USA > Iowa > Des Moines County > History of Des Moines County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 45
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sport of him, telling him 'he would not let any one hurt him,' meaning McCarver. After running the ferry a short time, we sold out to Colonel Redman, from Illinois.
"The first merchants to locate in business at Burlington were William R. Ross, Sullivan Ross and Jerry Smith.
"In the fall of 1834 I was elected the first sheriff of Des Moines County.
"My first arrest was for the murder of a man named Compton, by James Dun- widdy ; my next for the murder of a man named Richardson, by IIenry O'Ham- mel. Richardson had laid a claim above town, and had got several men to help him raise a house, while breaking prairie; after the house was raised, the men with Richardson at their head went to where O'Hammel was breaking prairie, and were following his breaking team with his gun loaded. Upon seeing Rich- ardson and party. O'Hammel knocked the priming out of his gun and put in fresh priming, calling the company to halt. The company stopped, when O'Ham- mel deliberately shot Richardson dead.
"I served two terms as sheriff ; first, under Gov. Stevens T. Mason, of Michi- gan Territory ; second, under Governor Horner. I took the census of Des Moines County in August, 1836, when there were 6,257 souls in it.
"I lived in the county some eight years. Afterwards I moved to Warren County, Iowa, and was not in Des Moines County until now, making an absence of forty years. And now returning to my old tramping ground, what do I see? All is changed. I go down to the old ferry I used to run, and find in its stead a wonderful structure of iron, a bridge instead of a ferry. I view the surround- ing country near by, and it is built up solid with stone and brick blocks. I can hardly realize that forty years can work such miracles. I inquire for my old friends and comrades, and I find that nearly all are gone; those I do find are changed ; in place of the dark locks, they are gray.
"It gives me pleasure to renew old friendships and revive old recollections at this celebration. I am more than ever impressed with the glories of our great State of Iowa, and hope you will ever keep the early settlement of Des Moines County green in your memories."
EXERCISES AT THE NORTHI STAND Thomas Hedge, Jr., Presiding
REMARKS OF THOMAS HEDGE, JR., ESQ.
"Fellow Citizens of Iowa: We devote this day to the pleasures of memory. We are here to repeat and to hand down the story of a beginning, to look up the first landmarks, to trace the original foundation of our state, and to revive the fame of the first settlers, the planters of our prosperity, the road-makers of our progress. Our happy experience proves the truth of the saying, 'Happy is that people whose annals are tiresome,' for there was nothing eventful or romantic in our origin. It was not a Norman conquest, or a landing of the Pilgrims.
"'Not as the conqueror comes, they the true hearted came ;
Not with the roll of the stirring drums, and the trumpet that sings of fame.'
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"They did not come in search of civil or religious liberty. That they had to their full desire already. They came as come Americans, to gain a living, to establish homes, carrying the axe, the hoe, and the rifle. They were for the most part men and women of faith, of energy, of thrift and common sense, and must have been endowed with foresight and largeness of view to have given so happy direction to our development. The result we are so proud of today, and so grate- ful for, cannot be attributed to accident. An early and constant exercise of wis- dom and the homely virtues has changed the illimitable waste of fifty years ago to this blooming garden we call 'lowa.' Right notions of living, clear conceptions of private and of civil duty have filled our state with prosperous and peaceful homes, and have so multiplied the common schools that the boy of ten years who cannot read for himself his 'Robinson Crusoe' is harder to be found here than in any equal area of Christendom.
"But it is no part of the plan or purpose of this celebration that the sons and daughters of the pioneers should be detained with remarks from me. Their heirs and successors desire to hear the voices, and look upon the venerable faces of those who still remain, and listen to their reminiscences of the early days. We hope that they will not confine themselves to stories of successes and triumphs in the wilderness; the result suggests and proves such things; but that they will also tell of those failures, blunders and mistakes which our exceedingly human nature leads us to believe and hope they made. And if they had any interesting sinners among them who came here in search of that moral freedom which the prejudices of older society denied them in the balliwicks they left behind them, we beg that their names may be rescued for at least a moment from their comfort- able oblivion.
"We later inen of common sort may thus today be encouraged in our belief that by the proper performance of our common duties, under that beneficent Providence which has given us this goodly heritage, and caused the sun to shine so constantly upon it from that first June day when the whites came in and pos- sessed it, we shall preserve it for our children and their children a land a sun- shine, prosperity and peace."
