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 6
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It has been the effort of the preceding pages to follow the history
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MEMOIRS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
of Iowa, as a whole, and of Clayton county, in particular, from the date of its discovery by Marquette to the time when, through the processes of law and of nature and of warfare, it was ready to step forth into the glorious sunlight of American citizenship. It has been the effort to picture the virgin forests and the unruffled prairie and to recall to life the wandering redskin, the devout missionary, the crafty traders and the valiant men at arms who struggled, at this very outpost of civili- zation, to maintain the honor and glory of the flag for which they fought. Looking upon the quiet waters of the Mississippi, devoted now to ways of commerce and of peace, it is hard to realize that its current was reddened by the blood of Frenchman and Spaniard, Briton and American and that it was the scene of massacre and Indian treacheries : that grim forts frowned from its shores, that gunboats plowed its waters, that its hills resounded with the shouts of war par- ties and its bosom was bright with gaudily decked canoes. And, now, we have come to a time no less picturesque, and of much greater value to mankind. We are to see the log cabin where stood the wigwam, we are to hear the shouts of the woodsman take the place of the warhoop, the sound of the axe and the crash of falling trees, are to supplant the sharp crack of the Indian rifle, the grist mill is to stand upon the site of the beaver dam and out of the chaos and the wreckage of the past is to arise a great, intelligent and powerful civilization, born in hard- ship, nursed by toil, cultivated by self-denial, strengthened by adver- sity, matured by experience, cemented by the blood of Civil War and perfected by the love of God and country.
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CHAPTER II
LOG CABIN DAYS-1833-1840
PIONEERS-EARLIEST COUNTY HISTORY-FIRST COURTS-FIRST RECORDS- FIRST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS-CENSUS OF 1838-FIRST ELECTION -BEGINNINGS-FIRST COUNTY SEAT-EARLY COURT SESSIONS-JUDGE WILSON.
PIONEERS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
T HE first of what may be called the genuine American settlement of Clayton county occurred in the years 1832 and 1833. The Black Hawk Purchase was not open for legal settlement, and no claims could be definitely located until after the government survey which was completed in the fall of the latter year.
Before the treaty with Black Hawk was ratified, however, the eastern shore of the Mississippi was fairly lined with eager pioneers, excited by the reports of the richness of Iowa soil, and each desiring to obtain for himself the best location. These would-be settlers awaited at Prairie du Chien, at Cassville, which expected to become the great metropolis of Wisconsin, at Galena, at Rock Island and all down the river to the Missouri line.
It is impossible to believe that these men tamely abided on the east bank of the river with only the stream between them and the promised land, without making many trips of exploration. We have a record of a few of these incursions into Iowa soil, but as they were under the ban of the United States which wished to protect the Indians until the time agreed upon for them to leave their land, these bold, but peaceful, invad- ers took more pains to suppress the record of these trips than to make them public or to preserve them. There were clashes between troops and would-be settlers in the vicinity of Davenport and Dubuque. At these places the whites were driven back across the river in 1832 and the cabins which they had erected were destroyed. The white man who visited Clayton county in 1832 did so at the peril of his life, for he was subject to attack both by the troops and by the Indians who fiercely resented the coming of the white man.
It is for the above reasons that it is particularly hard to say who was the first settler in Clayton county. Those coming in 1832 gave the matter no publicity ; and, in 1833, there was a grand rush of settlers to every portion of the Black Hawk Purchase, including Clayton county. We know that James L. Langworthy, later a prominent citizen of
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Dubuque, crossed the river, in 1829, and, with two young Fox guides explored all the region between the Maquoketa and Turkey rivers, but he was attracted chiefly by the lead mines and for some time, Col. Zachary Taylor, later President of the United States, who was then stationed at Fort Crawford, had his hands full in keeping the white men from the Indian mines. Jefferson Davis, later the President of the Confederacy, was another officer, stationed at Fort Crawford, who patroled this region to prevent white settlement. It is recorded of Davis that he was mild in his treatment of the settlers and was able, in most instances, to get them to move back across the river without resorting to force. While these clashes between the troops and settlers occurred chiefly at Dubuque it may be taken for granted that settle- ments were prevented in Clayton county as well.
