USA > Iowa > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 4
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All this happened late in November or in December. The boy, who had escaped and ran towards the Des Moines river, had not returned, nor had he been heard of. Lot was able to track him in the snow, and after following the track about twelve miles down the river, he found him lying in a hollow log. He was dead. Lot fastened up the log to keep away the wolves, and left him there until the next spring. The boy was only about cight or nine years of age and it is supposed he became exhausted and hid. While he rested. he went to sleep and froze to death. Lot also found, a few miles north of his cabin, the carcass of his pony. The Indians had killed it, as he always thought, to settle a quarrel among themselves, as to who should have it.
The Sioux did not return again to molest Lot and his family, but early the next spring Mrs. Lot ( who by the way, claimed to be a daughter of ex-Governor Huntington), died and was buried on a knoll near where their cabin stood. Until recently, the grave was marked only by a wild grape vine that grew upon it. It was located in what is known as the "Viger's cemetery a few miles south- west of Homer."
THE LOT MONUMENT
The fact that Mrs. Lot was the first white person to be buried in the locality of Homer actuated the old settlers to do something to perpetuate her memory. Accordingly a subscription fund was raised and a monument erected at her grave in the fall of 1911. The monument is built of cement and is a plain shaft. The work of making and crecting the monument was done by J. N. Bell, who was largely instrumental in creating interest in this worthy enterprise. The monument was unveiled with elaborate ceremonies in September, 1911. Prof. C. F. Runkle was the orator of the day and he was listened to by a large audience.
Si-dom-i-na-do-tah was perhaps honest in his claim to dominion over the territory invaded by Lot, though he was mistaken as to the extent of his right. The Sioux did own some territory west of the Des Moines river, in what is
Drawn from an old print by E. S. Boudinot
SI-DOM-I-NA-DO-TAH The Indian Chief Murdered by Henry Lot
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
now Humboldt county, but this did not extend south of the forks of the Des Moines and Si-dom-i-na-do-tah was claiming territory some twenty miles south of the southern border of his rightful possessions.
THE REPULSE OF GOVERNMENT SURVEYORS BY INDIANS
In 1848 the government survey of the lands lying north of the Raccoon Forks, (now Des Moines) was commenced and in May of that year a Mr. Marsh, with a surveyor's party and outfit commenced to run a correction line from the Mississippi river, near Dubuque, west to the Missouri river and pass- ing through Hamilton county. The surveying party proceeded with their work unmolested until they reached the Des Moines river. There they were met by a party of Indians who opposed their further progress. The chief, whose name was Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, claimed that the lands lying west of the Des Moines river belonged to his people and ordered Mr. Marsh and his men to "Puc-a- chee," which meant to "be off" or "be gone." After this interview, the Indians retired and the surveyors encamped for the night to consider the matter. The Sioux were the most savage and warlike tribe of Indians in the west and they were brave, fearless, and bloodthirsty as well. However, the surveying party decided to move on and the next morning crossed the river and proceeded with their work. They had not gone far, however, when at a point near section 30, township 89, range 28, they were suddenly surrounded and attacked by Indians. Their animals and supplies were taken, their instruments broken, their stakes pulled up, their mounds torn down and the party driven back across the Des Moines river. Stripped of everything, there was nothing left to do but to take up the march on foot, back to civilization. Some of the party returned over the line of their recent survey to Dubuque, while others went south to Des Moines. They were kindly assisted on their way at the settlements along the Des Moines river, and their report of the hostile attitude of the Indians filled the frontier settlers with apprehension and alarm. And this alarm was con- sidered all the more serious since the Indians had maintained a sullen and threatening attitude since their difficulty with Henry Lot in 1847.
The repulse of the surveyors, and the threatening attitude of the Indians toward the settlers further down the river, caused the government to establish a military post at Fort Dodge. Although the post was established as soon as the report of the surveying party reached Washington, and orders could be returned, it was not until 1850 that a detachment from the Sixth U. S. Infantry, under command of Maj. Sam'l Woods reached the point designated for the fort and built it. When the fort was first built it was called Fort Clark, but another fort having been built and named Fort Clark, the secretary of war, to prevent confusion changed the name to Fort Dodge, in honor of the dis- tinguished frontier statesman, Senator Dodge.