ADDRESS OF EDWIN MANNING, OF KEOSAUQUA
"Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of Burlington : I am before you today to represent in part the early history of the Des Moines Valley. I trust you will pardon any errors you may discover, and accept my brief remarks as the best my memory serves me.
"In January, 1837, myself and Captain Hall sojourned a few days in this handsome valley. The 'Half Breed Tract' was at that time an attractive point. The old chief, Black Hawk, and his family were then living a few miles below Fort Madison. We gave them a pleasant call, and were treated kindly. Our stay in the valley was short. I made a small investment in 'Half Breed Tract' and left.
"The outlook was encouraging, and I returned and attended the first land sale at Burlington in November, 1838. Here were assembled the early pioneers of Iowa to secure the titles to their homes. It was a grand and noble assemblage of the hardy men who had located in the Black Hawk Purchase, and a new and
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interesting scene to me to witness the harmonious, social, goodly feeling on that occasion. General Dodge and General Van Antwerp officiated in the land office, and sold the lands to the actual settlers. The bulk of the sales was stricken off to Doctor Barrett, Sterling and Benedict, who were the money kings of that period. The settlers paid from 25 to 50 per cent to secure their homes. It seemed opportune for both settler and capitalist to meet and arrange terms so pleasantly. It demonstrated that capital and labor were friendly elements, and could work together. This period was practically the starting point for perma- nent homes in Iowa. The Des Moines Valley was held to be the 'Egypt' of Southern Iowa, for here the corn never failed to grow.
"In the spring of 1841 the roads were new and heavy and transportation was high from Keokuk to Fort Des Moines. I was in St. Louis and the quartermaster gave me a contract to deliver supplies for the post at Fort Des Moines. This I did by chartering a steamer and delivering by water navigation. Arriving at Fort Des Moines safely, Captain Allen, who was in command of the port, bestowed the hospitalities of his quarters upon me and sent a carrier to the chiefs and head men of the nation to come in and accept a free ride upon the steamer. This they did. After which they treated us in return to a fine Indian dance, with war- whoops and the usual antics of some three hundred warriors and best men of the nation. This was near the close of the red men's career in their native homes in Iowa.
"The next advance movement was in 1843. At this date the 'New Purchase' attracted large settlements, and in a short space of time the best portions of the valley were occupied by actual settlers. They conceived a great value in the Des Moines River water power, and induced the Legislature to grant privileges for dams and locks. A few were made but proved of temporary value.
"The next decade brought the river improvement. In this enterprise great credit was properly given to General Dodge, then in Congress, whose deserved popularity was a strong element in obtaining this valuable grant of lands to improve navigation and create water powers. It was a grand boom for the valley for a short time ; but the volume of water was found too great to warrant and justify the improvement, though similar improvements prior to this date had been successful in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky, and were a precedent for us, a guide. After a fair trial it proved to be behind the age, and not suited to the wants of the valley.
"In 1841, the productions of the valley had become sufficient to require navi- gation of the Des Moines River. Prior to this date, flats were the only mode of transit to market, owing to the dam obstructions. As I had inaugurated navi- gation and 'run' the first flatboat, laden with pork, and sunk it twice, and made money by so doing, it was my province to reopen navigation in the spring of 1851. Giving the mill-owners due notice of my intention, I proceeded to St. Louis and chartered the Jenny Lind steamer and barge, to 're-sure' from St. Louis to Des Moines. The high water of that year contributed to iny success, and we reached Farmington in accordance with my previous notice. The citizens were surprised at the first sound of the steam whistle for many years. The only difficulty here was the dilapidated lock-gates, which I caused to be pulled out and sent adrift. This done, the great scarecrow to navigation was overcome, and the river once more free for commerce and trade. This little expedition was matured in my
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own mind, probably the outgrowth of my early experience in first navigating the river. The old settlers will never forget the gala days that followed the opening of navigation in 1851. My first trip rewarded me with a thousand, which justified my insurance and evidenced the value of navigation, and the merchants were not slow to see it.
