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 26
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Political Arena-Politics in Clayton county was a seething caul- dron all through this period. Samuel Merrill, of Clayton county, was Governor of the state and he was urged as a candidate for United States Senator. In later years, Judge Wright is quoted as having said that Clayton county produced the strongest men and the best politi- cians in Iowa, and that, had they been able to work together, nothing could have stood against them; but, fortunately for the balance of the state, they were never harmonious. This was illustrated in the battle for the senatorship, when Senator Newell supported Merrill, Judge Murdock was right hand man for Wright, and Judge Williams and Major Drummond were supporters of Allison. Wright won the nomination and was elected. The Democrats accorded the honor of their nomination to John T. Stoneman, of Clayton county. Although he had opposed him in the senatorial fight, Governor Merrill appointed E. H. Williams as a judge of the Supreme Court. In many ways Governor Merrill proved himself an able and fair minded executive, so much so that, in 1870, the legislature of Iowa passed highly com- mendatory resolutions concerning him, these being introduced by John P. Irish, the Democratic leader, and supported ardently by the eloquent John A. Kasson. During Governor Merrill's term the important work of building the state capitol was carried on, and, while mistakes were made, there was at no time any reflection upon the integrity and ability of the governor.
It was at the republican county convention held in Elkader, July
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27, 1870, with Frank Larrabee as chairman and M. E. Duff as secre- tary, that the name of Thomas Updegraff was first presented as a can- didate for Congress. Mr. Updegraff was a serious contender in the congressional convention which followed, but W. G. Donnan was nominated on the tenth ballot, the vote being, Donnan 97, Updegraff 65, Larrabee 4. It was in this year, also, that Reuben Noble was nominated for Supreme Judge on the democratic ticket and John T. Stoneman was nominated for Congress on the same ticket. The re- publicans of the county urged Williams for Supreme Judge, but he failed to secure the nomination. The election of 1870 was a victory for the republicans by some 300 majority. Stoneman received a large complimentary vote for congress, carrying the county by nearly 100. For supervisors, O. W. Crary and P. P. Olmstead, republicans, were elected, and Michael Uriell, democrat, who defeated Henry White by 10 votes. H. S. Granger was re-elected clerk without opposition and R. L. Freeman had a majority of more than 300 for recorder as against Peter Karberg, republican. A vote was taken to increase the number of supervisors from 3 to 5, but this was defeated by 900, while the stock restraint law was beaten nearly 3 to I. After the election which saw the change from one supervisor for each township to but three supervisors, for the county, Uriell drew the three year term, Crary two years and Olmsted one. It was in 1871 that F. D. Bayless first became prominent in democratic politics and for many years he was one of the leaders of democracy. This was the year of the Alli- son-Harlan fight for the Senatorship and this created much factional feeling among the republicans. C. C. Carpenter was the republican candidate for governor and carried the county against J. C. Knapp, democrat, by 320. For state senator O. W. Crary defeated John T. Stoneman, and Louis Reuther and R. B. Flenniken were elected rep- resentatives over J. M. Hagensick and Rufus Richardson, democrats. Other republicans elected were G. Cooley, supervisor ; Martin Garber, auditor ; Henry Kellner, treasurer ; James Davis, sheriff ; S. L. Peck surveyor, and H. D. Bronson, coroner. The only democrat elected was John Everall for superintendent.
1872 was a presidential year and Horace Greeley was the opponent of General Grant. There was some party feeling, but the opposition was unable to make headway against the great Union general and Greeley was not popular with the democrats themselves. Grant car- ried Clayton county by 201 majority. Stoneman was again the can- didate for Congress and defeated Donnan by 285, although he was not elected in the district. For circuit judge, C. P. Granger of Allamakee, afterward a supreme judge and recognized as one of the great jurists of Iowa, was elected without opposition. Republicans elected were Marvin Cook, clerk, over L. A. Mahoney by 176, and P. P. Olmstead, supervisor, by 235, over William Eno. Among the democrats, R. L. Freeman was successful for recorder, defeating John B. Meyer by 119.
