USA > Iowa > Floyd County > History of Floyd County, Iowa : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 29
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305
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
after the fields have been reaped, the winter spores are produced on the stubble, and known as the black rust. In the spring these winter spores germinate on the ground, and after passing through several stages again give rise to the rust plant on growing grain. Only two remedies are suggested : (1)burn the stubble after the grain is stacked, and thus kill the winter spores, and (2) gradually work into a variety of wheat not much affected by rust.
The smuts are a numerous family, and attack the flowers and seeds, and often other parts of various plants, as wheat, rye, oats, corn, etc. Bunt, Tilletia caries, which fills wheat grains with a black, unctuous powder of a very disagreeable odor, is also a mem- ber of the family.
The cup-fungus, or Peziza, in its various species, grows in woods. Some kinds attract attention by the bright scarlet lining of the cups. An edible fungus belongs to this family that deserves to be better known. It is the morel, or botanically, Morchella esculenta, and is common in woodlands throughout the county. It grows from three to five inches high, is of a gray or pale brown color, has a thick stalk, and a cylindrical top with large, shallow pits on its surface. The stalk and top are hollow. Its appearance is so characteristic that no other fungus is likely to be confounded with it. It forms a most delicate and savory dish for the table.
The mushrooms and their immediate allies, the toadstools, puff- balls, stinkhorns, earthstars, etc., aggregate a vast number of species. Many of them are edible, and others poisonous. No gen- eral rule can be given by which to distinguish the desirable ones from the harmful.
Lichens, sometimes known as gray mosses, are found in abun- dance on the bark of trees, and on the exposed surfaces of rocks.
V. Bryophyta, or Mosses and Liverworts .- A number of species of this class occur within the county, but not so many as might be expected. A very notable omission is that of the whole family of sphagnum, or peat mosses. These are much used by nursery- men and others for packing living plants, because they hold moist- ure so long. Their absence from this region is due to the total lack of tamarack swamps and similar congenial places. Such peat as there is, is formed of common moss. What is true of Floyd County, in this respect, is also true of the whole State.
VI. Pteridophyta, or Ferns und their Allies .- Less than a dozen kinds of ferns are found within the county, and they belong to widely distributed species. The most delicate and interesting
306
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
one is the little cliff-brake, Pellæa gracilis, which grows upon the rocky bluff of the Cedar River in front of Mr. Wheats', three miles north of Charles City. It is two to five inches high, and a very graceful plant.
No club-mosses grow within the county, and only one within the State. Those used to decorate our churches at Christmas time are brought from the East.
VII. Phanerogamia, or Seed-bearing Plants .- Of the numer- ous kinds of coniferous plants, commonly called evergreens, we have but one native species-the red cedar or Juniperus Virgini- ana. It never attains the dignity of a large, well-developed tree.
The grasses are well represented. Wild rice, Zizania aquatica, is abundant in the Cedar River near Charles City. Porcupine or spear grass, the Stipa spartea, is curious on account of the barbed " spears," an ingenious device for burying the seeds in the ground. It is less abundant than formerly. Sweet vernal grass is not found but its place is well supplied by the vanilla grass, the Hierochloa borealis. A number of ornamental grasses of considerable excel- lence should be mentioned, such as wild chess or Bromus Kalmii, squirrel-tail grass or Hordeum jubatum, and wild rye of three species of Elymus. A number of weeds are common, but are such as are found everywhere.
The sedges are not as abundant as elsewhere. Those found in prairie sloughs are known as wire grass. The other kinds, except the rushes, are popularly confounded with grasses. None of them are of any economic interest.
The lily family has some excellent representatives. The com- mon wild lily is Lilium Philadelphicum. The Turk's-cap lily, Lilium superbum, better known as wild tiger lily, is deserving of its Latin name. It is a handsome plant, which is much improved by cultivation, and can be made to bear a very large number of flowers on each stalk. The yellow bellwort or Uvularia Grandi- flora, and white adder's-tongue, are among the early and noticea- ble flowers. Only two trilliums are found. The wake-robin, Tril- lium cernuum, is local and rare. The common one is a variety of Trillium crectum, and has a waxy white flower partly concealed by the leaves. It is a luxuriant grower and a handsome plant.
But few members of the orchis family are natives of the county, which is partly due to the absence of sphagnum swamps and like congenial localities. The showy orchis is not uncommon in shady woods. A white western orchis is the only Habenaria. It is H.
