History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history, Part 54

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Iowa > Cass County > History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history > Part 54

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

their agents transmit information to them from all parts of the world then open to commerce. But as these sheets were al- most private, they were of little service to the world at large. As Gutenberg's invention won its way, and the large trad- ing houses entered into communication with each other and with their various governments, which had an equal interest in the information contained in the com- mercial correspondence, types were intro- duced into the trading bureaus, or the written correspondence was placed in the hands of the special writers, and a regu- lar system of printed correspondence was inaugurated. Venice is usually awarded the honor of first printing this commer- cial correspondence in the Notizie Scritte, which was at first written and exhibited in certain public places; but Germany was not long in following her example.

A collection of twenty-eight volumes of this printed commercial correspondence, from the years 1568 to 1604, was taken with the library of the celebrated Fugger family to the imperial library at Vienna in 1606, and is of great historical import- ance, connected as it is with the Rothschild house of the middle ages. These reports contain not only commercial intelligence, but political and social news from the dis- tricts and countries which then were at- tracting the attention of Europe. Many reports are written by eye-witnesses, and official documents relating to incidents described are frequently transmitted. When important political information is reported the source from whence itis pro- cured is generally given. Others again contained literary departments correspond- ing to the feuilleton of the European

press of to-day, bringing graphic descrip- tions, accounts of popular festivities, manners and customs; accounts of the discovery of America, of the conquests of the Turks, and local occurrences, such as all sorts of fearful signs in the heavens, wonderful animals and misbirths,accounts of executions, inundations, earthquakes, burning of witches and child-murders committed by bigots, together with prophecies and warnings-the editorials of to-day-connected with passing events. News then came to hand very slowly. An Indian overland post required eleven months to get to Europe, and forty or fifty days were required for a letter to get from Constantinople to Vienna. Natu- rally enough, as the papers gained a more extended circulation, the jealous govern- ments began to look after them; and his- tory knows a whole series of government ordinances, issued from Paris to Rome, condemning them as destructive to soul and body.

The idea of issuing a newspaper at reg- ular intervals, that is, every week, first originated in the mind of Egenolf Emmel, of Frankfort, and with his Frankfurter Journal, which made its appearance in 1615, the transition from the irregular publications, such as the Relationen, to the newspaper, was made. The same journal still flourishes, and the house from which it was first issued may yet be seen. The Journal appeared as a weekly up to the year 1740; then it appeared oftener; in 1795, it appeared five times a week, and subsequently became a daily.

In England the mental appetite was fed by the News Letter, a manuscript produc- tion, which was only furnished at fabu-

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

lous prices. It was in 1622, as above men- tioned, when the first English newspaper was born. This was The Weekly News from Italie and Germanie, which was printed upon a mechanical contrivance, perfected by one Nathaniel Butler, who is thus the progenitor of the English press. The first attempt at the publica- tion of parliamentary reports was made in 1641, when the parties and politics of the realm first occupied a place in the newspaper. It was some seven years later, in 1648, when the first advertisement ap- peared. This was in verse form, and was an invitation to call upon a fashionable tailor of the period, and purchase of him the styles then in vogue among the beaux.

The pioneer daily morning newspaper of the world was the London Courant, which was initiated in 1709, and consisted of only one page of two columns, each five paragraphs long, and was made up from translations from foreign journals. The revolutions in journalism during the present century have been of so stupend- ous a type as to be almost beyond compre- hension were not brought face to face with the fact day by day. In this coun- try, from the advent of the Boston News- Letter in 1704 unto the present time, when the United States can boast of its nine hundred and sixty-two daily and over seven thousand weckly papers, seems a tre- mendous step in the forward march of improvement, but is only forerunner of what may be the achievements and power of an independent press in a free, republi- can country in the future.

Cass county has had abundant opportu- nities to test the value of newspapers as aids in building up its business centers

and making known its resources to the outer world, while the civilizing influence is almost unlimited; and, as a general thing, its citizens have always manifested a liberal spirit of encouragement toward the various journalistic enterprises that have originated in their midst. It would be difficult to estimate in a money value the advantages derived by Cass county, in a business point of view, from the influ- ence of the press, but it is, beyond all cavil, inestimable. At all times the press has, in advocacy of local interests, called into requisition respectable, and, in many instances, eminent talent, which has a ten- dency to inspire its citizens as well as friends, with hope and confidence in its prosperity.

