corn and beans; but though frost did not appear that fall until October 10th, there was not sufficient time for the crop to ripen. They all, men and women, went to work the day after the frost and gathered the crop so as to secure it in the best possible condition for corn and beans were important articles. For provisions during the summer of 1842 it was necessary to go to the Maquoketa a distance of sixty miles. One per- son was sent with an ox team and brought supplies for the whole community. The land was yet unsurveyed and of course not in market. The Government sur- veyors were engaged that summer in making a subdivision and were encamped for some time near Kessler's. The sight of these and an occasional squad of cavalry galloping across the prairie and fording the river at the rapids served to remind the settlers that they were not alone in the world.
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"During that summer a man named Stiles settled at Quasqueton and to him belongs the honor of keeping the first whiskey shop in the country. He called his place a tavern and grocery. Some addition was made to the settlers aside from emigration, for in May, 1842 was born Charles Kessler, the first white child born in this county. In the autumn of 1842 there arrived Nathaniel Hatch and family and Henry B. Hateh, without family. Nathaniel built himself a house and Henry B. made his home at Kessler's. Mr. Bennett built a log dam across the river and raised the frame of the saw mill that fall. There were several young men in his employ who never became permanent settlers. This same sea- son also one Johnson made his appearance and located on the east side of the river about half way between Quasqneton and Independence. He asserted that he was the notorious 'Canadian patriot' and that the young woman who accom- panied him as his sole companion was his daughter, Kate, and the veritable 'queen of the thousand islands.' His language and condnet excited the suspicion and hatred of the settlers and a party of them seized Johnson, administered a severe whipping and admonition to leave the settlement, which he soon did. This episode was long referred to by the settlers as the Patriot war.'
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