USA > Iowa > Webster County > Fort Dodge > History of Fort Dodge and Webster County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 27
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The three companies were furnished with teams and wagons and with the supposed necessary supply of provisions, clothing and blankets; and with such arms and ammunition as could be furnished at the time, consisting of nearly every kind of gun, from double-barreled shot guns to the finest rifles. Thus equipped, the expedition left Fort Dodge on March 24, 1857.
E. H. ALBEE Agent Northwestern Stage Company
W. H. WRIGIIT Express Manager, Towa Falls to Fort Dodge
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, I BOX AND TILD " FO: "DA 17:
215
HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
The following account of the expedition is taken from an address deliv- ered by Hon. John F. Duncombe, the captain of Company B.
"The first day, the companies, after a hard fight with great drifts and enormous snow-banks, made only a distance of six or seven miles and camped close to the timber on the banks of Badger creek. The men rolled themselves in their blankets, covered their heads and lay down on the snow.
"The following day we shoveled snow, tramped it down for our teams, and when no other plan was possible, fastened a long rope to a wagon, and every man taking hold, hauled the wagon through banks so deep that the snow would pile up in front until it reached the top of the dashboard. After getting our wagons through such a bank we would haul our oxen and horses through places where it was impossible for them to travel.
"In this way we reached the point now known as Dakotah City, after wading the Des Moines river fifteen or twenty times, where there were places to drag our wagons over, as we could not get down to the river at any place where it was sufficiently frozen to carry our heavy loads. We had made about ten miles on this day, by dark.
"A few of the men found places to lodge in houses and slieds ; others rolled in their blankets, sought the shelter of the groves or lay on the snow as on the preceding night.
"The following day the command started for McKnight's Point, a distance of about eighteen miles in a direct line northwesterly from Dakotah City. Our course lay over a rather low, flat prairie, which had gathered and retained the great bulk of the accumulation of the earlier winter storms. We were without guide, larkmarks or tracks of any kind to direct us. This necessitated having some one go ahead and find the best places for crossing the deep and almost impassable drifts.
"This duty was assigned to me and it necessitated double the amount of travel required of the command. During all the forenoon I kept two or three miles in advance of the companies, signaling back from high points the direc- tion to be taken to avoid, so far as possible, the depressions in the ground which were filled with snow, in many places ten or twelve feet in depth. All this distance there was a crust on the snow on which a light man could some- times walk five or six rods, but a heavier man would break through and go in to his hips, thus making the march exceedingly difficult and tiresome.
"At dark the companies were together about three or four miles back, and we were about the same distance from a grove of timber at McKnight's Point, on the west fork of the Des Moines river. We held a consultation and con- cluded it would be as easy to reach this timber as to return to the command. and immediately started for it. One of our number would go ahead for a few rods and the other two following his footsteps, at one time on the crust of the snow and at another time sinking down two or three, or more feet into the snow, wedged in by the hard crust which made it almost impossible to extricate ourselves for another plunge. Then another would change with the leader. We continued on in this way until we reached the grove.
"From McKnight's Point, the command, led by that brave, intrepid old soldier. Major William Williams, continued on, each day being a repetition of the preceding one, until we reached what was then called the West Bend and
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beyond that the Irish Colony, located a few miles northwesterly from what is now the flourishing city of Emmetsburg, the growing capital of Palo Alto county. Here, we rested for a short time and were joined by several persons living in the settlement and by Hon. C. C. Carpenter and Angus McBane and others who happened to be there on business, but resided at Fort Dodge.
"After the command moved on from the Irish Colony, signs of Indians were found around the lakes in that neighborhood. A few cattle had been shot, and what appeared like moccasin tracks were seen and every little grove was searched.
"Near the lakes we saw in the distance some objects which seemed to be moving and were supposed to be Indians. A detail was sent ahead to investi- gate, and a nearer view revealed an ox-team and a sled.
