USA > Iowa > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 15
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F. A. Harris, Third Sergeant. Webster City.
J. A. Norwood, Fourth Sefgeant, Webster City.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
E. D. Kellogg, First Corporal, Cresco. H. Overacker, Second Corporal, Belmond. W. H. Cheny, Third Corporal, Webster City. 1. Whited. Fourth Corporal. Goldfield. S. Hartman, Fifth Corporal. Webster City.
S. Gilpin, Sixth Corporal, Upper Grove.
E. Eastabrook, Seventh Corporal, lowa Falls.
T. Brassfield, Private, Goldfield. J. J. Berkley, Webster.
C. E. Biggs, Ilomer.
H. II. Battles, Ilomer.
L. Barns, Goldfield. J. Brock, Webster City.
B. Brock, Webster City.
J. B. Bolden, Alden. S. K. Baker, Delanti.
S. Craig, West Liberty, N. Y.
L. Cary, Algona.
L. D. Cobb, Hampton.
S. Church, lowa Falls.
M. F. Collins, Webster City.
J. Clemmen, Homer.
C. C. Coulter, Belmond.
C. F. Dalley, Homer.
A. Esterbrook, Iowa Falls.
J. Elenger, Algona.
T. Fisher, Webster City.
J. B. Gray, Belmond. V. R. Gray, Belmond.
J. Gray, Goldfield.
J. Gilpin, Upper Grove.
W. W. Gates, Eagle Grove.
WV. C. B. Howard, Homer.
N. S. F. and W. Hall, Webster City.
J. Hartman, Homer. J. C. Ilickart, Algona.
L. M. Harris, Webster City.
B. Hayden, Homer. N. Hayden, Homer. T. J. Hussey, Bridgeport.
J. Killing, Iowa Falls. S. Kinnan, Delanti. C. F. Kellogg, Cresco.
D. Knoll, Belmond.
R. McKirkland, lowa Falls.
J. W. Kimberlain, Homer. R. Lyon, Webster City, D). Lake, Webster City.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
A. Louison, Alden. E. Loomis, Luni.
A. Listenberger, South Bend.
A. F. Munson, Webster City.
J. V. Neary, Webster City.
D. Okerson, Webster City.
L. F. Parks, Homer. S. Powers, lowa Falls. J. Riebhoff, Algona.
J. G. Reiley, Algona.
J. C. Taylor, Algona.
H. W. Todd, Alden.
WV. A. Wood, Homer.
T. Wheelock, Upper Grove.
D. Weaver. Webster City.
Wm. H. Wood, lowa Falls.
J. M. Whaley, Belmond.
S. S. Westgates, Iowa Falls.
The following persons were rejected: Frank Packard, cut on wrist : Leander M. Pemberton, age ; James Brock, eyes ; Daniel W. Cole, defective hands ; D. M. Hartman, eyes ; Samuel Osburn, age; Wm. M. Okerson, age; Francis C. Crom- well and Wm. Mann refused to take the oath.
Although this company was recruited here it will be seen that many of its members were from other counties.
POLITICS DURING THIE WAR
It will be remembered that nearly all the democrats were Douglas men and of course were what were known during the war as war democrats. There was, therefore, no sentiment here but that of loyalty to the flag, and desire for an earnest prosecution of the war. It was, therefore, proposed in the fall of 1861, that a Union party be formed and old party names be dropped until the south was subdued. The Union party was organized and a ticket was put in the field but the republican leaders insisted upon keeping up their party organization and declared the Union movement to be an attempt of the democrats to share in the offices. S. B. Rosencrans who had been a republican from the first was charged with being the leader of the Union movement.
The republicans put a ticket in the field in opposition to the "Union Move- ment" and a hot and bitter contest resulted.
The nominees of the two parties were as follows:
County Judge-Republican, W. R. Daniels ; Union, James Sanford.
Treasurer and Recorder-Republican, J. M. Bell ; Union, John W. Funk.
Sheriff-Republican, Michael Sweeney; Union, N. G. Olmstead.
Superintendent of Schools-Republican, J. W. Lee; Union. J. W. Lee.
Drainage Commissioner-Republican, Israel Woodward; Union. T. J. Mc- Connell.
Coroner-Republican, James Sanford; Union, Mr. Phillips.
Surveyor-Republican, L. L. Richardson.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
Dan Underwood, then sheriff of the county, became an independent candidate for reelection and J. S. Smith ran independent for recorder and treasurer. The contest resulted in the election of the straight republican ticket. At this election Hon. D. D. Chase was elected district attorney to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Peter Hepburn who had gone to the war.