307
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
leucophæa, and grows about prairie sloughs. Calopogon has been gathered in the northern part of the county. The large showy, the large yellow, and the small white lady's-slippers are common. They all deserve to be cultivated but require much care.
The oaks are the white, bur, scarlet, and red, of which the last is least common.
The black willow grows into a tree. All the others are shrubs. The long-leaved one blossoms and seeds during the whole season. Cottonwood, Populus monilifera, is not rare in the wild state, and is extensively planted for shelter and fuel. The cotton from the seeds proves a source of much annoyance to the tidy housewife. If only male trees, those with reddish tassels, were planted, no cotton would be produced. Both kinds of tassels, the green and the red, appear in spring before the leaves come out. The downy and the common poplar, often called "pople" in this section, are common, and both form good size trees.
The red, white, and rock elms are abundant. The last, Ulmus racemosa, furnishes the best fuel, and is also prized as a shade tree. When the leaves have fallen it looks much like a bur-oak, and very unlike its near relative the graceful white elm. The hop is native, and is abundant and fruitful. The common nettle, Urtica gracilis, and the wood nettle, Laportea Canadensis, are very com- mon, but neither stings severely. The stinging nettle of the East- ern States does not occur. The mulberry is not found so far north-
Red-root, the Amarantus retroflexus, sometimes called pigweed, is a persistent weed in gardens and fields. Amarantus albus is the "tumble-weed." It grows in a globular form, often three or four feet in diameter. When killed by frost, the branches remain rigid, the plant soon loosens from the soil, and the wind drives it bound- ing over the fields and prairies, until brought up in some fence corner. When the corner is full, those that follow are enabled to scale the fence. With a change of wind, all the lodged plants are set flying in another direction. This is an effective method o f scattering the seeds. Amarantus blitoides was described by Sereno Watson in 1877. It grows flat upon the ground like purslane ("pusley "), and has a dark green, glossy leaf, not much larger than that of purslane, but thinner. It is a native of the western plains, but is traveling eastward as a weed. It is abundant at Clear Lake and southward, but was first detected in this county the present season (1882).
308
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
The mint family is well represented, but the species are mostly small-flowered. The native wild mint, Mentha Canadensis, is very common; spearmint and peppermint have not yet found their way here. American pennyroyal is plentiful in Southern Iowa, but does not occur here; the nearly related Hedeoma hispida is, how- ever, very abundant.
Mullein and speedwell, the latter the Veronica peregrina, are common weeds. None of the pentstemous occur here. The paint- ed-cup is found abundantly, the yellow one being much commoner than the scarlet. This plant cannot be cultivated, for it is par- tially parasitic on the roots of other plants.
Three pretty kinds of puccoon, and lungwort, better known as blue-bells, are much prized spring flowers. All make good ad- ditions to the flower garden, and the last especially. No forget- me-not is to be met with. Stick-seed and beggar's-lice infest roadways, the same as elsewhere.
The gentians are the most beautiful of our flowers. The white, closed, and a small flowered one are common. The two fringed ones, Gentiana crinita and G. serrata, are the most delicate, while G. puberula is the richest in color. The buckbean occurs in the northern part of the county.
No blueberry, huckleberry, cranberry, wintergreen, laurel, azalea or any other member of the true heath family occurs within this county, or within this part of the State. The shin-leaf or Pyrola elliptica and the Indian pipe are the only representatives of the whole family.
The sunflower family is by far the largest in both species and individuals in the county. Many kinds have uninteresting flowers, and pass under the name of weeds, although only a much smaller number actually infest fields. Mayweed, burdock, cocklebur, and sow-thistle are introduced weeds. Canada thistle has been dropped by cars in a few places, but is not spreading much; the common eastern thistle and ox-eye daisy have yet to appear. The native weeds of this family are the wild artichoke, three sorts of rag- weeds, and common and swamp beggar-ticks. To this list is to be added a new weed that is steadily gaining ground, and at the same time traveling eastward and possibly southward. It is a candidate for the same situations the large ragweed prefers-the edges of fields, and along roadsides and streets, but especially about barns. If circumstances are unfavorable, it can blossom when only a few inches high, while under more fortunate conditions it reaches much
309
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
above one's head. It closely resembles cocklebur when young, but as it grows larger has more the appearance of the common sun- flower, with flowers, however, after the pattern of the ragweed. This new weed has not yet been provided with a common name, but is botanically, Iva xanthufolia.
