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 22
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And oft adventure strange he met While here the Red Man wandered yet. But since it is not my intent In rhyme to tell each wild event Which early settlers here befell. This narrative I'll briefly tell :
"Twas years ago, perhaps a score, And possibly a dozen more, My chronicler don't tell exact But simply furnishes the fact The Indian-summer time was here. The loveliest time of all the year : Through day the sun's bright golden rays Combined with autumn's smoky haze, The mellow harvest moon at night Cloaked Nature's form in misty light.
AA sportive party on a hunt, Who dared the warlike Sioux confront.
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From wandering many a weary day To these our lakes now bent their way, And on the shore of Spirit Lake Their noonday rest they thought to take. Now, in the grove, the lake close by, An Indian tepee caught their eye, And soon the youthful brave they met Who here his tepee-poles had set.
Umpashota was the name, Some of you have seen the same As years ago, five I believe,* He passed through here an aged chief, A prisoner with his little band To Captain Martin's brave command ; But this was in an earlier day Long ere his locks were mixed with grey. But young and strong and brave was he As ever Sioux was known to be. The hunters bold he gave his hand And welcomed them the "smoky man."
They saw the beauty of the place, The lake's walled shore and rippled face, And asked what name to it belonged. For well they knew the Indian tongue, "Minnie Waukon," the warrior spake; Translated this means Spirit Lake. "And why thus called," he asked the brave, As he looked ont upon the wave, While they the pipe of peace imbibe He told this legend of his tribe :
How many, many moons ago The West belonged all to the Sioux. They were a countless tribe and strong. But soon the white man's bitter wrong Took of their hunting ground the best, Forced them to make their marches west, Forced them to leave those sacred mounds, Their father's ancient burial grounds,
*This poem was written in February. 1864.
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LEGEND OF SPIRIT LAKE
"They saw the beauty of the place, The lake's walled shore and rippled face."
Their god of war was illy pleased, Would not by trifles be appeased, But woke within the warrior's breast Anger for being thus oppressed, And war parties were often made The white man's country to invade ; . And many a captive brought from far Was offered to their god of war.
At last they brought a maiden fair, Of comely form and beauty rare, With eyes than lustrous stars more bright, And flowing tresses dark as night. Too fair for human race seemed she, But fit the white man's god to be. Now, the Dacotah worships ne'er The beautiful, the bright, the fair,
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But his Waukon's some hideous thing With awful eye and monster wing, Loves what is vilest, lowest, worst, Thinks truth and beauty things accursed. He loves the dark and hates the light, Protects the wrong, destroys the right, Ah, captive maid, what luckless fate ! The victim of such fiendish hate. A savage vengeance craves thy life. The brave makes sharp his scalping knife. Those tresses dark their dance shall grace Ere next they venture on the chase.
But 'mongst the warriors brave and gay Was one they called the "Star of Day." The chief's much loved and honored son, His first, his last, his only one. By all both feared and loved was he, Their chief 'twas said he was to be. He hardly seemed like others there, His eye was dark, his beard was fair, In fact 'twas whispered round by some He was a paleface and had come Into the tribe some years ago,- Was stolen by the chieftain's squaw.
He, always swiftest in the race, Loved well the reckless hunt and chase. His arrow true ne'er spent for naught Was sure to bring the game it sought. He white man born and savage reared By instinct nature's God revered ; He saw the captive, "Pale Face Dove" And in his breast she wakened love. Full well he knew the cruel fate Which might the captive maid await Resolved himself to rescue her, The lovely dark-eyed prisoner. To take her from that savage band And bear her to her own bright land, And there with her he thought to stay And make her bride to Star of Day.
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LEGEND OF SPIRIT LAKE
The captive saw his cheek's light hue And curling locks, and quickly knew He was not of the savage racc, But some long-captured young "paleface." She caught the glance of his bright eye And sweetly blushed, but knew not why. It chanced that to the warrior's care The chief oft left the captive fair, And though each spake a tongue unknown . Love has a language all its own, And by some silent magic spell It found a way its tale to tell.
