USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 15
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In November, 1852, he accepted a call to the church in Brimfield, Ill., but after a year his own health began to fail, and it became evident that he must seek a more active, outdoor life.
Having been deeply impressed with the vast possibilities of this great Mis- sissippi Valley, his thoughts turned toward the forming of a development company. He finally succeeded in interesting Eastern capitalists, and organized the Providence Western Land Company of which he was made the agent.
In the fall of 1855, he came to Iowa and entered over 20,000 acres of land in Crawford and Harrison counties for the Providence Western Land Company.
Having selected his land, and having done all that could be done before spring, he returned to spend the winter with his family in Rock Island, where his wife was failing fast. He had only gone as far on his way as Des Moines, when the distressing news of her death was abruptly broken to him. With a heavy heart he continued his journey to see his little girls. He spent most of the winter in Rock Island and attending to business in the East.
Having made the best of provision for the care of his children by his wife's people, in the spring of 1856, he returned to Crawford county.
When he first drove over the spot where the city of Denison now stands it had as yet been untouched by civilization; but was still the home of the coyote and over it occasionally roamed the deer and flew immense flocks of prairie chickens and other wild fowls. But he was at once impressed with its eligible situation, at the junction of two broad and fertile valleys, (certain in the near future to be occupied by railroads) by its sightly location and the broad expanse of prairie it commanded ; and he made up his mind that nature herself had marked this out as the point for some future city. Here he pro- ceeded to plat his town and build a lodging house, known as the Denison House, on what is now Tremont street and which was still standing a few years ago. He also built a little store diagonally across the street and several houses for the accommodation of settlers.
One of the first things Mr. Denison did was to secure the county seat for the new town. When the commissioners came to locate the county seat they met to draw up the papers at Judge Bassett's, who lived in a log house two or three miles southwest of Denison. At the same meeting the question of a name for the town came up and after considerable discussion Mrs. Bassett, who was an invalid, spoke from her bed and said: "Why not call it Denison?" The suggestion seemed to please every one and the name was immediately adopted.
Mr. Denison had unbounded faith in the future of Denison and Crawford county, and his optimism has been amply justified by the wonderful develop-
FARM SCENE IN CRAWFORD COUNTY
HIGH WATER ON EAST BOYER. DENISON
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ment which that country has enjoyed. Through his numerous acquaintances he was enabled to induce many families to start in business in Denison or buy land in the county.
Many, however, are the hardships of the first pioneers in any country. This is terribly illustrated by the following story which Mr. Denison often told. Late in the winter of 1856-7 western Iowa was swept by one of the worst bliz- zards ever known. There was a young man at that time who had come out with Mr. Denison, named Jake Seagraves, son of one of the officers of the Providence Western Land Company. In the afternoon when the blizzard was at its height he took a notion to go over and see the occupant of the little store already mentioned. In spite of warning he could not believe a man could be lost in going less than a block. He reached the store in safety, but when he did not return all the men in the Denison House fastened themselves together with a rope and went to look for him. When they got to the store they found he had left some time before. They, with difficulty, succeeded in reaching the Denison House, but were alarmed at finding he had not returned. It would have been idle to have gone out to look for him on the prairie as they might have passed within a few feet of each other without knowing it. So they fired revolvers and beat tin pans all night, but he did not appear. As Mr. Denison went out early the next morning, which broke clear and calm, something in the snow about a block away attracted his attention. It was Jake Seagraves. His body was entirely buried in the snow except his feet, in a vain attempt to keep them warm, he had kicked all night, which only had the effect of keeping them exposed and they were frozen solid.
As it became evident they must be amputated, and there was no surgeon anywhere around, Mr. Denison started for one with his team to Des Moines. But after going some ten miles, he found it would be utterly impossible to get through. His team was so injured breaking through the ice and floundering through the drifts they were unable to go any further. He was compelled to abandon them and send a man back for them as quick as he could, but both horses died subsequently as the result of their injuries and exposure. Deeply impressed with the feeling that he must secure a surgeon or perish in the at- tempt Mr. Denison started for Council Bluffs afoot. It was a terrible jour- ney. His feet became so sore he was compelled to make himself moccasins of fur. But he was fortunate in meeting an army surgeon who accompanied him back to Denison and the operation was very skillfully performed and entirely successful.