"This showed plainly the presence of white people. As we approached, we found that they had mistaken us for Indians. They had put themselves in an attitude of defense, evidently intending to sell their lives as dearly as possible and determined never to fall into the hands of the savages alive. When they found us friends, the joy of these people, about seventeen or eighteen in number, can be better imagined than described. They were trying to escape from the town of Springfield, in Minnesota, where the Indians had been repulsed, but at the cost of one killed and several wounded.
"While we were at the lakes and after supplying these refugees with food, the appetites of our men, on account of the cold and severe labor, had nearly exhausted the amount of food supplied for the march, and we were reduced to half rations. Much of the time, however, we were supplied with raw meat, some of it beavers' meat, which was cooked by our night fires, each one fur- nishing a stick, fastening to it a piece of meat and holding it over the coals, until ready for supper. When there was no stick handy, a ramrod answered the purpose.
"For the last few days of the march we were constantly in expectation of meeting Indians, of whom every settler gave such information as best suited his fancy. This constant watchfulness, which required the stationing of guards at night, permitted but few hours of good, sound, restful sleep during the entire march. The labors of the men were of the most severe character. They were almost constantly shoveling snow and dragging out teams and wagons by ropes through the deep banks, traveling with sore, wet and swollen feet. To add to the difficulty, several became snow-blind.
"After meeting the refugees from Springfield, who would have perished but for our timely aid, all believed the Indians would follow them. This neces- sitated double diligence and vigilance. All were constantly on the watch after we left Mud Lakes. In order not to be taken by surprise a body of scouts was dispatched ahead of the main company to carefully examine the timber border- ing on the lakes, and report any further signs of Indians that might be discovered.
"From this point no particular incident occurred worth relating until we reached Granger's cabin, near the Minnesota line, several miles above Estherville.
"At the Granger cabin a soldier from Fort Ridgely met us and reported what the soldiers from that point had done, and gave us what information he had relating to the Indians and the direction they had taken. He said that after their repulse at Springfield, they had hastily fled and were then probably a hun- dred miles northwest of the place where we were encamped for the night.
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I.H.L.D. D.
D. A. HAVILAND
FICO
MRS. HAVILAND (SERELIA W.)
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOP, LENOX AND TILD N FOUNDATIONS.
217
IIISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
"The officers then held a council, and all concluded the Indians had such a start that we could not overtake them, and by this time the sun had melted the snow to such an extent that the streams were rising rapidly and in many places were almost impassable.
"It was then decided to send a detail to bury the dead and find whether any were yet alive around the lakes. Volunteers were called for, and Captain Johnson of Company C, and many others, more than could go, volunteered. The names of this party, about twenty in all, have been preserved and it will be unnecessary for me to repeat them. Captain Johnson was placed in com- mand by Major Williams, and we parted with these brave men, expecting to meet them on our return to the Irish colony.
"The balance of the command then started on the return march. The fast melting snow had raised the streams and in places they were almost impassable. After a hard, toilsome march, we finally reached the Irish colony, expecting to meet our men who had been sent to bury the dead. Captain Johnson never returned. William Burkholder never returned. The night before our arrival it turned cold and there was quite a blizzard. Captain Johnson and.his detach- ment, as soon as they had buried the dead, started to cross from the lakes to our place of meeting. They became bewildered and disagreed as to the proper course to take, remaining all night with their frozen clothing and wet feet on the open prairie without shelter or food. In the morning those who had taken off their wet boots were unable to get them on. They separated into squads, each party taking the course that it considered right, and during the day most of them reached the place of meeting. Captain Johnson and William Burk- holder, two as noble men as ever lived, were frozen to death and though for weeks a search was made, their bones were not found until years after, when they were identified by the rifle which Burkholder carried and had with him when he died. Many of those who came in were actually crazy, so that they did not recognize their companions for some time after. It has always been a mystery to me, that any of the detachment survived that terrible night. On the open prairie, in the neighborhood of the lakes, the storm was the worst that we had experienced up to that time and one of the worst ever known in Iowa. The hardships which these brave men experienced and endured on the march undoubt- edly accustomed them to greater hardships and increased their powers of endur- ance, or not one would have been left to tell the tale of their sufferings. At the Irish colony, as we had but little food, we tried to purchase a steer to be killed to aid our commissary, George B. Sherman. The people refused to sell without the cash and we were compelled to take the animal by force.
