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 54
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Two miles further up, the Volga receives the waters of Honey creek. Dennis Quigley who abandoned a brief home upon Wolf creek, in consequence of the hostility of its inhabitants to the wool-growing business, established his permanent home upon this stream, where he still resides. The great quantity of honey found in the forest trees adjacent to the creek prompted him to bestow upon it the name of Honey creek. Dennis, who is a genuine Yankee; disguised under an Hibernian cognomen, has held many official positions with credit to himself and the county. The young swarm that has gone forth from his apiary, have settled around the old gum, and are waxing rich in worldly possessions, as well as acting their part with credit to the parent hive.
A little further on, we hear the rippling sound of Hewet's creek as it comes through the forest to swell the waters of the Volga. This stream received its name from Joseph Hewet, who settled upon its headwaters in 1839. At the time of his settlement here, the nearest resident to him was distant about eighteen miles. Hewet was born and raised upon the frontier of Missouri, and was a hunter in the full and rounded acceptance of the word. We knew him early and well. Among the many hunters of the border with whom we have been acquainted, he alone could have stood forth as the representative of Cooper's ideal hero of the pioneers. He would often say to us with a dejected expression of the face: "The country will soon be overrun with settlers and all game driven towards the west." As the settle- ments drew near to him, he listened for a time to the distant tinkling of the cowbell, and then mournfully shouldering his rifle, turned towards the setting sun, calling to his companions, "Here pups, away dogs, ye'll be foot sore afore ye see the ind of your journey."
A short distance above this stream we meet the waters of Nagle's branch, which receives its name from John Nagle, who located here
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about the year 1841, being the first settler in that part of the county. Mr. Nagle is still in the occupancy of his early location here, and has been eminently successful as a practical farmer. The little stream that bears his name, will preserve to posterity many pleasing rem- iniscences of one of Clayton's earliest pioneers.
Mink creek, after winding its way through a liberal portion of the county of Fayette, plunges into the Volga within the limits of Clayton, a few yards from the boundary, the largest portion of this stream being in the county of Fayette. The origin of its name cannot be traced out- side of the archives of that county, which are securely kept in an iron chest.
We now return to the mouth of the Volga, to resume our way along the windings of the Turkey. In ascending the waters of the Turkey river, from its junction with the Volga, the first tributary that we meet is Panther creek, having its source at the eastern extremity of Panther mound, and flowing from thence northward a distance of about four miles. With the exception of Turkey river, this stream is the only one in the county that retains its Indian name, translated into English. Oliver Phelps, an Indian trader from western New York, who had a trading post at the mouth of the Volga in 1835, became acquainted with the Indian name of this stream through his Indian hunters and, in translating it, called it Painter creek, by which name it is still called by many of the early settlers. The animal represented in the name of this stream is generally, throughout New England and western New York, called a painter ; along the valley of the Mississippi it is known as the panther; in Pennsylvania, and throughout the Cumberland range of mountains, it is commonly called the catamount, or cat of the mountain, which is perhaps the most appro- priate name, as the word panther is a generic term, and applies to the entire family or genus of animals which are of a spotted character. These animals were quite numerous along the waters and in the forest of Turkey river as late as 1839, and were of a tawny red in summer, changing to a dark steel gray in winter. The Indian tradition, that has handed down the name of this stream, relates that at a distant period of time, an Indian family that had encamped near the mouth of the creek, were attacked in the nighttime by a panther, and a small child, belonging to the family, seized and carried away. From this circum- stance the creek was regarded by the Indians as an unlucky stream, and avoided as a camping ground, it being under the control of the evil spirit. In proof of which there were many evidences given by the Indians, which to rehearse here, would lengthen this article beyond its proper limit.