As patrons of the press, as would be expected of the New England stock that people it, Cass county's citizens have established a good name. As records of current history, the emanations of the lo- cal press should be preserved by town and county government among the archives for reference. These papers are the re- positories wherein are stored the facts and the events, the deeds and the sayings, the undertakings and achievements, that go to make up the history of the day. One by one these things are gathered and placed in type; one by one these papers are gathered together and bound, and another volume of local, general and indi- vidual history is laid away imperishable. The volumes thus collected are sifted by the historian, and the book for the library is ready.

There should be some means devised by which press records might be preserved and made accessible. This is, of course,

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

attempted in all offices, but by the re- moval of editors, who claim the files as their property, and a general carelessness on the part of all interested, in many in- stances the files are sadly deficient. Still, by diligent inquiry, and with the assist- ance of Lafayette Young, C. F. Chase, J. II. Willey, S. F. Myers and others of the local press, enough has been gleaned to give an accurate record of the county journals, although at the expense of much time and labor. In some instances slight omissions may occur, but they are gener- ally of a trivial nature, and do not mar the general tone of accuracy it has been our endeavor to preserve.

CASS COUNTY GAZETTE.

We are indebted to the IIon. Lafayette Young for the following excellent history of the first paper published in the county of Cass. He spent a large amount of time and trouble to get the data for this and to him belongs the credit:

The first newspaper published in the county, was the Cass County Gazette, es- tablished at Lewis, in January 1861, by J. C. Brown. Jobu J. Van Houten, late of Atlantic, was foreman of the office. Seth W. Young, now of the Storm Lake Pilot, was the devil. The press and ma- terial were moved on a sled from Andubon City, then the county seat of Audubon county, to Lewis on the 4th day of Janu- ary, 1861. The next day the office was rigged up and on that day the first type ever set in the county were put in a "stick" by John J. Van Houten. The press had been used seven weeks at An- dubon [City in the publication of the Audubon County Pioneer. Brown was the editor of that paper while it was pub-

lished and Van Houten was the printer. The Cass County Gazette, was Demo- cratie in polities, and was a four page paper with six columns on a page. The motto under the heading on the first page was: "Fidelity to the Constitution and the Union," which was a good motto for the time (1861) and a good one for all time. Brown gave his life in defense of "the Constitution and the Union," at Milliken's Bend, in 1863, which is more explicity mentioned in the chapter con- taining the military history. The paper, was a good one, being well gotten up mechanically, spieily edited, with a pure tone to every item. There are but a few copies of the Gazette in existence, and those are the property of Mrs. William Waddell, of Atlantic, who kindly placed them at the disposal of the writer. The regular files of the paper were destroyed, when the Union House was burned in Lewis in 1864. The office was in the ho- tel building but was mainly removed and saved without material damage. The files, however, were left to be consumed. Thus perished a good record of the coun- ty's early events and its progress-for every well-gotten up local journal is, as Shakespear says, "an abstract brief chroni- cle of the time" "a map of busy life; of the world's events, its vicissitudes and its vast concerns." One issue of the Gazette which has been examined, bears the date of April 20, 1861, that memorable month in that memorable year, when the civil war began. It is filled with news per- taining to the bombardment of Fort Sumter; the effect of that event on the country, and accounts of Union meetings held in various cities of the north and dis-

434 HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

union meetings in various cities of the south. Lincoln's first call for 75,000 vol- unteers is given, together with the inso- lent replies to the same by C. F. Jackson, Governor of Missouri, and B. McGoffin, Governor of Kentucky. The paper also records the fact that "Hon. Stephen A. Douglas sustains the President and has had a long interview with him at Wash- ington." Another telegram published says, "Jeff Davis' answer to Lincoln's proclamation is rough and cruel. It is as follows: 'Fort Sumpter is ours and nobody hurt-with Paixhan and Petard we tender old Abe onr Beauregard.'" This one issue of the Gazette contained a good history of the beginning of the Great Rebellion, and told of the great ex- citement which then prevailed in the whole country. The paper appeared to be bet- ter in its general than in its local features. Local advertisements were scarce, the following comprising the list:

J. W. Brown, attorney; H. H. Ober- holtzer & Co., general merchandise; Dr. J. B. Carey, physician; Dr. N. W. Whitted, physician and druggist; Isaac Dickerson, notary public and land agent; Peck & Keyes, proprietors of the "Badger Mills," in which they say that they can sell flour and feed cheaper than any one east of Denver; M. T. Jones, deal- er in dry goods, groceries, hardware, &c. He announced that he had 50,000 pounds of bacon and 7,000 pounds of lard on hands and for sale.