It was not alone in the temporal affairs of the community that Mr. Deni- son was interested. He began at once to hold preaching services and in 1857 organized the Baptist church with sixteen members, and he continued to act as pastor for seven years. The weekly prayer meeting was held in private homes. The conveniences were not always the best. In one case, at least, the only light they had in the room proceeded from a rag fastened at one end to a button immersed in a saucer of grease. But the spirit was none the less earnest and the seed of much good was sown in these early meetings.
When the church was built he raised a large amount of money towards its erection among his friends in the East, and always remained the pastor's firmest
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supporter. The church, though not large, was pleasant and convenient and at the time it was built was probably the finest church building in western Iowa.
August 3, 1859, Mr. Denison was married in Providence, R. I., to Miss Eliza B. Lewis, and immediately brought her with his two little girls to Denison. People did not cross Iowa in palace cars in those days. The family traveled by rail as far as Iowa City. From there the rest of the journey was performed in an emigrant wagon. From Jefferson to Carroll there was not even a trail and they were compelled to hire a guide. When they got within six or seven miles of Carroll, the guide thought he could safely leave them and return to Jefferson. He showed them a house a mile distant and told them that when they reached that house they would find a trail to Carroll. But they had gone but a short distance before the horses plunged into a slough, from which they were with great difficulty extricated. That house turned out to be vacant, but luckily a wagon with six men happened to pass by and rendered them help. They were thus enabled to go on their journey and by night reached Carroll, which did not then have more than a half dozen houses. Here they stayed all night and reached Denison the next evening. Mrs. Denison was young, handsome and enthusiastic and added much to the social life of the place.
By his second marriage he had four children: William S., now traveling salesman, of Des Moines, Iowa, Maria Louisa, now wife of William Matthews, assistant director of sales of the Dupont Powder Co., Wilmington, Del., Jesse W. who died in infancy, and Percy N., traveling salesman of the Dupont Pow- der Co., Columbus, Ohio.
In the fall of 1859, Mr. Denison was elected to the legislature and attended the regular session which met January, 1860, and also the special session in 1861 made necessary by the breaking out of the war, and took an active part in its proceedings.
During the winter of 1862 and 1863 Mr. Denison was dangerously ill' and for weeks his life was despaired of. He recovered, however, but never fully regained his strength.
Unquestionably the most important event in the history of Denison was the coming of the main line of the North Western Railway. It came very near, however, being its ruin. The Providence Western Land Co. was not willing to comply with all the demands of the railroad, some of which they deemed ex- travagant. Consequently the railroad planned to locate their depot across the Boyer and lay out a new town. Had this been done, the next day property in Denison would not have been worth ten cents on the dollar, and the history of Boone would have been repeated in Crawford county. But the scheme becoming known, Mr. Denison immediately bought up all that land for the Providence Western Land Co., and the railroad was compelled to locate its depot just south of the town where it was most convenient for the citizens where it remained until the present more eligible and spacious location was secured.
The writer's acquaintance with Mr. Denison, and the city of Denison, began in 1873. The town was then emerging from its pioneer stage. McHenry's Bank had recently been built, Laub's store had just been commenced. The Baptist Church then stood just a little north of where the postoffice now stands. The
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town did not extend more than two or three blocks east of Main street nor further north than Church street. The houses were mostly small, there being very few substantial residences as yet. Mr. Denison's house was a one-story and a half brick, corner of Franklin and Main streets, and was the last house north on Main street. Just west of Mr. Denison's lived Mr. W. A. McHenry and that house still stands, though it has been added to considerably. With the exception of the trees upon that hill and possibly the trees in the courthouse yard, the writer does not remember a tree anywhere large enough to give shade. Nevertheless, people coming from the east were much more likely to be im- pressed by the culture and progressiveness they found than by anything primitive in its appearance. Denison then had a population of about 800 and was en- joying a healthy growth. It was the trading center for a large section of country and was easily the most important point between Boone and Council Bluffs.
The day of cheap lands had not yet passed away, while the best improved farms near Denison might be held at $40 or $50 an acre. By going some distance from town good wild land could still be bought for about $5, but it was being taken up fast.