In 1851, the Sioux territory in the northern part of the state was ceded to the United States, and after that Si-dom-i-na-do-tah made no further attempts to check the invasion of the white man. But in spite of his attempts to be a good Indian and live in peace with his white neighbors, an avenger was on his trail, and he was soon to fall the victim of treachery more terrible, even, than the treachery of the Red man. We quote again from the manuscript of F. Q. Lee :
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
HENRY LOT'S REVENGE
"After the death and burial of his wife, Henry Lot took his children and went to Des Moines where he met and formed the acquaintance of Squire and Francis McGuire. Sometime the next winter he married the daughter of Francis McGuire, and in the spring of 1849 he and his wife and the two Mc- Guires, with their families, moved into the neighborhood where he had lived before, and where his first wife had died.
"After his trouble with the Indians he swore vengeance on the Sioux, and many stories have been told of his attempts to poison them. But we are inclined to think that none of these stories rest even upon probable grounds. But be that as it may, it is certain that he did meditate harm to them.
"Some five years later, in November, 1854, Lot took three barrels of whiskey and some other articles and proceeded north of Fort Dodge about thirty miles with the apparent intention of trading with the Indians. Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, the Sioux chief, was located in this locality. The chief was then quite an old man and had ceased to go about with his tribe. He had built a cabin, where he lived with his wife and four children, his aged mother, and two other Indian children.
"Lot built his cabin about a mile from that of the old chief and not far from where the town of Livermore, in Kossuth county, now stands.
"Sometime during the winter, Lot and his step-son went to Si-dom-i-na-do- tah's cabin and told the old chief that they had seen a large herd of elk and deer on the creek bottom some distance from his cabin and induced him to go with them to kill some of them. The old man, not suspecting treachery, mounted his pony, and with gun in hand started on the hunt. When they were well out of sight and hearing, Lot shot the old chief and killed him, and leaving his body where it fell, took his pony to his own cabin.
"That night Lot and his son painted themselves to look like Indians and went to the old chief's cabin where they murdered the aged mother, the wife and four of the children. A little girl eleven years of age escaped and hid among the willows near the creek, and a boy of twelve, who was left for dead, afterward recovered.
"Having thus murdered seven of the Indians, including Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, they took such furs, skins and other things as they could carry, burned their own cabin, and taking a circuitous route through Hamilton county to avoid Fort Dodge, they crossed the Des Moines river southwest of Homer and made their way westward toward the Missouri river. On their way they camped one night about a mile and a half south of Homer, and tried to sell some of the old chief's property to the settlers. But the settlers, on account of certain suspicious actions were afraid to buy, fearing no doubt that it would later develop that the goods had been stolen from the Indians.
"About ten days after the murder, some members of the tribe went to the chief's cabin and found the dead bodies, and the two children that had not been killed. The children told their story, from which it was believed that the Fox Indians were perpetrators of the outrage. The Indians hastened to Fort Dodge and gave information of the murder. Major Williams and two or three other white men immediately went to the scene of the tragedy and soon discovered
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
that it was Lot who had committed the crime. They buried the bodies found at the cabin and were soon on the track of the fleeing murderers. They tracked them to where they crossed the Des Moines river and there all trace was lost, and as they had had ten days' start, the pursuit was abandoned.
"Lot and his step-son went to California, and a few years later the son returned and reported the death of his father."
A PIONEER INQUEST
The body of the old chief was not found until about a year later, and when the report of the finding of the skeleton reached Homer, Granville Burkley, acting as county attorney, advised the coroner that it was his duty to summon a jury and hold an inquest. The Indians were notified of the proceeding and a few of them were present, bringing with them the two children that escaped massacre at the cabin, as witnesses. None of the Indians could speak, or understand the English language, nor could the coroner or any of his jury understand the Indian language. A man by the name of William Miller, who joined the party at Fort Dodge could have acted as interpreter, but between him and Burkley an ill feeling existed and he was not allowed to take any part in the proceeding. Professing to know the language himself, Burkley proceeded to question the witnesses, who answered all of his questions with "Ho wah sech che nepo Dakota," meaning, "yes, white man killed Dakota." Burkley interpreted this answer as often as it was given, to suit himself, but Mr. Miller objected to his interpretation, whereupon a quarrel ensued between them. Burkley made a great speech to the coroner and jury, claiming to be a college bred man, and acquainted with all languages, and quoted from several literary works, and some poetry to prove his knowledge. Miller, being an illiterate man and not able to answer Burkley's high flown speech, left in disgust and the inquest proceeded as Burkley directed. Before leaving, Burkley prevailed upon the Indians to allow him to take the skull of the old chief away with him. The Indians considered the whole proceeding as of very great importance and sup- posed when it was finished the white men would capture the murderer and turn him over to them. In allowing Burkley to carry off the skull they thought they were doing their part toward this much desired end.