John Keyes announced that he wanted to buy fifty head of steers.

W. Smithson Newlon, family physician, Newlon's Grove, Iowa.

F. H. Whitney, land agent and deputy county surveyor, Whitneyville, Cass county, Iowa.

The following advertisement filled a column, and may be read with interest:

"The undersigned, citizens of Cass county, Iowa, have for sale a few thou- sand acres of valuable farming land in western Iowa, at this time one of the most attractive portions of the Far West, especially to the farmer and stock grower. Our lands, it is evident, are unsurpassable for fertility of soil and beauty of location for the farmer and stock grower, situated as they are on the waters of the Nishna- botna river and its tributaries, embracing the finest class of high rolling prairie down to beautiful valley land inter- spersed with large groves of fine, healthy timber, and brooks and rills of clear, pure water, sufficient for stock at all times of the year, making it the finest and most desirable stock raising county in the en- tire west. Here thousands of tons of fine, luxuriant native hay may be procured every autumn, with no cost to the farmer save the harvesting of the same. Our wood-lands are as good as there are in the west, giving off a variety of growths, such as white and burr oaks, walnut, hickory, bass wood, hard and soft maples. Our lands are located fifty miles east of Omaha City, the capital of Nebraska territory, a handsomely located city, on the left bank of the Missouri river. Omaha is a flour- ishing town with a population of from four to five thousand permanent citizens. We are also forty-five miles east of Coun- cil Bluffs, a fine town on the right bank of the Missouri river, the great emporium of western Iowa. In the amount of its

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

435

commerce it is second only to St Joseph, Missouri. The citizens are noted for their courteous manners and hospitality, being kind and benevolent. There is published in Council Bluffs three good newspapers, one daily, and there is also a telegraph office. Moreover, our lands are in the immediate vicinity of Lewis, the county seat of Cass county, which is truly a hand- some village of from three to five hun- dred inhabitants, with good stores, hotels, and an industrious, enterprising class of . citizens. In Lewis there are two good schools, a printing office, and one magni- ficent church house of the Methodist de- nomination. Others are in contemplation, as good societies of the Baptists and Con- gregationalists are already in Lewis. The undersigned would say to their friends in the east that we can furnish you with good homes at a small cost in price, com- pared with your eastern land. We are pioneers in the 'far west,' and purchased our lands immediately after the Indian title to the same became extinct, and it is true that they embrace the most magnifi- cent lands in the Missouri river valley, a valley that ere long is destined to be the most densely populated portion of the 'far west.'"

THOMAS MEREDITH, JOSEPH EVERLY, WILLIAM HAWORTH.

LEWIS, Cass county, Iowa.

W. H. Beedle and S. Disbrow an- nounced that in connection with J. G. Warnock, they could do all kinds of blacksmithing and wagon making. Their advertisement wound up with the follow- ing words, which indicate the excitement of the times: "Come farmers, if you ex-

pect to save the Union you must have new wagons, or your old ones repaired; the stars and stripes should be set in letters of gold on every wagon and wheel barrow, Our motto is, Liberty, Union, Victory or Death." This advertisement is dated February, 1861.

From the issue of the Gazette of Septem- ber 21, 1861, it might be inferred that the contest for the county offices was getting interesting. The Gazette supported the "Union Democratic ticket," which was as follows: For senator, L. D. Burns, of Dal- las county; for representative, S. L. Lorah, of Cass; for treasurer and recorder, Isaac Dickerson; for sheriff, John Keyes; for county judge, Andrew Irwin; for county superintendent, James S. Rand; for drain- age commissioner, T. J. Byrd; for coroner, II. Caywood. The paper contained strong complimentary notices of Messrs. Lorah, Burns, Dickerson, Keyes, Rand, and the whole Democratic ticket. The Repub- lican county nominations were as follows: For treasurer, L. L. Alexander; for sheriff, Dr. H. S. Carey; for county superintendent, E. W. IIall; for drainage commissioner, J. S. ITaworth; for surveyor, E. W. Dav- enport; for coroner, M. Everett. The Gazette seems to have been strongly par- tisan. Speaking of the ballotings in the Republican county convention it said: "The highest number of votes cast for any candidate was eight. Mr. Alexander was nominated by six votes against five for A. Wakefield, and four for William Waddell." The Democratic ticket, with the exception of the nominee for senator, was elected in October. Mr. Redfield, of Dallas, was elected Senator, over L. D. Burns. The paper was loyal from the be-

