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 27
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were mental giants. John Simons was the murderer and Charles Schultz the victim. On the morning of the Fourth, Simons took his shot-gun with which he often went hunting, fired a salute in honor of the day and then went into the poor house and deliberately shot Schultz in the temple. Simon was convicted of murder in the second degree and sent to the penitentiary for the term of twenty years. But a short time previous to the shooting, Simon was arrested for an assault upon Schultz with a club, but was returned to the poor house on promise of good behavior.
Enfield-It is probably generally forgotten, but when the railroad was built through Strawberry Point, the town was given the name of Enfield by the company. The inhabitants did not take kindly to the change of name, however, and the Strawberry Point Press, in July, 1875, says: "Enfield is no more. This town is now known to the world simply as Strawberry Point. When the D. & N. W. pulled up stakes and left this section, Enfield ceased to exist, and the brakemen, on reaching this place, now yell out 'Strawberry Point.' The railroad has been re-christened the Delaware, Fayette & Northwestern." Two interesting items in 1879 are the leasing of the Motor mill by Gilbert Thompson, of Dubuque and Theodore Ponson of Communia; and the death of Fred Zeug, who was killed by the bursting of a hogshead of beer at Kleinlein's brewery in Cass township.
Death Roll of the Pioneers-As the county aged the early pio- neers, the men who have been identified with the foundation of things Claytonian, began passing away. The first of these notable deaths was that of E. Odell, who died in March, 1875.
Elijah Odell was born in Vigo county, Ind., Sept. 22, 1812, of parents who emigrated from North Carolina, and was brought up on a farm which his father, himself and brother carved out of the heavy Wabash timber of Carroll county. On attaining his majority he set to work to secure for himself an academical education, after which he entered upon the study of law with Hiram Allen, Esq., of Delphi, Ind., with all the ardor of his nature, and never for a single day, up to his last illness, did he abate a jot or tittle of his earnestness or zeal. He began the practice at Rensselaer, Jasper county, Ind., in 1846-47, where he was married, about that time, to Rebecca S., a sister of Thos. Updegraff. In 1852, he was chosen State Senator for the district composed of the counties of Jasper, Benton, and Warren, Indiana, and in this capacity served with credit and acceptability in the same assem- bly with A. P. Richardson. He continued the practice at Rensselaer until the spring of 1854, when, feeling obliged to abandon Indiana on account of sickness of himself and children, incident to that ma- larious climate, he removed to Binghamton, N. Y. A few weeks of the purer air of New York restored his family to health and himself to his natural vigor. At that time Daniel S. Dickinson, Balcom Bird- sall and others of equal distinction were in active practice at the Bing- hamton bar. The business of the place was not extensive. Under such circumstances professional advancement by a stranger must be made by slow degrees. Nothing daunted, however, he opened an office, and in a single year accomplished quite a handsome business, all things considered. But, with restored vigor, his active spirit pined
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for his native West, where more rapid headway seemed possible; and, having visited Clayton County in the autumn of 1853, and purchased some land in Monona and Grand Meadow for himself and a New York friend, and being convinced that this climate was free from malaria, in the spring of 1855 he folded his tent and hastened to Iowa with his family, after which time he was a resident of Clayton County, having lived successively at Garnavillo, Elkader, Guttenburg and Mc- Gregor, locating permanently in McGregor in 1858. Mr. Odell was not an office seeker and was one of the few among the leaders of the county who were not candidates for office. Politically he was known as "a silver grey Whig" and after the dissolution of that party he acted with the Democrats up to 1860. With the nomination of Lin- coln, however, he joined the Republican party and was one of its leaders in this county until his death. In 1872 he was presidential elector for the third Iowa district and was selected to cast the vote of the state in the national electoral college. He died while still in the prime of life. He was a great trial lawyer and so intimate was his knowledge of the law that he was eminently successful before the Supreme Court. His death was genuinely mourned by the people of the county.
A. J. Jordan-In June, 1875, McGregor lost a prominent business man in the person of A. J. Jordan, another member of the bar who located in McGregor in 1858, although he first came to the county in 1854
Lemuel G. Collins-The following year, in March, occurred the death of Lemuel G. Collins, a resident of Giard since 1851 and a member of the legislature from Clayton county in 1856. But a month later, in April, 1876, the county lost one of its dearest friends in the death of Horace D. Bronson. A sketch of Mr. Bronson, who was one of the earliest pioneers, appears in another chapter.