Burkley took the skull to his home in Homer and hung it by the hair that had adhered to the skull, to the limb of a tree in his back yard where many of the old settlers have seen it swinging in the wind. Later, when it fell from the tree, he nailed it to the corner of his house as a sign. William Miller was often in Homer and saw the skull and reported to the Indians the use that was being made of it. They became very wroth, and for some time meditated a descent upon Homer and a massacre of the settlers in retaliation for the murder of the old chief and the indignity put upon his memory by Burkley. The expedition against Homer was abandoned, however, hut the Indians were always sullen and morose afterwards and their ill-temper broke out at last when Ink-pa-du-ta. a nephew of Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, made an attack upon the settlers at Spirit Lake in 1857.
CHAPTER III THE FIRST SETTLERS By F. Q. Lec
THE ARRIVAL OF PRESTON BELL-SETTLERS IN 1850-SETTLERS IN 1851- SETTLERS IN 1852-HOW "JAS" CAUGHT A DEER-THE FIRST STORE-OTIIER SETTLERS IN 1852-THE FIRST MILL-AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER- A PIONEER PRAYER MEET- ING-ARRIVALS IN 1853-CLAIM JUMPERS-THE FIRST LAND ENTRY-SLOUGH- ING DOWN-PIONEER HOSPITALITY-ARRIVALS IN 1854- DAVE BEACH WALKS TO DES MOINES-TIIE FIRST BRIDGE-THE ARRIVAL OF W. J. SILVERS-STORY OF MR. SILVERS TRIP TO IIAMILTON COUNTY-SILVERS FINDS HIS HOME-AN EARLY DISASTER-ARRIVAL OF TIIE WILLSONS-MRS. WILLSON'S STORY-OTHER '55 SET- TLERS-HOMER AS A PIONEER CITY-TIIE SECOND STORE-ARRIVAL OF BENJ. MILLARD-FIRST SETTLEMENT ON SKUNK RIVER.
ARRIVAL OF PRESTON BELL
Early in the spring of 1849, a young man, born and raised in the state of Indiana, seeking a home on the frontier, and who had been stopping for some time near Des Moines, Iowa, loaded his few worldly possessions into a covered wagon and with an ox team, started northward in search of a location. He followed the course of the Des Moines river, passing through the small settle- ments on the way until, at Swedes Point in Boone county, he left all settlements behind him. When he came to where the Boone river empties into the Des Moines, he followed that stream a few miles, where he found a location to his liking. It was on the west bank of the Boone. What he found was from forty to sixty acres of what is called "weed bottom," which made it possible to plant a crop at once. A high bluff ran back of the cleared bottom lands and at the foot of this bluff, he built a pole cabin and blazed out a "claim" running from the river over the bluffs and back over the level lands to the west. All of the lands thus "blazed out" were wooded, except the weed bottom.
Having brought with him one of those old "bull plows," he went to work to raise a crop of corn. The soil was intensely rich, and was as mellow as an ash heap. He succeeded in raising the finest corn he had ever seen, and was in position next year (1850), to supply the U. S. surveying party with corn when they arrived to survey the lands. This young man, whose name was PRESTON C. BELL, better known as "PRESS BELL," proved to be the first settler within the present limits of Hamilton county. And there, where he staked out his first claim, he continued to live most of the time until 1892, when he sold
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
out and moved to Kansas. When the writer visited him in 1888, he found him, and his wife, whom, by the way, he married in 1850, living in a neat farm house within a few rods of the site of his original cabin.
When Mr. Bell settled on the Boone river, no survey of the public lands north of Boone county had yet been made. Boone river had not yet been named and for several years it was known to the first settlers as "The East Fork of the Des Moines" or more commonly. "The East Fork." It presented altogether a different appearance then, than it does now, being narrow and deeper and having no sand bars. The broadening out of the river came with the settling up of the country, and of the many excellent water power sites then to be found along the river, scarcely any now remain.