By 1873 there was a complete political revolution in Clayton county. The prohibition question had entered into politics and the opposition to the republicans was known as the "Liberal" party. J. G. Vale, democrat, carried the county for governor, against C. C. Car- penter, by 431; A. F. Tipton and Alexander Bleidung, republicans,
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were defeated by J. C. Rounds and B. F. Schroeder, liberals, for rep- resentative. Martin Garber for auditor, J. F. Thompson for superin- tendent and H. D. Bronson for coroner on the republican ticket had no opposition. Henry Kellner, treasurer, was re-elected over Adolph Papin by more than 700. W. A. Benton began his career as sheriff by defeating J. A. Hysham by 851, and Ezra Hurd, democrat, for sur- veyor, and M. Uriell, democrat, for supervisor, were elected.
The year 1874 saw an increase of the "People's Party" move- ment and the county went more heavily against the republicans, the opposition winning, by 582, on the state ticket. For Congress, L. L. Ainsworth defeated C. T. Granger, republican, both in the county and the district, and Reuben Noble, democrat, was given the splendid ma- jority of 1,386 over Milo McGlathery for district judge. In the county, the fusion ticket, styled "anti-monopoly," elected R. L. Free- man as recorder, but M. Cook, republican, for clerk, and W. Thoma, republican, for supervisor, were elected.
In 1875, the republicans renominated S. J. Kirkwood, the old war governor, for governor, while the opposition ran a fusion ticket headed by Shepherd Leffler. Judge Noble held his first term of court at Elkader, in January, 1875, and he was a very popular judge. It is related of him that when he first was called upon to pronounce sen- tence, being more used to politics than to the bench, he sentenced the prisoner at the bar saying, "It will be my painful duty to sentence you to the legislature of the state for four years." The account continues, "Amid the sobs of the poor prisoner and the beseeching words, 'O judge, can't you cut it off a year?' were indistinctly heard from the bench the words, 'Penitentiary, I mean.' Returning from court, the lawyers undertook to ridicule this extraordinary sentence. When the subject was evidently exhausted, the judge, with a gravity that seemed to imply a rebuke of such trifling, said: 'Gentlemen, in reviewing my first effort on the bench I can recall but one mistake that I am con- scious of.' After a pause someone ventured to inquire what that was. "When I took back the word legislature and said penitentiary-con- found these horse thieves !'"
The temperance question continued to be the chief issue in 1875, and F. D. Bayless was chairman of the Clayton county liberal conven- tion, held in June. A personal liberty association was formed at Elkader, with E. P. Clark as president and J. L. Hagensick as secre- tary. Wholesale dealers in liquors were assessed $50 for member- ship, wholesalers of wine and brewers $25 each, and saloon keepers $12.50. The liberal county convention was held at Elkader, June 19, and resolved against the prohibitory law. This movement seems to have made considerable inroads upon the republican ranks, for Thomas Updegraff was one of the delegates selected. The republican county convention made no declaration on the liquor question. The demo- crats carried the county by more than 300, electing Stoneman, senator ; Mentzel and White, representatives; Benton, sheriff; Brown, sur- veyor ; H. C. Hoxsie, coroner, and Isaac Otis, supervisor. The repub- licans, Garber for auditor, Kellner, treasurer, and Thompson, super- intendent.
Hayes-Tilden Campaign-The election of 1876 had the usual ex-
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citement of the presidential campaign. There had been a number of scandals in administration and the republican party was weakened. Early in the spring, L. L. Ainsworth declined to be a candidate for congress and Reuben Noble was suggested for the position, but refused to be candidate. Martin Garber was brought forward by the repub- licans of Clayton county as a congressional candidate but, on the 22nd ballot, he was defeated for the nomination by T. W. Burdick. By this time the Greenback party had become something of a force. It held a convention at Strawberry Point and nominated E. F. Gaylord for congress. In the democratic county convention, there was a hot race between Freeman and McGonigal, for recorder, which the latter won on the fifth ballot. On national issues the county was still repub- lican and Rutherford B. Hayes, for president, received 40 majority over Samuel J. Tilden. Burdick was elected to congress, Cook for clerk, Schecker for surveyor and P. P. Olmstead for supervisor, were elected on the republican ticket; while McGonigal, for recorder, and Eberhard, for supervisor, were successful democrats. The presiden- tial election was very close, both sides claiming the victory, and it was not for many months that it was decided by an electoral commission. During this time there were many charges of fraud on both sides and much bitterness was created. The McGregor Times, for the first time, used an election rooster, and McGregor celebrated the supposed victory of Tilden.
