USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 5
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About the middle of November the writer in company with his brother Joseph made his first visit to Mason's Grove, partly to see the place and partly on a hunting expedition, but it seemed so isolated that we could not make up our minds to get so far away from all the conveniences of civilized life, as we dreaded a repetition of the experiences we had already passed through in the settlement of Pottawattamie county. We returned home, entered into part- nership with another man, procured a whipsaw and commenced sawing out lumber for wagon boxes for the overland travel to California and Salt Lake, and continued at this business till the last of March, 1852, at about which time Mr. Mason came down on his way to Council Bluffs with a load of venison, hams and deer skins with which he intended to purchase his summer's supply of groceries, etc. He- insisted that I had better make up my mind to come up in this part of the country. We finally concluded that as we now had a saw mill of our own (Armstrong's power) and if we could get a corn cracker that we could run on the same principle, we would go, and after a little time suc- ceeded in procuring a steel hand-mill with which we could grind from one-half bushel to three pecks of corn an hour. All being in readiness, we started, this time in company with my father, Benjamin Dobson, and my brother John, ar- riving at Mason's Grove about the middle of April, 1852, and immediately set about looking up some claims. As there was no surveying done, we could only take our claims as best suited us, and having a small pocket compass, we tried to get them located so they would square up without much inconvenience when the survey should be made. Father made choice of what he esteemed the best place for locating a mill on the Boyer river, which has since become widely known as Dobson's mill. We made ours just below, and made our line within twenty rods of where the mill was afterwards built. Hiring a young man by the name of Calvin Horr we set to work to cast a set of house logs, brother John drawing them together with a yoke of oxen as fast as we got them ready, and when the first day's work was done we had all the logs on the ground. The next day we had a house raising at which all the men and some of the women then residing at Mason's Grove were present, and by evening the last log was up. The next day we spent in getting out clapboards for covering, and in four days we had a house completed save the doors and windows, fireplace and chimney.
As it was now almost the first of May we concluded to put in our garden, which we did by using a weed patch that Mr. Mason had put in good con- dition the year before by raising a crop of turnips on it. This was situated about forty rods above the mill in the grove on father's claim. This done, we repaired to our family at Union Grove, Harrison county, to which place we had removed in the fall of 1849, and commenced making preparations to again move
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to our new home where we arrived with our family on the 20th day of May, 1852, and I introduced my wife to the new log cabin, minus doors; that is, there was a place of ingress and egress but no shutters, and no windows except the cracks between the logs, and no floor except mother earth. But my wife, good soul, contented herself as best she could, scolding a little now and then, but we had no time to listen, for it was now past the middle of May and we must raise some corn and potatoes, which we did by enlarging our garden, and got in about four acres of corn and some potatoes and squashes. We then put up our saw mill and coupled on our Armstrong consisting of self and Mr. Skinner, and soon had lumber-sawed floors and doors and window casings, both for ourselves and neighbors.
Early in the spring of 1856 W. J. Todd moved out his family and located about four miles east of Deloit, W. W. Anderton returned to Illinois, J. B. Huckstep, George C. King, and with him one or two brothers, the younger of whom remained, both purchased land; also O. S. Wright came about the same time.
During the winter several incidents occurred worthy of notice; some very fearful ones before winter had fairly set in or any snow had fallen. Mr. Good- rich had moved to the Purdy farm north of town, had put up his hay for the winter on the west side of the Boyer river, and having placed his stock there it became the duty of a small boy to go there once a day to feed the stock. One day as the boy was making his regular trip, when near the Boyer grove he of a sudden beheld a large catamount but a few steps in front of him in the path evidently awaiting him. The boy suddenly halted, turned and whistled for his dog which was not far away, but as soon as he turned, the ferocious cat sprang upon him, throwing him directly upon his face on the ground, and dragged his enormous claws over the boy's head and shoulders lacerating the flesh fearfully. The shrieks of the little fellow brought the bull terrier to his assistance, who so surprised "Barnum's pet" by trying to swallow him t'other end to that he was glad to release his victim and escape to the woods. It is needless to say that this noble dog was ever afterward held in high esteem by the entire family.
