USA > Iowa > Dickinson County > History of Dickinson County, Iowa, together with an account of the Spirit Lake massacre, and the Indian troubles on the northwestern frontier > Part 12
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The impression has gone abroad and is pretty generally be- lieved that Doctor Prescott took possession of the Gardner place without making any settlement therefor. This is a mis- take. It will be remembered that Eliza Gardner was at Springfield at the time of the massacre, and, that in company with the other refugees there, went down to Fort Dodge with the return to that place of Major Williams' command, and was in Fort Dodge when Doctor Prescott came back from his first trip to the lakes. William Wilson, who had spent a por- tion of the winter at the lakes and who afterwards married Miss Eliza Gardner, was with the burial party acting as guide. It was through him and Thatcher that the victims of the mas- sacre were identified. The burial party, which was the last of Major Williams' command to report at Fort Dodge, arrived a few days before Prescott and his party.
Wilson and Eliza Gardner were married the day following . their arrival in Fort Dodge. Immediately upon Prescott's return, they sought him out and proposed selling out their claims to him, as they had no intention of returning to the lakes. The land being as yet unsurveyed, the boun-
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daries were indefinite. Gardner's claim was along the shore of West Okoboji Lake, to the south and west of the Gardner cabin. Next came his son-in-law, Harvey Luce, whose claim adjoined Gardner's on the east. Luce had rolled up the body of a log house but had not finished it. East of that was Wil- son's claim, which embraced the site of Arnold Park and the land east of it. These were the claims that Wilson and his wife proposed to sell to Prescott. They made a proposition to him which he accepted, paving them down in gold the amount of eleven hundred ($1,100) dollars. In the arrange- ment they were to settle with Abbie (Mrs. Sharp) if she ever returned. She was then a prisoner with the Indians. When she was there the following season, he made another settlement with her, though not so liberal a one as he had formerly made with the Wilsons, upon her representation that she had received no part of the money paid to 'Wilson and his wife for the claim.
Some of Joel Howe's heirs came as far as Fort Dodge on their way to the lakes to look up Mr. Howe's matters, but upon meeting Prescott proposed to sell to him. He accepted their terms, paying them down a good round sum .. He also purchased Thatcher's claim of him, paying liberally for it. In every instance the parties expressed themselves as well pleased with the amounts they received and with the manner in which they were treated.
So far as the Harriott claim is concerned, Harriott had made no improvement whatever. He had not resided on the claim at all, neither had he done any of the acts which were even then considered necessary to give validity to a claim on the public land. He simply expressed his intention of doing so at some future period, yet his claim was respected for a year. His father was here the summer following the massacre, but made no attempt to either secure or dispose of it, and it lay vacant until the following year. The Granger place was also
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unoccupied for about a year. The impression that the early settlers took possession of the homes of the victims of the mas- saere, without compensation to those rightfully entitled to re- ceive it, is an erroneous one, and it is only justice to them that it be corrected. So far as Prescott's operations were con- corned, his wrong consisted not in wrongfully getting posses- sion of the claims, but in attempting to hold four or five when the law allowed him to defend his possession to but one.
Mention has heretofore been made of a party from Red Wing, Minnesota, consisting of the Granger brothers, Harriott and Snyder, who occupied a cabin on a point a little northeast of the Okoboji bridge. All of this party were killed by the Indians excepting William Granger, or "Bill" Granger, as he was for years known along the border. For some time pro- vious to the massacre it was more than intimated that a band of horse thieves and counterfeiters had their headquarters somewhere in the northwest and the Grangers were to some extent connected with it. It was reported that counterfeit money had been put into circulation at different times which had been traced back to them and other little irregularities and crookednesses were attributed to them. Whatever proof there ever was in existence to substantiate these charges is not now known, but it is true that such charges were outspoken among the settlers all along the Des Moines River.
