USA > Iowa > Clayton County > History of Clayton County, Iowa : from the earliest historical times down to the present : including a genealogical and biographical record of many representative families, prepared from data obtained from original sources of information, Volume I > Part 23
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The Iowa Gazeteer, published in Chicago in 1865, gives the follow- ing description of the towns of the county as they were in that year: Guttenberg: "The first municipal election was held in April, 1851. Since that time the growth of the town has been onward and upward. Every year has witnessed new and substantial improvements and a large increase of trade and business. Since the incorporation of the town large sums have been annually expended in public improvements. Good roads have been made, leading to every part of the surrounding country. The town has an excellent steam ferry boat, which, during the season of navigation, plies regularly between this place and Glen Haven, three miles up the river, on the Wisconsin side. The buildings are mostly of stone, of which material an excellent quality is obtained from the bluff back of the town. There are now in place seven general stores, two groceries, two clothing stores, two hardware, stove and tin stores, two drugstores, three millinery and fancy stores, four black- smith and three saddler shops, two wagon and carriage shops, one gun shop, three furniture shops, four hotels, five breweries, several warehouses, two flouring mills and one sawmill. The Lutheran and Catholic are the leading church denominations. Guttenberg annually ships and receives large quantities of produce and merchandise. The bluffs immediately back of town abound in lead ore, and on Miners creek, within two or three miles of town, several rich veins of mineral have been discovered and profitably worked.
"McGregor is 67 miles from Dubuque and 229 miles northwest from Chicago, via the Chicago & Northwestern and the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien railways. From the time of its being laid out as a town, and the settlement of the country west and northwest, it has enjoyed the benefit of an exceedingly active trade. One would scarcely credit a true statement of the marvelous quantity of grain and produce that is shipped via this point, did they not visit the town during a busy season, and, in person, see the streets crowded to their entire length from early in the morning till late in the evening with heavily laden wagons, four abreast, many of whose owners had come 50, 100 and sometimes 200 miles to market. Standing at the foot of Main street, it is no uncommon sight to see it so filled to its furtherest extent and allowing twenty feet for each wagon and horses length ( four abreast), we find over 1,000 teams for one mile alone. This is no fancy picture nor 'fish story,' but a fact that thousands have witnessed daily. Not only is McGregor a great grain market, but it is the principal depot for the supply of household furniture, farming machinery, wearing apparel, groceries and other commodities. The business of the place is by the following establishments: Six dry goods, three drug, three hardware, three stove and tinware, four book and stationery, six clothing, three furniture, one crockery and glass- ware, fifteen grocery, two jewelry, four boot and shoe, and five general stores. There are over twenty establishments for the purchase and shipment of grain, produce and game. There are three lumber yards, one planing mill, sash, door and blind factory, one gun shop, one marble shop, two bakeries, two fruit stores, five millineries, three real estate offices, five implement houses, one pump factory, two foundries and machine shops, five wagon shops, three photograph galleries, one grain
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elevator, one brewery and three flouring mills. There are six hotels, one National bank and two weekly newspapers, the Times and the News. The McGregor Western extends westward through Clayton, Winneshiek, Howard and Mitchell counties to the state line, there connecting with the Minnesota Central, which is being built to St. Paul. The road is already completed to Decorah, a distance of 60 miles, and at an early date will be completed to the rich coal regions of the Des Moines valley. In addition to rail and river facilities, McGregor is connected with all points by a line of daily stages. The Baptist, Catholic, Congregational, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches have organizations. There are also societies of Masons and Odd Fellows in a flourishing condition.
"Elkader, the seat of justice, is a flourishing town of about 700 inhabitants. The scenery of its location is possessed of much natural beauty. The table land on which the business portion of the town is built rises gradually for some distance, when it breaks into a steep declivity on the right bank of the river, while on the east the bank rises more rapidly and higher before the table land is reached, which undulates upward to a summit of considerable height. Upon these undulations many beautiful residences stand, surrounded with grounds tastefully arranged and adorned with shrubbery and trees, many of which are of native growth. The river, flowing with a rapid current, affords a good and reliable water power, which is to some extent improved, a dam being constructed across the stream at this point. There is one large flouring mill, built of rock taken from the neigh- boring quarries. The trade of the town is flourishing, being repre- sented by four general stores, one flouring mill, one drug, one furniture, one hardware and stove store, one hotel, one printing office, together with the usual number of blacksmith, carpenter, wagon and other shops. There are Congregational, Methodist, Catholic and other churches. The Clayton County Journal is published here.