GROVE TOWNSHIP CREATED
The board of supervisors created the township of Grove, west of Cass. and made the dividing line between them to be the east line of the west tier of sections in township 89. range 25, and authorized the voters in the new township to meet at the house of Elizabeth Mclaughlin on the day for general election and elect a full complement of township officers. Later in the session, the board seems to have been struck with a species of patriotic fever. for on motions, following each other in succession, they changed the name of Grove township to Fremont, Clear Lake to Lyon. Wall Lake to Ellsworth and Norway to Scott.
They levied taxes as follows :
County tax, three and one-half mills.
Support of schools. I mill.
State tax. 2 mills, besides two township and school taxes.
The new board of supervisors organized at the January session, 1862. with Huitt Ross as chairman. The membership of the board was as follows: Cass township. Robert Willis: Fremont township. W. W. Boak; Boone township, J. MI. Funk : Hamilton township. David L. Hook: Webster township. Isaiah Doane : Marion township. Huitt Ross: Lyon township. Luther Lakin; Ellsworth town- ship, J. S. Wald: Scott township, Israel Biggs.
This was the board that provided for building the bridges and repudiated the county bonds as above related.
Under the law of the state it was left discretionary with the board to publish the delinquent tax list or the proceedings of the board or not. They refused to sanction the publication of the tax list and only agreed to authorize the printing of the proceedings of the board on condition that the cost should not exceed $150. The amount offered was $50 less than had been paid the previous year, and though we nowhere find an acceptance of the offer. we presume it was adopted for the proceedings appeared in print. The board must have changed its policy upon the publication of the tax list also though the record is silent as to that : at any rate the tax list was printed as usual each year until September 27, 1862. when the Freeman suspended publication. It did not resume again until May 28. 1864.
THE COUNTY OFFERS BOUNTIES
At the September, 1862, session of the board the following resolution was offered by Mr. Boak and adopted.
"Resolved, that the board of supervisors of Hamilton county. Iowa, pay to each resident volunteer the sum of fifty dollars upon his being sworn into the United States Service and that the further allowance of four dollars per month to the wife and two dollars a month to each child under fourteen years of each
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IHISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
resident volunteer who shall go from this county under the recent calls of the president.
"Resolved, that if there should be a draft made from this county that the same allowance be made to each man so drafted, and to each member of his family as is given to volunteers and their families."
. The clerk was directed to issue warrants in payment of claims under said resolutions when vouchers showing that claimant has been mustered into service are presented.
The first order drawn under the above resolutions was at the October session and was in favor of John S. Sanford.
There were three changes in the board of supervisors during the year 1803. J. C. Hayse took the place of 1. Doan, E. W. Salsbury that of J. M. Funk, and Samuel Oakes that of J. S. Ward, but the policy adopted by the old board was followed up.
At the June session the resolution offering bounty of $50 to volunteers and $4 a month to the wife and $2 to each child under fourteen years old was reinacted.
At the June session, County Judge W. R. Daniels, having made preparations to go to Pike's Peak, tendered his resignation. This was accepted and Isaiah Doane was appointed to fill the vacancy.
It was at this session also that two propositions to publish the delinquent tax list in papers in adjoining counties were tendered the board. One of these prop- ositions was made by J. D. Hunter of Eldora, Hardin county, at that time pub- lisher of the Hardin County Sentinel. This was the first appearance of Mr. Hunter in the county.
Three years later he became a resident of the county and has ever since held a leading place in its political affairs.
BOUNTIES INCREASED
In the fall of 1863, the call for men to fill the quota of the county in the military service made a draft seem imminent and a special meeting of the board was called to devise ways and means, if possible, to avert it. This meeting was called for two very good and sufficient reasons: First, the county did not want it said that there were not patriots enough to fill every demand made by the government without force being used to procure them, and second, nobody wanted to be drafted. Perhaps the last consideration was the more weighty of the two, but both reasons were sound and as a draft would directly or indirectly strike almost every property owner in the county there was little danger that any measure adopted would not meet hearty support and cooperation from everybody. The board. therefore, concluded that the best way to meet the situation was to offer sufficient bounty to induce men to volunteer. Two hundred dollars seemed to be the prevailing amount offered by other counties and it was soon agreed to offer that amount. But as volunteers were being called for all over the country and it was not certain that even that liberal offer would induce enough to volunteer to fill the quota, in which case a draft would have to be resorted to, it was agreed that drafted men ought to have the same bounty as enlisted men. It was finally agreed to repeal the resolution giving $50 and per capita support to the volunteer and his family and in lieu of that to offer a bounty of $200 to each volunteer or
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
drafted man mustered into the United States service and accredited to this county. and a four mill tax was levied to raise the money necessary to meet the payments.
