USA > Iowa > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 5
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THE FIRST STORE
David Carroll came next, and to him may be accorded the credit of keeping the first store near Hook's Point. His stock of goods was exceedingly limited. and it is reported that he kept most of it under the bed. Still it was a source of supply to the settlers for gunpowder, lead, and a few other indispensables. Indeed a much larger stock would have gone begging among so few customers.
Whiskey was considered a prime necessity and while almost all the settlers brought with them a small amount for present use, ISAAC HOOK was the first to keep it for sale. His place was therefore resorted to to such an extent that he also put in a small stock of goods and became the second storekeeper, if indeed, he was not the first, as some aver he was. Both stores, however, were started the same year, and probably but little time intervened between the opening of each.
It must not be thought that these stores began business with a "grand opening" as do the mercantile institutions of the present day. They simply brought forward a supply of those articles most needed by the early settlers, and as customers were few, the members of the storekeeper's family were his clerks, and they chalked on the door, the items of credit or carried them in their minds. Whichever way it was done, there was little grumbling by store- keepers about bad debts, for the men and women who braved the hardships of pioneer life, were honest, as a rule, and whether any account was kept of debts or not, they were usually paid.
Mr. Hook, in addition to his small store, opened a hotel, and Hook's Point, as the place was called, became the principal trading point in the county. Vol. I-3
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
OTIIER SETTLERS IN 1852
W. W. MCKINNEY first came to Iowa in 1839, but moved to Hamilton county in August, 1852. He settled just north of Hook's Point.
ELZIAR RUSSELL came in September, 1852, and settled on the southeast quarter of section 9-87-26, the farm which is now known as the Low Lawn Stock Farm. He began at once to make permanent improvements, and resided there until the winter of 1853-4, when he moved to section 7 in the same town- ship. His new claim was a piece of ground claimed by the Des Moines River Land Company and joined the town plat of Homer. Mr. Russell made some improvements, but did not occupy the land long, becoming interested in town property in Homer, as well as in some mill property in Webster county.
THE FIRST MILL
ANDREW GLOSECLOSE, with his son and daughter, came to the county in the summer of 1852. He built a dam across Boone river on section 15-87-26, pre- paratory to building a mill. He had been in the milling business on Big Creek, about three miles north of Polk City, in Polk county, for several years, but that stream had gone dry in the summer and the location was not good. Major Brassfield had visited the mill and told him of some excellent mill sites on the "East Fork" and persuaded him to move up here. After finishing up the dam and putting up a pole cabin, to the square, he went back to Polk county, and in December brought the rest of the family. The snow was deep, the weather cold, and the cabin had no roof. He planted two "forks" in the ground, put a pole across, and stood up poles, covering them with bark, thus providing a temporary abode until the cabin could be finished. The next year he had his mill moved and set up, and sometime in 1853 was ready to grind wheat and corn. Lewis McCrary and Wm. Strickler were the men employed to set up the mill. The burrs for the mill were made of an Iowa "Niggerhead." in Polk county, and though not equal to the finer burrs of a modern mill, they did fair work. This was the first grist mill in the county. Mr. Gloseclose also brought along a hand mill, called in these days a corn cracker, for grinding corn. He also put in a sawmill in connection with his grist mill. He ran the mill about two or three years and sold 10 Snell, Butterworth & Messmore, and they sold to Charles Fisher and it is known to most of the residents of the county as the "Fisher Mill." Miss Sarah Gloseclose was a girl of thirteen when she accom- panied her father and brother to this county in 1852. In 1857 she married Morgan Hill and lived for many years near the place where her father first settled, and from her we learned the facts above stated. Mrs. Hill can remember when elk were so plentiful that her father and a neighbor caught two of them in the deep snow, and after tying them up, came to the house for a sled and brought both of them in alive. They tried to tame them but they refused to be tamed and finally died. She feels quite sure that Isaac Hook must have brought the first goods into the county, for she remembers that before moving to Hamilton county, Mr. Hook rented a house near their mill in Polk county and brought goods there and opened a store. Frank Hook, then a young man was in charge of it. The goods were supplied from his store in this county and the
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
reason given for bringing the goods back was that there were not enough people to sell them to.