The wolfberry and yellow and red honeysuckles are so attractive as to be cultivated. An interesting member of this family is the little moschatel, Adoxa Moschatellina, found upon shady hillsides that face the north. It also occurs at Decorah, and with these exceptions is not known to grow so far south to within 750 miles or more, except on the summits of the Rocky Mountains. It is considered a sub-alpine plant. It appears in early spring, is only three or four inches high, has rich green leaves, greenish flowers, and an agreeable, musky odor.
The wild plum, red and black raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, and crab-apple furnish considerable fruit for the home market. There is but one wild rose, Rosa blanda, in the county. Mountain ash is not native. The common June-berry grows on wooded hill- sides, and a pretty western one, Amelanchier alnifolia, grows among hazel, and to about the same height. Nine-bark and mead- ow-sweet are cultivated, and deserving of still greater attention.
An interesting relative of the bean grows upon rocky or gravelly soil. The branches are prostrate and spread about a foot around the root. The purple flowers appear in May, and are soon fol- lowed by the fruit. When the pods, which are nearly solid, have reached the size of hazel-nuts, they prove a valuable addition to the list of early vegetables. Cooked like green peas, they make a pleasing dish intermediate in taste and flavor between early peas and asparagus. Earliness, easy preparation, and pleasing taste, are the qualities that recommend this new vegetable. The plant is long-lived, but whether it can be profitably cultivated or not is yet to be determined. It extends but a little south or east of this region. The popular name is yet to be created, for the book name of ground plum does not appear to be in actual use. It is known to botanists as astragalus caryocarpus. The white and purple prairie-clovers (Petalosteman), lead-plant, yellow false indigo or Baptisia leucophæa, and the partridge pea, better known as wild sensitive-plant, are deserving of cultivation for their fine flowers.
Poison ivy is found in all situations. On the prairie, especially on gopher knolls, it rarely grows more than a few inches high, yet flowers and fruits freely. It frequently mixes with hazel bushes,
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HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
and assumes the same habit, while in woods it climbs trees, and may have a trunk as large as one's arm. It is to be distinguished under all disguises by its three leaflets. Smooth sumach is com- mon and highly ornamental, but staghorn, fragrant, and poison sumach do not occur.
The buttercup family contains quite a number of plants with fine, showy flowers. The earliest spring flower on the prairie is the dwarf buttercup, Ranunculus rhomboidens, growing from two to four inches high. The double form, which is occasionally seen, proves a modest but very valuable acquisition to the flower-border. The pasque-flower is the largest early flower of this region. It is found on dry, gravelly soil. Its fine purple blossoms are similar to the pasque-flowers of Europe. Isopyrum is a delicate white wood flower often mistaken for the rue-anemone, which last does not grow here. These are distinctively western flowers, and the first two only extend through a few counties southward. Hepatica or liverleaf, wind-flower, marsh marigold, columbine, and virgin's bower are common plants. The round-lobed hepatica and meadow buttercup are not members of the flora.
The following plants belong to small families and were ot mentioned in their proper places: Spiderwort, cat-tail, blue-flag, two duckweeds, arrow-leaf, Indian-turnip, wild ginger, shooting star, cardinal-flower, ginseng, spikenard, bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, white and yellow water lily, and May-apple. The shrubs are, three kinds of dog-wood, prickly-ash, waahoo, bladder- nut, black currant, smooth and prickly gooseberries, and speckled · alder, with the climbing kinds, Virginia creeper, grapevine and climbing bittersweet. Only one clump of alder (Alnus incana) is known, and that is about half way between Floyd and Charles City, on the road along the west bank of the river. Wild cucumber, the Echinocystis lobata, is a favorite arbor plant. Northern bed straw is effective as a fine-white flower for bouquets, but in one respect objectionable, it blacken's instead of simply withering.
The following plants, in addition to those already mentioned, have not yet been seen in the county: Skunk cabbage, sweet flag, lizard's-tail, sweet fern, yellow dog's-tooth violet, pitcher plant, pokeberry, eel-grass, chess, hop-tree, button-bush, leatherwood, spice-bush, buffalo-berry, bay-berry, and bittersweet, all of which are common in the older States east of Iowa.
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HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
TIMBER.
In addition to what is said in the foregoing section, we would add that since the cessation of the destructive prairie fires, youn timber is rapidly increasing even where not a tree was seen in ear- lier times. These artificial groves as they increase in number and dimensions will greatly enhance the value and beauty of the land; will invite the warbling songster to our homes; will repel the force of the gales which formerly swept over the prairie; attract moisture to assist surrounding vegetation; and protect our flocks and our herds from the bleak, cold winds.
