USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa > Part 16
USA > Iowa > Howard County > History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa > Part 16
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
As before stated, the difficulty occurred in consequence of in- formality in the returns from the township of Washington. The original order for the organization of Washington precinct is as follows:
"COUNTY OFFICE, ? "CHICKASAW COUNTY.'S
Mr. Thomas Steveks-Sir: You will take notice that the county judge of this county has formed a precinct to be known as the precinct of Washington, out of the following described territory viz: township 96, north of range 13 west, and the south half of 97 north of range 13 west; and you are hereby authorized and ap- pointed a special constable to organize the same, by posting up notices in three of the most public places in said township, that. the first election in said precinct will be held on Monday, the 7th day of April 1856, at the house of S. W. Byers, for the election of the following officers and the transaction of other business named in the warrant:
"Officers, county : One county judge, to fill vacancy; one . clerk. of district court: one county surveyor, one school fund commis- sioner, full term.
"Also that a vote shall be taken on the relocation of the county seat of this county, between the present site, Bradford, and New Hampton, or the geographical center of Chickasaw county.
1
155
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNUY.
"Officers, township: Three township trustees; one township clerk; two justices of the peace; two constables; one assessor; one ·one superintendent of roads.
"Notice should be given at least fifteen days previous to the day of.the election, and the electors must elect by ballot or other- wise a chairman, and proceed to elect three persons, having the qualification of voters as judges of the election, who shall appoint two clerks; and both judges and clerks must be sworn by you to faithfully discharge the duties of their respective offices.
"Given unde: my hand and seal this 14th day of March, A. D. 1856.
B. E. DE PUY, County Judge."
At the contest of the election, Osgood Gowen filed the following statement:
"That the county canvassers declared Lorenzo Bailey elected to the office of judge, George W. Reed elected to the office of dis- trict clerk, and William F. Wright elected to the office of school fund commissioner; and that there was a tie vote as between John A. Billings and C. M. Webster for office of county surveyor; whereas, in fact, J. C. H. Miller was duly elected to the office of county judge; Thomas A. Jacobs was duly elected to the office of district clerk; William Tucker was duly elected to the office of school fund commissioner, and C. M. Webster was duly elected to the office of county surveyor, each, having received a majority of the legal votes cast in said county at said election for his said -office."
Among other things as causes of contest, the following were set forth:
"1st. That the judges of election of Washington precinct in said county, neglected to sign the returns sent up to the judge, and left the same otherwise informal; by reason of which informality and neglect, the county canvassers, or a majority of them, cast out the entire returns and vote of said Washington precinct, in which precinct there were fourteen votes polled, and all for the said J. C. H. Miller for county judge; and all for Thomas A. Jacobs for dis- trict clerk; and also twelve votes were given to William Tucker for school fund commissioner; and all to C. M. Webster for county surveyor."
1
156
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY. -
And then he charges the canvassing board with error in not counting the vote of Washington township ..
The contesting board consisted of W. E. Andrews, prosecuting attorney and ex-officio county judge, and a resident of Bradford; George W. Howard, selected on the part of the incumbents in office, at that time treasurer and recorder, and a resident of Brad- ford; and Henry H. Shafer selected by the contestant, Osgood Gowen, and a resident of Obispo township, now Jacksonville. The contesting board decided adversely to the contestant, and af- firmed the decision of the board of canvassers. No further legal proceedings appear of record, and the incumbents held under the election.
"The public mind was in a high state of excitement, and local party feeling ran high. A public meeting was called to meet at the Brink House-a well known hotel on the banks of the East Wapsi, about one and one-half-miles northeast of New Hampton- the objects and proceedings of which will be more fully under- stood by a personal of the following gem of the past."
INDIGNATION MEETING.
Pursuant to notice, the citizens of central, western and the northern parts of Chickasaw county, assembled at the Brink house, on Wednesday, April 23d, 1856, and organized by calling the Hon. J. C. H. Miller to the chair, and electing E. R. Gillett, Esq., secretary.
