USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 8
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
The first treaty made by the United States with the Indians of the Northwest was on the 9th of January, 1789, at Fort Harmar on the Muskinquin River, in Ohio, and the Sac was one of the tribes represented. They had two chiefs representing the territory which embraces Iowa. The object of the treaty was to fix the boundary line between the United States and the several Indian tribes. It was agreed that the Indians could not sell their lands to any person or nation other than the United States; and that persons of either party who should commit robbery or murder, should be delivered up to the proper tribunal for trial and punishment. By this treaty the United States extended protection and friendship to these tribes. When Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike ascended the Mississippi River with his exploring party, in 1805, he found four Sac villages and three Fox; two of them were not far from Buchanan County's boundaries, one was twelve miles this side of Dubuque and one near the mouth of the Turkey River, not so many miles distant but that they must have roamed through these prairies. He reported their entire population as 4,600-1,750 Fox and 2,850 Sac. For some time they were friendly with the lowa and occupied the same hunting grounds but eventually disagreements sprang up between them, which led up to fierce hostilities and to the final expulsion of the Iowa.
The Sac and Fox had fierce battles with the Winnebago, subduing them and taking possession of their lands but their longest and most bloody war was with those terrible fighters, the Sioux, who had their hunting grounds mostly in Minne- sota. Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota were the scenes of many bloody battles, and as the Sac and Fox are known to have had their villages on the Turkey River in the adjoining counties of Fayette and Clayton, north and north- east of this, it is reasonable to suppose that some of these battles extended in this immediate vicinity, perhaps extended over this very eounty.
With a view to putting a stop to this devastating war between these tribes, the United States appointed as commissioners William Clark and Lewis Cass to negotiate a treaty with the contending tribes by which it was stipulated that the Government should designate a boundary line between the hunting grounds of the Sioux, on the north, and the Sac and Fox on the south, the Indians agree- ing to restrict themselves to the territories thus marked out, but as might have been foreseen, it failed to accomplish the end desired, both tribes infringing on each other's territory, so the Government again interfered in an honest endeavor to establish peace, February 24, 1831, a treaty was ratified whereby the United States bought of the Sioux a strip of land twenty miles wide, lying on the north side of the line established by the first treaty, and on the south side of the same line they bought a strip of equal width which was purchased of the Sac and Fox. Thus, the United States obtained possession and absolute control of a territory forty miles wide and about 200 miles long. This tract is known in history as the Neutral Ground. This arrangement effectually put an end to the bloody encounters between the Sioux and the Sae and Fox, but this Neutral Ground was to be the common hunting ground of both tribes, so long as they respected and maintained in good faith its neutrality, and so it continned for about ten years, when it was made a Winnebago reservation in 1841, but they only occupied it about five years. This strip runs diagonally through the counties north of Buchanan, being only about twenty-five or thirty miles from our northern boundary line.
Vol. 1-4
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Afterwards several treaties were made between the Government and this tribe whereby the Indians relinquished almost their entire holdings and the Government became the owner of a vast traet of valuable land. It was then that the rich prairies of lowa were first opened to the permanent settlement of the whites. This immense traet is known in history as the "Black Hawk Pur- chase "-not because it was actually purchased of him for he was then a prisoner of the Goverment, but because it was ceded by the authority of his tribe and was made a part of the conditions of his release. By this treaty of 1832, the Government obtained possession of a traet of land 200 miles long and averag- ing fifty miles wide, lying along the Mississippi. now constituting the eastern part of the state. From the date of this purchase, white settlers began to pour into this new territory. Then about five years later, in 1838, another treaty was ratified by which the Sae and Fox ceded another tract bordering on that on the west. about the same length and about twenty-five miles wide at the middle portion and containing a million and a quarter acres. At the same time, they relinquished all their lands lying south of the "neutral ground" the United States paying them for the relinquishment of this territory, $160,000. Bu- chanan County must have been included in this last treaty, and when we con- sider that the value of land in Buchanan County alone, according to the 1910 census, was estimated at $23,772,344, or almost 149 times as much and only 368,- 000 acres, we realize the advancement in land values.