The winters of 1856 and 1857 proved to be more severe, and we had a greater number of storms than has ever occurred since. In the great snow storm which began the second day of December, 1856, and lasted three days, the cows all strayed away to the timber. After the storm was over a road was shoveled out to the Denison cows, in order to bring them home. Mr. Didra, a German living one mile below town, was completely overpowered by the great snowfall. His house was situated on the south hillside, precisely in a position to be covered up, together with feed yard and cattle. His garret being full of snow, no fire could be made below as it would produce a flood in the house. The wife and children must tarry in bed until the snow was removed. But the first and more important work was to aid an ox supposed to be many feet below the surface, struggling for life. "I heard him very plainly," said the German, when he arrived at town and procured a scoop shovel and two men to aid in the search of the lost ox. Down they dug and shoveled directly where five other oxen were standing on top of the trodden snow. After going as
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deep as they could they took fork handles and probed the snow without reach- ing the ground. Discouraged in the search, it was abandoned. The poor man returned to rid his house of snow. Knocking off a few boards on the gable end, after a few hours' labor his chamber was cleared of snow and he was able to build a fire and make his family comparatively comfortable, considering the snow-bound situation.
Another incident of the storm occurred in town. A young man by the name of Jacob Seagrave, the son of a wealthy Rhode Islander, was boarding at the Denison House and on the eve of the beginning of the storm stepped out to visit a Mr. Bisher, who lived but one block away, and in the attempt to return home lost his way. The guests at the Denison House, Mr. Denison himself included, became uneasy about him and sent out a man to look after him. He was reported to have left the house twenty minutes previous. At this hour no man dared to venture out. The Storm King raged fearfully, and the air was completely filled with blinding snow. The house was beaten with sticks of stove wood, and tin pans were ruined in the vain attempt to make a noise above the roaring of the storm, that the lost man might hear it. As a last resort the bed cords were taken from the beds, tied together and a man sent out along the line, a circle was formed holding one end of the cord near the house-but all in vain. All night long was spent in anxious suspense and fearful forebod- ing as to the fate of the lost man. At the break of day the storm having par- tially subsided, Jason Whitinger, a son of the proprietor of the Denison House, discovered a pair of boots peering above the snow down the divide in a south- west direction. Hastening to the spot he shook the boots, the young man awoke. endeavored to rise, but soon found his feet were of no use. He was carried to the house and cared for in the best manner possible. It was soon evident that amputation was necessary, and Mr. Denison in company with Jason Whit- inger set out for Omaha for a surgeon-not by rail, nor yet by horse convey- ance (for the snow was too deep to attempt to go with a wagon or carriage), but by the "old walker line," and was taken almost at the risk of their own lives. Such tasks are seldom undertaken with as much heroism as those men set out on their mission of mercy in order, if possible, to alleviate the sufferings of a fellow-creature. Near two weeks afterward they returned with Major Grant, a retired surgeon. When they arrived at the foot of the hill near town they entered Mr. Swain's house to warm, when it was discovered that their faces were frozen to a whiteness. They were ordered to lie close upon the floor and their faces were plastered with snow to draw out the frost (the rough reception Mr. Swain gave his guests is seldom experienced by the settlers now- a-days). After getting warmed and refreshed they wearily wended their way up the hill and found their patient still alive and in pretty good spirits, con- sidering the circumstances. The sufferer's feet were taken off about the ankle and for a while it seemed doubtful about his recovery ; but he finally got well, returned to his Rhode Island home, and has since been on a visit to the scenes of his sufferings.
Deer abode about town all winter. Mr. Reynolds states that at one time he counted seventy-five of them on the bluffs west of town. Venison was plenty, but owing to the deep snows the deer began to grow quite lean after the first
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of January; but nearly all the families were plentifully supplied while they were yet in good condition for nice steaks. But toward spring the wolves be- came very plenty and hunted down immense herds of deer, as the crust on the snow was hard enough to bear up the wolves, but the deer in jumping would break through and were thus rendered an easy prey.
About the first of February Reynolds and Swain set their little steam mill to grinding wheat. At this time parties were selling flour at nine dollars per hundred pounds. After the mill started flour was obtained for five dollars, gold.