Granger made up a small party at Red Wing and started from there about the same time that the others started from Fort Dodge, and arrived at the lakes about two days later. Hle assumed to represent the heirs of the different parties who had been killed by the Indians, and with great flourish and bravado he forbade the settling upon or occupying any parcel or tract of land that had been settled upon previous to the massaere, and even went so far as to make his boast of the number of blankets he had put under the sod, and to intimate
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that unless those who were there left at once, they would be disposed of in the same summary manner. But he soon found out that he had misjudged his men, and that while they made no exhibitions of bravado or braggadocio, they were not at all inclined to pay any attention to his absurd pretensions.
It will be noticed that Granger's claim, which is now known as Smith's Point, and Harriott's, which is now known as Dixon's Beach, were respected and were not disturbed until a year after this time, which was after Granger had abandoned all attempts to maintain his footing there.
It has been before stated that Prescott's project was the es- tablishment of an institution of learning. His plan was to secure as desirable a location as possible, lay out a town, and then secure the most desirable tracts of land adjoining and hold them as a permanent endowment for the institution. For that purpose he selected as a site for his town the tract upon the east side of East Okoboji Lake, now known as Tus- culum Grove. As before stated, he bought the claim of Mr. Thatcher and settled with the heirs of Mr. Howe in order that there might be no conflicting claims. He then proceeded to lay out his town, which he named Tusculum, after the coun- try residence of the great Roman orator. That he had under- taken more than he could accomplish soon became evident, but the failure of his scheme will be noted further on.
The plan of Howe, Wheelock and Parmenter was to hit upon some locality most likely to become the county seat and center of business for the county, and lay out a town which was to be owned in common, and then take the land adjoining as their individual claims. For this purpose they made the selection of the site where the town of Spirit Lake now stands, and took their claims adjoining. The parties known as the original proprietors of Spirit Lake City, as it was then called, were O. C. Howe, B. F. Parmenter, R. U. Wheelock
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and George E. Spencer. Dr. J. S. Prescott afterwards bought an undivided one-fifth interest in it, giving one thousand dol- lars for it. The county seat was located there in 1858, James Iliekey of Palo Alto County, C. C. Smeltzer of Clay County and S. W. Foreman of O'Brien County acting as commission- ers. It is understood that the proceedings of that commission are lost and that no minutes of their action have been pre- served.
The others who came in at the same time scattered around upon their claims in different localities about the groves and lakes. It is impossible here to give anything like a connected account of all of the different transactions that transpired at the time, but simply to give a passing notice of the most important incidents and those that had the most to do in shaping the course of future events. Other persons came in at different times during the spring and sum- mer of 1857. Henry Barkman with a small party from New- ton came in some time in June. A party from Sparta, Wis- consin, consisting of Rosalvo Kingman, William Carsley, J. D. Hawkins and G. W. Rogers, put in an appearance on the fourth of July. Jareb Palmer was another of the settlers of that summer. He had previously determined to settle on the Des Moines, but for some reason changed his mind. He was at the house of Mr. Thomas at the time of the attack on Springfield, and rendered valuable assistance in the defense of that place. He was with the refugees when they started down the river, but on meeting Major Williams' forces joined them for the balance of the expedition. From this time on different parties continued to arrive, most of whom were on exploring expeditions, with occasionally one for settlement, but they cannot be noticed in detail.
The fact of the land being unsurveyed and the boundaries of the different claims being but imperfectly defined, there
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was at different times considerable trouble in regard to con- flicting claims. It has been the lot of all new countries to have more or less claim quarrels, and while those of this locality were not as sanguinary as many that have transpired in other places, it was by no means free from them, but they were not carried to the extent this season that they were afterwards. They were confined mostly to Granger's attempt to enforce re- spect for his bogus pretensions that he was acting as agent or representative of the heirs of the victims of the massacre. Finding his authority disregarded and his pretensions un- heeded, he, as a last resort, endeavored to frighten the inhabi- tants away by reporting that the Indians were about to make another raid on the settlement. Failing in this, he and his party gathered up their effects and left. While the settlers were somewhat apprehensive of danger from the Indians and were on the alert as much as possible to guard against sur- prise, yet they were too much in earnest to be frightened away without good cause. Reports of Indians hovering along the border were occasionally put into circulation, but there were no depredations or outbreaks during the summer.