"Garnavillo is a post village and township in the eastern interior of the county: Shipments are made during the winter months via McGregor, and in the summer principally via Clayton and Dunleith. There are two good flouring mills and two sawmills on Buck creek, just east of the village; also one brewery, one hotel and several stores in the town. The village is located on a beautiful and very productive prairie. There are four churches-Methodist, Congregational, German Lutheran and Catholic. The lodges are Masons, Odd Fellows and Good Templars. The estimated population is 500.
"Clayton is on the east bank of the Mississippi, 10 miles below McGregor and 10 miles above Guttenberg. The site is partly a beau- tiful plat of ground between the bluffs and the river, but most of the residences are in a ravine through which the principal street runs from the river back onto the high prairie. The town is easy of access from the interior, and has one of the best steamboat landings on the river. It is the principal crossing place for travel between northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, there being good roads on both sides of the river and a steam ferry boat crossing it every half hour, furnishing ample accommodation. The village contains two large flouring mills, one manufacturing about
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20,000 and the other about 6,000 barrels of flour per annum; four general stores, four grocery stores, two cabinet shops, one foundry, three lumber yards and one stave and heading factory. About 130,000 bushels of wheat are shipped annually. Population 500.
"Elkport, a post village in the southeast part of Volga township on the south bank of the Turkey, at the confluence of Volga river, is 22 miles by stage nearly north from Dyersville. There are three general stores, one flour mill and two sawmills in the village; also one flour and sawmill and a woolen factory, Isaac Otis & Son, proprietors, within two and a half miles of the village. There is a good public school and two churches, German Catholic and German Lutheran. Population about 200.
"Strawberry Point, otherwise known as Franklin, in Cass town- ship sixteen miles northwest from Manchester. The first settlements were made in this vicinity about fifteen years since, by Wood, Grannis, Stearns, Blake and others. It now contains about 250 inhabitants, with six stores, one brewery, one large flour mill, which runs with water power and was built at a cost of $20,000, and three churches, Baptist, Methodist and Universalist. The Masons and Good Templars each have a lodge.
"Monona is on the McGregor Western Railway, thirteen miles west of McGregor. It contains two churches, five general stores, one drug store and one steam sawmill. Population 500.
"Littleport is a small post village on the Volga river, nine miles south of Elkader. It has one distillery, one general store and one saw- mill. Population 75.
"Giard is in the northeastern part of the county, six and one-half miles from McGregor and fourteen miles north of Elkader. It has two churches, two general stores, one flour mill and one sawmill. Pop- ulation 70.
"Yankee Settlement is in the southwestern portion of the county, eighteen miles from Elkader. It has one Methodist church, one general store and four sawmills.
"Volga City is a post village in the western part of the county, located on the right bank of the Volga river. It has two country stores, one mill and a hotel.
"Ceres, Communia, Council Hill, Cox Creek, Farmersburg, Gem, Grand Meadow, Henderson's Prairie, Honey Creek, Millville, National Road and Sigel are also villages and post roads of this county."