The river was probably given its present name at the time the government survey was being made near its mouth, in 1850.
When Mr. Bell first settled here, he knew of no neighbors nearer than six- teen miles. When the government survey had been made, Mr. Bell found most of his claim to be within the northeast quarter of section No. 30, township No. 87, range No. 26, west of the fifth principal meridian Iowa, and this quarter was therefore entered by him.
During the course of the summer, he discovered that he had neighbors within four or five miles, as three families had moved up into the forks of the Boone in Webster county. These families were those of Squire and Frank McGuire and Henry Lot.
The second settler in this county was Osborne Brannan, who came some- time during the summer of 1849 and located a claim on what is now section 28-87-26, and thus he became Mr. Bell's nearest neighbor. They were the only settlers in the county, prior to 1850.
In recording the events of the early settlement of a county, where no effort lias been made to preserve its history, it is difficult to be entirely accurate as to (lates. It is found that the recollection of early settlers is so treacherous as to dates that it is difficult for some of them to tell with certainty just when they came. It is not strange, therefore, that different claims to priority in settle- ment should arise, and it is almost impossible to determine who was first upon the ground. Their recollection of the time of coming is often expressed in such terms as "early in the spring" or "just as winter was breaking up," which expressions admit of considerable doubt whether the time was March, April or May, as any of these months might have been thought to be early in the spring, and in any of them, it might have appeared to the settler that "winter was just breaking up." They often came from different directions, and did not discover each other's presence, sometimes for months, so that, looking back now, it is not strange that each should think he was here before the other. Several of those coming in 1850 claimed for a long time to be the first settler and in nearly every sketch of the early settlement, credit is given to Wilson Brewer as being the first settler, but upon that point there is no room for doubt.
SETTLERS IN 1850
Whoever may have been first, we find that in the spring of 1850, THOMAS HOGAN came and took up a claim on what is now section 21-87-20. John Tolman,
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
who was afterward school fund commissioner of Webster county came also and located a claim on the farm which was afterwards owned for a long time by John Robinson. Very shortly after Tolman had located his claim, Mintor. or "Major" Brassfield came and purchased it. Tolman then moved to Webster county. Brassfield remained but a few years, when he moved to Wright county. He took up a claim near Goldfield, where he resided for many years, claiming to be the first settler of that county.
In the fall of 1850 Wilson Brewer and family, and a nephew, William Brewer, and William Stanley and family arrived and settled near Bone's mill, about six miles south of Webster City. As usual in those times, they came with ox teams in covered wagons. They had a large tent which they set up. Game was so plentiful that Wilson Brewer was able to bring in a fine yearling deer and the party partook of a bountiful supper of venison.
Wilson Brewer staked out a claim just south of the mill site, and built a cabin, but soon sold to his nephew, and coming up the river, staked out a new claim within the present boundaries of Webster City. Mr. Brewer was there- fore the first settler within the present limits of Webster City.
Mr. Stanley located his claim a short distance up the river from the mill site. He built his house on the east side of the river and cleared a truck patch on the west side. Being a hunter and trapper, he made no other improvements. The site of his cabin is still plainly to be seen, the land being now owned by county clerk, J. C. Sterling. After occupying this claim about a year, Stanley sold it to Peter Lyon and it was occupied by his brother, Isaac Lyon, and family for some time. Shortly after the sale of his claim Mr. Stanley died and his family moved north of Webster City and took up another claim. Wil- liam Stanley was the first white person to die within the present limits of Hamil- ton county. His death occurred in the fall of 1851.
These were all the settlers who came during the year 1850, and at the close of that year, no more than seven families had permanently located in Hamilton county.
SETTLERS IN 1851
ISAAC HOOK was the first settler to come in 1851. He took a claim and set- tled at Hook's Point. D. S. Jewett followed and took a claim and built a cabin in section 21-87-26, but soon thereafter sold to Jacob Crooks and left the county. He afterwards returned, however, and for many years was a prominent citizen of Cass township, where he resided until his death. Nick Bonnet, a son-in-law of Mr. Crooks, came also in 1851. In September, Ed Leastman and James Brock arrived, and it was also in this year that Peter and Isaac Lyon, with their families came, and settled on the Stanley claim as above mentioned.
These were all the settlers coming in 1851, so that at its close, only fourteen families had located in the county and the population did not, perhaps, exceed fifty people.