Morris McHenry, so long and favorably known by the citizens of Craw- ford, came to the state of Iowa and landed in Johnson county, but left the state and went to Wisconsin. He returned to Iowa and landed at Council Bluffs April 24, 1856, came to Crawford county May 7th of the same year, hired his board with Grandpa Dobson, worked at odd jobs, explored the county and made himself useful generally; was appointed deputy county surveyor by H. C. Laub, June 10, 1856, and was elected county surveyor at the August election of that year. At this time there had never been a school taught in the county. The citizens of Mason's Grove and vicinity were desirous that Mr. McHenry should teach a school for the children, many of whom were al- ready nearing manhood and womanhood without the advantage of an education. But that so desirable an end might be attained it was necessary that a building be had for this purpose. Accordingly the neighbors turned out, some with axes, some with ox-teams, and cut the logs and dragged them together in a suitable place in the grove and proceeded at once to rear their primitive temple of learning by placing the logs in shape to form a comfortable looking cabin. This done, more skilled workmen were employed as architects and carpenters, consisting of Morris McHenry, foreman, John Dobson, Joseph Dobson and others, assistants. An immense fireplace was cut out at one end of the building and a stick and mud chimney was reared; a crackling fire on a clay hearth formed the basis of comfort, and on the 15th of December, 1856, Morris Mc- Henry was duly installed as teacher of the first school taught in Crawford county. It might be well to remark here that all the work in the building of the school house was voluntary, and after completion the patrons of the school paid their individual subscriptions. We do not now recollect what it amounted to, but it was merely nominal; and perhaps no school since has made such pro- ficiency in their studies as did this one, with slabs for seats and writing desks of slabs made fast to the sides of the house. Mack taught again the next winter with like good results.
Up to the latter part of the year 1856 there had been no public religious services held in the county, and we fear but little religious service in private. To Mr. Morris McHenry we are indebted for the history of the M. E. Church in Crawford county.
At the session of the Upper Iowa Conference in 1856, Carroll, Sac and Crawford counties were set off as mission work, and Rev. William Black ap- pointed preacher. He reached Crawford during the week ending October 18, 1856, and preached his first sermon October 19th, at the house of Rufus Rich- ardson, near the half section corner on the west side of section 8-84-38, in
C. J. HOLLING, ASPINWALL
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
Mason's Grove, and organized a society of seven members-George C. King, Leader ; Emma R. King, Rufus Richardson, Phebe Richardson, O. S. Wight (exhorter), Salatha Wight and Morris McHenry. Soon after J. B. Huckstep and wife also united with the society. The first quarterly meeting of this so- ciety met at Mason's Grove May 30, 1857, Rev. Taylor, presiding elder, and Rev. Black, preacher in charge. The other members present were George C. King, O. S. Wight, R. Richardson, J. B. Huckstep, and M. McHenry. The following officers were elected: Recording steward, M. McHenry; financial stewards, Rufus Richardson, J. B. Huckstep. The salaries of the elder and preacher in charge were $15 and $50, respectively, of which the elder received $6.00 and the preacher in charge $19.75, making total paid $25.75. At the session of Upper Iowa Conference in the fall of 1857, Crawford county was set off as a separate charge, and preaching commenced at Comfort's on the Boyer, at Denison, at the Mason Grove School House, and at Hucksteps, three miles east of the grove. The first Sunday school in the county was organized at the schoolhouse in Mason's Grove June 7, 1857, by the M. E. Church, George C. King, superintendent; Mrs. Todd, Mrs. King and M. McHenry, teachers. The first M. E. Sunday school in Denison was organized by Rev. William Black, April, 1858, Jacob Whitinger, superintendent, M. McHenry, assistant. Teachers, Arthur S. Wright, Harriett Brett, Mrs. W. S. Persons, Mrs. J. W. Ellis and others.
In May, 1856, Dr. Wharton, Esau McKim, and Dr. McWilliams came to the county. Mr. McKim settled in the vicinity of Deloit, Dr. McWilliams bought 160 acres where J. D. Newcome now lives. The Doctor studied medi- cine at Belfast, Ireland, and intended when he settled here to quit practice, but having performed a nice surgical operation in taking out a piece of glass from a young lady's foot, which brought him before the public, he had to practice in spite of himself until other doctors came, and to some extent since. Dr. Wharton remained only a short time and went away.