William Thoma-In July, of the same year, William Thoma died. He was at that time a member of the board of supervisors. He was born in Bavaria, in 1827, came to Clayton county, in 1852, and was for many years in partnership with C. W. Hagensick in the mercantile business at Garnavillo. He was succeeded on the board by P. P. Olmstead.
Rev. David Lowry-In January, 1877, occurred the death of Rev. David Lowry, at the advanced age of 82. Although he was not a resident of Clayton county at the time of his death, he was, in the early days, one of its best known pioneers. He came to Iowa in 1835, as a missionary and educator to the Winnebago Indians and was first located at the Stone House, on Yellow River, in Allamakee county. He was appointed an Indian agent and, for 15 years, devoted himself to the best interests of the Indians, doing all that he could to educate them, give them practical instruction in agriculture and to protect them from the whites who wished to exploit them and to sell them whiskey. Something of his labors have been told in the early chapters. He resided in this vicinity until 1874 when he removed to Missouri. In his day he was one of the most powerful men of northeastern Iowa.
Among those to die in 1877 were George D. Gardener, a brother of Mrs. Alexander McGregor, who resided in McGregor from 1850
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to 1866, at which time he went to South Carolina with Hon. Willis Drummond in the revenue service of the United States. Another was Henry Reubel, who died at McGregor after a short illness. He was prominent in McGregor business circles, moving to that city in 1860. William Schoultz was another pioneer to die in 1877. He was a Prussian by birth and settled in Garnavillo township in 1841. He and his descendants were among the most influential of the German citizens.
Dr. John Linton-No death affected the county more sincerely than did that of Dr. John Linton. This occurred June 27, 1878. Dr. John Linton was born in Breckenridge County, Ky., Oct. 5, 1811, and at the age of eleven years he moved with his parents to Logan County in the same state. Here he assisted his father in clearing up a farm, until he was nearly of age, when he was apprenticed to a tanner and furrier. In 1837, after he had learned this trade, he started to explore the county along the banks of the Mississippi River, and, in the spring of that year, he arrived at Prairie due Chien. Rev. David Lowry, agent for the Winnebago Indians, appointed him gen- eral manager of his business along the whole mission. For nearly five years he discharged his trust with the same honor and fidelity that characterized all his actions in after life. A strong friendship sprang up between Lowry and himself, which ended only with their lives. While Linton was at this mission on Yellow River the Govern- ment had the buildings and farm sold, and moved the mission to Fort Atkinson, and Linton and his brother Thomas purchased it. In this stone mission-house the first District Court held in Allamakee County met. Judge Grant. of Davenport, presided, and Noble and Murdock constituted the entire bar. In the fall of 1842 Dr. Linton sold out his interest in the mission farm to his brother and went back to his native State, and, in the town of Springfield, studied medicine with Dr. Poland, an able and eminent physician of that place. In the fall of 1844 he went to St. Louis and attended a course of medical lectures. In the spring of 1845, he left that city and made an extensive tour through the different states and territories bordering on the Missis- sippi, finally locating at Garnavillo. He spent the winter of 1845-46 in St. Louis, attending medical college, and then returned to Garna- villo in company with Dr. Burgess, a young man of finished education and brilliant talent. They entered into partnership, and established a successful practice. Dr. Burgess, however, was of a roving dispo- sition, and soon left the country. It is said that he went to Mexico. After Burgess left, he formed a partnership with Dr. Andros, which continued with prosperity until Dr. Andros removed to McGregor. Soon after the gold excitement broke out at Pike's Peak, he made a trip to the Rocky Mountains, where he located several gold claims and made geological explorations.