Among the other arrivals in 1852 were John Whaley, who came in Septem- ber; Washington Neese, who came in November; and W. W. Mclaughlin, who came in December ; while Dan and John Devore, Philamen Johnson, Mr. Ecker- son and John Cofer all came during the year and settled near Hook's Point and Homer.
AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER
There was also another, a very eccentric character, who settled near Homer about this time. This was E. H. West, who afterwards became sheriff of the county. He was part of the time a most devout leader in religious mat- ters and part of the time an equally persistent worshiper at the shrine of Bacchus. His revels rarely passed without his becoming deeply intoxicated. He was greatly elated over the honor of being sheriff of the county and was anxious that everybody should recognize his importance. If he met a stranger he would always stop and inquire his name and where he was going, and would then add, "My name, sir, is West, E. H. West, sir, high sheriff of Webster county." He left the county after a few years and while all of the old settlers remember him and have many a hearty laugh over his many eccentricities, no one knows where he went or what became of him.
There may have been other arrivals during this year, but if so no record of the fact has ever been made and no one recollects that others came.
A PIONEER PRAYER MEETING
Up to this time, January 1, 1853, if any minister or schoolteacher had plied his vocation in the county, we have failed to find the old settler who remembers the fact. Spiritual matters were not, however, entirely neglected. Prayer meet- ings were occasionally held at the cabins of the settlers, and these devotions were as earnest and devout, if not more so, than those held in palatial cathedrals where the auxiliaries of civilization count for more than a contrite heart.
It is reported that at one of these early meetings, while all were on their knees, a billy goat walked into the cabin door, and cautiously advancing behind the one leading in prayer, slowly, but harder and a little harder bumped the praying settler while louder prayed the devout man. Finally the goat, intent on attracting attention, gave a resounding butt, which sent the leader of prayer over the chair in front of which he knelt. In the meantime everyone in the house had become aware of the goat's doings and was holding fast his mouth, and suppressing his "risibilities" with might and main. But when the good brother went sprawling over his chair, and, in anger bred in this moment of misfortune, exclaimed, "d-m the goat," a roar of laughter filled the cabin. Further prayers were dispensed with for that time, but it is scarcely necessary to remark that when prayer meetings were held in that house thereafter, the goat was safely tied up.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
ARRIVALS IN 1853
Fewer settlers came to the county in 1853, than had come in the two previous years. We do not make mention of the settlements in what is now Webster county. Those who came to Hamilton county, so far as they have been reported. were John N. Maxwell, J. M. Funk, Wm. W. Funk, J. R. Payne, N. Branch, Elisha Neese, Geo. Neese, Patrick Frakes and his sons and Rosco Royster. There may have been others, but we have not met them or heard of them.
Jacob Funk and Wm. W. Funk came in June, 1853, and went back east the following fall. While here, they entered about two hundred acres of land on the Boone river just south of what is now Webster City. They employed Wilson Brewer to get out five thousand rails with which the work of fencing could be done. They returned to this county the next spring.
George Neese settled on the southeast quarter of section 21-87-26, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred a few years ago. His widow, Susan Neese, resided there until her death in 1888.
Patrick Frakes took up a claim in what is now Cass township, but as the land lying north of the correction line did not come into market until in the summer or fall of 1854. he was unable to enter his claim until then.
Rosco Royster settled near Homer.
John N. Maxwell looked over the country, entered a claim and went back to Indiana, but returned the next year. His favorable report of the country brought his father, Judge John D. Maxwell, and several other families within the next two or three years.
"CLAIM JUMPERS"
In the spring of 1853 the lands had all been surveyed and placed on the market. Quite a number of early settlers made a business to enter choice lands in the name of different members of their family and many transients came and went, entering lands.
The land office was then at Fort Des Moines and choice lands were selected and frequent trips made to Des Moines, not unfrequently on foot. Speculators came, selected lands, and entered them on their return.
It not unfrequently happened that they took the numbers of land already occupied by a settler who was making improvements and had neglected to secure the title to his claim by formal entry. Men who did this were called claim jumpers, and the settlers made it very unpleasant for a claim jumper if he returned in person to claim one of these selections. These claim jumpers were speculators, however, and very seldom returned, as their entries were made to sell, and were usually sold to emigrants, while on the way. In consequence of this class of entries, much litigation and bad blood was engendered, and the settlers, acting together to protect each other in their improvements, usually succeeded in making it so unpleasant for a man with a "jumped" claim, that he was glad to compromise by receiving his entry money back.