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

ginning of the war. In the paper dated April 20, 1861, from which we have al- ready quoted, appeared the following edi- torial, which we trust may be read with interest, and the noble patriotism therein expressed, be applauded, by all those who in future years, may either write editor- ials or read them in this and all other lo- calities:

WAR COMMENCED.

"The startling news contained in our columns to day leaves no further hope of arresting the horrors and calamities of civil war. Sumpter has been taken, and Major Anderson compelled to haul down the star spangled banner, and surrender to Jeff. Davis' infuriated rebels, whose batteries made short work in reducing the proud fort. The sneeess which crowned the rebel arms in their first engagement with the Government troops inspires the secessionists with joyful courage and im- presses every patriot with grief. The ac- counts from all parts of the Union repre- sent the people in a state of the most in- tense excitement. In the northern States thousands are volunteering to defend the flag of the Union and wipe out the dis- grace inflicted upon it at Charleston. The people of the north seem determined to put forth their might in sustaining the President in protecting the Government property .

"The flag of the Republic must be pro- tected. There is no time now to talk about the errors and follies which have brought this terrible calamity upon the country. When the temple of our lib- erty is in flames there is no time to seek for them that applied the torch. Let the patriotic energy of the nation be at once

employed in subduing the destroying ele- ment.

"While there was any hope of a peace- ful adjustment of the national difficulties we favored the policy of conciliation and compromise, believing it to be that only which wisdom dictated. Had a compro- mise been agreed to by Republican mem- bers of the last Congress, war might have been averted. That was not done. It is to be deeply deplored that the spirit of faction prevented it. But the failure of the Republican Congress to do their duty must not keep Democrats from meeting the terrible issue and sustaining the rights and honor of that glorious flag which they have upheld for nearly a century. Let no emblem of treason ever look upon its humiliation. Throw aside partisan is- sues and unite in the defense of the Con- stitution and Union, for the establish- ment of which the best blood that ever flowed in human veins was freely shed."

The Gazette of August 31, 1861, con- tained a letter, dated at St. Joseph, Mis- souri, written by G. B. Kirkpatrick, who had enlisted in the Fourth Infantry and was with the regiment on his way to the seat of war.

In August, 1862, J. C. Brown enlisted in the Twenty-third Infantry and sold the Gazette to F. H. Whitney, who continued its publication as a Democratic paper. Mr. Whitney in his editorials urged the vigorous prosecution of the war. . T. P. Ballard, now county clerk of Mills county, and part owner of the Glenwood Opinion, was Mr. Whitney's foreman and mechan- ical manager. Mr. Whitney made an en- terprising editor, and during several months of 1862 published the war news

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

from first bands-that is, he took the dis- patches on the day of publication and the day previous, giving his readers the "news from the front" in advance of all compet- itors. The Western Union telegraph line then passed through Lewis and had an office there. Monroe Smith, the operator, was one of the best who ever touched a key.

In the Gazette dated November 8, 1862, the fact is noted that W. W. Gardner is teaching school across the river, and the editor wishes there were more such good teachers as he in the connty. In the same issue it is stated that the stage that left DesMoines at 8 o'clock Wednesday morning, November 5th, arrived in Lewis at 9:30 the same evening, making the trip of about 105 miles in thirteen hours, in- cluding all stops for changing horses and the mails.

In the summer of 1863, the Gazette passed into the hands of J. M. Holaday, who changed its politics to Republican. and changed its motto to "Westward IIo!" T. Q. Morgan was Mr. Holaday's printer The paper under Mr. Holaday's manage- ment was exceedingly spicy, but was too prone to call things by their right names, to be pupular.