One of the results of these periodical Indian scares was the building of the old fort at Spirit Lake, which, as one of the oldest landmarks, deserves a passing notice. The town site as selected before the United States survey was made, was nearly half a mile north of its present location. After the site had been decided upon, a building was erected which was intended to be a kind of general headquarters, all contribut- ing towards its erection. It was a log building about 24x30 feet with a shake roof and puncheon floor and doors. Not a foot of lumber was used in its construction. Around the out- side of the building, at a distance of from six to ten feet, a stockade was erceted, which was formed of logs cut ten feet long and about eight inches in thickness. These were set on
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end in a trench from two and a half to three feet deep. A well was dug inside of the stockade. This building was erected in June and July, 1857, and stood there about two years, when it was torn down and the hotel then known as the Lake View House was erected on or near the same spot. During its short existence it had rather an eventful history and will be referred to again.
As would be natural under the circumstances, the settlers scattered around the lakes in different localities and had two or three places as their general rendezvous, or headquarters. The largest number gathered at Spirit Lake, and several small cabins were built in the immediate vicinity of the old fort. It was the intention, in case of an outbreak or attack by the Indians, for all parties to gather at the fort and make such defense as they were able. A second party, including W. B. Brown, C. F. Hill, William Lamont and one or two others, had their headquarters in Center Grove. A third, consisting of Prescott and his hired men, was at Okoboji, at the old "Gardner Place."
The first religious services in the county were held at the Gardner place, on Sunday, May 11, 1857, and conducted by Rev. J. S. Prescott, and deserve more than a passing mention. As has been heretofore mentioned, Prescott was a speaker of extraordinary ability and one to whom it was a pleasure to listen, no matter what a person's partienlar religious ideas might be. But that fact was not known then. It became pat- ent later on. On the evening preceding that Sunday morning, word was sent around to the different cabins that there would be religious services at the Gardner place, the following day. Accordingly at the appointed hour the crowd assembled to the number of from fifteen to twenty. It was a unique sight, especially to those who had just come from the East, to see those rough looking, hardy pioneers on their way to church, come
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filing along, either singly or in parties of two or three, dressed in their red shirts, without coats or vests and with their rifles in their hands, their ammunition slung from their shoulders, and leather belts about their waists, from most of which dan- gled revolvers. Singular as such a spectacle would be at the present time, it was strictly in keeping with the surroundings of that occasion. As the parties arrived they disposed of their arms by standing them in the most convenient corner and then arranged themselves about the room on stools and benches or any thing else that would do duty as a seat. The parties were mostly strangers to each other at that time, and whether they were about to listen to the wild harangues of a pro- fessional "Bible whanger," as a certain type of frontier preach- ers were then designated, or to be treated to' an interesting and intelligent discourse on some live topic, they did not know, nor did they much care. It was a change, and the nov- elty was enough to bring them out. Promptly at the appointed hour the exercises were opened by Prescott reading the hymn,
"A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify A never dying soul to save And fit it for the sky."
Wheelock led the singing, assisted by C. F. Hill and Law- rence Furber. Next was prayer by Doctor Prescott. And such a prayer. After the dangers, hardships and privations that little party had endured for the last month, it cer- tainly was a spiritual and intellectual treat not soon to be for- gotten. IIe made a fervent appeal that the divine blessing be vouchsafed there and then on this first attempt to establish and foster the growth of a true and genuine religious senti- ment, that should broaden and deepen as the settlement that was then being founded should grow older and stronger.