At Marble Grove within its shade 'Twas planned to offer up the maid, The whole being left to Star of Day, He managed quite a different way. Beneath the bank, just out of view, He anchored near his light canoe ; Across the lake within a glen Two well-trained ponies waited them.
One eve as light began to fade Ife ent the thongs that bound the maid, And 'neath the twilight's dusky sky, While followed them no warrior's eye, He led her to the water's brim, She not resisting went with him, And launching quick their light canoe They o'er the waters swiftly flew.
The god of war willed not that so This vietim from his grasp should go, Awoke a storm upon the lake, Which caused the waves to madly break, And as the night grew wild and dark Upset their fragile, dancing bark, And angry waters closed above The Star of Day and Pale Faced Dove.
But water spirits 'neath the wave Soon led them to a shining cave, Whose floor was paved with sea shells light, Whose walls were set with diamonds bright,
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"And angry waters closed above, The Star of Day and Pale Faced Dove."
And pearls and gems a glittering lot Had there been brought to deck their grot. And there e'en now still live and love The Star of Day and Pale Faced Dove. Not mortals now but spirits grown They claim the lake as all their own, And watch its waters night and day. And never since that time, they say, Across the lake in his canoe Has gone as yet a single Sioux. But if he venture on the wave No power is able him to save From angry spirits who with frown A whirlpool set to drag him down. And no Red Man dare undertake To sail upon this Spirit Lake, But if the white man's jolly boat Upon its silvery surface float, Quick ceases then the whirlpool's spell, The spirits know their people well, And by a ripple on the wave Tell where is hid their shining cave.
CHAPTER XXIN.
CAUSES DELAYING EMIGRATION-A PERIOD OF DULLNESS-THE EARLY WORK OF THE METHODIST .
EPISCAPAL CHURCH-THE EARLY PREACHERS- THE FIRST CAMP MEETING-THE FIRST RELIGIOUS REVIVAL-THE FEARFUL STORMS-BLIZZARDS- WHO COINED THE WORD-A DESCRIPTION FROM THE "GREAT DIVIDE -A FEW EXPERIENCES-A ROMANTIC WEDDING TRIP ..
SIDE FROM MATTERS connected with the operation of troops along the border for the prevention of fur- ther outrages, matters on the frontier were very quiet during the remainder of the war. The county organiza- tion was kept up, but people paid but little attention to local matters. Here as elsewhere the war was the all-absorbing topic. There was hardly a family but had its representative in the army. The population of frontier counties either remained stationary or diminished. There was hardly any emigration except the few who struck for the frontier to avoid the draft. No improvements were made and many that were in course of construction and others that were projected were abandoned. Fields were allowed to grow up with weeds, and fences were used for fuel. The population of the county diminished ma- terially, and although the first settlement was in 1856 the pop- ulation in the spring of 1865 was but a little in excess of two hundred. With the exception of a little stock raising, farming was almost entirely neglected. The settlements were confined to the immediate neighborhood of the groves, the prairies being as yet untouched. Since the crash of 1857 there had been but little or no demand for government land.
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Everybody imagined that after the close of the war there would be an unprecedented rush for the frontier, and that event was looked forward to with a great deal of anxiety. The ample provision made by the government for the defense of the frontier quieted the apprehensions of the settlers, and but little more occurred worthy of record as a matter of history during the period under consideration. The years dragged themselves slowly along until the collapse of the rebellion and the return of peace. The expectation that the return of peace would give a new impetus to emigration and that our prairies would commence filling up at once were but partially realized at this time so far as this county was concerned. That came later.
The rare chances offered at the South attracted attention in that direction at the expense of the West, and many who had severed their business connection at the North in answer to the call for troops now thought they saw openings in that direc- tion to commence business again superior to those of the un- developed regions of the West. Again, the building of the Pacific Railroad commenced abont that time and as it opened up a large and romantic region to settlement, it drew the larger part of western emigration to points along its line, and more especially that class of emigration who could command capital.