The chairman stated the object of the meeting in a few words. "It seems, he said, "that we are called together again to deliberate upon the ways and means, whereby the people-the majority of the people-claiming to be republicans, shall be heard, and the 'elective franchise' vindicated." On motoin, a report (minority), from G. R. Rowley, one of the county board of canvassers, was read, and ordered to be printed in the Dubuque Tribune. On motion, a committee of three were appointed to procure counsel. Osgood Gowen, T. A. Jacobs and David Edwards were appointed said committee. Mr. Cutler inroduced the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted:
RESOLVED, That the proceedings of this meeting, and the report of Mr. Rowley (together with 200 circulars struck off,) 'be published in the Dubuque Tribune.
On motion, the meeting adjourned sine die.
E. R. GILLETT, Secretary. J. C. H. MILLER, Chairman.
157
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
A MINORITY REPORT
To THE ELECTORS OF CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA,-As one of the canvassers of the election held in Chickasaw Co. on April 7th, deem it my duty in justice to you; to inform you of the number of votes cast at that time for the different county officers, and also for the county seat. They were as follows:
Whole number of votes cast for county judge was 426
Mr. Miller received of these votes. 215
Mr. Bailey received of these votes 210
Leaving a majority in Miller's favor of. 5
Whole number of votes cast for county clerk was. .423
Mr. Jacobs recived of these votes. 216
Mr. Reed received of these votes 207
Leaving a majority in Mr. Jacob's favor of. 9 Whole number of votes cast for county surveyor was. . 423 Mr. Webster received of these votes. 196
Mr. Billings received of these votes 183
Leaving a majority in Mr. Webster's favor of. 13 Whole number of votes cast for school fund commis- sioner was 412
- Mr. Tucker received of these votes .219
Mr. Wright received of these votes
206
Leaving a majority in Mr. Tucker's favor of. 6
[NOTE .- It is evident that there is an error in the figures as to the above office, probably a blunder of the printer's .- ED.]
Whole number of votes cast for county seat, was ........ 420 New Hampton, or geographical center, received of these votes. 213
Bradford received of these votes.
206
Leaving New Hampton, or center, a majority of .. 7
The Hon. W. E. Andrews, then acting as county judge, John Bird, Esq, and myself, constituted the board. We differed on the
1
158
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
validity of the returns from North Washingington precinct. [The reason assigned by the canvassers for throwing out Washington precinct, was this: all the board of election in that precinct did not sign the returns, and hence this ousting business. Washing- ton is a new precinct, having only organized at the last election, and they had not the code to guide them.] But there being two to one, they overruled me, and threw out those returns, even after having had them down on the clerk's tally list, which, if not de- stroyed, can yet be seen in the office; they were crossed off, and the remaining precincts counted, which changed the result of the election. If, fellow citizens, this was the first time that Bradford and its hirelings had polluted the sanctity of the ballot box we, might overlook it. It is no longer ago than last August, that we elected this same J. C. H. Miller as our county judge by over fifty majority. Then the Hon. Judge Lyons and E. A. Haskell, Esq., perverted the will of the majority of the votes of this county by throwing out a precinct with over sixty votes to obtain their ends without any just cause, as I verily believe, and so the court decided, before whom the Hon. Judge was taken, and it saw fit to bind him over to answer for fraud and corruption in changing the result of the election.
But what do we see now? The same prosecuting attorney, who took such an active part against the Hon. Judge Lyons, and had him bound over; now he is called upon to act as judge and can- vasser. How much does he lack of perverting the will of the peo- ple? Has he not also taken advantage of ignorance or oversight, and changed the result of the election, when it was in his power to have avoided it? "O consistency thou art a jewel."
Fellow citizens, the day of our freedom and independence, has gone by in this far-famed county of Chickasaw; the will of the majority has to succomb to a meagre minority. The democratic will, "the greatest good to the greatest number," is perverted, and its glorious precepts trampled on with impunity. Again, the American principles, "the majority shall rule," is cast aside, and a new plank is instituted, thus: "The minority shall rule in Chickasaw Co. henceforth and forever." Fellow citizens, was ever so palpable gross a fraud perpetrated, as this ? Were ever inconsistencies so glaring, as those of our Bradford neighbors? We may boast
159
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
of our love of liberty, and expatiate with owlish gravity upon the wrongs of Kansas; but I will tell you, the home ruffians in this county tower in brutal atrocity and unmitigated villainv above the Kansas-Missouri brigands. . We may talk of going to Kansas to defend the ballot box from a Missouri mob; but we know little of our duty when we thus talk and act; we little think the same thing is transpiring in our very midst; the ballot box is wrested from us,-the palladium of our liberties assaulted-the voice of the majority slighted-the rights of the people taken away !