In 1877, the money question was paramount and the democrats denounced what was later known as the "crime of 73." The Green- backers organized with A. T. Lawrence, David Hammer and W. P. Eno as central committee. In the county the chief fight was for rep- resentative, Thomas Updegraff and Alexander Bleidung being the re- publican nominees. This year there was a complete victory for the republicans and in the legislature of 1878 it was said that Clayton county ruled the state, for Stoneman led in the senate and Updegraff led in the house.
In 1878, there was complete fusion between the democrats and greenbackers, each having four places on the state ticket. Joseph Eiboeck, former editor of the Elkader Journal, and then editing the Des Moines Anzeiger, was the fusion candidate for state auditor, and while the head of the fusion ticket received 17 majority, the county complimented its old time editor with a majority of 227. In the re- publican ranks there was a bitter fight between the adherents of Blei- dung and the supporters of Updegraff, who was a candidate for con- gress. Double caucuses were held in Cox Creek and the delegation from Cox Creek, Millville, Garnavillo, Clayton and Jefferson bolted the convention which instructed delegates for Updegraff. The con- gressional convention was held at McGregor. Cooley of Winneshiek, Donnan of Buchanan, and Updegraff were candidates. There were 326 ballots taken and Updegraff won. The feeling against Updegraff did not seem to extend to the election for he received a majority of 808, being elected by several thousand in the district. One of the largest majorities ever given a man in Clayton county was that given
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Judge Noble for re-election. He received a majority of 2,113. During the next year he was tendered the nomination for Supreme Judge but refused on the ground that he had just received such a magnificent indorsement and did not feel that he should desert his post. Robert Quigley, republican, carried the county for district attorney, but was defeated in the district. The republican elected was Marvin Cook, clerk, and the democrats elected McGonigal for recorder and Scofield supervisor. The county election of 1879 hinged upon the question of economy, the democrats and greenbackers uniting that the salaries of the officers be reduced. John Everall was a candidate for auditor, agreeing to conduct the office for $1,900, instead of the $2,800 then paid. John H. Gear was the republican candidate for governor and both he and ex-Governor Kirkwood spoke at Garnavillo and the repub- licans made a determined effort to regain supremacy in the county. Gear carried the county by 474. The resignation of Noble as a candi- date for supreme judge was not accepted by the democrats, but he made no active campaign and the vote in the county against him was 152. Martin Garber defeated John T. Stoneman for senator, and Gregor McGregor, republican, and John Van Staden, democrat, were elected representatives. The balance of the county ticket elected was : C. E. Floete, treasurer ; L. H. Place, democrat, sheriff, and republican, J. M. Leach, auditor ; P. W. McClellan, county superintendent ; Hel- muth Brandt, supervisor; Charles Schecker, surveyor, and W. A. Penfield, coroner.
County Government-1870 was the last year under the old super- visor system and, in 1871, the new board, consisting of O. W. Crary, P. P. Olmstead and Michael Uriell, took the reins of county govern- ment. It was still necessary to lease rooms for the district court and the board rented the second story of Vall Boller's building, for $500 per year, for the court and public meetings, but not "for dances and the like." In 1870, there was a red hot fight among the newspapers to secure the county printing, which was to be let to the newspaper having the largest circulation. Eiboeck, of the Journal, solemnly swore to a circulation of 2,760, the McGregor News claimed 1,447 and Richardson, of the Times, made affidavit to a list of 2,901. The next year the board passed a resolution intimating that they wanted the newspapers to get down to real facts and the result was that, in 1871, the Journal swore to 950 subscribers, the News to 690 and the Times to 1,010. This was an alarming decrease, unless some news- paper man was guilty of prevarication the year before.
Court House Completed-In September, 1876, McGregor filed a petition of 2,962 names asking an election for the removal of the county seat. A remonstrance containing 3,408 names was filed and there was a lively session of the board which lasted for two days in which the strong men of McGregor and Elkader were drawn up in battle array. The board decided that the petition was insufficient and the election was not ordered. The following April the board voted $5.000 for the completion of the court house, upon the bond furnished by citizens of Elkader agreeing to erect a building according to speci- fications, for that amount. It was understood that the building would cost much more, but the citizens agreed to stand all added expense.