In 1882, a very excellent history of Clayton county was published under the direction of a committee of the Pioneer Society of the county. The committee having this in charge consisted of such men as Samuel Murdock, Michael Uriell, Reuben Noble, Alva C. Rogers, Benjamin P. Rawson, James O. Crosby and James Schroeder. There were also a number of men interested in each township and this work may be taken as authority, except where the record brings new facts to light. It is a splendid commentary upon the value of such history that no copies of this work, now thirty-four years old, are for sale and that they can only be borrowed upon binding promise of return. There are but comparatively few copies of this book in existence and it is, frankly, one of the purposes of this later day history to preserve, in new form, the best of the old history and to complete it and bring it down to date. No apologies are offered, therefore, for quoting this older history freely and for using it as authority.
There is much question as to who was the first actual settler of Clayton county. There seems to be no question but that the first settle- ment was made in the vicinity of Millville on the Turkey river, and the date is 1833. The history of 1882 credits William W. Wayman as the first permanent settler and states that he settled on what was afterwards known as the Lander farm, on the north side of Turkey river, about four miles from its mouth, nearly opposite Millville. It is stated that Robert Hetfield and W. W. Wayman located here and that Wm. D. Grant located nearby, on what was afterward known as the Pearson farm. It is stated, however, that previously there had been a cabin at the mouth of Turkey river. This cabin was used as a ferry house and the name of the owner is not known.
Senator Robert Quigley, of McGregor, is authority for the state- ment that his father, Joseph B. Quigley, migrated from Amherst, Ohio, and reached Cassville in 1832, and that in that year he crossed the Mis- sissippi and prospected for a location near Millville. In 1833, he located at Millville, having with him R. H. Hetfield, Dan Beasley and William Grant. The four men worked together and Quigley and Grant being fine mechanics they soon had a log cabin erected and a sawmill in operation on the Turkey river. Later a grist mill was built. Mr. Quigley returned for a brief time to Cassville and then came to his new cabin home bringing his young wife with him and together they shared the many hardships of the pioneer days. Among
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LOG CABIN DAYS-1833-1840
those who settled near him at that time were Col. Landers, Capt. Springer, Henry Redmon, and Solomon Wadsworth.
Eliphalet Price first came to the county in 1834, returning in 1835 with C. S. Edson, the first surveyor of the county. In 1836, the erec- tion of a sawmill on the Little Turkey is told, built by a Mr. Finley, and Luther Patch is mentioned as the sawyer. Thomas Clinton, and Martin, Moses and Jacob Van Syckle came to the county, in 1833, settling in Mallory township. Cyrus Henderson was also one of the early settlers, coming to Clayton county, in January, 1835, and settling in Millville township. His brother John who accompanied him to this county, in 1835, died in 1836 and is said to have been the first white man buried in Clayton county. Among the men who arrived in 1836, and who left a deep impress upon the history of the county were the following : Dr. Frederick Andros. Dr. Andros was the first settler in Garnavillo township. He was a native of Massachusetts and came here from Dubuque. He resided at Garnavillo until 1865 when he removed to McGregor. He was a strong and capable man and a skill- ful physician and his name will appear many'times as we proceed with this history. Another man destined to be prominent in the county was John W. Gillett. Elisha Boardman, the founder of Elkader, came to the county, in 1836, together with Horace D. Bronson, and a Mr. Hastings. Hastings began the erection of a sawmill on Otter creek near the present town of Elgin, but he was soon driven away by the hostile Winnebagoes and left the country. Boardman staked a claim and built a cabin where the depot at Elkader now stands. Here he lived with his intimate friend H. D. Bronson for a number of years. The township of Boardman is named in his honor and he and his descendants were honored men in this county for many years.
Willard Knight was another of the strong men who came in 1836, as was a Mr. McMaster who came to the county with Gillett and was in partnership with him for several years. Samuel B. Peck was a pioneer of 1836, settling in Mallory township on the Turkey river, at what was later known as Peck's Ferry, as he ran the first flat-boat across the Turkey river at that point. Levi Springer was one of the pioneers of Millville township, coming in 1836. He was prominent in the early history and was one of those who enlisted in Captain Parker's company of mounted infantry which was stationed at Fort Atkinson, during the Mexican war, to take the place of the regulars who were sent to the front, and to guard against Indian depredations. Jacob Springer also came to Millville township, in 1837, and was also a mem- ber of Captain Parker's company.
The year 1838 witnessed the coming of additional pioneers. Among them were John Downie who settled in Boardman township and who was one of the first county commissioners. J. A. McClellan was an 1838 arrival. He lived near Garnavillo and had been a captain in the War of 1812, serving under Gen. Harrison in the battles of Tippecanoe and Fort Meigs. He served a stormy year as clerk of the District Courts in 1847. Joel Post and Elias Meisner settled in Read township, in 1838.