A few miles above this stream Pony creek unites its water with the Turkey. This stream rises in the counties of Fayette and Winne- scheik, and enters the county under the name of Roberts' creek, which it retains for several miles, when it disappears, and after running under ground about two miles, reappears under the name of Pony creek. John Roberts, from whom the northern part of this stream takes its name, became its first resident in 1839. He was a young man of some education-a bachelor and an atheist. Upon a shelf that ranged over his fireplace, might be seen a few smoky volumes, con-
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sisting of the Bible, Volney's Ruins, Paine's Age of Reason, and a part of the works of Voltaire. He had pored over these volumes, until he had become so familiar with their contents, that it seemed like an easy matter for him to vanquish, in Biblical controversy, an uneducated opponent. He was a calm, unexcitable, good-natured fellow ; nothing delighted him so much, as a controversy with one of those gospel pioneers, that were often met with in those days upon the border, calling to repentance and a remembrance of the Sabbath day. These gospel heralds, were often converted hunters, who, having provided themselves with a hymn book and Bible, a tin horn and an Indian pony, meek with years, and lowly in flesh, would sally forth along the border, hewing away the roughness of the pioneer, that he might be prepared for the coming of a more educated ministry. As this personage was a prominent character in the early settlement of Turkey river, and has long since passed away with the hunter and the Indian, we will here (preliminary to the re-introduction of Roberts) give the exordium of a sermon delivered at a temporary revival on Turkey river in 1836, by our old and much-respected friend,.Uncle Joe Clark :
"Brothers and Sisters: The sarmin that I shell talk on is about this, 'Remember the Sabbeth day, an' keep it holy.' Now, my friends, it were last Saterday nite, when Ike Miller santered over to my cabin, an' sez he, 'Uncle Joe, spose we take a coon hunt ter nite, an' sez I, 'Agreed.' I were allers mighty fond a coon hunten, an' so we tuk down on Little Turkey, an' arter santeren around thru the timber, an' shyen keerfully along up the creek, an' the moon hed got smartly up, an' nary coon out, we kinder lean'd to'ards hum, when Ike's dog opened, on spoon-run with his nateral yelp, and arter we got tha, the coon hed tuk a hackberry, an Ike hed chopt his foot right smart the day afore helpen Ole Man Springer throw a bec-tree and so it kinder fell on me to go up arter the coon, an when I got up tu were the critter sot, in the upper forks, an were about to grab him by the tail and slat him down, there was a gospel feelin' cum over me rite smartly, an sez I, 'Ike, 'bout what time mite it be?' an' sez he, 'Why, Uncle Joe, I reckon its close tu mornin ;' an sez I, 'If that's so, it's the Sabbath day, and this here coon may go,' an so I clum down agin. An now, Brothers and Sisters, that's what the scripter sez, 'Remember the Sab- beth day and keep it holy,' coon or no coon."
Here Uncle Joe gave a toot on his horn, took a drink from a tin cup and then launched forth with his sermon, the theology of which, bore a close resemblance to its exordium.
Uncle Joe was always a welcome guest at our cabin ; and on one occasion, while we were preparing for him its evenings hospitalities, Roberts came in, being on his way home from Dubuque. He had hardly become seated, when Uncle Joe, turning towards him, threw his head downward, so as to bring his gaze to bear from over the top of his spectacles, and after eyeing him for a moment, he observed, "Young man, do you believe in the soundings of the gospel horn?"
Roberts paused for a moment to make a survey of the source from which this unexpected question came, and then led off with a reply, that soon run into a warm Biblical discussion. The old man, who would get a little confused occasionally, would stop short, give a toot
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upon his horn, the gospel soundings of which would seem to arouse him up, when he would start off anew, with seemingly more clear and vigorous ideas. Presently, Roberts began to weave around him the net- work of his atheistical doctrines, and at length having got the old man in a tight place, Uncle Joe began to breathe heavy, and struggle under a liberal flow of perspiration, when, in the midst of a sentence, he came to a silent halt. Turning to look upon him, we discovered that a cloud of wrath had settled upon his brow, which was fast spreading down- ward over the features of his face, and as it culminated upon his quivering lip, he sprang to his feet, and bringing his fists together, exclaimed : "You ongodly hethen, I ken lick more salvation inter yer in two minits then ye desarve, and I'll do it." Thereupon, Uncle Joe began to throw his buckskin, when Roberts made the outlet of the cabin and down the alley going to the door, and throwing out upon the stillness of the night a blast of triumph from his horn, when he observed, "I know'd when I got riled up, I could make that ungodly hethen take water mity quick. Yer see, capt'n, ( bringing his fist down on the table) the gospel will win every time, if yer only give her a fair show."