Another agency that had been depended upon to stimulate emigration to this region was the passage by Congress of the homestead law. But the situation of affairs here at that time was not favorable to the complete success of its operation. While it was unquestionably a great benefit to many, it did not have a tendency to bring capital into the country, but, if any- thing, the tendency was in the opposite direction. A great many who depended upon their labor for a living imagined that if they could only get a piece of government land their
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DULL TIMES
fortunes would be made, and the immediate results of that law as demonstrated in this and adjoining counties was that many who had no idea of the hardships and privations of a new country, and who had always spent their money as soon as earned, spent their last dollar in squatting upon a piece of government land and then found themselves perfectly helpless. Not having been in the habit of laying their plans beforehand, but of spending their money as fast as they earned it, they were illy prepared to surmount the difficulties which fall to the lot of all new countries.
The inevitable result of this state of affairs was that the country developed more slowly than would have been the case with a more wealthy and energetic class of settlers. Again, it is a well-known fact that army life is not conducive to economical or regular habits, and many carried the easy-going "devil-may-care habits" of camp life with them to their claims and the result was, although they might have been eminently successful as soldiers, they were hardly so as farmers.
As vet the only religious denomination that had made any attempt to maintain regular services in the county, or in this part of the state in fact, were the Methodists. The names of their preachers up to 1876 has already been given, but possibly they should receive a rather more extended notice. As has been before noted Mr. McLean, the pioneer Methodist preacher of this county, was sent here by the Conference in the fall of 1859. Ile was an ideal representative of that class of educated, conscientions young men who have, in all periods of our coun- try's history, struck for the frontier and labored honestly and earnestly to do what good they could, and exert what influence they might in forming public opinion and directing public sentiment along the lines of mental and moral advancement. He was a young man and this was his first charge, and as before stated he was the first preacher on this charge. He was followed
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by Rev. J. A. Van Anda, who was the opposite of MeLean in every particular. He was trifling, flippant and insincere, to say nothing of the more serious charges afterward brought against him. He was finally dismissed from the ministry for immoral conduct.
Rev. J. W. Jones, his successor, was an honest, earnest man and a hard worker, but he was homesick. He had left his wife and two small children somewhere in Wisconsin when he came here. He stood it just as long as he could and then went back to his family, which he never should have left. He was a Welchman and could talk the "Gaelic" fluently. The charge was without a pastor until the ensuing Conference met, when Rev. William ILyde was appointed to the circuit. He was sim- ply an ignoramus, not capable of doing much of either good or harm. It cannot be said that he had phenomenal success in expounding the word to the soldier boys stationed here at that time, but it was fun for the boys all the same, and they at- tended services regularly and were generous in their treatment of "Brother Hyde," who remained here during the conference year.
The circuit had by this time grown to such proportions that the people thought they were entitled to more recognition by the Conference by having a more able and experienced man sent among them. In answer to this demand Rev. Seymour Snyder was assigned to the cirenit. His appointment proved eminently satisfactory. He was able, honest, earnest and genial, and had the happy faculty of adapting himself to his surroundings without friction, and if he could not strictly be termed a genius in its expressive sense he evinced a good degree of sound sense and capacity for hard work. It was during his ministry and under his direction that the first camp meeting was held in northwestern Towa.
This was in the summer of 1864. Rev. Mr. Lamont of Fort
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THE FIRST CAMP MEETING
Dodge was presiding elder. He was an able preacher and an indefatigable worker, and being ably seconded by Mr. Snyder. the result of their united labors was a pronounced success. This camp meeting was held in the grove at what is now known as Fort Dodge Point, and was attended by persons living in the four counties forming the circuit. These annual camp meetings were kept up and grew annually in attendance and importance as the country increased in population. The fol- lowing year and possibly one or two years more the meeting was held in the grove at Dixon's Beach. One year it was held near Omaha Beach, and one at Gilley's Beach, after which the yearly camp meetings were held on Pillsbury's Point until about the year 1878 or 1879, when they were removed to the grove adjoining the town of Spirit Lake. They were kept up for a few years longer, and were finally discontinued altogether.
Mr. Snyder's appointment terminated with the close of the conference year, and he was succeeded by Rev. W. A. Richards. It was not far from this time, it might have been a vear or two later, that the circuit was divided, Dickinson and Emmet Counties forming one circuit and Clay and O'Brien another. Under this arrangement the preacher in charge here gave one Sunday to each county alternately. While this reduced the amount of travel materially, their work still was no picnic, especially in times of high water and swollen streams.