After prayer a second hymn was sung, and then the text announced; "Be strong and show thyself a man." The sermon
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was one long to be remembered by every one who heard it. It was a plain, simple and direct appeal to every one present to realize the position which he at that moment occupied. They were reminded of the importance of asserting there and then the principles and practices which should govern them in the future. They were reminded that "like seeks like" in emi- gration as in other things, and that in the moral, intellectual and religious tone of the society which they then inaugurated they would see the counterpart of the emigration they would attract. If the first settlers adopted a high plane of moral and intellectual development, the emigration that would fol- low would be of the same high character. On the other hand, if the standard were made low, it would be the low and de- praved class that would be attracted by it. In conclusion he appealed to all present to use their best endeavors to build up in this frontier country such moral and social conditions as they would wish to have their names associated with by future generations. The entire discourse was delivered in that plain, simple, and yet dignified and scholarly manner that al- ways commands respect and admiration. After the close of the services the parties all filed out as they came, and it is not recorded whether any luckless ducks or chickens fell vic- tims to their marksmanship on their return to their cabins, but considering the scarcity of provisions at that time, such a violation of the Sabbath would have been deemed excusable if not justifiable .:
The manner and style of living in those early days was decidedly primitive. If a person now wishes to ascertain how few of the comforts of life are really necessary and how many of them can be dispensed with, he can gain a vast amount of such instruction by a few years of pioneering. Perhaps it would not be out of place to give in this connection some kind of an idea of the manner of living here in those carly times.
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"Keeping bach," as it was termed by the boys, is particularly and peculiarly a pioneer institution. Men don't know what they can do until they are tested. They don't know their own capacities or capabilities until circumstances bring them out. Now it will be remembered that there were no women in the settlement, and most of the men were of that class who give the least attention to household affairs, many of them hailing direct from stores and offices, and of the class usually desig- nated by the phrase "fine haired," and while possessed of a goodly share of intelligence and general information, were wholly ignorant of the mysteries connected with the art of keeping shirts and pants in repair and converting bacon and flour into edibles. Could all of the ludicrous incidents and ridiculous experiences of those times be properly written up they would, by no means, form an uninteresting chapter.
The settlers, a majority of whom were young men, were scattered in their little cabins in the neighborhood of the sey- eral groves where they commenced, for the first time, the solu- tion of the great problem of what it takes to make up the measure of human happiness. There was nothing very pecu- liar about the cabins themselves. In short they could not very well have been much different from what they were without being peculiar. They were usually small and low and covered with either shakes or sods. A board and shingle roof was an extravagance not to be thought of. The door and window, or more commonly a half window, were set in one side, while a large stone fireplace was at the end, with a chimney made of clay and sticks up the outside. But it is in the internal ar- rangement and fixtures that the greater peculiarities are no- ticeable.
In one corner stands the bunk, which is one, two or three tiers high, according to the number that are expected to occupy it. These bunks, which were filled with prairie hay and cov-
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ered with a few blankets thrown over them, composed the sleeping accommodations. A shelf running along the back wall of the cabin and resting upon several huge pins is indespens- able in every well regulated establishment. Its contents are worthy a moment's notice. First, and in the most convenient place, is a pipe and tobacco, next a copy of Shakespeare, then a Bible and a pack of cards lie as peacefully together as mem- bers of Barnum's "Happy Family," while Scott's poems, War- erly novels, "Pilgrim's Progress" and Davies' Mathematics swell the list.
Mixed up among the literary treasures are boxes of ammu- nition, fishing tackle and, as the Yankee peddlers say, "other articles too numerous to mention," while scattered about in curious confusion are various articles of household use, which usually consisted of a sheet iron coffee pot, a frying pan, or skillet, as the boys usually called it, a few in; tin plates and cups, and possibly the luxury of knives and forks.
The mystery of bread making was usually a stumper, or, as Barnum, in his molasses candy experience, expresses it, the rock on which they split, and many and varied were the ri- diculous experiences of the pioneer's first bread making. Wash- ing was another obstacle that required all of their patience and philosophy to overcome.
CHAPTER XIV.
NAMING THE LAKES-ORGANIZING THE COUNTY -IIILL'S TRIP TO SIOUX CITY TO OBTAIN THE OR- DER FOR THE ELECTION-THE ELECTION HELD- OFFICERS ELECTED-CARRYING IN THE RETURNS -THE BOOM-THE PANNIC-ITS EFFECT ON THE SETTLEMENT-THIE FIRST SAWMILL-TITE FIRST FAMILY, AFTER THIE MASSACRE-PETERS AND THE OLD RED MILL-THE GENERAL ELECTION-THE FIRST PARTY OF MINNESOTA INDIANS TO VENTURE INTO THE STATE AFTER THE MASSACRE-TROUBLE ON THE LITTLE SIOUX-TROOPS ASKED FOR-THE LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZES THE RAISING OF A COM- PANY.