"The next advance movement was the Valley Railroad. The iron horse, steam and rail, soon superseded slack water. The best men in that enterprise saw its failure, and petitioned a transfer of the balance of the grant to the Valley Rail- road, which bid fair to be the peer of the C., B. & Q., in all'respects ; but failing in subsidies equal to the latter, it could not maintain equal progress. One other fatal error in its policy was to ignore western branches. Had it adopted a branch through the southern tier of counties, where the people were clamorous to give their swamp lands to aid it, today Keokuk would have been the peer of any city in the state. Failing to do this she must acknowledge that 'Flint Hills' has blos- somed a Burlington that truthfully may be said is the 'Hub' city in Eastern Iowa; her industries of various kinds, her commerce and her railroad facilities reaching through the state, give her unexcelled advantages in the great traffic of the age. In all this the C., B. & Q. Railroad with her ample subsidies has been one of the strongest elements to aid Burlington in her progress to the high rank she takes among Iowa cities.
"But there is another and more valued retrospective view to be taken that overshadows all others; and that is to recall the memorable names which are interwoven and inseparable in Burlington's prosperity and greatness. Most prominent in my memory whom I am pleased to name are James W. Grimes, Judge Mason, General Dodge, Wm. Salter, Judge Hall, H. W. Starr, Coolbaugh, Governor Gear, Lyman Cook, E. D. Rand, Browning, Warren, Judge Rorer, A. G. Adams, and many others. Their names will be remembered and go down to posterity for their virtue and integrity of character, that not only illuminates Orchard City, but the state at large enjoys the heritage of these good men's acts. With these remarks I close."
REV. W. F. COWLES, OF BURLINGTON,
The founder of the Division Street M. E. Church, remarked that it was a snap judgment to ask him to come upon the stand and speak without preparation, and then limit him to five minutes, when it took fifteen to start, and twenty to stop. The men of fifty years ago had no idea that we would have today a population of nearly two millions. The preachers were foremost in helping to make Iowa what it is. We need politicians, but must have the preachers to tell them when they are going wrong. Iowa leads in everything, even the largest republican majori- ties. I am glad my children were born in Iowa, although I am a native of New York. They need never be ashamed of Iowa as she had better schools, teachers, churches and preachers than any state in the Union. Dr. Vernon, the standard bearer in old Rome, is a native of Henry County, Iowa.
Henry Moore was introduced as the patriarch of Burlington, a mayor of the city, 1842-3, a pioneer of April, 1834, a continuous resident from that time. Vol. I-25
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REMARKS OF HENRY MOORE, ESQ.
"Ladies and Gentlemen : Called on to say something concerning my first settlement in Burlington, I respond with pleasure, and will mention, certainly in no spirit of boasting, that I came in April, 1834, and found but two families residing here, and they were living in what were called 'claim cabins.'
"As I was a carpenter, I assisted in the erection of the first frame building in this city ; and anxious to promote our ferry interests, I also aided, in July or August of 1834, in laying off and marking out a road through the bottom on the opposite side of the Mississippi, an important improvement at that day.
"The work we accomplished by hitching two yoke of oxen to a log and haul- ing it across the bottom, and by blazing trees so as to make a trail to intersect the road leading from Rock Island to 'Montebello,' below Nauvoo, on the rapids. It is now a dead town, but was then the county seat of Hancock County.
"I resided here before either the city or county was organized, and in my humble way assisted in the work of both.
"I mentioned in some remarks that I made two years ago at the 'old settlers' meeting, in Fort Madison, that I also assisted to build the first framed building in that town. I brought to Madison and Burlington, I am sure, the first complete set or box of carpenter's tools ever used in either of these cities, and I have generally kept them bright.
"In common with all who came when I did, I have witnessed with pride and gratification the marvelous growth of our city and state, and I hope they may continue to grow and prosper."
CHAPTER XXIII
POLITICS AND POLITICIANS
From the earliest territorial times, Des Moines County had its full share of politicians ; men who were willing to spend their time and money for. their party's success. There was no time when they did not say, "Now is the time for all good men to stand by their party." They fought their battles with unflinch- ing bravery, and believed that to the victor belonged the spoils; but when the fight was over, the vanquished gracefully submitted to the voice of the majority and began to get ready for the next fray. Before 1844, when was framed the first state constitution, which was rejected because of the mutilation of the boun- daries of the state therein defined, the contest between the two dominant parties (democratic and whig) was more of a skirmish for the offices to be doled out as Federal patronage.