The first winter of Mr. Richards' work here was marked by the first religious revival in Dickinson County and probably the first in this portion of the state. A series of revival meetings was held in the Center Grove schoolhouse, commencing some time in January and continuing about six weeks, during which time an intense interest was manifested and large accessions to the church was the result. The schoolhouse where the meetings were held was a low log affair, about fourteen by twenty feet in size, but somehow it was made to accommodate large con-
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gregations. Mr. Richards was kept on this circuit for three . years, the utmost limit that a preacher was then allowed to stay on one circuit at a time. The names of his successors up to 1876 have already been given. It would require too much space to treat of the work of each in detail. It is the first, the commencement, the pioneer work in any particular line that always interests the reader.
While but little occurred at this time worthy of record as historic events, the ordinary experiences of the average settler were such as were calculated to test to the utmost their courage, energy, hardihood and perseverance. The dangers they braved and the hardships they endured can be better understood by giving a few personal adventures and experiences than by whole pages of dry descriptions.
In those early days it was no uncommon experience for the country to be swept by storms of terrific violence. These storms have since been denominated "blizzards." There has been con- siderable controversy among Iowa newspapers regarding the origin of the term. It was claimed at one time that it origin- ated with O. C. Bates, the founder of the Northern Vindicator, in Emmet County. Now, while there is no doubt that Mr. Bates was the first to use the term in a newspaper article, thus being the first to launch it on the sea of newspaper nomenclature, it did not originate with him. As near as can be traced it was brought here from southern Ohio by William Jenkins, one of the early settlers living east of Spirit Lake. It used to be a com- mon byword among the boys when the conditions of the atmos- phere indicated an approaching storm, "Well, boys, I guess we are going to have one of Uncle Billy's blizzards." This was some years before the founding of the Vindicator by Mr. Bates. There is no question the term "blizzard," as designat- ยท ing a storm of peculiar force and violence, was given to the world by the early settlers of this county. A late writer in
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BLIZZARDS
the Great Divide uses the following language in describing them :
"Cruel and relentless are the blizzards and to be much dreaded. The settler away from his farm house in endeavor- ing to return while the blizzard is raging is lost and frozen to death. He cannot see ten feet ahead of him, for the blizzard has grasped the fine hard snow resembling sand in its icy fin- gers and flings it onward with a blinding force that ents the skin of any one facing the storm.
"The cold is intense, and hardly any amount of clothing suffices to protect one so piercing is the blast. Lucky is the wanderer who, under such circumstances, can find a river bluff on which may be growing a few chimps of poplars to serve as a protecting shield. The speed of the wind is often sixty and seventy miles an hour, and when an effort is made to progress against it, unconsciously one turns sidewise to it and the lia- bility to proceed in a wrong direction is thus increased. For- tunately the blizzard blows in one direction, being a straight current of wind, and differing in this respect from the cyclone, which has a rotary as well as forward motion, and which is of unequal violence, varying as is the distance from the center of the cyclone current or circle of wind. The small, dry, hard particles of snow are hurried on in blinding sheets by the wind, so that nothing is seen except a dull grayness and the seem- ingly ceaseless drifting walls of snow particles.
"The outbuildings in Manitoba and Dakota are in close prox- imity to the settlers' houses as might be expected, and yet dur- ing a blizzard that means business the ontbuildings are not visible from the house. The farmer who has to go to the shed for fuel or to feed his stock attaches around his waist a cord, one end of which remains in the house, so as to guide him on his return. Many lives have been lost in these cold blizzards.
"Sometimes the blizzard blows so hard that some have imag- ined the treeless wastes to be due to this devastating force, and the theory is fully as plausible as the one that the absence of trees is due to prairie fires. What becomes of the blizzard, this lusty and violent son of the North ? It would appear that his force is somewhat dissipated as he spreads himself over Nebraska, Towa and the Mississippi Valley, where the south and west winds are met. Locking arms with these it may be that the circling is produced resulting in the cyclone which
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journeys on usually in a brief course as if anxious to separate, but these are studies for the weather bureau."