It was in the spring of 1839 that there came to this county a family destined to have a powerful influence upon this history. This was the
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MEMOIRS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
family of Mrs. Mary Uriell. Mrs. Uriell was a brave Irish widow and with her three sons, Patrick, Michael and John, she came to America with bold confidence in God, in the opportunities of the new land and in the strong right arms of herself and her stalwart boys. The descend- ants of this notable family are now scattered throughout Clayton county and are numbered among our best citizens. Michael Uriell was a powerful factor in the later history of the county. Asa W. Gifford and his wife, Hulda, came to Boardman township, in 1839, bringing with them their son G. L. Gifford who was to become a prominent citi- zen of Littleport. Another man destined to become prominent and very dearly beloved, who came to the county in 1839, was Robert R. Read of whom we shall hear much later and a sketch of whose life will appear in this volume. William Schulte was among the earliest of the German pioneers settling in Garnavillo township in 1839; he him- self was prominent in the affairs of the county until his death in 1878 and his descendants are among our honored citizens. Allen E. Wanzer also came in 1839 and established himself on the farm which he called "Bogus Hollow". He was better known as a landlord than as a farmer, however, and he was "Mine host" at the Banfill Hotel at Gar- navillo and at "Father's House" at McGregor, and his taverns were noted for good cheer.
In 1834, Iowa was a part of Michigan Territory. In 1836, it was a part of Wisconsin Territory and at this time a census of the territory was ordered. As Clayton was the northern-most county, all the unor- ganized territory was included, in this census, under the head of Clay- ton county, and in all the vast territory which was attached to Clayton county for governmental purposes and which extended north to the British boundary and west to the Rockies, the total population was given as three hundred and fifty-four. Among the other settlers prior to 1840 may be named J. W. Jones and Henry Redmon, Isaac Preston, Cap. Park, Robert Campbell, George Jones, Warren Cooley, Henry Sanders, Ambrose Kennedy, John Griffith, Edward Dickens, Jack Cortright, whose murder was one of the first crimes to stir the county, Richard Holtzbecker, who, as sheriff, was killed in a duel with James A. McClellan at Prairie la Porte ; Frank Emerson, Dudley Peck, James W. Walker, Herman Greybill, the pioneer of Prairie la Porte and the Olmstead Brothers who were the pioneers of Monona, and D. F. Bickel, Herman Schnsider, Conrad Helwig, Henry Froelich, Conrad Hartwig, Charles Hemple, pioneers of Giard township.
These men and others whose names are not now known, together with their families, constituted the dramatis personae of the great miracle play by which the wilderness was transformed into the Clayton county as we know it today.
One of the earliest settlers in Iowa speaks in this wise of the char- acteristics of the pioneers: "Mostly young men, without families, who have left the paternal roof in the older states in search of homes on the frontier, there to work out their own way in life's battles and toils. The young pioneer is not encumbered with extra baggage; with a gun and knife, a bake-pan, tin cup, some corn meal and bacon, all packed on his back, he explores the country on foot. He selects his claim, builds
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LOG CABIN DAYS-1833-1840
a rude log cabin, cooks his coarse food and freely shares his scanty supply with any traveler who came along."
EARLIEST COUNTY HISTORY
There is practically no written history of Clayton county prior to 1838. All that we have are the reminiscences of early settlers which will be given in added chapters, and these reminiscences are, with the best of intent, apt to be contradictory and confused, for no two men see events alike nor is the human memory infallible.
First Courts .- During these first years Iowa passed from the con- trol of Michigan Territory to that of Wisconsin Territory and in 1838, the Governor appointed John W. Griffith, as sheriff of Clayton county with instructions to summon jurors for a term of the District Court to be held at Prairie la Porte, Clayton county, Wisconsin Territory, on May 4, 1838. Hon. Charles Dunn presided at this first court of justice in Clayton county. William H. Banks was attorney for the United States and James Churchman was district attorney. F. Andros acted as clerk and was later appointed Clerk of the District Court. The grand jurors were Elisha Boardman, foreman, Ava Dunn, William D. Grant, C. R. Hill, W. W. Wayman, Allen Carpenter, H. D. Bronson, William Rowan, Luther Mead, Daniel Bugley, G. W. Jones, S. Wadsworth, H. Redman, Edward Dickens, David Springer, Dean Gay, and Eliphalet Price. The petit jurors were William McDowell, Ambrose Kennedy, A. S. Cooley, Nathan Springer, Andrew Whitaker, Martin VanSickle, Herman Graybill, Mathew Peck, Baldwin Olmstead, David Hastings, Willard Knight, Eliot Adams, William Walker, Samuel Goss, C. S. Edson, Samuel McMasters, D. C. VanSickle, William Harper, William Beasley, John Gillett, H. T. Lander, Dudley Peck, I. H. Preston, and Robert Hatfield. These comprised nearly all of the mature and reputable population of the county and there is little won- der that there was no business to be transacted, except to draw the necessary warrants for the payment of those in attendance.