"We then started down the Des Moines river, keeping on the hills to avoid the water, which by this time covered the bottom lands. About two hours before dark we arrived at Cylinder creek, which we found had risen so rapidly that it covered the flat land for nearly half a mile in width, for a depth of from two to four feet, while the main channel of the stream was fifty or sixty feet wide and very deep.
"Captain Richards and myself concluded to rig up a boat from a new wagon box, which we calked with the cotton from a bed-quilt, and taking Guernsey Smith from my company and Mr. Mason from his, we started across, hoping in this way to be able to get the remainder over. The wind, however, rose
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suddenly from the northwest and blew so hard that although we baled con- stantly we barely reached the other shore before our boat was swamped and sunk, all getting more or less wet.
"Captain Richards, Smith and myself tried to reach the men on the other side by calling to them, but failed. We were exhausted and knew unless we could reach the cabin about three miles away the chances for the night would be poor indeed, as all our blankets were left with the men. As we could accom- plish nothing more, we started as rapidly as we could go, with our wet feet, frozen boots and clothing, for the Shippey cabin, which we reached after dark. We secured a little bread, bacon and coffee and then sat around the fire drying our clothing, looking out of the door to see if there was any change for the better in the awful storm and wondering how it would be possible for the men to live through the night. This was one of the longest nights I ever experienced. It seemed like a month to me.
"As soon as we could see, we started back to the point where we had left the men. Captain Richards and myself reached the place through the blind- ing storm with the mercury away below zero and the wind blowing at a fifty mile rate, but the other men did not.
"When we reached Cylinder creek we could see that the men were all hidden from sight by the blankets and canvas coverings of the wagons and we were in great fear that all were frozen to death as there was not the least sign of life. We remained as long as we could stand it and then returned to Shippey's cabin. About three o'clock we again faced the storm and reached the place a second time opposite our men. Captain Richards and myself had brought a rope with us when we crossed over, and on our first trip had made great exer- tions to reach the men. We renewed our efforts at this time. I tied the rope around my body, Captain Richards taking the other end, and finding two boards of the wagon box, put them on the ice, and by moving one and then the other ahead of me while lying flat down tried to cross the stream, but on account of my weight constantly breaking the thin ice over the rapid portion of the stream, I found it impossible. Then Captain Richards, who was lighter than myself. tried the same experiment, I holding the end of the rope, but with no better success.
"At this time, however, I saw and talked with two of the men, who informed me that all were safe. With great coolness and presence of mind, the men piled up as close together as they could lie, covered themselves all over with the blankets, scarcely a person moving from Saturday evening until Monday morn- ing, when the ice had frozen over so solidly that the loaded wagons and horses, as well as the men, crossed over in perfect safety.
"Owing to the lack of food the men at this point separated somewhat, going in squads with a view to securing sufficient supplies to last them until they should reach home.
"When the storm came to Cylinder creek, Major Williams rode back on a wagon to the Irish colony to look after the men of the detail sent to Spirit Lake to bury the dead, who had not yet arrived. He and the remainder of the com- pany arrived at Fort Dodge on the 10th or IIth of April. All of those we had rescued arrived safely in as good form as could have been hoped for in their destitute and wounded condition.
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"All of the command finally arrived safely except Captain Johnson and William Burkholder, who perished in the awful storm not far from the Irish colony, on the west side of the west fork of the Des Moines river. Some of the party, however, received injuries from the exposure on the march, from which they never recovered.
"I have doubts whether any body of men for the same length of time, on any march, ever suffered greater hardships, more constant exposure, more severe bodily labor, than these who composed the Spirit Lake Expedition."