In the fall of 1856 Robert H. Darling and family arrived from the state of Vermont and settled at Mason's grove. Early in May, 1857, E. S. Plimpton came to Denison and remained till fall, then in company with A. F. Bond took a farm on Big Creek, taught school in the Mason's Grove schoolhouse in the winter of 1858-59, went back to New York City in 1863, and returned again to Denison June 10, 1870, and engaged in the mercantile business, where he has since become well and favorably known to the citizens of all parts of the county. In the latter part of May, 1857, A. F. Bond and J. D. Seagrave ar- rived and made a temporary settlement at Mason's Grove. Mr. Bond remained and assisted Mr. Seagrave in putting in a crop, then went to Denison, and he and E. S. Plimpton worked for George Calkins on the brick yard near where the depot now is. After the brick were burned, Mr. Bond commenced working at his trade-that of bricklayer-and built the first brick chimney in the county and did the first plastering on the Denison House. The same fall Messrs. Wal- lace & Bond built the brick house where Mr. Denison now lives, and late in the season Bond & Plimpton rented the Bowers farm on Big Creek. Here they commenced living, or rather batching, for they were both single men, and con- tinued for near two years, Edward being chief cook and bottle washer. "A Vol. I-4
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little incident occurred," says Mr. Bond, "which served to amuse and entertain us during many long winter evenings. Mr. Plimpton had gone to Council Bluffs to procure our winter's supplies. Myself and Patrick Slattery, a jolly young Irishman, were engaged in building a shelter for our stock, procuring the poles from a small grove situated in a ravine. While employed at this labor my dogs suddenly came upon some wild animal, and such terrific barking and squalling so frightened our Irishman that he started up the hill on a full run, scarcely looking back till he thought he had placed himself out of danger. In going to the assistance of the dogs I found they had the largest coon I ever saw. He was even too much for the two dogs, and I went into the combat with them and after a long time we gained the victory. By this time Pat had recovered from his fright and joined us. We obtained a large amount of oil, using it for making light during the winter evenings. The carcass we used for meat, and by keeping it properly, it lasted us nearly all winter. With a plentiful supply of squashes and potatoes purchased of Mr. Didra and corn meal from Dobson's mill we fared sumptuously. Time passed pleasantly away and we enjoyed ourselves hugely. But notwithstanding our then enjoyment in single blessedness we have long since come to the conclusion that it was not good for man to be alone."
Mr. Bond has long been justice of the peace in Denison, honored and re- spected by all his acquaintances, and by his fidelity and faithfulness has so won upon the confidence of the citizens that when the town of Denison was. incorporated he was chosen mayor by a large majority.
In the spring of 1857 Benjamin Dobson laid off the town of Deloit, Morris McHenry, surveyor. Here the first celebration of our national anniversary in Crawford county was held July 4, 1857. Arrangements were made by build- ing a bowery on the public square. To Mr. Edwin Cadwell we are indebted for particulars, as he kept a memorandum. He says: "I have in my account book the subscriptions and the disbursements of the financial committee. Eli Baer and myself were appointed a committee to solicit subscriptions. My list shows the following names and amounts paid: Joseph Dobson, $1; William Dobson, $1; Eli Baer, $1; E. Cadwell, $1; F. W. Payne, $1; Frank Prentice, $1; Deforest Darling, $1; Benjamin Dobson, $1; George C. King, 50 cents ; James B. King, $1; T. C. Dobson, 20 cents ; Jason Wight, $1; Thomas Dobson, $1; Morris McHenry, $1; Marcus Wight, $1 ; Albro Darling, 20 cents ; amount- ing to $13. With this money we were to buy flour, sugar and other things for the dinner. We bought the following articles as we could find them among the settlers, as there was no store nearer than Council Bluffs. The material for a flag (not silk) cost $1.55; flour, $4.65; sugar, $4.00; gallon of molasses, $1.50; butter and eggs, $1.00; candies, $1.00; part of a sheep, $1.00; amount- ing in all to $14.70. Cash received, $13.90, leaving a balance due the committee of 80 cents, which was responded at the table by the following gentlemen : George C. King, 50 cents; Joseph Skinner, 50 cents; Vincent Cheadle, 50 cents. The material thus collected was taken in charge by several ladies, Mrs. Todd doing most of the cooking, but other ladies in the neighborhood assisted greatly in the preparation of chicken-fixings, pies, cakes, and many other good things -God bless the ladies for the zeal and patriotism displayed. About fifty per-
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sons were present and assisted in raising the flag staff, the first one ever raised on the soil of Crawford county. Reader, could you have seen those hardy sons of toil with heads uncovered, cheering the red, white and blue-why, we were all rich then; our money was all put into our flag and dinner, all on a common level ; no big "I" and little "u" among us; chock full of patriotism and genuine friendship. Rev. Darling was to have delivered an oration, but he failed to put in an appearance. George C. King was chosen president of the day. The table was soon spread and richly laden with the good things of the land. J. D. Seagrave did the honors by asking the divine blessing. H. C. Laub read the Declaration of Independence. Toasts and speeches were in- dulged in and all enjoyed themselves hugely. We would now gladly go many miles to participate in just such another one as free from selfish motives and also as free from alcoholic stimulants.