Having now recounted the doings of the officials of the county for a couple of years, let us go back and note the private happenings of general interest.
It is well perhaps to note that during the winter of '61-2 very heavy snow fell and the spring did not open up until April when the snow going off with a rain raised the rivers and streams higher than they had ever been known to be before. and the high water continued to the middle of May.
TRAGEDY AT FISIL TRAP FORD
On the first day of May, 1862, occurred a most shocking casualty at Fish Trap Ford, and as a full account thereof was published in the Freeman of May 3rd, we can do no better than to give the article.
"The most startling calamity that has ever happened in our county occurred in Marion township at the crossing of the Des Moines road on Boone on Thursday last resulting in the drowning of Mrs. S. M. Sherman and Mrs. Chas. A. Sherman and an only child of the latter, aged about a year and a half-all of Fort Dodge.
"It has been the custom of the stage company during the prevalence of the high water, to ferry the mails and passengers over in a skiff, a team being always in readiness on the other side to carry them forward. On Thursday these ladies were passengers from Des Moines and upon arriving at the ford, a lad of thirteen or fourteen by the name of Jakeway, undertook to ferry them across. The party with their baggage and the mails loaded the skiff down very much besides making it 'top heavy.' U'pon nearing the swift part of the current, one of the oars caught upon a brush or other impediment, causing the boat to dip water and at the same time one of the mail bags slid into the river. The rower at once strove to secure the mail and while thus engaged and evidently frightened, the boat struck a sunken tree and capsized, precipitating its contents into the flood. The boy caught upon a branch of the tree and reached the shore, but the two ladies and the child were drowned. Neither of the stage drivers could swim and con- sequently could render no aid. A Mr. Curtis of Marion township, who appeared to be present, plunged into the river, but was so burdened by his clothing as to be unable to render any assistance. The elder Mrs. Sherman maintained herself upon the water and swam down with the current several rods before she became insensible. Her body floated so near to the shore some 300 yards below, that the stage driver on the right bank managed to reach it and bring it ashore, and had medical assistance been at hand there seems but little doubt that her life might have been saved. The younger of the two, having the child in her arms, very soon sank. The child becoming disengaged, floated down the stream with one of its little hands above the water. seemingly clutching the air. The news of the accident was quickly carried to the village, a mile or two below, and also to Homer, and the inhabitants all rushed to the spot, to render such aid as they could in recover- ing the bodies. The body of Mrs. C. A. Sherman was recovered about half a mile below, as was also that of the child. Dr. Corbin, of Homer, made an effort to resuscitate the body first recovered, but too much time had intervened and life was extinct.
"The elder of the two ladies was the wife of S. M. Sherman, Esq., postmaster
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
at Fort Dodge, and the younger was the wife of his son, Capt. Chas. A. Sherman, late of Fort Dodge, but now somewhere in Eastern Virginia in the discharge of his military duties."
During the season of 1862, Hiram Bennett built a flouring mill on Boone river, two miles north of Webster City.
Dr. H. N. Crapper, who was for many years a successful practitioner in Web- ster City, came in the summer of 1862, He had for some years prior been a resident of Liberty ( now Goldfield), Wright county.
COMPANY A, 32ND INFANTRY
In September, 1862, a company of volunteers was raised in Wright, Hamilton and Humbolt counties. 1. H. Cutler, of Belmond. member of the legislature from this district, was made captain. The roster of the company shows that the following men residents of Hamilton county enlisted in that company (Com- pany A, 32nd Iowa Infantry) :
John Eckstein, J. P. Paine, W. K. Laughlin, T. C. Allen, H. Church. J. S. Sanford, J. Brock, N. G. Olmstead, J. Duckett, John McMiller. J. S. Cross. J. N. Maxwell, L. Olmstead, J. M. McFarland, S. L. Richardson, J. Adams, B. R. Brewer, C. Church.
This company was named "A" and became a part of the 32nd Iowa Infantry.
On the 19th of Sept., 1862, a company was organized at Webster City, consist- ing of 50 men, designed for the Northwest service, that is, as a guard to prevent invasion by Indians. Of this company, Dr. H. N. Crapper was made captain. Wm. L. Church, ist lieutenant, and Sam M. Pardell, 2nd lieutenant. No roster of the men enlisting appears to have been preserved and there is no record that the company was ever called out, or did any service.