In 1873, in company with the Hon. J. O. Crosby and Hon. William Larrabee, he crossed the Atlantic and visited the principal countries of Europe. He attended the great medical congress at Vienna. Toward the close of his life he associated with him in the practice Dr. Bowles, a young man of high professional attainments. His object in this was partly to give him more opportunity for study, his taste for which in- creased with advancing years. His death was mourned by a large
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circle of devoted friends, and by it society lost one of its brightest ornaments, his profession one of its most eminent members, and science one of its most industrious and powerful intellects. Dr. Linton was unfortunate in his married life, and he and his wife separated; at which time he gave her a large portion of his estate. In his will he made many bequests for the benefit of Garnavillo and of his friends. J. O. Crosby was administrator. The will was successfully contested by the widow after a long legal battle. In 1880, Garnavillo publicly observed the second anniversary of Dr. Linton's death, and, at this time, prizes authorized in his will were given Garnavillo students. Edward Kindsell received first prize, $22.00, in zoology, and Aug. Limbech received $11.00 as second prize. In geology, Chas. Fox and Edward Kindsell received like prizes. There were impressive ceremonies at the grave, the prize winners taking an oath to care for the grave of their benefactor for one year, when the duty was to fall upon the new prize winners. The estate became involved in litigation and there is no record of later prize awards or annual memorials. The decision in favor of Mrs. Linton was made in 1883.
Fred Hartge-In August, 1878, Elkport lost a pioneer in the per- son of Fred Hartge. He was born in Hanover, came to this country in 1833, and was one of the first blacksmiths in Dubuque. He came to Elkport, June 15, 1839. He found W. W. Wayman already here. Wayman had built a saw mill on the banks of Elk Creek. This prop- erty Hartge purchased, built a log hut and commenced work on his saw mill. Soon he found that the property which he had purchased was not that which he occupied, the mill being situated on other land. Then followed litigation between him and Wayman, both going and returning from Dubuque in the same conveyance. After consider- able trouble, he succeeded in gaining possession of the mill property, causing an enmity to spring up between himself and Wayman. In 1846, his brother Louis came to him as his companion in the wilder- ness, both occupying the same hut. About two years after occurred the murder of Louis, which has already been' recorded in this volume. Fred Hartge remained with his mill, enlarging it from time to time, and prospering through his own great industry and through the inrush of settlers to Elkport, which was located on the land which he bought from Wayman. He lived to enjoy the fruits of his labor, but his death was hastened by his over-taxing his strength that he might attend the old settlers' reunion held in June, 1878.
S. R. Peet-Edgewood also lost one of its best citizens in the passing away of Honorable S. R. Peet. The funeral of Mr. Peet was held at Delhi and was said to have been the largest ever held in Dela- ware county up to that time. Mr. Peet located in Clayton county, in April, 1846, on the county line. He was an ardent Christian and or- ganized the first Sunday School in Lodomillo township. His home was always the stopping place for the early settlers. Nearly all of his old neighbors could say that they spent the first night in the new country at Peet's and that he had been a good friend ever since. Al- though a consistent, life-long Democrat, the Republican stumpers always made his house their home. So orthodox was his democracy that it is told of him that he was presiding at a Democratic convention
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when it was proposed to endorse certain nominees of the Greenback party. Mr. Peet arose with dignity and announced, "The present occupant of the chair cannot sit as president if the convention is not purely Democratic." Hon. S. R. Peet was elected as a Democrat, to the general assembly in the fall of 1859 from Clayton county, and was a member during the passage of the war measures at the extra session, and took an active part in bringing the state up to its exalted position in the Union as a loyal state. He was one of the strong mem- bers of the Clayton county bar and his removal to Delaware county was regretted by all.
John W. Potts, who came to Clayton county in 1846, was another pioneer of the southern part of the county who died at this time. He entered land at the Colony settlement in 1846 and lived in this county until 1869. He was assessor of Clayton county and held the impor- tant position of swamp land commissioner for the period of two years.