4701. I-15
CHAPTER XIX
BUILDING A RAILROAD
FORT DODGE & FORT RIDGLEY RAILROAD AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY ORGANIZED- FINANCING THE ROAD-GEORGE R. PEARSONS-A RACE FOR THE COUNTY LINE- MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS AS TO OPERATION-ROAD IS SOLD TO MINNEAPOLIS & SAINT LOUIS RAILROAD.
During the year 1877 the business men of Fort Dodge were aroused to action by the report that a railroad was to be built northwest of the city into the town of Humboldt. The chief promoter of this road was S. H. Taft, of Humboldt, and he had interested J. J. Smart, of Des Moines, in the enterprise. In addition the board of supervisors of Humboldt county had entered into an agreement to convey a considerable amount of swamp land as a bonus for building the road. The road was to be extended from Ames by way of Webster City to Humboldt, and thence to Rutland. The success of such a road would mean the loss of considerable business to the Fort Dodge business men. A public meeting was called, which was attended by men representing the various business interests of the city. Action was taken looking to the immediate building of a road into Humboldt county. A company was organized composed of the leading business men of the city and known as the Fort Dodge & Fort Ridgley Railroad & Tele- graph Company. George R. Pearsons was chosen treasurer and general super- intendent. The city and township voted a tax in aid of the enterprise, and the line of the proposed road was run to the south line of Humboldt county.
The original prospectus of the road shows that it was to be built narrow gauge width, from Fort Dodge in a northwesterly direction to the north line of the state in Kossuth or Emmet county, to connect with a railroad and telegraph company running in the direction of Fort Ridgley, Minnesota. The capital stock proposed was $2,000,000 in shares of $100 each, to be called in at the rate of ten per cent monthly, as the board of directors might direct, and the total indebtedness of the company was at no time to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate.
The officers /of the company were: Walter H. Brown, president ; George W. Bassett, vice president; George R. Pearsons, treasurer and general superin- tendent ; Gus T. Peterson, secretary, and Elliott E. Colburn, chief engineer.
The usual methods of raising additional funds with which to prosecute the work were resorted to in the way of taxes, personal subscriptions, and grants. At this time the number of inhabitants in Webster county was a little over 13,000 while the counties of Humboldt, Kossuth and Palo Alto had less. All of these counties as well as Pocahontas, Emmet, Clay and Dickinson were to be tributary to the road when it had reached Emmetsburg, a distance of fifty-three
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
miles, and it was the intention of the promoters to supply the territory west of Emmetsburg on the line of the Milwaukee road with fuel obtained from the coal mines adjacent to Fort Dodge.
The plan adopted by the board of directors was to build the road on as cheap a scale as possible, using light iron and light engines, so as not to subject it to the necessity of a foreclosure of its bonds, as had been the case with so many western roads, and it was confidently believed that with the aid of the people in the way that had been proposed and had already been started, by subscriptions of stock in the various townships along the line, and from private subscriptions that this object would be accomplished.
The level grade of the road, which was to be ballasted with good gravel, and the lack of curves, would enable the line to be operated at a light expense, and it was believed that the business which could be secured with connecting lines would enable the officers to pay a good dividend to the stockholders, besides pay- ing interest on the bonds, the total amount of which was to be $650,000 for one hundred miles of road, or $6,500 per mile, with seven per cent gold bearing inter- est coupons secured by trust deed.
Everything looked well on paper. It was easily figured out that the road would be a great success once it was put in operation and would add greatly to the prestige of Fort Dodge as a commercial center. Friends of the road were dispatched to adjoining counties to solicit stock and urge upon the people the advisability of voting a tax. The progress made in the way of securing taxes was only fair. Humboldt county voted not only taxes, but swamp lands as well. While there was a certain commercial jealousy existing between the towns of Dakotah City and Humboldt, the tax was at last voted and the "knockers" de- feated
The contract drafted by the board of supervisors contained numerous con- ditions which at the time looked easy enough, but proved exceedingly strenuous for the company to comply with. It was required that the company should have the line in running order and be able to maintain a speed of fifteen miles an hour over the county line by January 1. 1879. The motive power, however, was not mentioned, and this slight oversight enabled the company to comply with the condition in a most amusing manner.