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This was effected by means of a considerable sum subscribed in Elka- der and the work was done thoroughly and in a workman-like manner and proved a good bargain for the county. The cost to the citizens of Elkader was about $5,000 above the amount voted by the board. Thus was completed the court house of Clayton county, practically as it stands today, with the exception that, later, Elkaderites bought the clock and the county provided the tower which contains it, and large fireproof vaults were added.
The building, while not ornate, is substantial, well-built, light and airy and beautifully located. The vaults are large and fire-proof, and while it is hoped that some day Clayton will feel able to erect a court house worthy of one of the richest and most beautiful counties in Iowa, the present building suffices for all-practical purposes. It was not to be expected that McGregor, which had but recently been dashed in its hopes of securing the county seat, should look with favor upon the enlargement of the court house, and the McGregor Times had this to say concerning it: "The county board, at its last session, we under- stand, made an appropriation of $5,000 for the construction of an addition to the present building occupied by the officers of the county. According to the plans and specifications presented to the board, the new addition is to be 50x75, with a hall-way between the new and old buildings, 12 feet wide. On the first floor of the new building will be the clerk's office, front room 30x36, vault 8x26; the rear room, audi- tor's office, 30x36, vault 8x16. The treasurer's and recorder's offices the same as now. The second floor to be divided as follows: Court room, in clear, 36x73 ; sheriff's office, 21x23 ; superintendent of schools' office, 21x23, and two jury rooms, each 14x21, and hall-way of same dimensions as one below; the whole to be covered with a hip shingle roof. A number of citizens of Elkader take control of the erection of this new addition, raising a like sum with that appropriated by the board for its construction. These citizens, we understand, have given bonds in the sum of $20,000 for the faithful performance of the con- tract into which they have entered, and have received the $5,000 in county warrants as the nucleus of their building fund. We cannot object to Clayton county having a court house ; in fact, we are anxious she should have one, and that right speedily, but to attempt to patch on to the present building is, in our opinion, about the most ridiculous thing the county can do. If we are to have a court house, let us have one creditable to the county. The county is amply able to build a respectable appearing and substantial building, one that would be, in all respects, worthy ; but to add to the old one, never regarded safe, is, to say the least, an expensive luxury which will not meet with gen- eral approval." There were, of course, many other acts of the board of supervisors, but these relate chiefly to the matter of roads and bridges, and while of great importance they are too numerous and too much matters of routine to receive special mention.
County Expense-From 1870 to 1880 the expenses of the county remained at about $50,000 per year. Of this amount approximately one fourth was spent annually for bridges. The county expenditures for this period were as follows:
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1871
$47,354.64
1876
$62,399.59
1872.
55,597.40
1877
48,991.70
1873
46,080.47
1878.
57,008.27
1874
43,408.35
1879
50,736.06
1875.
49,544.27
1880
56,526.65
It is difficult to give the history of the county as a whole except by mentioning events, disconnected of themselves, but, nevertheless, show- ing the general trend of the county and those things which interested it generally. The truth is that, whereas the towns along the new rail- road saw periods of flush times, the county as a whole had settled down to a period of routine development. New things came, but they came gradually, old settlers passed away, but they went, one by one.
First Base Ball-It is in June, 1870, that the first mention of base ball is made in a Clayton county newspaper. The McGregor Times speaks of it and declares that "it is one of the silliest bundles of boy- ishness ever invented by people boasting intelligence. In a short sen- tence we beg leave to say the whole business is damn nonsense." Nevertheless, the Times was soon forced to recognize this sort of "nonsense" in its columns and it began giving lengthy accounts of the games. The first game which it records was one between the Quick Steps of McGregor and the Rough and Ready's of Harper's Ferry. The score stood 97 to 12 in favor of the Quick Steps. The Quick Steps soon tripped up, however, in a 10 inning game with the Elkader Turkey Gobblers. This exciting game stood a tie of 41 to 41 at the end of the ninth inning, but, in the fatal tenth, the Quick Steps secured but 6 scores, while the Turkey Gobblers strutted proudly from the field with 12 added runs to their credit. These first games of "organ- ized" base ball were played in June, 1871. A great event of 1870 was the reunion of Iowa soldiers at Des Moines. The state furnished transportation and all the soldiers who could possibly get away at- tended this meeting.