Several of the pioneers did not respond to the summons of the sheriff, among them being James Henderson, Nahum Dudley, Robert Campbell, and James Brown. These men were solemnly fined ten dollars each for contempt of court, which fines were as solemnly remit- ted at the September, 1838, term of court, over which Judge T. S. Wilson presided. This was the first court held in this county after the territory of Iowa was formed.
FIRST BOOK OF RECORD
In the vault of the county auditor there is an old leather bound volume still well preserved but with pages yellow with age. It contains the first record of the county commissioners of Clayton county and the first entry is dated at Prairie la Porte October 15, 1838, and merely states that a meeting of the commissioners was held.
FIRST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
William D. Grant, Robert Campbell, and George Culver were the first county commissioners for Clayton county. Their first work was the
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MEMOIRS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
appointment of John W. Griffith as assessor and of George W. Jones, Allen Carpenter and Baldwin Olmstead as "rode" commissioners. For election purposes, precincts were organized, the first embracing prac- tically what is now Buena Vista township, so that this may rightly be considered the first township in the county, although it was then unnamed. Elections in this precinct were to be held at the house of Henry Holtzbecker. The second precinct included the present town- ships of Millville, Mallory, Elk, Volga, Jefferson, Read, Garnavillo and part of Clayton and the elections were to be held at the house of Her- man Graybill, at Prairie la Porte. The third district included the north part of Clayton township extending west to include Farmersburg, Wag- ner and Marion townships and thence north and east along the line of the Black Hawk Purchase to the Mississippi river thus making it in- clude all of the north part of the county, not included in the Neutral Ground, and a portion of what is now Allemakee county. Elections were to be held at the home of Jesse Daudly. The fourth election pre- cinct embraced the six townships in the southwest part of the county and elections were to be held at Boardman's Mill. Ambrose Kennedy (or Canada, as it is spelled in the original record), was appointed com- missioner of common schools for the first precinct, Herman Graybill for the second, Jesse Daudly for the third and John Downie for the fourth. This meeting of the commissioners saw the county fairly organized; court had been held, there was a sheriff and an assessor and provisions had been made both for the holding of elections and for schools.
CENSUS OF 1838
This meeting of the commissioners was held subsequent to the taking of the first census of the county by J. W. Griffith. According to this census, taken in May, 1838, there were 181 males and 93 females living in Clayton county, giving a total of 274. The following is the list of the heads of the families and male adults, and this must be taken as the most authentic statement of the pioneers living in Clayton county at that time. The list is as follows :
J. W. Griffith, Robert Campbell, Elias Miller, Dudley Peck, David Springer, Luther Patch, Eliphalet Price, Henry Redman, Thomas VanSyckle, S. Wadsworth, James Henderson, George W. Jones, Luther Mead, H. T. Lander, S. L. Tainter, A. S. Cooley, A. Kennedy, William Harper, C. S. Edson, Herman Graybill, William Warner, Patton McMullen, Robert Hatfield, Reuben Decus, H. D. Bronson, Frederick Andros, S. McMasters, Allen Carpenter, David Lowry, Bradford Porter, Jacob Lemmons, Henry Johnson, John Frost, Henry Warner, Jesse Daudley, E. Boardman, William W. Wayman, Nathan Dudley, E. R. Hill, Baldwin Olmstead, D. C. VanSyckle, William D. Grant, Samuel Johnson, Mr. McCraney, E. E. Oliver, William Walker, Jacob F. Redman, F. L. Rodolph, Charles Latrance, S. La Point, Peter La Point, Mr. Burns.