Sidelights on Progress-With this review of the county it is well to close the history of this war period, except to mention some of the incidents which bore upon the life of the people and the future of the county. Elkader suffered considerable inconvenience and loss of trade on account of the poor construction of the bridge. Appropriation was made for strengthening one end of the bridge, but by the time this was completed it was found that the other end was untrustworthy, so that an appropriation had to be made to reinforce that end. In the mean- time the mill was not in commission and, as there was no thoroughfare to the market towns on the river, Elkader was largely avoided. Neither the bridge nor the mill were open to the public until 1863. In July, 1861, the county had a new attorney in the person of S. T. Woodward,
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who located in Elkader and afterwards built the stone mansion which now overlooks the city. It was not until 1862 that it was voted to restrain sheep and swine from running at large, and then it was noted that posses of citizens had to be called upon to enforce it. In May, 1862, Judge Williams held court at Elkader, and the membership of the bar is given as Reuben Noble, Samuel Murdock, J. O. Crosby, E. Odell, B. T. Hunt, Thomas Updegraff, S. T. Woodward, C. F. Remick, D. Baugh, T. Beckwith, J. T. Stoneman, Alonzo Brown, S. F. Peck, A. J. Jordan, C. W. Richardson and J. W. Moore. At this time the trial of Livingood and Delilah Telyea, on a change of venue from Winneshiek county, for the murder of Telyea created much interest. The speeches of Noble for the defense and M. McGlathery for the prosecution were noteworthy, and the proceedings of the trial, together with these speeches, were printed in pamphlet form and sold for twenty-five cents each.
In October, 1863, two new postoffices were established: Sigel, in Reed township, with Mr. Palmer as postmaster, and Wagner post- office. In the same year the rush to California took the place of the old Pike's Peak craze, and many caravans started from Clayton county on the long overland journey to the coast. Two parties left Garnavillo in April, 1863. They were D. G. Rogers' company and Preece's com- pany. H. T. Smart and John Uriell went with them. The two com- panies had, between them fifteen horses, eight mules and seven wagons, and were fully equipped for the overland journey. While there was much feeling between the Union men and the Copperheads, the only violence occurred in Mallory township where an attempt was made to break up the singing school at Pott's school house and to ride the teacher on a rail. Shots were fired and the school house was stoned, but no one was injured and no particular damage done. This dis- turbance was laid to the Copperheads, with how much reason is not known. In July, 1863, occurred the murder of a man named Schutte at Guttenberg. He went to the home of his former wife, a Mrs. Heller, and there was set upon by her two sons, who attacked him with an axe and knives and chopped him almost to pieces. There was much excitement at Guttenberg over this brutal murder. The many enlist- ments caused a great scarcity in farm labor and, in March, 1864, citizens of Farmersburg met to consider this problem. G. B. Wakeman was president of this meeting and J. E. Corlett secretary, and a fund was raised for the encouragement of foreign immigration to the county.
Death of R. R. Read-In April, 1864, the county lost one of its best known and most beloved pioneers in the person of Robert R. Read. The funeral services were attended by people from all over the county. Resolutions were passed and the following biography and eulogy was printed: "Robert R. Read was born Aug. 31, 1790, in Norfolk county, England, and emigrated to America in 1817, and first settled in Philadelphia. Here he first learned that, far away, towards the evening sun, across majestic rivers, and over lofty moun- tains, there was a widespread land, skirting upon either shore of a great river. Young, ardent, brave, daring, resolute and in the vigor of manhood, full of wild adventure, he turned his face toward the great west, and arrived on the banks of the Mississippi, in 1827.
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"In company with Govenor Dodge, of Wisconsin, he made his way to the lead mines, where they both made a settlement in what is now the county of Grant. At this time the whole of that vast and fertile tract of country lying between the Wisconsin on the north, the Kas- kaskia on the south, and embracing the rich valley of Rock river, was but sparsely settled. Here and there along the streams clustered the few log huts of the hunter and the trapper, men who had early bid adieu to civilization and refinement in some far-off eastern home, and who by their acts were fast precipitating the country into a cruel, bloody and desperate border war. Others, as bold and daring as themselves, prompted by the prospect of sudden riches and wealth, had clustered around the lead mines of Illinois and Wisconsin. To expel both of these, that brave and daring old chief, Blackhawk, in the year of 1812, raised the flag of war and, for a long time, desolated this fair and lovely portion of the great and fertile west. Among the first, our old friend, Captain Robert R. Read, took up arms to defend the settlers. General Dodge commissioned him major of the Fifth infantry, Grant county volunteers. He accompanied that general throughout all his campaigns against the Indians, acting most of the time as one of his aides, and was by his side at the final battle of the Bad Axe, which terminated the war, dethroned Blackhawk and restored peace to the country.