Fellow citizens, how long shall we be slaves to the minority in this land of liberty, in this "land of the free and home of the brave ?" If our voice is not to be heard and heeded at the ballot box, what security have we for our lives and our property ? Are they not in jeopardy ? Are they not in the hands of those that could barter them away for a "mess of pottage ?" What ! The minorty to rule? If the minority continue to rule, how long before we are burdened with taxes. How long before we are called upon to build county buildings in Bradford ? The minority rules, and we must submit ! Shall we let this wrong pass unnoticed and unrebuked? Is there any assurance that there will not be a repetition of the same offence next year? and the next? and so on, for a series of years? In the language of Patrick Henry, "shall we gain strength by inaction and irresolution ? shall we lay supinely on our backs, and hug the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?" Answer these questions, fellow citizens, upon the altars of your hearts. Answer them with an eye single to the welfare, happiness and prosperity of this beautiful county.
As your canvasser, fellow citizens, I have laid the subject before you for your consideration. Hoping that you will take notice of such facts as I have submitted to you, I am, respectfully, your humble servant. G. R. ROWLEY.
"The seed thus sown," continues our chronicler, "was destined to become prolific of bitter personal, partisan and local feeling, arousing the strongest jealousy and bitterest animosity. The first and leading question, on the advent of a settler, was, 'is he a northern or southern man?' Now that the mantle of peace has fallen upon the county, we can but look back and suppress a smile at these intestine wars and rumors of wars, that so absorbed
160
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
public interest, and, in passing, express no opinion as to the jus- tice of either party, for a majority of the actors are still upon the stage of life."
Years have passed since the above was first written, and the solacing hand of time has further smoothed the wrinkles in the front of war, until the asperities of conflict have been softened into healing retrospect and quiet, kindly amusement; but it is not for the editor of this work to pry into the motives of men, or take sides in a cause that is dead. Sufficient it is to know, that these conflicts form part of the history of the county, and without men- tion of them, the history would be essentially incomplete.
With reference to the exciting county seat fight of 1858, a few additional facts may be stated by way of completing this record of early struggles for political supremacy. The more essential facts have already been given. The records in the auditor's office, are peculiarly silent concerning this interesting era. An entry in the county judge's book under date of March 2d, 1858, states that "a petition of Hiram Bailey and 398 others, for a vote on the reloca- tion of the county seat at a place known as Forest City, situated on sections 12 and 13, township 94, range 10, "was granted by Lorenzo Bailey, county judge. Another entry states that the election was "canvassed April 12th, 1858, and Forest City was found to have a majority for the county seat." "I hereby de- clare Forest City to be the county seat in and for Chickasaw county, Iowa. LORENZO BAILEY, County Judge," On the op opsite page another entry recites the same alleged facts, and also orders that the "court, adjourn to meet at Forest City at 2 o'clock P. M.," and the county officers are "ordered to remove their records to Forest City. Signed.
[Attest.] J. H. POWERS, Deputy Clerk.
LORENZO BAILEY, County Judge.
Out of this order grew the excitement and complications here- tofore mentioned, which led to the scenes of disorder and the celebrated "Battle of Bailey's Lane." An old and responsible citizen, an eye witness to the scenes, thus briefly relates some of the occurrences:
"You see," said he, to his inquisitor, "Judge Bailey lived at
161
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
Forest City, had property there, and was naturally interested in the growth of the place. Immediately after the canvassing of the election and the throwing out of enough votes to give a majorty to Forest City, a posse was brought to New Hampton to remove the records. The posse numbered about seventy-five persons who came principally from Forest City and Bradford. The people of New Hampton at first refused to submit to a removal of the records, and made preparations to resist, many coming in from this vicinity to fight against the removal if necessary.