Chief Black Hawk bitterly opposed and repudiated all these treaties with the whites. He claimed that the chiefs who made them had no anthority to dispose of their lands so he determined to avenge their wrongs and commenced warfare upon the whites who had doubtless deceived them, violating the terms of the treaty of 1804. These treaties stipulated that the Sac could remain in undlis- puted possession of their lands until they were surveyed and soll to white set- tłers, but while the Indians were off on a hunting excursion, the whites flocked in, seized their land and cabins and when the warriors returned their women and children were homeless and shelterless, which made the old Sae chieftain bitter and revengeful. Since then other treaties have been made with the Sac and Fox and they have several times been removed. In 1872, they were divided into three or four different bands, and were greatly reduced in numbers. The principal band was located in Kansas, another, the Sae and Fox of the Missouri, the band who remained true to the Government during the Black Hawk war, oeeupied a large reservation in Southeastern Nebraska and Northeastern Kansas, and it was reported that both hands were making considerable improvement in agri- culture and the raising of stock.
The last census gives the following report: 343 in lowa, 630 in Oklahoma, 90 in Kansas, and that there is continued improvement.
In 1857, a party of nearly four hundred Sac and Fox, calling themselves by their ancient name, Musquakie, tired of being moved from reservation to reserva- tion, bought a large traet of land in Tama County, unaided by the Government, which at first refused to assist them in their idea of separate maintenance, but since then, however, they have given them their share of the annuities. They cultivate the best of their land and have raised in a single year $3.000 worth of produce. They also raise stoek, having over $10.000 invested in the business. They frequently hire out to the neighboring farmers as laborers, and are thus
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
becoming industrions and self sustaining and they used to often visit this county. Large bands of them would encamp near town and hunt and fish along the Wap- sie. In 1863, a camp of one hundred Musquakie came on their hunting excursion. And camps of Winnebago came up from Sands Point to wage war on the Mus- quakie north of Independence. They were a miserable looking set of wretches, and were abominable beggars. The citizens were very much annoyed by their persistent begging and "light fingered thieving." In the early days the Gov- ernment made several efforts to civilize and improve the Sac and Fox by estab- lishing schools among them ; and several religious denominations tried to estab- lish missions among them, but they clung to their Indian prejudices with even more than the ordinary Indian tenacity. In 1869, Rev. Pereival. the writer of the Buchanan County History, was requested by the Episcopal Bishop to visit the Mnsqnakie and ascertain if they were favorable to an Episcopal Mission being established among them. They firmly refused any interference even though for their benefit, alleging that if the Great Spirit had wished them to be like white folk he would have made them white. But now, there are Catholic Missions and Government schools among them.
There are few, if any, of the Indian tribes whose history is more replete with romantic incidents than that of the Sae and Fox. Their great Sac Chief, Black Hawk, was a character much to be admired. He was just to a marked degree, unswervable in his ideas of right and wrong as he understood them, honest in his convictions, eourageons and bold, a dauntless and determined leader and whether copper colored or white, deserves the admiration meted a hero. He was said to be as brave as the great chief Tecumseh, and as eloquent as the orator, Logan.
Ilis speeches, after his capture, to General Street, another to President Jack- son when he was taken by his captors to Washington, his last speech, made at a 4th of July celebration, at Fort Madison in 1838, in response to a toast given in his honor to "Our Illustrious Guest, Black Hawk," are all evidences of his superiority both in intellect and comprehension. The county just west of Buchanan honored the old chief by its name. But in reading the tragie tales of the Black Hawk wars one cannot help but shudder at the inhumanity and brutal- ity of the United States soldiers and to feel a deep sense of pity and admiration for Black Hawk and his little band of faithful followers.