In the beginning of the settlements there was much strife and ex- citement over the timber. It was the first thing sought for after the settler had weighed anchor and unyoked his oxen. Those who came here later than 1854 found no valuable timber unclaimed, but many of the original settlers were of a transient and roving char- acter, ready and willing to sell a part or the whole of their timber for a very small consideration, and then go on to find new homes and new groves beyond the bounds of civilization. The large tracts of timber claimed by the early settlers have from time to time been divided and sub-divided, until but few men have timber in excess of their necessities. Notwithstanding the ancient forest on every side has been slaughtered with unsparing hand, wood and woodland are cheaper to-day than they were ten years ago. The causes are plain and easily understood. Thousands of acres of young and thrifty timber have sprung up on the outskirts of the ancient groves to take the place of the original forest. Railroads have been constucted which bring to our doors the treasures of our coal field at an average price of about five dollars per ton. Wire fences and hedges are taking the place of rails; artificial groves are being planted everywhere, and the rude huts in which the pioneers once lived and shivered with half a cord of wood on the old fire-place, have given way to comfortable and fuel-saving homes.
METEOROLOGICAL.
A Government meteorological station is kept by Henry Eddy, above Marble Rock, in Union Township, who reports to Washing- ton all the phenomena of the weather.
There is a meteorological station at Charles City, faithfully kept by Luther P. Fitch, M. D., a voluntary observer, who reports to
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HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
the headquarters of the State, at Iowa City, every five and ten days, and every month, giving the rain-fall and snow, the temperature, the humidity of the atmosphere, the direction and comparative velocity of the wind, the degree of cloudiness each day, and un- usual phenomena, as auroras, electric storms, rainbows, halos, hoar-frosts, etc. The doctor commenced these observations in 1876, and the amount of work he has to do for no pecuniary reward is considerable. The "Director of the Iowa Weather Ser- vice" is Dr. Gustavus Hinrich, Professor of Chemistry and Elec- tricity at the State University, who has a small appropriation from the State for his services.
Below we give some of the most interesting and valuable items from Dr. Fitch's record:
RAINFALL, INCLUDING SNOW AS MELTED.
YEAR.
MONTH.
INCHES.
YEAR. MONTH.
INCHES.
1877.
27.99
June.
6.43
1878 January.
.55
July. 4.26
February
.17
August 1.70
March
3.81
September 3.00
April
3.51
October 1.45
May
3.53
November. 1.40
June
5.10
December 1.42
27.13
July
8.63
1881 January 1.02
August
.77
February 2.36
September.
5.50
March
1.61
October. 3.56
April
1.01
November.
.42
December
.76
36.31
June. 3.83
1879.
31.08
July. 6.29
1880 January.
1.51
August. 4.17
Febuary
.33
September 7.96
March
.82
October
7.86
April
1.23
November. 1.20
May
3.58
December. 1.05
42.34
May
3.94
Average rainfall for the last five years, 32.97 inches. It is observable that the quantity of snow is comparatively light in this part of Iowa, while the total amount of rainfall is rather more than in the States east. But in this State there are great extremes. For example, in the northwestern part of the State the rainfall for one year amounted to only nineteen inches, while in the south- eastern it was about sixty inches!
In 1880 there were ninety-six meteorological stations in this State, and from their reports we learn that the average rainfall in
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HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
Iowa was, for 1876, 36 inches; 1877, 33.7 inches; 1878, 32.3 inches; 1879, 27.2 inches; 1880, 31.5 inches; average for the five years, 32.7 inches. Hence Floyd County has the average of the State.
Since it has been a debatable question among meteorologists for many years whether timber areas increased the amount of rain, the affirmative is demonstrated in Iowa at least. There is much more rain in timbered sections, and this fact should encourage the planting of forest trees. It was settled many years ago that forests distributed rain better over their area than do plains, and also more uniformly throughout the year.
As the range and average of temperature are nearly the same from year to year, we give below the observations for the last year only, while further on we give in chronological order the remark- able freaks of the weather.
MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR 1881, BY MONTHS.
. M.
12 M
8 P. M.
Jan.
2.3
15.8
2.8
Feb.
..
20.8
...
..
Mar.
... .
23.6
. .
Apr.
48.8
...
May
66.6
74.5
61.4
June
73.2
76.0
64.4
July
79.7
82.3
69.7
Aug.