Among these early settlers, the Lyons were noted for their fashion of wear- ing buckskin clothes, nicely fringed, giving the men a very picturesque appear- ance. An old settler said to the writer, that he would never forget the first time he saw Joth Lyon. Joth, then a boy, was dressed in full buckskin, with a coon-skin cap and moccasins. He was going to the "Bruce" mill with an ox
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
team, attached to a "lizzard" loaded with sacks of grain. A lizzard was a sort of sled, made of a tree fork, shaped like a letter V, with boards laid across for a bed upon which to lay the load. The team was hitched to the point of the V. This primitive sled was not uncommon in early times, though, no doubt, there are many young people in this community today, who never saw or heard of one.
Though the settlement of the county up to January 1, 1852, had been slow, the settlers had from time to time gone to Des Moines, Iowa City, and even as far as Keokuk for supplies, and the fame of the splendid country along the Boone and Des Moines had gone forth. So, the year 1852 was destined to be an important one in the settlement of the county.
SETTLERS IN 1852
The first settler to come in 1852 was BENJAMIN BELL, familiarly known throughout the county as "Uncle Benny Bell." He came up from Des Moines, where his family was stopping for the winter, early in the year, and, after looking about, returned, and in the spring brought his family, including his father, Benj. Bell, and they rented the Press Bell claim and lived there during their first year. They came, of course, with ox teams, but Uncle Bennie brought a horse along. As the wagon with the household effects was going down a steep hill, Mrs. Bell's spinning wheel, she had brought all the way from Indiana, and had guarded with great care, fell from the wagon and was broken. It was upon this wheel that the flax and wool for all the family clothing had been spun and it was regarded as quite a serious accident. During the year Mr. Bell staked out a claim and made improvements, built a cabin and prepared to move to it by the next spring.
HOW "JAS" CAUGHT A DEER
For the benefit of our boy readers, as well as others. we insert here an account of the capture of a deer by Jasper Bell, the oldest son of "Uncle Bennie." Jas was thirteen years old at this time and it was his business, as it is that of many boys, even at this day, to prepare and bring in the kindling with which to start the morning fire. It was late in the fall, and ice had frozen for four or five feet along each side of the river, but the center was open. Jas had forgotten to get in his kindling at night, and was ordered out of bed just at daybreak to supply it. He ran out to the "woodpile" without dressing himself and was clothed only in his night clothes. When reaching the wood pile, he chanced to look up the hill toward the house and saw an antlered deer. He forgot his undressed condition, and ran back to the house calling the greyhound and bull- dog. Returning with them, he pointed out the deer to them. No sooner did the hound see the deer than she went after it like a shot, and the deer, to escape, ran down the hill. The bulldog headed it off and it plunged into the river and swam across, but was unable to land on account of the rim of ice frozen there. The bulldog plunged in too and seized the deer by the throat. Under the water they went, then up again, and a fierce struggle took place. churning the water into a foam. The dog held on and gradually worried the (leer ont while he towed him toward the shore upon which young Jasper stood
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
shouting at the top of his voice: "Sick em Bull, hold on Bull." When the dog reached the edge of the ice, Jas ran out and taking him by the short stubby tail, lifted him up and taking hold of his hind legs, tried to draw him into the ice, yelling all the time, "Hold him fast, Bull." All this noise and racket brought "Uncle Bennie" to the scene and as the deer was about worried out, half drowned, and was held close to the ice by Jas and the dog, he took it by the horns and killed it. When it ceased to struggle, he drew it onto the ice. Then looking around and discovering Jas in his unclad condition, said, "You'd better get to the house, boy, or you'll freeze." Jas then remembered, for the first time, his lack of proper raiment, and, of course, scampered off to the house double quick. But he declares to this day that he wasn't a bit cold, nor were his feet frozen by standing on the ice. He thinks in his excitement he danced about so energetically that he was kept perfectly warm. What boy in these days would not glory in such a chance to catch a deer! But the opportunity for such good luck comes only to the earliest settlers in the countries where deer are found, and before the sight of men and human habitations have so alarmed them as to keep them far away from the settlements. In those days deer were plenty, and were often seen near the dwellings of the early settlers, and few, indeed, were they who did not have a nice fat deer always hanging in the "smoke house" and "venison" was an every-day supply that would gladly have then been traded for salt pork.
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