Prairie fires around Denison were still frequent, the writer having never witnessed a prairie fire before thought it was a striking sight to see the fire as it swept over those hills south of town like' a fiery line of battle, sometimes illuminating the whole town.
When my acquaintance with Mr. Denison began he was already broken down in health. He was suffering apparently from ulcerations of the stomach which for long spells at a time would not allow him to retain any nourishment. He had resigned the agency of the Providence Western Land Co. some time before, although he had a great deal of private business which required much of his time. At last his robust constitution gave way and after a long, lingering illness he suddenly passed away on October 2, 1881. His faith in God and the gospel remained unfailing to the last and death came to him as a blessed relief. His remains lie in Oakland cemetery in a family lot he had chosen years before and overlooking the city in which he felt such a vital interest.
Mr. Denison was a man of impressive personality and striking appearance. Any one having seen him once was not likely to ever forget him. He was above middle stature, black hair and beard, and a dark and penetrating eye. He was affable in manner, deliberate and self-poised. Few men ever saw him show marks of excitement, even under the greatest provocation. Stomach trouble usually renders a man sour and peevish, but it never broke the evenness of his temper. His years of pain he endured with a patience truly remarkable.
The effect of Mr. Denison's work and character will long be felt on the life of the city. As the first settler he exerted that plastic influence which naturally belongs to the pioneer. Instead of beginning by opening a saloon, he started as we have seen by preaching the gospel, and the families he drew into his new settlement were people, who like himself, believed in religion and education and in those things that make for the uplift of a community. Thus he gave an upward trend to the early life of the town which it has never lost, as is wit- nessed by its large churches and prosperous schools. "He being dead yet speaketh."
CHAPTER XVII.
EARLY DENISON DAYS.
Mr. Denison kept steadily at work to bring about the realization of his dreams. He was active in directing the attention of oncoming settlers to the location of his new town. In this way he enlisted the cooperation of John B. Swain, Frank Reynolds, and Jacob Whittinger. The story of the coming of these three first permanent residents of Denison is well told by Mr. Thomas Dobson in his history. Mr. Dobson says :
"Later in the season of 1856 Jacob Whitinger, John B. Swain and Frank Reynolds came, and the history they give of their coming and settlement in the county is substantially as follows :
"In August, 1856, they left Dallas county in this state, to hunt new homes in the Northwest, passing up South Coon river, crossing Brushy Fork eleven miles above Gizelharts in Carroll county. Heading the Nishnabotny river they passed over seventy-five miles of the best natural road in the state, crossing only one small bridge in all that distance, and it was not over ten feet in width. The first night out they camped upon a hillside among some dwarf oaks. Rey- nolds set about to prepare some coffee for supper. Soon the tea kettle was boil- ing, the blaze having entirely enveloped the kettle in the brush fire; it was a puzzle to recover the kettle from the flames, having nothing at hand to extricate it with. Reynolds thought himself smart enough to remove it with such despatch that heat could have no effect, but the result was that the kettle went flying down the hill, scalding the green grass as it went, and Reynolds went off at right angles howling. A crisped hand and no sleep that night. 'This,' said he 'is my first camp life, and I am satisfied as to the loveliness of such life." Passing on they found in a little grove a Mr. Chapman and family, Mr. Slater and son and Mr. Vanvleit. They were here directed to Mason's Grove, but some of the party had some misgivings about going there, for they had heard that there were some persons residing there that belonged to a society generally known as Mormons, and they were afraid that their property would be unsafe among such a people, but the majority were for coming. Arriving at the Grove they kept a close watch upon their stock for some time, but losing none, they grad- ually lost all fears and were welcomed to the hospitality of the citizens. Here they found Rev. Mr. Denison and many others, stopping mostly with Mr. Good- rich a little south of the Grove. Messrs. Swain and Reynolds went down and
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took a look at the place where the town of Denison now is. Not a wagon track was to be seen on the section. 'Far West,' they thought, as they looked in all directions to discover some living object to dispel the gloom of solitude, and when a deer was seen springing out of the tall grass that grew on those luxuri- ant Boyer bottom lands to the height of a man's head when on horseback, it seemed to them almost enchanting scenery. Over the hills to the west lay a broken country, hill and dale. To the southwest lay the lovely valley of the Boyer extending as far as the eye could see, and again up to the northeast bottom lands and groves of timber met the gaze of the astonished vision. Immediate arrangements were made for settling and the erection of a steam saw mill, and by October Ist the machinery was on the ground. A long shanty was erected near the site of the old Denison House, and a long hay bed was spread on the ground in one end and kitchen, parlor and bar room all in the other end-Jacob Whitmyer, proprietor, with the following names enrolled as boarders: Rev. J. W. Denison, George and Warren Calkens, William and George Beaty (car- penters), Jacob Seagrave, M. McHenry, F. Reynolds and J. B. Swain, and in honor to Mrs. Whitmyer we must say that we doubt whether a more noble or generous-hearted landlady ever graced so humble a tavern stand as this one. A good cook (Reynolds never tries to take the tea kettle off the fire now), never complaining, always cheerful, with a kind word for all her boarders as they came for their frugal meals. The Denison House was soon up and enclosed, believed to be the first frame house ever erected in Crawford county, but neither plastered nor ceiled, and all for the good reason that there was nothing in the country to do it with."