John W. Gillett-A week later, in January, 1879, John W. Gillett was added to the death roll, another of the pioneers who spent his manhood days in this county and his old age in another. Samuel Mur- dock, who was the county biographer, just as Judge Price was the county historian, wrote a beautiful tribute to this pioneer, which was printed in the Elkader Journal, and from which we quote: "Thirty- six years ago the coming summer I met John W. Gillett for the first time at the Washington House at Dubuque, where we spent the eve- ning together, the guest of the noble and the generous Jesse Harrison. It was during that evening that I learned for the first time from the lips of Gillett, of the rich, rolling prairies, north of the Turkey river, and stretching away to the northwest for hundreds of miles, and the glowing description which he gave of its wild scenery and enchanting beauty induced me soon after to come and see for myself, and, with the exception of two or three years of this long period, I have lived his neighbor ever since. When I first struck his clearing, I found him and his dog the sole occupants of his cabin, and with a cheerful coun- tenance he bade me a hearty welcome, and, pointing to an extra pile of straw in the corner on which lay an old blanket and two or three untanned deer-skins, he said I could camp with him as long as I wished, free of charge. With the exception of the blooming prairies and the enchanting groves here and there interspersed through them, every- thing about that cabin, at first, looked lonely, cheerless and forbidding, but I soon found that I was mistaken, and that, instead of being lonely and cheerless, it was the home of the traveler, the hunter and the ex- plorer, and that, as soon as the shadows began to lengthen and night was approaching, it was always filled with both tired and merry fel- lows, who were welcome to its hospitality, and who went their several ways' in the morning, free of any charge. His untiring industry and energy always supplied that cabin with an abundance of everything that was good to eat, and even in that early time I have often seen in it at a time, a whole sack of coffee, a barrel of wild honey, several hundred pounds of maple sugar, great quantities of dried venison, dressed wild turkeys, with flour, meal and potatoes sufficient to winter a regiment of men, instead of one lone little man and a dog. He seemed to live and work for no other purpose but to entertain his
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friends, and that cabin was known for hundreds of miles around it, and squatters living in the south part of the territory, although many miles distant, he called his neighbors.
He was born and raised in Accomack county, Virginia, and was a carpenter by trade, and, while quite a young man, he came to Jack- sonville, Illinois, and here he worked for a few months at his trade, and then made his way into Missouri. The Blackhawk war had spread the news far and wide of a beautiful land lying west of the great river, and he made up his mind that he would be among the first to explore its wilds. He left Missouri, and in the spring of 1835 his eyes for the first time rested upon the high and rolling prairies of Clayton county. He selected one of the most beautiful spots in the county, and, pro- curing a yoke of oxen and a breaking plow in Dubuque, he turned the first furrow that was turned in the county. The Indians were hostile when Gillett made his claim and it required such nerve and courage as heroes are made of to build a cabin at that time on the extreme border, and within sight of the Indian camp-fires. At the, time of his settle- ment, Prairie du Chien was something of a village, and Fort Crawford was garrisoned with troops, while Fort Atkinson was in process of completion, and all these furnished a good market for corn, oats and hay, and as soon as Mr. Gillett had raised a crop of oats and corn, he found a ready sale for them at a high price, and this very soon enabled him to live in ease and comfort and to keep up a rich table.
Alexander Bleidung-Just a week later occurred the death of Hon. Alexander Bleidung, who died in his home in Guttenberg, Janu- ary 25, 1879. He was a native of Germany and came to Guttenberg in 1850. He was First Lieutenant of Company D Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry. He was elected to the legislature as a republican in 1877, and made a valuable member. His death came suddenly and he was in the prime of life.
Maturin L. Fisher-The death roll of 1879 was not complete, however, and in December the grim reaper claimed one of the most able men Clayton county has produced in the person of Maturin L. Fisher. He was born in Danville, Vt. His father, Lewis Fisher, was a Baptist minister. M. L. was the oldest of a large family of children. His youth was spent upon one of those rocky farms so numerous in that state. He must have been a studious boy, for he fitted himself for college in a single year, and in 1824 entered Brown University, from which he graduated in 1828 with high honors. After graduat- ing from college he entered upon the study of law with Hon. Isaac Davis, of Worcester, Mass., and was admitted to the bar in 1831. In 1834 he was the Democratic candidate for Congress in the Worces- ter district, but was defeated, though the canvass was a closely con- tested one. In 1835 he was appointed librarian of the American Anti- quarian Society, which office he filled until 1839, when he was ap- pointed postmaster of Worcester. He continued in the office during the administration of Presidents Harrison, Tyler and Polk, and was removed on the coming in of the administration of President Taylor. In 1849, Mr. Fisher came to Iowa in search of a home, going first to Davenport, and finally fixing upon Clayton county, purchasing a farm in Farmersburg township. Mr. Fisher was married in 1842 to Miss