When Iowa Territory made application to become a state under an organic law, with definite and prescribed duties and powers which affected the material interests of the people, then the real battle commenced. The first constitution which was rejected, as well as the one subsequently adopted, inhibited the estab- lishment of banking institutions. This inhibition aroused the fury of the whigs. There were at this time two weekly newspapers published in Burlington; one the Iowa Territorial Gazette, which advocated the policies of the democratic party; the other, the Burlington Hawkeye, controlled by Edwards and Broad- well, was for the whigs. The former was edited by James C. Clarke, one of the oldest journalists of the times ; the other by Mr. G. W. Edwards, who had but few, if any, his equal in the West. Both spoke plainly and had few, if any, apologies for what they said. Iowa Territory at this time had twenty-one organ- ized counties, with an aggregate population of 74,150, as shown by the census of 1844. Des Moines County was the second county in population, having 9,109; Lee County was first, having a population of 9,830. Then came Van Buren, with 9,019. The counties in the southern part of the proposed new state had by far the greatest population, and it was here the Gazette and Hawkeye had their greatest circulation. Mr. Edwards of the Hawkeye at first made but few com- ments on the new constitution, and those made were about the provision for- bidding the establishing of banks. He seemed willing to pass this by. He knew the territory was democratic and that party had a large majority of the delegates which framed the constitution ; that it was useless to attempt to defeat its ratifi- cation because it prohibited the establishment of banks, and instead of making a front attack on account of its provision in reference to banks, he made a flank movement, an attack, because Dodge, the delegate in Congress, permitted a dem- ocratic Congress to mutilate the state boundaries. He wanted Dodge's scalp.
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He knew many democrats were mad because of the restriction of the boundaries of the state ; that while this was the case, many of them, because of their hunger for office would swallow their wrath and work for the ratification of the con- stitution, while there were others who under no circumstances would stand for the restriction of the boundaries of the state. Mr. Edwards clearly saw his opportunity had come and was quick to take advantage of it.
Dodge, the leader of the democratic forces, while he opposed what Congress had done, and had used cvery effort to prevent what had been done, advised his constituents to accept its work. Frederick D. Mills, Shepherd Leffler and James W. Woods, all democrats of Des Moines County, and Theodore S. Parvin of Muscatine County, openly opposed the ratification of the constitution solely on the ground of the restriction of the boundaries of the state. The Territorial Gazette of November 14, 1844, contains the following: "The mandate has gone forth. The archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all Iowa, has promulgated the ordinance. Editors of journals put your quills behind your ears. The Iowa Star Chamber has given us our rule of legislation ; let all the people say amen. Thus speaks the Hawkeye in reference to the prediction made by us in the last Gazette that a majority of the people, when the time comes for voting on the constitution, would affirm it. That prediction, the intelligent reader must have known, was not made at haphazard, or without due reflection." The above was written before Congress had acted in the matter. On March 1, 1845, immediately after Congress had made the change in reference to the state boundary, the Gazette in an editorial headed, "Mutilation of Our State Boundaries," says: "Our citizens cannot, and must not-will not accept those boundaries. To do so would be madness, and worse than madness," etc. On the same page in another article, under caption, "Our Constitution, Action of Congress, What We Can and Should Do," says: "The friends of the constitution should not despair. All is not lost. The constitution may be ratified by the people without adopting the boundaries prescribed by Congress, etc. Notwithstanding our boundaries are terribly mutilated, notwithstanding we are despoiled of at least one-third of our territory as laid down in the constitution, still the decision is not final even if it should pass the Senate, for it still remains with us to reject the boundaries, and this, too. without rejecting the constitution." March 8, 1845, under the heading, "The Wolf Is on Ilis Walk, Let Democrats Beware," the Territorial Gazette says: "There is a concerted effort among some leaders to create a breach in the democratic ranks by confusing the public mind in relation to the amend- ments to the constitution and to destroy the popularity of our delegates by cir- culating any species of falsehood in relation to his action upon the subject of the boundaries, etc. We would warn the democracy to be on their guard. Let them watch with Argus eyes any movement of the enemy, etc. Let no friend of the constitution be caught in the toils, etc. The singularly blinding and un- fortunate action of Congress, the many phases which the amendments have at one time and another made to assume, have thus far favored the purpose of the whigs who seek to destroy our constitution."