The origin of the name of Pony creek, is traced to the following incident : A person by the name of Gool, having settled upon the creek in 1840, and commenced the opening of a farm, soon after began to observe a decrease in the number of his pigs and chickens, and, upon giving to the cause a proper investigation. he discovered that it was owing to his farm being located near an encampment of Indians, who continued to increase their indebtedness, until it had culminated with the last chicken and a solitary pig, in whose prospective family, Gool had fondly cherished the hope of restoring that branch of his agri- cultural pursuits. It was this incident that prompted him to bring about a settlement with the Indians, which he did by quietly levying upon two of their ponies, and conveying them to Illinois, where he exchanged them for cattle, with which he returned to his farm, and was enabled to make a display of prosperity that loomed proudly above the more tardy climbings of his conscientious neighbors. To perpetu- ate a remembrance of this sudden prosperity of Gool, his neighbors bestowed upon the stream that flowed by his door, the name of Pony creek.
There is a tributary of this stream, known as the Dry Mill branch. It received its name from a sawmill built upon the stream by Elisha Boardman, in 1837, under the millwright direction of Horace Brown- son. During the erecting of the mill, there appeared to be an ample supply of water for creating the power necessary for working its machinery ; but when the mill and dam were completed, and the flow of the stream arrested, the weight of water in the dam forced an under- ground passage through the rocky bed of the creek so formidable that the mill was abandoned without having rendered any service whatever. Mr. Boardman and Brownson were the two first settlers in that part of the county, having located there in 1836. They were formerly the proprietors of the principal part of the land upon which the town of Elkader is located, and where they are both still residing, at an
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advanced period of life, respected by all who knew them, as pioneers of "thirty years ago."
About seven miles above Pony creek, are the far-famed "Big Springs," of Turkey river, being two in number, and but a short dis- tance apart. The largest of these springs has been estimated to yield six hundred gallons per minute. They come from the base of a bluff, upon the north side of the river, and move with a deep and sluggish flow through a prairie bottom, but a few yards, when they unite with the waters of the river. They are regarded as a great natural curi- osity, and are often visited by strangers, who find them but a short drive from Elkader, along the valley of the Turkey.
While pursuing the windings of the Volga, in our last article, we omitted to mention the name of Cox creek, a stream that flows into the Volga from the south, and gives its name to the township through which it winds. This stream received its name from Joseph Cox, who erected a cabin near its mouth in 1839, where he resided but a few months, and then withdrew from the country. After many inquiries, we have not been enabled to discover any person in that neighborhood who knew him. We were at his cabin about the time he located there, and remember him as a small man who claimed to be a hunter.
There is a stream known as "Hickory creek," which flows across the northern boundary of the county, near the center of the town of Hardin, and empties into the Yellow river, in the county of Allamakee. This stream received its name from Graham Thorn, the founder of the village of Sodom, which, previous to a visit from the United States cavalry, under command of Captain Summer, stood upon the boundary of the neutral land near this stream.
Thorn was a contraband trader with the Indians-a principal pro- prietor, and the first and only mayor of Sodom. He was also a zeal- ous Jackson man, and was in the habit of calling inanimate things around him by the name of "Old Hickory." His sled, ox-yoke, wagon, or hat, were alike generally addressed by the name of "Old Hickory." Being at Sodom soon after an Indian payment in 1840, when the town was crowded with traders, gamblers, teamsters and Indians, some per- son during the night, preliminary to relieving an Indian of his annuity, had taken the precaution to quiet any objections he might raise, by knocking out his brains with a hatchet. Thorn, while looking upon the dead Indian the next morning, addressed him as follows: "Well, Old Hickory, you've gone up, have yer ; yer orter kept yer eye skin'd, old feller. There's folks around here that act as though they warn't brought up decently ; and, boys, this thing must be stopped."
We have now concluded our remembrance of the origin of the names of the rivers and streams of Clayton county. It is now years since we first looked upon them winding their way silently through the prairie and the forest. We have seen the pioneer hunter approach them, and have heard the first echoes of his axe and rifle. We have partaken of his hospitality, and sat by the blazing fire of his hearth and listened to the story of his life. We have held to his fevered lips the cooling waters of the babbling spring, and have raised his emaciated form from its straw couch that he might, for the last time, look out upon the forest-clad hills of Turkey river, the scenes of his many
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hunting exploits and we have often helped to round up the little hillock that marked for a time the last resting place of the hunter, who, if living, would tell you that he had learned, amid the solitude of the forest and the prairie, that there is a God.