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Caroline Pratt, of Worcester, Mass. She died in Farmersburg town- ship, this county, in 1862. At the general election, in 1852, he was elected by the Democrats to the State Senate, the district being com- posed of fifteen counties, having three Senators. His colleagues were Warren Lewis and John Shields. He was chosen President of the Senate on the sixteenth ballot. By his election Clayton county had the honor of seeing both the presiding officers of the Senate and House from her Representatives, Hon. Reuben Noble being elected Speaker of the House. In 1857, Mr. Fisher accepted the nomination for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, though not expecting an election, as the state had just been carried by some 6,000 majority by the oppo- sition ; but he was elected, and he has often been justly called "the Father of Iowa's System of Public Schools." In 1860 he was elected Commissioner of the Insane Asylum at Mt. Pleasant, holding the office for twelve years. In 1861 he was appointed, by a Republican Legislature, in connection with the State Treasurer, to negotiate a war loan of $1,000,000 for the State of Iowa. In the same year he was nominated for Lieutenant-Governor on the Democratic ticket, but de- clined. The following year he received the nomination for Governor, but again declined, and General Tuttle was placed on the ticket. In 1866, he was appointed commissioner to build the hospital for the insane at Independence, and in 1870, trustee and chairman of the board. In 1872, he was appointed one of the commissioners to build the new capitol at Des Moines. Mr. Fisher had one of the finest libraries in the state, and was one of the best read men on every topic of public interest. His character was unimpeachable, and every duty was con- scientiously performed. He died at his home in Farmersburg town- ship, February 5, 1879.
Willard Knight-Again in April, 1879, was the county called upon to mourn the death of a pioneer and again was Samuel Murdock the eulogist. This time death's victim was Willard Knight. He was born in Franklin County, Mass., in 1814, and when he arrived at manhood he emigrated to Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the lumber busi- ness on the Alleghany river.
From Pennsylvania he went down the river to the State of Mis- sissippi, and located at Milliken's Bend. While here he cut the timber and assisted in clearing the farm on which in after years was fought the battle of Milliken's Bend. Not liking the climate he started north, and arrived in Clayton County in the summer of 1836. Not long after his arrival he located his claim, where he lived and died, and here alone he built his first cabin in the edge of a beautiful grove. In this cabin he lived alone for many years, with a rifle and dog as his only com- panions, and year after year adding to his improvements, until he had one of the finest farms in the county. For several years after he began his improvements the land on which they were situated was withheld from market as mineral lands, and the reservation included all the lands in Clayton County east of range three, west. One morn- ing he arose, looked over his claim, and found that a part of it had been "jumped" the night before by a party of men who had erected a cabin on it, and were determined to hold it until they could enter it at the land office. As soon as he saw the cabin he walked over and
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warned its occupants to leave, which they peremptorily refused to do, when he returned to his cabin, took down his rifle, yoked up his oxen, drove over to the claim shanty, took a turn round the corner with the chain and started his oxen, when down came the shanty over the heads of the occupants, who, seeing the courage and determination of the man, left and never molested him again. As soon as he felt able to do so, he brought his aged parents and several brothers and sisters to the county, and provided for them all. He was present at every meet- ing of the Old Settlers' Society, and took an active interest in all its proceedings. During the latter part of his life he seemed to think it his duty and mission to look after and care for any of his old compan- ions of pioneer life whom he found in distress.
"Only a few hours before his death," writes Judge Murdock, "he called me to his bedside, named an old pioneer to whom he had fur- nished several hundred dollars to save his home, and said : 'When I am gone some of my relatives may distress that man; I know you will not, and I therefore put him in your hands. See that no one crowds or hurts him for my money.' For several days before he died he began to talk about every old settler and pioneer that he had known in his early days, and during his last moments, and when he knew that his hour had come, he imagined they were all in the room with him, and his last words were, 'Pioneers, old settlers, Dick Only, and all of you, good-' But poor Dick Gillett and Dr. Linton had gone a few months before him, and were not there to bid him 'good-bye,' yet he thought they were and he was gratified." He never married, but devoted his whole life to the care of his brothers and numerous sisters, all of whom loved him with the purest devotion. He died March 16, 1879. He was one of the pioneers who never had a hankering for public office, but he was always loyal to his friends and ready to serve them. He was one of the best beloved of the pioneers.
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