"After the war was over he returned to his family to pursue the peaceful avocations of life; but he was not long here when General Dodge again commissioned him sheriff of Grant county, the county he had assisted in defending against the savages. That same love of adventure that prompted him from the first to encounter the trials and hardships of a frontier life again took possession of his mind. He resigned the office of sheriff, crossed the Mississippi and settled on the soil of Clayton county in 1839, where he remained until death closed his eyes forever. Soon after he came to Clayton county he was chosen clerk of the commissioners court, and it was here that his talents and ability as an officer were first discovered by the people of Clayton county, and which laid the foundation for that long and useful career of public life which he afterwards passed among us. At the time he was first chosen clerk, the financial affairs of the county were in a wretched state. Warrants to an amount which no one knew had been issued, no books had been kept, no records had been made, and everything which concerned the county was in a mass of confusion. He purchased records, traced out the indebtedness, restrained the use- less and extravagant issue of county orders, and laid the foundation of the commissioners court on a basis that gave prosperity to the county. In this position, the most responsible of any in the county, he remained for many years, and until the board was abolished for the office of county judge. After leaving the office he was immediately elected treasurer and recorder of the county, and re-elected, again and again, as often as he wished. Sometimes he had the most determined opposition, at other times he would pass over the course alone. At last he declined a re-election, preferring a more active life, and he left the office regretted by all. But the people of Clayton county would not suffer him to remain long out of service, and they elected him
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without opposition clerk of the district court, and here in this office we again see the master hand of business. But old age was creeping on him, a long and useful life now drawing to a close, and he felt his decline. Tired and worn out in the public service, he resigned the office and retired forever to private life, with more honors than fall to the lot of many men to wear."
Minor Events-Among the minor events showing the trend of the county are the following: In April, 1864, an effort to close the saloons and business houses of Elkader on Sunday created a near riot. There were but three butcher shops in the county at that time, on account of the high cost of beef ; the fish story flourished, and one pickerel weighing 101/2 pounds and another weighing 14 were speared by boys at Elkader. In 1864 it is reported that Postmaster Snedigar was being assisted in the postoffice by his two daughters, as both his sons had gone to war.
In June of the same year the McGregor clans advanced upon the court house to protest against the establishment of a ferry between North McGregor and Prairie du Chien. Reuben Noble argued for the ferry and E. Odell against it, and it was defeated by the board by a majority of one vote.
In August, 1864, a nest of thieves was located near Elkport by Sheriff Garber and his deputy, Melvin Hodgkins. A tailor named Schornagel was found to be selling goods at less than cost, and these goods were identified as some stolen from Dyersville and $1,500 worth of goods were recovered at his house. The premises of a saloonkeeper named Mayer were searched and between $700 and $800 worth of dry goods were found in a manure heap back of his barn. At the home of Seels, a former saloonkeeper, jewelry to the value of $1,000 was found in the bedding.
At Elkader an excellent school was boasted under the direction of Mrs. Bowers, who was described as a lady of rare attainments. Several small circuses had been advertised before this time, but the first big show was that of Yankee Robinson, which came to Elkader and to Strawberry Point in September, 1864. This circus consisted not only of acrobatic feats, but of panoramas and tableaux. It was about this time that A. Ringling, father of the Ringling Brothers, noted through- out the world as circus men, advertised that he would change the location of his harness shop in McGregor. It was not until October, 1864, that the big mill at Elkader was again ready for regular business. The building is described as five stories high. E. Wagner was superin- tendent, and the mill was owned by L. V. Davis and L. A. Beardsley, who had just purchased the Thompson interest and moved to Elkader.
In 1865 there were two destructive floods, one in February and one in March. The river at Elkader was described as being the highest ever known, and considerable damage was done along the Turkey and the Volga, while at North McGregor, Bloody Run destroyed the tracks of the McGregor & Western. During this year there was continued agitation for the establishment of a woolen mill at Elkader. The fact that there were no transportation facilities and but few sheep did not deter the promoters, who urged it for many months. The Elkader brewery was established in June, 1865. Of it the Journal says:
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"Work has already commenced to erect a brewery on Bridge street near the bluff on the west side of the river. A Mr. Schmidt, residing near Garnavillo, is building it, and it is intended to be an extensive affair, and Mr. Schmidt is said to have plenty of money to build it. Judging from the quantity of beer annually consumed in this and adjoining towns, an enterprise of this kind will pay well."