NAVIGATION ON THE TURKEY By Eliphalet Price
The following interesting account of the early navigation of Clayton county's principal river is from the pen of F. Snedigar, an old settler and an eye witness: "The first boating done on Turkey river was by Thompson, Sage & Davis, who, after completing their mill at Elkader, in 1849, found upon their hands a surplus of flour, with no roads to convey it over to the Mississippi, and but few boats there to convey it to market ; and in order to remedy this great inconvenience in those days, they purchased a good keel boat. By great persever- ance and muscular energy they would push the boat up the Turkey to the mill, load it with flour and float down to Cassville or Dubuque, meeting with many difficulties and having many narrow escapes.
"In the spring of 1850, they had brought their boat up to the mill and had loaded it to its full capacity with barrels of flour. All hands were ordered on board preliminary to the commencement of the peril- ous voyage. Captain Sage would trust no one but himself to loose the cable and launch the boat upon the turbid waters of the old Turkey. He was a better miller than boatman, however, and he let the boat swing out where the current caught the broadside. Captain Sage held on to the cable and the boat went under, coming out bottom upper- most, flour and all hands rolling and tumbling in the water. The few inhabitants of the town being mostly present to witness the departure of Captain Sage and his cargo, speedily rushed to the rescue, and after much toil saved the men, boat and flour, all in a somewhat damaged condition. This was the last boating done by Captain Sage on the Turkey. Mr. Thompson continued to pilot out boats thus loaded until 1851, when they had a very passable road to Clayton City, and the flour was thenceforth taken in a wagon across the country.
"In the spring of 1851 Michael Keen and his two sons, George and Adam, started the first steam engine in Elkader, and with this begin- ning they started a foundry. This was afterwards removed to Clayton City, but while it was at Elkader Adam Keen built two small engines and then constructed a steamboat to run on the Turkey. It was called Elkader No. I, and was launched May 1, 1854. On its trial trip it was loaded with passengers, and all went well on the trip going down. They descended the river as far as Motor (then Hasting's bottom), and were there obliged to turn back on account of the dam, which had been built the summer previously. The boat then steamed up the river as far as Michael Stence's farm, where, the water being swift, they could go no farther and were obliged to tie up. Some of the passengers accepted of Mr. Stence's hospitality, and the rest under- took to find their way home on foot. The distance home was but two and a half miles, but they were not allowed to traverse this distance
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without hindrance. The elements seemed to disregard the deplorable condition of this unfortunate crew. Night now came on, and with it one of those heavy rains so common at this season of the year com- menced pouring down in torrents, all the artillery of the heavens belch- ing forth their awful thunders upon the unprotected heads of those sturdy pioneers who were now in the midst of the dense forest skirt- ing Turkey river between Elkader and Stence's farm, drenched inside and out. Finally, by the aid of the lightning flashes, a part made their way back to the hospitable roof of Mr. Stence, while the remainder, after fruitless attempts to reach home, sat down and patiently awaited the dawn of another day. The prospect must have been dark indeed, at least so far as the navigation of the Turkey was concerned.
"Thus ended the first trip of the Elkader No. 1. But the hard- ships of pioneer life had instilled too much grit into Captain Keen and the settlers of Turkey river valley to give up thus. To encourage the enterprise, E. G. Rolf, merchant of the village, offered Captain Keen one barrel of 'tanglefoot,' provided he would land his boat at the rear of his store. This being some inducement, 'and the captain's pluck
being challenged, he determined to land her there or land her in -! Getting a good supply of dry wood on board and an experienced fire- man, steam was once more raised, and up the river came the little craft. The news was brought to town by some footmen that the steamer was coming. All was confusion and anxiety. Every eye was on the lookout, and at about one o'clock she hove in sight, making at least twenty rods per hour, and finally making a very respectable landing at the rear of Mr. Rolf's store, where the tanglefoot was all ready and received the hearty congratulations of all on board.