Having thus secured a boarding place for expected emigrants, and having building facilities established, Mr. Denison next directed his attention to the establishment of a store. A little frame building 10x16 feet was erected upon the corner now occupied by the Bulletin office. In this Mr. Denison placed a small stock of goods which had been freighted overland, but the persons em- ployed by him to manage the business proved unsatisfactory and he cast about for some one to give capable management to the institution. In the meantime Mr. H. C. Laub had come into the county, first working as a farmer, and then interesting himself in a store at Deloit. Inducements were made him to locate a store on the Purdy farm and he was about to locate there when Mr. Denison saw him and offered to trade his Denison store for Mr. Laub's claim at Mason's Grove, a claim which today is probably worth very many times the value of the little frontier stock. This was the commencement of the mercantile career of H. C. Laub, in Denison, a career of unexampled business activity, extending for over half a century. Mr. Denison had now interested and allied with him the most active business intellect that ever came to Crawford county. The things which Mr. Laub did for the upbuilding of this town and county are almost past belief. He was interested in everything. He built houses and store buildings, contracted for the erection of bridges, built schoolhouses, supplied the courthouse with wood, was interested in the manufacture of brick and built the first telegraph line from Boone to Council Bluffs. Mr. Laub came to Craw- ford county in December, 1855. He came by team from Benton county, and it was his intention to buy a claim and go to farming. His first day in Crawford
H. C. LAUB Pioneer Merchant
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county was spent with the hospitable people at Dunham's Grove, and on the following day he went to Deloit, where Mr. Winans made him welcome. He bought a claim of eighty acres, paying therefor fifty bushels of wheat. He later bought a log cabin in return for flour. Mr. Laub farmed but a short time. The first store at Deloit was owned by Ben Dobson, B. F. Darling and E. McKim. Mr. Laub became interested in this store and on November 16, 1856, he entered the mercantile business at Denison and we have before us, written in his own handwriting, a list of the different merchandising enterprises in which he was engaged during his active life as a merchant. The list contains so much of history, not only of Denison, but of all western Iowa, that we venture to re- produce it :
A LIST OF MY PARTNERS IN BUSINESS SINCE NOVEMBER 16, 1856.
Ist-H. C. Laub & Eli Baer, Denison, Iowa. 2d-H. C. Laub & B. F. Dobson, Deloit, Iowa.
3d-H. C. Laub & B. F. Darling, Deloit, Iowa.
4th-Mrs. Ethan McKim & H. C. Laub, Deloit, Iowa.
5th-Laub & Sam Blankenship, Galland's Grove, Iowa.
6th-Laub & Nathan Lindsay, Harlan, Iowa.
7th-Laub & William Boots, Carrollton, Iowa.
8th-Laub & William Boots, Carroll, Iowa.
9th-Laub & The County Clerk of the County, Glidden, Iowa.
Ioth-Laub & Mooney, Vail, Iowa. IIth-Laub & C. D. Mitchell, Dunlap, Iowa.
12th-Laub, Dailey & Patterson, Dunlap, Iowa. 13th-Laub & Dailey, Dunlap, Iowa.