This census was followed by an election Sept. 10, 1838. There were two polling places, one at Winchester, at the mouth of the Turkey river and one at Prairie la Porte. The first county officers were, Commissioners, William D. Grant, Robert Campbell and George
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Culver; Treasurer, Ambrose Kennedy; Recorder, Frederick Andros ; Sheriff and Assessor, John W. Griffith; Probate Judge, S. H. McMasters; Supreme Court Commissioner, William W. Wayman; Surveyor, C. S. Edson ; Coroner, J. B. Quigley. Concerning the first election Hon. Eliphalet Price, many years later gave the following amusing account :
FIRST ELECTION
The first election held in that part of Dubuque county now known as the County of Clayton, took place on the first Monday in September, 1836, at the residence of Robert Hatfield, on the Turkey river, which residence was situated about three miles from the mouth of the river, looming up with log cabins' stateliness, solitary and alone, in the very heart of the town of Winchester. Among the many proprietors of the town of Winchester, was the Hon. John S. Horner, who was at that time acting Governor of Wisconsin, whose boundaries then embraced the present State of Iowa. At'this election a delegate to Congress and five members of the Territorial Legislature were to be chosen. The candidates for Congress were George Meeker and George W. Jones. Both of these persons resided upon the east side of the Mis- sissippi. The judges of the election were Edward Dickens, John H. Griffith and Henry Redman : the clerks were William W. Wayman and Eliphalet Price. It was believed that every voter residing at that time in what is now known as the County of Clayton, was there on that day, and exercised his right of suffrage. The whole number of votes cast was thirty-one : of these Meeker received twenty-eight and Jones three. Nearly every voter was dressed in buckskin, and appeared upon the ground with a rifle upon his shoulder : and of the whole number that voted, but seven had ever exercised that right on any previous occa- sion.
BEGINNINGS
Whatever may be said of the voters, they at least knew what they wanted and the elections were entirely nonpartisan. At a called meet- ing of the commissioners held in November a tax was levied, bonds of county officers approved and the following election officers appointed for the ensuing year: David Springer, H. T. Lander, Henry Holtzbecker, for precinct one. John Gillett, Patton McMullen and Baldwin Olmstead for number two. Jesse Daudley, Allen Carpenter and C. S. Edson for number three. No election officers were appointed for precinct four.
At the meeting of the board held in January, 1839, two important actions were taken. What are now known as Elk and Volga town- ships were set aside as election precinct number five, elections to be held at the house of George Culver and the officers to be George Culver, W. W. Wayman and Baldwin Olmstead. Horace Bronson was made a judge in precinct two to replace Olmstead who was in the new fifth precinct. The second, and more important, act was the ordering of the road commissioners to meet with the road commission- ers of Dubuque county at the home of Martin VanSickle to lay out the territorial road where it crossed the county line. Dean Gay acted
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MEMOIRS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
as clerk of the board at this session. His name does not appear in the census list of 1838 and he is rarely mentioned by the pioneers, although he seems to have been clerk of the board for a short time. We know, however, that he was at one time a sergeant in the regular army and stationed at Fort Crawford.
The first license for the sale of ardent liquors in this county was issued by Dean Gay, as clerk, to Peter Legree on March 19, 1839, and was granted "according to the last act of the Wisconsin Legislature". Clayton county was at that time a part of Iowa Territory and not of Wisconsin and it is an open question as to whether Gay did not know of this, or whether, in the absence of an Iowa statute governing, he was forced to use that of Wisconsin as the best that he could do.
April 8, 1839, the board met and appointed Nathan Dudley, asses- sor ; it also ordered the road commissioners to meet in June and locate a road from the south line of the county to Prairie du Chien, and C. S. Edson was ordered to survey the same. This was the first road ordered by the county commissioners.
On the 24th day of May, 1839, William D. Grant and Robert Campbell met, as commissioners, to survey land for the location of the county seat. During the remainder of the official year no official busi- ness is recorded, save the issuance of licenses to James A. McClellan for the sale of groceries and liquors, "not less quantity that a quart" at Prairie la Porte. Fifteen dollars was the sum charged. The first ferry licenses were issued by this board. The first issued was to William Walker to "keep a ferry across from the mouth of Turkey river to Cassville for the sum of $5 for one year." The second was issued to Louis Massey of St. Peters "to keep a ferry across the Mis- sissippi one mile above Fort Snelling, for one year for the sum of $10." This license was issued on the petition of F. Andros and it is probable that the party was unknown to the commissioners and that Dr. Andros acted for him. This is one of the acts of the commissioners which gave ground for the erroneous belief that at one time Clayton county included a vast territory within its boundaries. It has already been pointed out, however, that this territory was simply "attached" for gov- erning purposes and was not included in the county limits.
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