It is with remorse and sorrow that we learn that the soldiers burned the Indian villages and erops and massacred their women and children and paid no respect to the common civilities of war. Certainly we might learn some degree of honor from these uncivilized savages.
A splendid account of the Black Hawk wars is given in Gries' History of Iowa. where many of these sketches of the Indians were taken. In giving these brief sketches of the Indian tribes, who are supposed to have occupied Buchanan County's prairies at some time previous to its settlement by the whites, we must make a few explanations. There are no accounts of any Indian villages, battle- fields, or permanent occupation actually located here that might verify onr sur- mises, but many of the old settlers relate anecdotes and incidents of these tribes visiting this section, either for hunting or fishing purposes or just begging excur- sions, and we will copy some of the personal sketches of those pioneers from an early history. And furthermore we wish to give credit to the authorities from
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
which we have gleaned our knowledge. We have been greatly aided by Percival's Buchanan County History, Gries' History of Iowa, and Andreas' History.
It seems to be eustomary in writing even county histories to give a certain amount of time and space to the prehistorie and Indian races, and we shall follow this eustom, although we believe it does not pertain vitally to the history of this county, in any great degree. The knowledge of the facts is too vague and most of what has been written about these peoples in Buchanan County is purely assumption, so we take the same privilege and add our assumption to the rest.
The accounts of the various historians differ greatly and there seems to be no absolute authority on these affairs, or none that is within our reach, so we have tried, to the best of our ability, to give a summary of all. Often we have used the identical language of those historians, as we shall have to, in the following early history of the county and we hope this will be excused when we offer you our reasons, which are, that we consider it excellent in every respect, splendid literary style, very authentic, and better than we could possibly do. All any person can do to write history is, to read every available history on that subject, look up the records and, if possible, consult those in any way participating, and then draw his own conclusions and that is what our aim has been. Undoubtedly mistakes will veenr, but our intentions, nevertheless, are good.
CHAPTER IV EARLY HISTORY
THE FIRST WHITE MEN-EARLY SETTLERS
It is truly remarkable what changes are wrought in the landscape of a new country such as ours, in a short spaee of time. As we have remarked in a pre- vious chapter, that through natural causes, such as the fluctuation of streams, the gradual undermining and likewise the upbuilding of certain soils, the ever recurring vegetative growth and decay, the snecessive seasons with their trans- forming forees, the natural scenery is more or less affected, but these elements might perform their functions for years, aye for centuries, and yet the landscape would not make such decided and almost unbelievable changes as the hand of man makes in a few months' or years' time. We have but to visit the home of our youth, or if that pleasure is denied us, listen to some old settler, who has returned home after say twenty or even ten years, and note the surprise he evinces at the changes wrought in those few years. I might add, provided he is a Westerner, heeause it is a note-worthy fact, that there are places in our country, especially in New England and the old South, where things do not materially change from decade to decade.
But nowhere eould changes be greater or more pronounced than right here in our own state-when we consider its present condition compared with that of seventy-five or six years ago, when it was first created a territory. Contemplate the wonderful prosperity, the splendid institutions, the great per cent of culti- vated land, the enormous value of the products and the splendid character of the people all make this state rank among the first in the Union. And Bnehanan has added her share toward making this state-wide prosperity, and making this the veritable garden spot of the whole world. Those sturdy pioneers who came here seventy years ago could not have dreamed of such marvelous changes as have taken place, because of the crude and unskilled methods which were then employed. Modern inventions and seientifie research have been the principal means of these gigantie strides in civilization and cultivation.