MPORTANT among the first acts of the settlers was the naming of the different lakes, or rather familiarizing themselves with the names they had already received. Spirit Lake had been known by the Indians as Minnie Wankon, and by the French as Lac d'Esprit. Professor Mc- Bride, in his report of the geological survey of the county, unearths a somewhat amusing instance of the comical results of attempting to apply English orthography to French words. He says: "The redoubtable Clarke in his notes relates how 'The Ceuoux River passes through Lake Despree.' If this matter had not been corrected by the French interpreter, in all probability Spirit Lake would have gone on to the maps as Lake Depree, and by this time local archeologists would have been puzzling their brains in a vain attempt to ascertain and explain its origin and meaning. Granger and his party made
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an attempt to have it called Green Lake, but it did not succeed."
East Okoboji Lake was called by the Dacotahs "Okoboozhy," and West Okoboji "Minnietonka," signifying Big Water. Minnietonka was and is the name of a somewhat celebrated lake in Minnesota, and to avoid confusion the Towa Minnie- tonka was abandoned and West Okoboji adopted instead. Granger made an attempt to name West Okoboji "Lake Har- riott," in honor of Doctor Harriott. and East Okoboji, "Rice Lake," in honor of Senator Henry M. Rice, then United States senator from Minnesota, but the inhabitants finally settled down upon the present names, East and West Okoboji.
The origin and meaning of the word Okoboji is a little un- certain. Professor MacBride says, "place of rest." The pro- ponderance of testimony, however, seems to be that Okoboji simply means "rushes." Mrs. Wood, who was for years a sue- cessful teacher among the Dacotahs, gave that as the meaning, "And there are others."
The impression exists in some quarters that Okoboji was a powerful Sioux chief, who formerly had his headquarters in Okoboji Grove, and that the lake was named for him. The question is often asked where Okoboji was buried, but as has been before explained, such belief is wholly unfounded.
The Indian name of Center Lake is unknown. Previous to the massacre it was called by the first settlers Snyder's Lake, for Bert Snyder, who had a claim on the east side of it. After that for a year or two it was called Sylvan Lake, but finally that name was dropped and the present name. Center Lake, substituted, which has come into general use.
Gar Lake was at first designated by Granger as Carl Lake in honor of Carl Granger. Whether the name Gar Lake is a corruption of that cannot be positively stated, but the pre- sumption is that it is not, as the ontlet was known by the name of Gar Outlet long before anyone know anything about
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Granger's name for the lake. It had its origin in a little inci- dent which, though not important, may be worth telling.
On the evening of the day of the arrival of the first party of settlers subsequent to the massacre, as a small party of the boys were cruising around on a voyage of discovery, they brought up at the outlet in which were a school of gars work- ing their way upstream. The boys had never heard of such a fish and thought them pickerel and became much excited. One of them ran to the cabin where he procured a spear which they had brought along, and for two hours they waded up and down the outlet spearing and throwing out the worthless gars. When they tired of that they strung what they could carry on some poles and started for the cabin with their wonderful catch. Upon arriving there a young fellow from Illinois saw what they were and exclaimed: "Boys, those are gars and are no earthly good." When the boys became convinced that they had had all their work and wetting for. nothing, and that their fish were indeed worthless, they were somewhat crestfallen. They took the guying they received from the others in good part, but it was some time before they heard the last of their won- derful exploits. And this is how Gar Ontlet first received its name, and Gar Lake soon followed.
Recently the name of Middle Gar has been changed to "Minnie Washta." ¡Washta is the Dacotah synonym for good or nice. Originally there were three lakes known as the Gar Lakes, forming a chain about two miles in length, and were called Upper, Middle and Lower Gar Lakes. The outlet for the Okobojis is through this chain. Middle Gar, or Minnie Washta, as it is now called, is the finest of the three. The other two retain their old names of Upper and Lower Gar Lakes. Various considerations seemed to emphasize the fact that it would be desirable to organize the county at as early a date as possible. While nominally attached to Woodbury
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