14th-Laub & Cyrus Sprecher, Denison, Iowa.
15th-Laub & Jesse Patterson, Dunlap, Iowa.
16th-Laub & James Mitchell, Woodbine, Iowa.
17th-Laub & Harshberger, Woodbine, Iowa.
18th-Laub & Justice, St. Johns, Iowa. 19th-Laub & Billings, Smithland, Iowa. 20th-Laub & House, West Side, Iowa.
2Ist-Laub & Brother, West Side, Iowa.
22d-Laub & George Baer, West Side, Iowa.
23d-Laub & Romans, Denison, Iowa. 24th-Laub, Dewey, Patterson & Baker, Denison, Iowa.
25th-Laub & Hayne, Denison, Iowa.
26th-Laub & Son, Correctionville, Iowa.
27th-Laub & Fitchner, Correctionville, Iowa.
28th-Laub & Vary, Kingsley, Iowa. 29th-H. C. Laub, Fitchner & Co., Correctionville, Iowa.
30th-H. C. Laub & Son, Correctionville, Iowa.
3Ist-Laub, Dewey &. Williams, Riverton, Iowa.
32d-Laub & Dewey, Arcadia, Iowa.
Mr. Laub was one of the organizers of the settlers who went to the de- fense of the frontier against the Indians, and he was first lieutenant and quarter-
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master of the company which was raised and which had its stockade at Chero- kee, Iowa, where it remained until the Indians had subsided. As we have before stated, he was the contractor for the telegraph line from Boone to Omaha, the poles being hauled by oxen. He stated that the Northwestern at first intended to go up the Maple Valley, as its branch line now does, making its main line pass through Ida Grove, but that this plan was abandoned in favor of the Boyer valley.
If Mr. Denison had done nothing else for this city save to enlist the abound- ing energy and executive ability of H. C. Laub in its behalf, we would still be greatly his debtor. The combination was an effective one-on the one hand the idealist, the promoter, the visionary if you will; on the other hand the hard- headed, practical man of accomplishment. It is to these two men that Denison owes the best of its early history. While Mr. Laub was busy promoting the material interests of things at home, Mr. Denison was busy selling lands to eastern buyers, securing new settlers, and promoting large projects for the city.
At this time, 1857, Denison consisted practically of the so-called "Denison Hotel," the little store across the street, the mills located on the Boyer near what is now the Northwestern "Y," with the log cabins of Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Swain. Mr. Whitmyer was installed in the hotel and there were a number of workmen, prominent among whom were George and Warren Calkens.
The first birth in Denison was that of Mary Louise Seagraves, born Novem- ber 13, 1856, and the first death was that of a child of Francis Reynolds.
One of the best and most intimate pictures of the first winters in Denison we get from a letter written by Mr. A. S. Wright, now of Moline, Illinois. The old settlers remember him well as one of our earliest and cleverest artisans. He tells of his coming to Denison, his first view of the town and the experiences of the winter of 1857 as follows :
"My first sight of Denison was in September, 1857, after a three days' ride in a lumber wagon from Omaha with Uncle Ike Goodrich, without any roads or bridges. We had to ford all the streams; we forded the East Boyer, near where the Northwestern depot is, in the rain, for it had rained all the afternoon. We climbed the hill near where the old Reynolds and Swain sawmill was and then were in Denison, but there were only four buildings in the place, none of which were finished, namely, the old Denison Hotel, with six unfinished rooms ; schoolhouse, sixteen by sixteen; the Denison store, ten by sixteen; and the Bischer house with one room finished, or rather lathed, as there were no plas- tered rooms in Denison at that time. It was dark and raining and we did not make any stop in Denison but hurried on up the divide to Burnt Woods and then north down to the Boyer. When we reached the top of the bluff over- looking the Goodrich place, Mr. Goodrich commenced to call or shout for help and two men came down to the river with a lantern. We turned the horses loose, then took off our clothes for a swim, that is, Goodrich did, all but his shirt; I only took off coat and vest, and tied them in a bundle to carry; Good- rich left his in the wagon. It was pitch dark and raining-the lantern gave about as much light as a match. I was a very good swimmer, but my bundle of clothes got me into trouble and I was carried down stream several rods and finally landed by striking my head into the perpendicular bank of black mud.
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