Just imagine this county in 1842-a vast expanse of rolling prairie like a mighty sea of green, whose wild untrammeled grasses billowed like ocean waves with every breeze, streams whose clear, rippling waters teeming with fish life, flowed peacefully and tranquilly on, undisturbed except for the occasional rhythmic dip of a paddle and the splash of a canoe, or when some dexterons, agile Indian landed a fine specimen of the finny tribe; natural wood lands, whose rank and luxuriant undergrowth was never trod except by some fleet-footed animal
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
or some stealthy moccasined red man on the chase, whose only echoes were those of wild animals or the guttural speech or war-whoop of the Indian, a country whose only use was a habitat for wild animals and still wilder savages, who chal- lenged the advance of civilization and fought the usurpers of what they deemed were their inalienable rights. The old proverb "Beauty unadorned is adorned the most," is as true in connection with nature as it is of individuals. Dame Nature in her umnolested, undefiled state is far more beautiful and seenic than landscape gardener could conjure or dream. He could not possibly improve her general plan, so he does not attempt it. His duty is but to imitate her patterns and assist her efforts, and join her legions of assistant, correlative forces. Thus did the pioneers of 1842 select this garden spot as an ideal on which to expend their efforts to assist Dame Nature in her well laid plan. And thus, here. the face of nature has not been greatly marred, although very materially changed even in these comparatively few years. The streams have been bridged and dammed and the waters raptured for milling purposes, mneh of the native timber which formerly flourished along their banks has been eut down, either for fuel or mercantile purposes, or to cultivate that rich and valable land, and groves, either self-seeded or planted by the thrifty western farmer, have sprung up like magie to break the monotonous, far-reaching horizon of early days.
The vast, waving prairies have given place to fenced and cultivated fields; roadways, bridges, houses, churches, schools, and towns dot the landscape but we have not as yet destroyed the seenery with any large cities, with their smoke begrimed manufactories to pollute the atmosphere, their ungraceful, ill-propor- tioned sky-serapers, to obstruct the light and the view, their jumbled network of railroads to eut up and disfigure the landscape and their filthy crowded tene- ments to contaminate and cramp the soul. We are not handicapped with any of these, but we have the purest of air, the best of sunlight, a clear and unobstructed vision and room for expanding and uplifting the soul. We have inherited all these material comforts from our forebears and those heroie pioneers who wisely selected this spot. Buchanan County, as their home-land.
And so let us hand down to our posterity this native soil in as pure and un- blemished a condition as that in which we inherited it. Let us not have vain ambitions but be satisfied with the gem which we possess and strive to keep it up to the high standard of morality and intellectuality for which it has always been noted. Let us welcome the home-comer, the new-comer, and the transient guest and make his visit so pleasant that he will seek this spot as a haven of rest and eomfort, and finally call it home, sweet home.
"The habits and manners of the primeval inhabitants of any country generally give to it a distinctive character, which marks it throughout after ages."
The lineage of a people, like the genealogy of a family, is commonly consid- ered a matter of little interest and not of vital consequence, except to students of antiquity or ethnology or physiology.
But communities and states and even nations, as well as individuals are the direet out-growth of heredity and environment. Whether considering the life of an individual or a community these two vital forces, heredity and environ- ment, are recognized as the essential motives, the controlling power of the resulting existence.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
One certainly cannot understand the nature or significance of the customs, institutions, and social development of a people, or a state, nor their distinctive traits and peculiarities, nor comprehend those forces that determine their modes of life and public concerns, without first studying the sources of those controlling influences. We must look back to preceding generations. A people do not greatly diverge from ancestral characteristics nor easily discard inherited political and social ideas. All the raees eling more or less tenaciously to traditional adages and doctrines. Both social and political life may be greatly modified by the necessities of new environment but heredity and ancestral traditions continue to exert a most potent influence. We can no more escape those ineontrovertible and governing causes and their resultant effects of past centuries and inherited characteristics from preceding generations than we can escape the influence of our present life and surroundings upon us. Nor can we avoid influencing future generations.