74.9
74.4
70.6
Sept.
64.9
71.7
59.8
Oct.
48.1
66.5
48,1
Nov.
27.8
35.1
29.0
Dec.
26.5
33.9
27.4
METEOROLOGICAL EVENTS.
Under this snb-head we classify storms, freshets, noted extremes of temperature, etc. Destructive thunderbolts are noticed in the histories of the townships where they occurred.
August, 1851, there was a great flood in the Cedar River, at which time the drift-wood floated up to where the court-house now stands.
July 5, 1856, a slight frost.
April 3, 1857, ice passed out of the Cedar River, but too early in the history of the country to do much damage.
In the winter of 1857-'8, the snow on the level was more than two feet deep, with a heavy incrustation over it hard enough to hold
314
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
up a man but not hard enough to bear up a deer. The hunters took advantage of the condition of the snow and slaughtered the deer by the hundreds-for amusement. In January, the spirit ther- mometer reached a point 44 ° below zero, and many people in Iowa froze to death.
In January, 1858, the Cedar raised ten feet, and the frost went out of the ground.
Feb. 4, 1858, a thaw and freshet, carrying away bridges, dams and mills all over the county.
April, same year, much rain, and the Cedar nearly as high as on Feb. 4. Indeed, during a great part of the season the streams " got on a bust " about once a fortnight, hindering work, impeding travel, etc. Aug. 10, there was a hurricane, demolishing Mr. Fleenor's house. Aug. 12, the Cedar raised fifteen feet high at one time, and reached a point five feet higher than it had been since 1851.
January, 1861, thermometer 30° below zero for two mornings, and not above zero any time during the day for nine days together. Feb. 10, big thaw. Sept. 3 and 4, heavy frosts.
March 2, same year, Cedar River broke up under the influence of a freshet, and rose nearly as high as in 1858. On Shell Rock River, the saw-mill belonging to the Rockford Co. was entirely swept away, as also the ferry-boat at that place. At Marble Rock, six or seven miles below Rockford, the large and valuable flouring-mill of Mr. Graham was carried away. The bridge across the Cedar between Nashua and Bradford was also swept away, and a portion of the new bridge at Waverly.
Aug. 1 to 10, this season, the days were very hot, the thermom- eter standing at 100° to 105° in the shade on several of these days. Grain ripened so rapidly that the farmers had to run ma- chines day and night.
Jan. 13, 1862, thermometer 35 ° below zero.
April, 1862, a great freshet.
June 22, a damaging storm of wind and hail in most parts of the county, during the dead hours of Sunday night.
Oct. 23, snow enough to whiten the ground.
Jan. 1, 1864, mercury 30 ° below zero.
Dec. 29, 1865, mercury 30° below zero.
June 24, 1866, a hurricane in the western part of the county, destroying property, etc. . It demolished the Congregational Church at Rockford.
315
HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
Jan. 24, 1867, a great snow-storm, putting a stop to travel. This storm was supposed to be the same that prevailed in England on the 2d, and traveled westward at the rate of about 200 miles a day until it reached Iowa.
The last week of March, 1867, after there had been definite signs of spring, snow fell to the depth of ten inches.
Jane 9, 1867, one of the most terrific thunder storms at Charles City ever known at that place.
1868, hot summer.
Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 1869, heavy snow-storm, turning travel into the fields.
Oct. 24, 1869, two distinct shocks of an earthquake felt in this region, at 11 A. M.
March 11, 1870, heavy snow-storm, accompanied with lightning in places. Snow reached a depth of twenty inches.
July 13, 14 and 15, 1870, terrible thunder storms, deluging the land, and the lightning burning up houses and barns and killing animals.
Feb. 23, 1871, a heavy rain carried away a deep snow, raising the streams suddenly to a dangerous and destructive height. Bridges carried away, etc.
April 4 and 5, 1871, mercury rose to eighty and eighty-two degrees in the shade.
Aug. 13, 1871, the severest storm of the season occurred, the lightning striking scores of objects within Floyd County alone, and burning or splintering houses, barns, trees, etc. The bare prairie was struck in many places. The rain fell "in torrents."
Jan. 15-20, 1873, tremendous snow-storm, breaking down roofs and awnings with its weight, stopping railroad trains, imped- ing travel, and interfering with all sorts ot programmes. The snow was said to seven to fifteen feet deep for a mile on the rail- road near Lawler.
Jan. 28, 1873, mercury congealed at thirty-eight degrees below zero.
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