Webster county voted a subsidy of $38,000 and Humboldt county $35,000, in addition to 7,000 acres of swamp lands. This was financial foundation sufficient to warrant the promoters starting and in the spring of 1878 work was started. In the east part of Fort Dodge on a vacant lot is still to be seen a relic of the first grading done for the Fort Dodge & Fort Ridgley road. The summer was a wet season and the work of grading and hauling the rails by team was greatly retarded. Several bad sloughs caused much trouble in getting a grade over. George R. Pearsons, who had personal charge of the work, was a giant in strength and he threw his whole reserve force of energy and power into the work with a determination born of desperation. It was told of him that he used to start with a rail in each hand on the run up the grade, so anxious was he to reach the county line of Humboldt and have the road completed before the expiration of the time limit for doing the work. The wet weather and other drawbacks experi- enced, which necessitated great exposure, soon told on this man of herculean strength, and in time brought him home to a sick bed. The members of the
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I.H.I.Co,
MASON CITY AND FORT DODGE RAILROAD DEPOT AND ROUNDHOUSE (1897)
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
directory felt that their project had been dealt a hard blow by this bit of bad news, but there were others who rallied to the rescue. A red-headed Irishman, who had charge of the men during Mr. Pearson's absence, proved an unknown hero. "Billy" O'Brien showed them he knew a few things about railroad building, and as fall came on and the weather continued bad, with the sloughs open and roads heavy, he threw his great strength into the work of reaching the goal, which was the Humboldt county line. Small freight cars were run by horse or mule power from the supply yard at Fort Dodge to the point where the graders were at work. It was the custon of the directors to lend a hand in loading these cars when they arrived, and otherwise making themselves useful in the work. The near approach of the first of the year and the continued bad weather served to bring out all of the combined energy of the force engaged in constructing the road, and it was seen that something must be done to reach the Humboldt line in time. The recovery of Mr. Pearson from his sickness brought out a plan of operation which was adopted at once. Three shifts of men were put at work. There was no let- up in the race. Every man contributed his every pound of muscle and energy to the work. With only a margin of a day or two, the rails were laid over the county line and Vice President Bassett, watch in hand, with six picked men passed over the county line on a handcar at a rate of speed exceeding fifteen miles an hour.
Through the town of Badger and on northwest the work progressed. Many people who ride over the Minneapolis & St. Louis road wonder why it is so crooked, when the prairie on either side would easily admit of a straight track without additional cost for grading. This was due to a plan inaugurated at the first inception of the Fort Dodge & Fort Ridgley survey. The corners of every other section are traversed to enable the company to secure additional subsidy for its construction.
The work had progressed to a point across the Des Moines river known as the Jones farm when negotiations were opened with the Minneapolis & St. Louis road, which at that time came as far south as Livermore. Their survey ran through the town of Belmond and they were seeking a southern outlet. In the Fort Dodge & Fort Ridgley road they saw a connecting link which would serve their purpose to a good advantage, and the officials at once laid before the local company a proposition to buy the road. A condition of the sale was that the local company should continue the work of construction and deliver it to them complete to Livermore.
The business men of Fort Dodge, who had become interested in the road at its inception and had been most enthusiastic, were more than willing to entertain the proposition, as they had in the brief time they had been connected with the enterprise been fully satisfied with railroad building. In fact the very promising things which at first looked so certain had gradually faded from view and the prospects of ultimate success were on the wane when the Minneapolis & St. Louis hove in sight with their proposition to buy. It did not take the remaining seven members of the board long to reach an agreement. Several of the members who had stuck to the enterprise from the first and had absorbed the stock of those who became frightened at the outcome, were joyous over the prospects of get- ting out without loss to themselves. Even at that the Minneapolis & St. Louis Company had made a good deal. And so did the local company, for steel rails
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