Therefore it is highly important to understand both the material and the process by which a people or community have arrived at their present state. There has always been much discussion over the question in regard to the people and institutions of the state, from which part of the country did Iowa receive her greatest number and most influential pioneers. From what source have her institutions, government, political and social life been derived? Are they the ontgrowth of southern or New England influence? Have we, as a state, inher- ited the intense vitality, the untiring energy and perseverance, the strict adher- ence to ideals of government, law, morals and religion from the New Englander or, as some authorities claim, inherited the placidity, lack of ambition, a general content with things as they are, a certain inelination to take life easy and not to worry or fuss even if things do not satisfy, which is entirely foreign to the New Englander and could easily have been transmitted to us from the pre- ponderance of southern pioneers. Statistics of 1850 show that nearly six times as many of Iowa's pioneers came from the Southern States as from east of the IIudson and that there were more native born Virginians than there were native born New Englanders altogether, and likewise the number of Kentuckians out- numbered the total number coming from New England, but even those statistics do not eonvince the majority of authorities who maintain that our state is dis- tinctly representative of New England in its forms and ideas, its political and social and moral life.
So far as this country is concerned, we are not able to give an opinion on what type of people have been the predominating factors in the molding of our com- munity, in view of the fact that numbers do not always denote force.
No doubt, though, that a big majority of the early settlers of this vicinity were from the Eastern States and exerted a great influence, but the foreign born and their posterity have been a very important element in its development.
Following is a brief outline of the different nationalities from which Buchanan County now receives its greatest influence, that is, from a numerical standpoint, at least. According to the 1910 eensus, there are 12,534 native born whites, 1,996 foreign born whites or 10.1 per cent, of whom 773 are Germans, 315 Irish, 206 English, 168 Danes, and 144 Canadians, besides 394 other foreigners in the county. We notice that there are over twice as many Germans as any other nation-
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
ality. But we must look back to the pioneers to really find from what sources our political life is derived.
The early settlers immigrating to Buchanan County from the states came, namely, from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and the New England States, possibly more from Vermont than the other New England States. Then there were some of foreign birth, but they did not come in very large numbers until after 1858. They were mostly Germans and Irish, and a few Polanders and Seandinavians.
According to the census of 1847, Buchanan County's entire population numbered but 250 with probably no foreign born.
In 1880, at the time when the Percival History was written, the population was 18,546, and about one-tenth of this number were of foreign birth.
While the census of 1910 recorded our population as 19,748, not much of an increase in thirty years, but we must admit that we have fallen off considerably in the last ten years, having lost 1,679 people since the census of 1900.
In the southeast corner of the county, in Newton Township, along Buffalo Creek, is quite a colony of Irish.
In Fairbank Township, in the extreme northwest corner of the county, in the forks of the Wapsie, there are a good many Irish, German and some Poland- ers, and between Independence and Qnasqueton is what is known as "The Dane Settlement," a thrifty, energetic vicinity. At one time, there were several fam- ilies living in Independence, the most in the year 1900 when they numbered twenty-six, but they have nearly all left, either for a more equable climate or for the larger cities where there is more employment for their kind of labor and where they can have associates of their own race.
A former historian, in recording the census, reported of the years 1875 and 1880 and noting the very small increase in population, laments the faet that Buchanan had fallen considerably short of holding her own, that this five years' gain was hardly more than the natural increase for one year. Furthermore he ac- counts for it by the recent opening up of excellent farming lands in Dakota and other western territories. Not only had immigrants from the East passed by and through Buchanan County seeking homes further west, but there had been a considerable emigration from the county for the same purpose. "Whether those who have left have bettered their condition, may well be doubted. But, however this may be, the check this has given our county will doubtless be only temporary. Only the very best lands west of the Missouri can equal ours, and they will soon be occupied. When this takes place, we shall not only keep the natural increase of our own population, but emigration from the still swarming hive of the East will again be directed to our desirable yet unoccupied space ; and the comparatively quiet, yet every way pleasant and prosperous times of the present will give place to the activity, enterprise and excitement that come with rapidly increasing population."
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