The vote in Des Moines County :
For constitution
483 votes
Against constitution 941 votes
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY
The constitution was rejected by a majority of 996 votes on account of which the Missouri River was in 1846 made the western boundary of the state. Few, if any, editors favoring the policies of the democratic party possessed the ability of James Clarke, editor of the Territorial Gazette, published in Burling- ton, of which the Burlington Gazette is successor. On the other hand Mr. Edwards, editor of the Hawkeye, known as "Old Hawk," was fully in every respect Clarke's equal. The zeal with which cach espoused the cause of his party is seldom found in journalism. In 1845 Mr. Clarke was appointed governor of Iowa Territory, which position he held until Iowa was admitted into the Union. The constitution of 1846 prohibited the establishment of banking institutions in the state. This provision the whigs constantly combatted. The state was made the dumping ground, as it were, of all the bad rag money from all sections of the country. The whigs used this as a club with which to beat down all oppo- sition, claiming if lowa would permit the establishment of banks under proper safeguards it would drive out all the "red-dog rag money" coming from the outside.
The result was the whigs in the end gained their point, so that the obnoxious provision was left out in the constitution of 1857. This constitution made pro- visions concerning "general banking laws" under certain restrictions, in accord- ance with which the State Bank of lowa was established, and at a time to be of immense value to the people of the state. The state banks for which provision was made under this law were perfectly sound, always paying the depositor in specie when demanded as well as redeeming their currency. Being put to the test at a time which tried banking institutions, those banks stood the test, from which it can be said that no better system of state banks could have been devised.
Under this law a branch of the State Bank of lowa was located in Burlington. In January, 1854, James W. Grimes of Burlington, was nominated by a con- vention of whigs for governor. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, was born in Deering, N. H., on the 20th of October, 1816. Matriculated at Dartmouth College in August, 1832, when sixteen years of age. Landed at Burling- ton, Wis. Terr., May 15, 1836, and at once commenced the practice of law. Was secretary of the commission which in September, 1836, held a council with the Sac and Fox Indians at Davenport, Iowa. This was the man whom the whigs in 1854 nominated for governor to make the battle with Mr. Curtis Bates, his opponent on the part of the democrats. Stephen A. Douglas had thrown a firebrand when he introduced into the Senate the provision for the repeal of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, when it was proposed to organize Kansas as a territory of the Union. Douglas was a courageous man, and by this act hoped to gain the confidence and support of the democratic party South, and believing his party North would stand firm for him, he would be the democratic nominee for the presidency. Conditions had been brought about in the progress of events, so as to create an epoch in the history of the republic. For some time before this, the flame of zeal in national politics had ceased to mount upward, and what of heat that existed came as it were from a pile of coals covered with ashes. Mr. Grimes entered into the contest for the governorship, forcing the issue on his opponent on two points, one state, the other national. Mr. Grimes went into the fight with all the enthusiasm and ferocity of an Ajax. He well knew the chance of success was against him, and to succeed required tact, hard work, and an appeal for
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justice and righteousness. The whig party was becoming disintegrated; divided into two factions, one called the "silver grays," who wanted the party to have nothing to do with slavery, the other, followers of William II. Seward, a pro- nounced free soiler. The democratic party to a certain extent was divided on the subject of slavery ; the "hunckers," who favored it, and the "free soilers," who opposed it. Some of Mr. Grimes' warmest friends, men who had always sup- ported him, belonged to the "silver grays," among them his fellow townsman M. D. Browning, who would not follow him in the course which he had taken, believing it would result in the breaking up of the whig party. Mr. Browning and many others, who were strong men, were natives of Kentucky, Maryland, and other slave holding states, and could not rid themselves of their inherited notions. This class of men finally drifted into the democratic party. The aboli- tionists in the state in the presidential election in November, 1852, had cast for John P. Hale 1,606 votes. This vote indicated a factor which must be considered in the election of 1854. The whig platform condemned the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and the attempt to legislate slavery into what that compromise had devoted to freedom; adopted a resolution favoring an amendment to the con- stitution so as to permit the establishment of banks. It also adopted a resolution favoring a law prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. The democrats in their convention nominated Curtis Bates for governor, and passed a resolution indorsing the policy and administration of Franklin Pierce. Having refused to adopt a resolution for an amendment to the constitution, so as to permit the establishment of banks, was to proclaim they were against their estab- lishment, which the constitution prohibited. Mr. Grimes from the first realized that his success depended largely upon the support of the John P. Hale voters of 1852. With his friends he had a private conference with the leaders of this party. They knew his views on the slavery question, knew the man, and believed they could trust him. After this conference they withdrew their ticket and agreed to support Mr. Grimes. Among the first things he did was to issue an address :
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