On November 19, occurred the death of Mrs. Mary Lowe Price, the wife of Judge Eliphalet Price, a woman who had shared with this pioneer the hardships and deprivations of the early days and who was dearly beloved throughout the county. Of her the Elkader Journal says, "The large concourse of friends that attended her funeral at Garnavillo attests to the esteem in which she was held. Mrs. Price came here at an early day, when but few other women were in the county and her death will be lamented by those who knew her then. She was one of those indomitable persevering, truly Christian women, to whom society owes so much of its pleasures. In her death her husband, Hon. E. Price, has lost a faithful wife and the county a kind friend, for such was she to all. All who ever knew her speak naught but praise and all mourn her loss."
The last of the great fires visited McGregor in December, 1865. The blaze originated in the postoffice; twenty-eight buildings were destroyed and the loss estimated at $100,000. In the columns of the Journal is given mention of the young men who are growing up to take the places of their distinguished fathers in the annals of this county. The debating society was organized at Elkader with Buel Knapp as president, R. E. Price, secretary ; E. A. Crary, editor and critic, and P. C. Young, treasurer.
In November, 1865, the county poor farm was opened in Read township. There were eight inmates-six men and two women. There were thirty-five acres of land under cultivation and a garden of four acres was to be put in. It was expected to rent the remaining land at a crop rental of one-third. With this the history of the war period, both as to the war itself and as to the domestic affairs of the county, is brought to a close; and it will be seen that, in spite of the cost of the war, in men and money, Clayton county had not only held its own but had gained in wealth and influence and in all the elements of civiliza- tion.
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CHAPTER IX
RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD-1865-1870
EVENTS OF 1866-ANNALS OF 1867-DEATH OF ALONZO BROWN-DEATH OF JAMES MCGREGOR, JR .- INCOMES OF 1868-HAGERTY MURDER- RIVER TRAFFIC-COURT HOUSE-FENIANISM-HOP INDUSTRY-SOME ELKADER FIRSTS-COUNTY AFFAIRS-AMONG THE TEACHERS-TOWN PROGRESS-POLITICAL HISTORY-MERRILL FOR GOVERNOR-CAMPAIGN OF 1868-1869.
T HE period after the war was one of reconstruction not only politically, but in industrial lines. The soldiers returned from the front, the swords were converted into pruning hooks and the volunteers, as well as might be, took up the thread of their own lives. After the excitement of the war the last half of this decade seems uninteresting but it witnessed a steady growth for all the county. The enterprise of the people, sometimes misdirected, but nevertheless energetic, is shown in many ways. In 1866 a stock company was formed to build propeller and flatboats to navigate the Turkey from Elkport to its mouth. J. S. Lewis backed this scheme and a Mr. Howard was the ship-builder. Charles Simmons established a new record by driving a stage from Elkader to Dyersville in seven hours and the people thought they were quite metropolitan. The growing wealth of the county is illustrated by the fact that, in 1866, three of the prominent Germans, having accumulated enough so they could, visited the land of their birth and Jacob Nicklaus, R. Meuth of Buena Vista and G. T. Weist of Guttenberg visited the Fatherland. In this year also the Farmers Mutual Fire & Lightning Insurance Company was formed by the Germans of Cox Creek and Volga. The executive com- mittee was F. W. Hockhaus, Joseph Stich and Charles Cords and Louis Arnold was secretary. Values at the time are shown by the sale of the E. Price farm near Guttenberg for $5,600.
Events of 1866-The most stirring event of 1866 was the assault upon a German farmer near Farmersburg by an Allamakee county desperado at which time Clayton county came its nearest to seeing real mob violence, for the German farmers organized for lynching purposes and would have carried out their purpose had they not been assured that justice would prevail.
In 1866 the county lost two of its pioneers. Jacob Nicklaus died on June 7. He was one of the Germans driven to this country by the
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