While these terrifie storms were altogether too frequent for comfort in an early day, they have of late years been far less frequent and far less violent. What effect the cultivation and development of the country may have in modifying them can- not be known, but we do know that the blizzard of those early days is a thing of the past. The last storm having all of the attributes of the early blizzard was that of January 7, 1873. Storms and heavy snows and violent winds we have had since then, but they weren't blizzards. They lacked the blinding. stifling, choking, bewildering effect of the earlier storms. The dates of a few of the more remarkable blizzards are given as follows: December 1, 1856; January 1, 1864; February 14, 1865: March 5, 1870; January 7, 1873. There were many others during that period, but the dates cannot be definite- ly fixed. Much suffering and a considerable loss of life re- sulted from exposure to these terrific storms. The following instances are given to illustrate the experiences of the early settlers along this line: Many more incidents of the same gen- cral character as the following might be given to illustrate the nature of the obstacles with which the early pioneer had to contend, but these are deemed sufficient. These are not given for their historic value, or because they are more impor- tant than many others that might be given, but are taken at random from many of the thrilling experiences so common at that time on the northwestern frontier.
The first is an experience related by Zina Henderson, who has resided in this county for over thirty-five years, and who spent several winters trapping in the regions to the northwest of here, long before settlers had invaded that locality. Mr. Henderson says :
EXPERIENCES OF "QUAKER" TOMPKINS AND OTHERS 309
"In the month of February, 1865, a party consisting of E. V. Osborn, Clayton Tompkins, Richard Long, George Barr and myself, were trapping on the Rock River, our camp being situated at the forks of the Rock, near where the town of Doon has since been located. There was another party in camp on the Big Sioux some twenty miles to the northwest of us. We used to eross back and forth from one camp to the other as occasion might require. At this time there were a few soldiers stationed at Sioux Falls, but as yet there were no settlers there. Our camp at the forks of the Rock was a kind of general headquarters or supply station for the smaller trapping camps in that locality. The trappers used to. have their supplies sent out there by the load, from which point they were distributed to the smaller camps as needed by such means as were available, the little handsled being the most common, although some of the trappers had Indian ponies with which they moved their camps.
"On the fourteenth of February, 1865, a party consisting of Osborn, Tompkins, Long and Barr, left the main camp on the Rock to take some supplies over to the camp on the Big Sionx. Barr was a member of the camp on the Big Sionx, although he had been with us at that time, waiting until some of our party could return with him. The party had a pair of ponies and a light wagon and were loaded with flour and provisions. I remained behind to look after the camp in their absence. They left camp not far from nine o'clock in the morning. The day was remarkably fine and pleasant, and the boys, see- ing no occasion for hurrying, took things very leisurely, never doubting their ability to reach camp that afternoon, or at least, early in the evening.
"About four o'clock, or when the party were within three miles of their destination, the wind suddenly whipped around into the northwest and the most violent blizzard recorded in the annals of northwestern Towa broke upon them in all its blinding, bewildering force and fury. Now many people seem to think that if it was to save their lives they could make their way for three miles against any storm that ever blew. Such people have not met the genuine blizzard. These trap- pers were experienced frontiersmen and they knew the coun- try. They were not lost, but to make any head whatever against that terrific storm they found to be utterly impossible.
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"What was to be done ? This was a very pressing question. They were among the bluffs along the Big Sioux, and the snow was deep in the ravines. They went to work and dug a hole in the snow, packed up their flour on the windward side of it, and then taking their robes and blankets and hud- dling together so far succeeded in making themselves comfort- able, that had they been contented to stay where they were, they would without doubt have been all right in the morning. But some of them conceived the idea that if they allowed the snow to drift in over them they would be smothered, and the balance gave in to this foolish notion, and so after remaining there between two and three hours, they determined to take their back track and if possible reach the camp they had left that morning. So digging out from under the snow they hitched one pony to the wagon and turned the other loose, and then placing the wind to their backs and with no other guide than the storm, started on their return trip.
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