On Sept. 27, 1862, the Hamilton Freeman suspended publication, its editor and publisher, Mr. Charles Aldrich, having enlisted in the service of the U. S. and the people of the county were without a local paper for almost two years.
As the years of the war slowly passed and men were constantly dropping out of the line of civil life into the ranks of the great army that was battling for the Union, it is not strange that settlements within the county should be fewer and improvements less in value than when the attention and energies of so large a number of men were engaged in civil, instead of military, pursuits. Still the work of settling and improving the county did not wholly stop. A scattering settle- ment had been effected along the Skunk river. There the Sowers, Staleys, Hen- dersons, Lakins, Churches, Everetts and others had built their cabins and with the aid of a few scattered prairie settlers, had organized townships and were building school houses, roads, bridges and placing the handmarks of civilization upon the wild and untamed prairies. It seemed incredible that under the circum- stances, any improvements could be expected, yet the fact is that the county con- tinued to gradually increase in population and material resources until in 1865 and '66, when a great influx of settlers began to find homes here and put new life and vigor into all private and public enterprises.
The newly elected members of the board of supervisors, taking their places Jan. 1, 1864, were for Fremont township. W. W. Boak ; Cass, Robert Willis,
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
Hamilton, I. C. Woodard; Marion, W. Neese; Lyon, W. R. Patrick. W. W. Boak was elected chairman of the board.
The county officers were: County judge, I. Doane; recorder and treasurer, J. J1. Bell; sheriff. M. Sweeney ; drainage commissioner, W. R. Patrick ; coroner, J. W. Payne.
SWAMP LANDS
The swamp lands had always been looked upon by the people as a means whereby public improvements might be made, and, as we have seen, several at- tempts had been made to utilize them for this purpose but so far to little purpose. But now a new question regarding these lands came up which gave the county a great deal of trouble and litigation and the whole question was not finally settled until quite recently. It will therefore be of interest to explain the situation in relation to them so that the future actions of the officials in relation thereto will be understood.
The swamp land grant was a grant to the counties of the state of all the swamp lands within their boundaries and the intention of the grant was to encour- age the draining of, and making productive, this otherwise almost valueless land. Taken according to government survey, the smallest subdivision of that survey being the basis, if a forty acre division, or a lot adjoining a meandered lake or river, was more than half so swampy as to be unfit for cultivation or use as meadow land without drainage, then that forty or lot was swamp land and covered by the grant. The government had sent a commissioner to report these lands and heretofore the county had relied upon the lists of lands so reported. As it proved this list had been made without much care on the part of the com- missioner and a considerable amount of land that was not swamp was reported. After this grant had been made, other grants were made to railroad companies. The grants to the railroad corporations provided that where the lands included in the grant to them had been already sold by the government, they in view thereof could locate any other unsold lands within the state. These railroad grantees. therefore in looking for lands outside of their grant, discovered that a great deal of land claimed by the different counties was not swamp lands at all, though so reported by the commissioners. They therefore laid claim to this land, and the land commissioner made a ruling that before patents would issue for swamp lands, the counties should make proof of the swampy character of each tract of land claimed.
The swamp land grant provided that where any swamp land had been sold by the government, the county entitled to it should receive cash or script. With the script the county could locate any unsold land belonging to the government in the state, whether swamp or not.
As the goverment had sold considerable land which really belonged to the county, the county received its script and located other land in Emmet and Kossuth counties. It may be wondered at that any one should buy swamp land when there was plenty of good land to be had at the same price. But people generally did not know about the swamp grant and would enter quarters, one fortieth of which was swamp, while speculators would locate tracts of lands with- out seeing them at all or knowing anything about their character, and in this way much swamp land was sold by the government.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
As we have said, up to this time the county had relied upon the selections made and reported to the government by the commissioner. But now they were com- pelled to make proof of the swampy character of each forty acre tract and also make proof as to the swamp land sold to settlers or speculators by the government. but they were not allowed to make proof upon any lands except such as had already been reported or designated as swamp land.
At the June session of the board. 1864, one Wm. Baker, a non-resident, pre- sented a proposition to the board offering to prove up and settle the swamp land claims for county for twenty per cent of cash or land shown by the proofs to belong to the county and ten per cent of the indemnity lands. The board there- upon entered into a contract with said Baker, to settle the county's swamp land claims, and upon terms substantially according to the proposition. This led to immediate steps being taken to settle the claims, but it led also to a lawsuit with Baker that hung in the courts for years for Baker's work was but partially and imperfectly done. Several other attempts were made by other persons at different times, but it was many years before it was finally settled. as will be seen as this history proceeds.