"The opposing forces met over Gurley's store, where the county safe and books were. The Forest City people first went up, and were followed by the opposing faction. For a time there was the wild est excitement, and it looked as if trouble was imminent. But, under peaceable advice, the Forest City people were per- mitted to take the records. They threw the safe out of the second. story window, removed the records, an l carried the effects of the- county to Forest City.
"New Hampton then began to fight through the courts. A war -. rant was issued for the arrest of Judge Bailey, and a posse went to his house and arrested him. There was a good deal of ex- citement and considerable delay, the judge and his family making" various pretexts to that end, until up came a man with what purported to be writ of habeas corpus, and took the prisioner away from his captors. This writ purported to have been issued from the office of the clerk of the court, but it is claimed, was it . in reality issued by the deputy clerk. Bailey was released, but in the interval during which he was held for consultation, a general . fight ensued. The judge found it convenient to disappear, and for a time the conflict waged warm and the fighting dangerous .. This was in front of the judge's house, and there were probably seventy-five persons present. Several were hurt, Daniel Shook perhaps the most severely. He was injured, I think, in the side,, and marked in the face, which mark he will carry to his dying; day."
It is unnecessary to add that the invaders came away without their intended prisoner. Many of them were arrested and taken to Williamstown, and thence to Nashua, where a show of prosecu-
.
162
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
tion was made, but nothing resulted therefrom other than their ultimate discharge. It was while going home from the scenes of intestine strife that Lawyer Babcock, of Bradford, lost his horse, the animal being drowned in a slough of the Wapsie. It is but fair to state that the gentleman from whom the above information was obtained, was a staunch supporter of New Hampton's claim. To mention the "Battle of Bailey's Lane" at this day, only creates a smile of retrospective amusement, although, it is easy to imag- ine, the affair was sufficiently serious at the time.
COUNTY SEAT CONTEST 1880.
Almost of a necessity a county seat controversy, in its progress provoked much bitterness and wrangling,so active and zealously does partizanship become, so prone is man to magnify or belittle facts on either side, that it becomes doubly hard for the historian to calmly and dispassionately sum up the various evidence, and try and place clearly before the reader the true inwardness of the matter, but we will endeavor to make as plain a statement of the facts as they occurred.
The old court house, located at New Hampton, took fire and burned to ashes on the evening of March 26th, 1880. The cause of the fire has been ascribed to incendiarism, but this has never been . fully proven. However on the 31st, of the same month the New Hampton Tribune in an editorial suggested that now as the old land mark had gone up in flames that the county should build a substantial court house that would be an honor the county. On the same day, viz: March 31st, 1880, the following paper was cir- culated and sign by good and substantial citizens of Nashua and Bradford township, to-wit:
To the Honorable board of supervisors of Chickasaw county, Iow:
We the undersigned residents and tax-payers of said Chickasaw county, respectfully petition you that you take necessary steps to build a court house, upon the court house square, New Hamp- ton, as soon as the same can legally be done. Dated March 31st, 1880.
A. G. Lawrence,
M. Stewart, Jr.,
C. A. Greely,
S. E. Preston,
163
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
A. A. Tumer,
J. W. Kellogg,
Amos Case,
J. P. Parrish,
Jos. F. Grawe,
B. A. Billings,
Wm. B. Perrin,
Hazlett and Sons,
F. Hollenbeck,
and 125 others.
However many of the citizens of Nashua and vicinity retro- graded from the above peition on the question on the agitation of many people in the balance of the county, who suggested the loca- tion of the county seat at Nashua, and the building of the court house at that place.
On the 3d day of April, at a meeting held in the town of Lawler a resolution was passed protesting against appropriation of any money by the county to build a court house until the town where it was built should make liberal appropaiation therefor!
This resolution seemed to cast a firebrand in to the hitherto peaceful question, and to set the county in a blaze and every man seemed to take some part, for one side or the other.
However, the citizens, of New Hampton, met the question, by appointing A. E. Bigelow, H. M. Mixer and Jno. Foley, as trustees to raise and hold a fund, of $5,000, to be given to the county of Chickasaw, or as much of it as was needed to complete the court house building, provided, the county appropriated the sum of $5,000 in addition.