MR. AND MRS. JOHN DOBSON, DELOIT
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CHAPTER VIII. REMINISCENCES OF THOMAS DOBSON-Continued.
"And oh! what beautiful years were these, When our hearts clung each to each."
Early in May, 1852, the territory embraced within the limits of Crawford county was surveyed off into townships. Up to this time the settlers in this re- gion of country did not know what county they would be embraced in. Benja- min Dobson with part of his family came up about the first of June and com- menced to get out timbers for a saw mill, assisted by Reuben Blake and Frank- line Prentice. This summer we were a little world by ourselves, as during the entire season no others came, not even to visit us. About the middle of Sep- tember three men came up from the vicinity of Council Bluffs on a hunting tour, and stopped for a little time near our house. We endeavored to persuade them to remain with us over night in order to have some converse with them and learn the news, for we had been from May until this date entirely shut off from any communication with the outside world; but they were in haste to reach their hunting grounds and declined our hospitality. We would gladly have kept them, or any others, for we were about eighty miles from Council Bluffs, our nearest postoffice, and our only means of getting to that was with an ox-team, requiring three days to go, camping out by the way, and if we had anything to spend for groceries for ourselves or neighbors it took us a day in the city and then the same number of days to return, making seven in all, it will readily be seen that we could not go down very often. But notwithstanding these drawbacks we en- joyed ourselves to a very great degree. We were all friends, spent our leisure time together visiting at each other's houses, helping each other along with our work. If one neighbor got behind through illness or misfortune, we helped him up without charge. Our dress was plain and simple; quite a number of the men wore buckskin, our wives and daughters wore calico or common muslin colored, or linsey wolsey wove by themselves, but even in this dress neat and clean. But we have not said anything about our bill of fare. This consisted of plenty of good corn bread, plenty of milk and butter, plenty of venison and pork, and all the lines of vegetables, and these last seemed to produce in greater profusion than they have since ; perhaps it was because we bestowed more attention upon them.
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The first twins born in the county were born at Mason's Grove, September 20, 1852-Jesse and David, sons of Jesse and Eliza Mason, both of whom still live at Deloit, and Jesse is now a married man.
Toward the last of September my father having the basement story of his saw mill framed and ready for raising, Mr. Mason shouldered his rifle and went out and killed two fine deer for the occasion. Quite a number of men came up from Galland's Grove, a distance of thirty miles, to help us, spending three days. Among the names recollected and who are still living in the county are Franklin, John and Sidney Rudd. This accomplished the mill business was laid over until spring.
The winter was spent by most of the settlers in hunting. George Johnson, Noah Johnson and Calvin Horr, all young men, had now become quite expert as hunters and trappers under the tutorship of Mr. Mason who has himself killed as many as ninety-four deer in a single season.
In the spring of 1853 Benjamin Dobson brought the balance of his family to Mason's Grove, and at the same time A. R. Hunt came with his family and settled where Mr. Michael Ainsworth now lives. These were about the only additions by settlement during this year. But we had now a surplus of young men and women, and these soon determined to assist in settling up the waste places, and accordingly the proper papers were issued from the office of Will- iam Vanausdall, County Judge of Shelby county, and on the 12th day of Octo- ber, 1853, Elder Thomas Dobson united in marriage Mr. George J. Johnson and Miss Elizabeth Mason, Mr. Noah V. Johnson and Miss Jane Mason and Mr. Calvin Horr and Miss Elizabeth Mowery. These were at that time all the marriageable young people in the county except Cornelius Dunham and his sister Sophronia (Mr. Blake having already gone back to his Green Mountain home in search of his affinity), and they undoubtedly would have been married had there been any mates for them. As evidence of the earnestness of the parties to obey the command to multiply and replenish the earth Noah V. and his wife are the happy parents of thirteen children and the others have been blessed with quite a numerous progeny.
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