Chicago Fire-1871 was the year of the great Chicago fire and when the call for help came this county responded nobly. A meeting was called at McGregor, $273 was subscribed in cash, and much more than that amount was given in goods and supplies. The mayor and other citizens went to Chicago to tender their services and many citi- zens went to inspect the ruins. At that time the relations between the merchants of Chicago and the cities of the west were largely per- sonal and that city had not so far outstripped the other cities but that they all felt on a par and had neighborly interest in each other.
While Clayton county made a gain of six in population from 1870 to 1875, the census of 1873 shows the loss of 825 over the 1870 census. This was accounted for by the large number of laborers em- ployed on the railroad from Dubuque to McGregor in 1870. One of the new institutions established in 1875 was the Northwestern Steam Hoop Company, established at Clayton. This was one of the first companies in America to manufacture hoops by steam power. Poles were shipped by the carload from many points and hundreds of wagon loads were furnished by the farmers of the vicinity. The first mention of Charles Reugnitz, afterward, for many years, treasurer of Clayton
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county, appears when he is spoken of as the manager of this concern. The fastest growing town in the county, in the early 70's, was Monona, and it advanced with rapid strides. By 1875 it claimed, with justice, to be the second city of the county in commercial importance. It was in the center of a rich agricultural country and its trade territory ex- tended both into Allamakee and Clayton. Bismarck was a new town on the line of the narrow gauge, as was Froelich. Bismarck was sur- veyed in May, 1875, and it was thought that it would be an important point, but it is now no more.
Second Gold Discovery-The great sensation of 1875 was the dis- covery of gold at Strawberry Point. The first discovery of the pre- cious metal, at this place, was in 1858, but, in 1875, the excitement was revived by the discovery of fine particles of gold in the ravine known as "Bushee Hollow" and on the Baker farm. The McGregor Times sent a special correspondent to the new gold field. He reported that every pan full "showed color" and fifteen or twenty specimens were obtained from three washings. The account adds: "It did not matter where the dirt was taken from, there was sure to be color as the result of the washing. We were also furnished with specimens of the bed-rock, sand, and with the little nugget that has passed through the hands of competent men at Dubuque. The work of building long flumes, or wooden troughs, has been completed and a considerable amount of dirt washed, with very favorable results. The gold is very fine, the largest lump being no larger than a pin head. A company has been formed, and as soon as the required amount of capital is sub- scribed, the attempt will be made to test the discoveries. Gold is found within a radius of a mile and there is hardly a ravine in which gold cannot be found." The Times report continues very enthusiastically, but, as there is no later mention, the company undoubtedly failed to make it pay.
Clayton County Insurance Co .- In 1878, the Clayton County Farmers' Insurance Company was founded with W. P. Enos as presi- dent and J. E. Corlett as secretary. This was just in time for, in July, the county suffered greatly from storms and floods.
In April, 1878, Corbett and Lovett's bank at Strawberry Point was robbed. The robbers were caught at the time, but after an ex- change of shots one of them escaped. Sheriff Benton camped on the fellow's trail and by clever detective work succeeded in locating him in the Bloomington, Illinois, jail and he was brought back to this county for trial. Sheriff Benton was given great credit for this arrest.
In May, 1879, the first county medical association was formed. The meeting was held in the office of Dr. K. F. Purdy at Elkader, and the physicians present were: Drs. S. N. Bixby, M. M. Newman of Strawberry Point; J. W. McLean, Volga; T. M. Sabin, Brush Creek ; J. M. Lewis and O. D. Taft, Elkport; W. H. Boals, Garna- villo; D. W. Chase, A. D. Hanna, K. F. Purdy and G. Wheeland of Elkader. This was the first county organization, but there had been a district organization for some time.
Poor Farm Murder-What was long known as the "poor farm murder" occurred July 4, 1879. This was the outcome of a long standing quarrel between two of the pauper inmates, neither of whom
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