CLERK J. M. JONES RESIGNS
At the September session of the board. 1864, J. M. Jones, who had been its very efficient clerk from the organization of that body, presented his resignation. he having determined to enlist in the army. It is but proper to state here that no set of records in the county were more neatly and systematically kept than those under his control, and the board was loath to part with so efficient an officer. But his reasons for resigning were all sufficient and his resignation was accepted and a vote of thanks was tendered him for his efficient services while clerk. On the same day. M. Sweeney presented his resignation as sheriff of the county. which was accepted. and he was elected to fill the vacancy in the clerk's office. Humphrey C. Hillock was elected sheriff to fill the vacancy caused by the resig- nation of Mr. Sweeney.
THE FREEMAN RESUMES PUBLICATION
In May, 1864, Mr. V. A. Ballou came home from the war and renewed the publication of the Freeman. His first issue appeared May 25, 1864. Mr. Bal- low was a young man who had been employed in the Freeman office soon after it was established in 1857 and had worked on the paper during all the time, when not attending college, until the fall of 1861, when he enlisted in Company F. Sec- ond lowa Cavalry, in which he served, making an excellent record as a soldier. On account of poor health, however, he was discharged.
Ilis service in the army had not cooled his patriotism for the first issue of his paper he set up as his motto. "My Country when right. My Country, always. whether right or wrong." In the first issue of the paper we notice under the head of "war items," that at the battle of Pleasant Hill, in which the Thirty-sec- ond Iowa was engaged, that Sergeant J. Ripley was wounded : Henry Franks. R. D. Fanght, Chas. Gray, John Haskins, missing. Joshua MeFarland wounded in the leg, John M. Miller wounded in the head : Joseph Payne, missing. All of these were Hamilton county men.
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IHISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
D. D. MIRACLE ARRIVES
Just at this time, Hon. D. D. Miracle arrived and took up his residence. An article from his pen entitled "My first trip in a stage coach," was printed in the first issue of the Freeman in 1864. as also a local notice stating that "D. D. Mir- acle, Esq .. a lawyer from Oshkosh. Wis., has just arrived and intends to remain permanently in this place."
HORSE THIEF EXCITEMENT
In the latter part of May, 1864, there was great excitement in the county over horse thieves. On the 27th day of May, six horses and three sets of harness were stolen in the northwest corner of Story county and the thieves passed northward through this county into Wright. They were pursued and in consequence. be- tween Skunk Grove and Alden, they turned loose two of the stolen horses. From Alden they turned northwest and stopped at the house of Wm. McCormack, a homesteader living about a mile and a half southeast of where Clarion now stands. The sheriff of Wright county had been notified, and with a posse of men went in pursuit and found the thieves at McCormack's and attempted to arrest them. There were three of them and they, knowing that "Judge Lynch" would probably officiate at their trial if arrested, and that a hanging bee would occur as soon as a tree could be found to hang them to, fought with the greatest desperation and succeeded in escaping with part of their plunder, leaving behind them two horses and the three sets of harness. The harness was hiid in three separate places in the tall grass where they were soon afterward found. In the fight be- tween the sheriff's posse and the thieves, guns and pistols were freely used, but the thieves escaped so far as known uninjured, while of the sheriff's posse Mr. Donaldson was shot through the breast and was supposed to be fatally wounded. However, he recovered and lived many years, though always suffering from the effect of the wound. John Melrose was shot in the neck. The thieves started southwest and the next day, a courier from Batch Grove came into Webster City for help, and was immediately joined by a goodly number of horsemen, but upon searching the grove nothing was found. It was reported that they had gone east in the direction of Eagle creek and Wall lake. The horsemen followed until near midnight, and coming to the conclusion that they were not on the right track, returned home. It seems that the thieves after eluding pursuit stole four horses on Lizzard creek and were next seen near Forest City, Iowa. This affair created a great sensation at the time and nearly every old settler will remember the great excitement it created. It became the leading subject of conversation for weeks and while the excitement was at its height, the wildest rumors were freely cir- culated with reference to the thieves' organization, the desperate characters of the gang. It was claimed to be the determination of the horse thieves to steal all the horses in the neighborhood worth stealing, and shoot down any person who attempted to interfere. It was strongly urged that Story, Hamilton and Wright counties should unite in offering a reward for the capture of the thieves. Hamil- ton declined. Wright offered $150 reward for each of the men. The thieves passed over into Minnesota, where they were pursued so closely that a battle took place and again they escaped. leaving, it was reported, three of the pursuing party
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