In the paper dated September 12, 1863, it is stated that on the previous Wednes- day, John A. Kasson and L. W. Ross made political speeches. A letter from the army, dated at Black River Bridge, August 24, 1863, is published, telling of the death of John Wesley Teal, a soldier and son of Dr. Teal. The letter was from Capt. George A. Henry. -

From this paper we learn that at that time two daily stage lines ran into Lewis -one from Ides Moines, the other from Oskaloosa.

F. H. Whitney kept the Union House and advertised board at two dollars per week. Mr. W. also advertised a claim agent, real estate and insurance agent, etc.

In May, 1864, Mr. IIoladay, having de- termined to relinquish, at least for the time, the journalistic field, issued the fol- lowing extra which was sent to all sub- scribers:

VALEDICTORY.

"After much meditation, hesitation and tribulation upon the subject, we have unanimously concluded to abandon the editorial profession in Lewis, to throw our quill down in the dust, like unto the servant who hid h's talents ; giving place to some other man who possesses more tenacity, philanthropy and purse. Coun- try papers, to yield fair profits in these times, ought to receive six dollars for each subscription, but they cannot get this, of course, while eastern papers are furnished so easily and cheaply. Doubless many of our friends will be somewhat regretful at our departure, but the copperheads will dart forth their forked tongues from their lying lips in great glee; and there are a few of the reptile race in this vicinity that may well breathe more freely, as it had become part of our editorial ambi- tion to yet skin them from head to tail or get badly snake-bitten in the attempt; but their "time" will come, nevertheless. If our ten months' sojourn here has been a pleasure it has not been a profit, and we depart hence, as we came, with a light

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heart and pocket. If not "grafted into the army," we intend at' once to resume our former trade, namely, type-setting.

"The amount due to subscribers cannot be repaid at present ; but their proper credit will remain on the subscription book, and when the paper shall be revived they will receive it for the remainder of the time subscribed for. The publica- tion of the paper, we are confident, will again be resumed, though perhaps not till the close of the war. We shall leave Lewis, perhaps, on Monday next.

EDITOR."

In July, 1864, Mr. Whitney sold his office, it having come back into his pos- session, to G. F. Kilburn, who removed it to Fontanelle, and HI. C. Johnson bought a press of Mr. Fuller, at Adel, brought it to Lewis and established the Cass County Messenger, as . detailed hereafter. So ended the career of the Gazette, the pio- neer journal of the county of Cass, and it has never been resuscitated.

CASS COUNTY MESSENGER.

In July, 1864, when Frank HI. Whitney had sold the press and material of the Ga- zette office as above stated, H. C. John- son, an old typo who had worked in the office, purchased a press and the material of a Mr. Fuller, of Adel, Dallas county, and bringing it to Lewis, established the Messenger, now the oldest representative of the press in Cass county. It was then a small six-column folio paper, printed all at home, and well edited by Mr. Johnson. No copy of the first issue of this journal is known to be in existence, and therefore it is impossible to give the salutatory ad- dress, suffice it to say that it was of the usual order of writing upon such occasions,

short, pithy and to the point. Mr. John- son received a liberal patronage and con- tinaed to issue the Messenger in Lewis until March, 1869, when he removed the office to the then new town of Atlantic, and changed the name to that of

ATLANTIC MESSENGER.

The first paper under the new heading was issued in the middle of April, 1869. It made its appearance as a seven-column folio, although Mr. Johnson had to cut down the width of the column one em, so as to get the form on the press, which was too narrow for that size paper. In 1871 J. R. Morris, Jr., became associated in the ownership of the paper with Mr. Johnson and continued with him through that and the succeeding year. In 1873, J. II. Willey, a typographical graduate of of this office, purchased a half interest and the firm became Johnson and Willey. They changed the form of the paper to a seven-column folio, and shortly after to an eight-column, which was well filled with paying advertisements. Mr. John- son, the senior of the firm, attended to the business, Mr. Willey being the railway postal clerk on this division of the rail- road. In the latter part of 1879, however, J. II. Willey, purchased the interest of his partner, and has been sole proprietor ever since. Financial reasons being the canse of Mr. Johnson's retiring from the editorial field, he inserted in the last is- sue of the paper under his control, the following "adieu" to his friends and pa- trons, the sad farewell of a parent parting from a child :

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Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918