"The new enterprise now being considered safe, Captain Keen announced the departure of his boat at four P. M. for Hasting's bot- tom and intermediate points. At precisely the appointed time, the steamer left Elkader on her second trip for Hasting's bottom, Captain Keen serving as commanding officer, engineer and fireman, and Michael pilot. The passengers were: Mr. Ellis and wife, D. Daniels, and F. Snedigar, whose curiosity in the navigation of the Turkey was effectually and perfectly satisfied for all time to come, as the sequel will show. The principal freight consisted of the barrel of 'tanglefoot,' which stood out in bold relief on the bow of the boat, little dreaming of the imminent danger awaiting it of being submerged in the waters of old Turkey. Gliding along down the beautiful river under a gentle head of steam, the passengers and the crew became all absorbed with the beautiful scenery surrounding them. On either side the bluffs rose in towering majesty, the slopes of which were all ablaze with the bright rays of the sun, while all along the shore was thickly studded with gorgeous flowers of every hue, sending forth on the gentle breeze their sweetest perfume.
"Thus they glided along for a mile, when in making a shore bend in the river the little craft brought up suddenly on a sandbar. In an instant all their happy contemplations were gone and they realized the uncomfortable situation of then and there being bar-bound to all intents and purposes, without capstan, spars, or any of the necessary tackle used by other boats on such occasions. Notwithstanding their
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deplorable situation, there was relief at hand in the persons of their gallant captain and pilot, the latter having had some sad experience in early days on the Turkey. One adventure of his, as related by him in person, we will here digress long enough to relate:
"Michael Stence was one of the first settlers in the Turkey valley and in the absence of roads the river was the surest route to follow from one point to another in the vicinity of it. He had business down at the settlement at the mouth of the Volga. Being there detained until near night and not wishing to get lost he took the river shore for his guide home, two and a half miles below Elkader. When about half way home, darkness coming on, he discovered something in his path. Supposing it to be a wolf or some other wild animal, he pushed on until within a few feet of it, when a terrible scream from the animal assured him that it was a panther of immense size. Being aware of its mode of attack he knew that there was no time for parley, but plunged with all his power into the river, and made quick time to the channel. The panther, though not daring to attack him there, seemed determined not to be thus cheated, but followed up on land, while Mr. Stence made slow progress in the strong current, but, by dint of hard struggling, he made his way within hearing of home, and calling his trusty dogs to his relief, reached home a little before daylight; and, notwithstanding his hardships, he said he could then and there whip any panther that inhabited the Turkey valley, with half a dozen wild- cats thrown in.
"After remaining a few moments on the bar, Captain Keen and Pilot Stence both jumped overboard, each having a good-sized lever or hand-stick, and by a few well-directed efforts the boat was shoved off into the channel, and away she went, wholly at the mercy of the waves, the captain and the pilot both being at the time off regular duty. Just then came a pesky elm tree, which had stretched its trunk in a horizontal position right over the river, just elevated enough to rake close to the top of the boat, but all efforts to steer clear of the tree were of no avail. Crash ! it came, sweeping smoke-stacks and scape-pipes before it. Amid the falling chimneys on the hurricane deck stood Daniels and Snedigar, in utmost danger of being crushed beneath the falling chimneys or swept overboard by the tree, the stream enveloping them in a perfect cloud. Screams came from the lady passengers in the cabin, and such a time comes only on such occasions. The boat was badly wrecked and all hands badly scared, but no one killed, or in the least hurt. Floating along the current some miles they finally made a landing at the mouth of Pony creek, where the passengers all disem- barked and went their way, rejoicing in the fact of being once more upon terra firma. Captain Keen ran his boat near Mr. Stence's and laid up for repairs. He worked energetically to put the boat in repair, and July 4 made one more effort to run up to Elkader, but the water being low and no inducement being held out to him he failed to come to time. He then made preparations to run out to the Mississippi, and here was an obstacle to meet. The mill dam at Hastings was in the way and must be overcome. Not to be outdone, Captain Keen called to his assistance an old, hard pioneer from near Elkport, and they cut one section of the dam out, regardless of consequences. They ran the
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