To this liberal offer it was raised in objection, that the sub- scribers were only bound for a small sum in reality, as but little more than the $5,000 of the county would be needed to build the court house, according to plans adopted by the board of super- visors. This led to much dispute and mangling. The citizens of Nashua, agreed on their part, that, if the county seat was located in that place, they would erect a building suitable for the pur- pose, at a cost of $25,000, which the county might occupy as a court house, at a nominal rent of $1.00 per annum, but which building they would not donate to the county.
Finally at the September meeting of the board of supervisors, the question of locating the county seat was taken up, and a peti- tion signed by a large number of the voters of the county, was pre- sented, asking the honorable board to relocate the same at Nashua,
164
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
in the township of Bradford. Also a remonstrance, signed by a larger number of votes of said county, was presented remonstrat- ing against the board relocating the county seat at Nashua, and we find the following upon the records of the board.
"The question of the relocation of the county seat was taken up by the board, and the following action taken by them:"
We, the board of supervisors of Chickasaw county, Iowa, at the suggestion, and by the expressed consent of the petitioners, by their attorney, without a close investigation of either the petition or remonstrance, but taking the names as they appear upon the face of said petition and remonstrance, and being satisfied that the names upon the remonstrance exceed the names upon the petition, therefore the prayer of the petitioners is hereby declared, not granted."
This ended the matter and the county seat still remaining at New Hampton, the building of the court house was proceeded with; for account of which we refer to chapter on county buildings.
165
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
-
.
CHAPTER V.
THE PRESS; THE PRINTER; JOURNALISM IN CHICKASAW COUNTY IN EARLY DAYS-RAILROADS; THEIR HISTORY AND EXTENT.
The inception of journalism dates from remote ages. The insti- tution now known as the newspaper was preceded nearly a thou- sand years by manuscript publications, in which the accounts of public occurrences in Rome were made known to the public, these were known by the name of "Acta Diurna;" but their issues, in time of scarcity of news, was irregular, the editor either engaging in some other calling or indulging in the sports of the day.
But little progress was made from this until 1622, the date of the first publication worthy of the name of newspaper. Prior to that time, the mental appetite of modern Europe had subsisted upon periodical manuscript literature. In England, the written news-letter, furnished only at fabulous prices, was, for a long time, in vogue. The news pamphlet was the nearest approach to the newspaper that had obtained up to 1622; when, as has been said, the first regular series of newspapers was born. It was about that time that the "Weekly News from Italie and Germanie" made its salutatory to the London public. It was printed upon a mechani- cal contrivance-perfected by one Nathanial Butler, who is the
167
HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.
progenitor of the newspaper proper. The first attempt at the pub- lication of parlimentary reports was .made in 1641, when the parties of the realm first occupied a place in the paper. The first advertisement was inserted in 1648, and was in verse form, and tra- dition truly says that it paid then as now.
The first daily morning newspaper was the "London Courant," published in 1709 and consisted of only one page or two columns, each five paragraphs long; and was made up from translations from foreign journals. Fifty years had not elapsed before there was over seven million papers sold in England annually. -
The revolutions in journalism during the present century have been of so stupendous a type as to be almost beyond comprehension were we not brought face to face with the fact day by day. Nor has the press failed to increase in power and usefulness. It is an instrument calculated to elevate and enlighten the people, as well as aid in the enforcement of the laws and the perpetuation of good government. It is its mission to make wrong doing odious, by airing the misdeeds of those guilty of crimes agoinst law and so- ciety; and to point the admiring finger at the good and pure deeds of men of nobility of soul, who are worthy of respectful homage.
And the printer, whose ceaseless placing of type on type makes possible these labors of the brain of men; the printer who garners- up the thoughts and actions of men and spread them upon the snow white page and send them to your very door, is he not wor- thy a place in the history of our time.
To use the beantiful words of that gifted journalist, Benj. F. Taylor, when speaking of the printer:
"The printer is the adjutant of thought, and this explains the mystery of the wonderful word-that can kindle a hope as no. song can-that can warm the heart as no hope-that word 'we,' with a hand in hand warmth in it, for the author and printer are engineers together. Engineers, indeed ! when the little Corsican bombarded Cadiz at the distance of five miles, it was deemed the very triumph of engineering. But what is that range to this, whereby they bombard the age yet to come.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.