Another reason why settlers were so annoyed, was that many of them did not have the money with which to make entry and so took possession, made improve- ments and trusted to the future for the opportunity and means to secure their titles. Speculators sometimes took advantage of this, and filed against their lands.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
THE FIRST LAND ENTRY
The oldest entry in this county that we have been able to find, was made by Thomas Williams. He entered 400 acres in 31-88-25 and in 36-88-26 June 25, 1853.
"SLOUGHING DOWN'
During this year the first mill was built in the county. Prior to that for awhile, the nearest mill was at Red Rock, south of Des Moines, but later there were erected one or two mills in Polk county. Trips were made to these mills with ox teams and as there were no bridges north of Des Moines, and only a few south of there, the going was anything but pleasant. Ox teams were better however, for wading sloughs and crossing streams than horses, as they could work through where horses and mules would mire down. Still it not unfrequently happened, that even ox teams were stuck in a slough, when it would become necessary for the wagoner to carry the load out on his back, piecemeal, then draw the wagon out, usually by means of a cable chain hooked to the end of the wagon tongue. So often did the "sloughing down" process happen, that no settler even ventured away from home with a team without being supplied with cable chains or heavy rope, with which to draw out if he got stuck in the mud. There was not a bridge in the county, as yet, and more curious still, no apparent effort had been made to get one.
PIONEER DWELLINGS
The settlers were mostly poor and unable to buy lumber sufficient for their own wants, and as the revenues of the county for the first year after its organiza- tion did not reach $1200, it will be seen that there were no means at hand to se- cure bridges, even where they were most badly needed. Houses were built from cellar to garret without sawed lumber and in many instances, without nails. The walls were of round or hewn logs, the opening between them being chinked up with strips of wood and "daubed" with mud. The floors and doors were made with "puncheons" split out of logs and dressed with an ax. The roof was made of "shakes" rived out of logs and held in place by weights laid over each layer of "clapboards." Some were fortunate enough to have glass windows, but even this luxury was denied to many ; in which case slats were fastened across the window opening and greased paper pasted over them. In some cases even this was not done, and the openings were left open, and were closed only when severe cold weather demanded it. Large holes were bored into the logs which formed the wall of the house and into these seasoned stakes were driven, extending into the room far enough to support a bed, and sometimes two or three bunks of this kind were made, one above the other. Slabs or "puncheons" were fixed against the wall in the same manner for cupboard and water bench. Chairs were made with- out backs, though some settlers could make rough ones with "splint" bottoms. Every log cabin had its huge open fire place-for stoves were not used by the earliest settlers-where great log fires were built, and upon the broad stone hearth the good wife and sturdy daughters did the family baking. When good flour or corn meal was to be had, what grand light bread or corn "pone" these pioneer dames could make, and many a pioneer's mouth will water at the recollection of
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
it. Suspended from the crane over the fire was a chain with a hook upon which pots and kettles were hung for cooking. Coffee, corn bread, venison, crab apples and hominy, these were the substantials of life. Wheat bread, sugar, etc., were luxuries, to be set out on holiday occasions or when "company" came, and not in- frequently they were taken off the table before the children (at the second table) got at them. Sometimes, however, a lump of sugar was given to a hungry little fellow to give him an idea of the good things he too could enjoy when he grew up and became "company."
PIONEER HOSPITALITY
The rough and rugged lives, thus environed by such uninviting conditions, were filled with much kindness, and it was rare, indeed that the needy passerby failed to obtain free shelter and relief.
The rude doors were fastened by a wooden latch on the inside. A string was attached to this latch and passed out through a hole in the door above, which, being pulled from the outside, raised the latch. To draw in the string, was to lock the door more securely than can be done with the patent locks of the present day. There was no picking such a lock. These latch strings were always out to the new comer and neighboring settler. It was the sign of hospitality, a very hearty invitation to call being often expressed by the sentence: "Our latch string will always be out."
Was a new cabin to be built, all the settlers for miles around were sure to be there. The logs were cut and put in place, the cabin roofed, floored, daubed, and not infrequently a country dance was held in the new cabin at night. Every settler worked with a will all day, and if any imbibed so freely as to be a little uncertain on his feet at night, little heed was paid to the fact.
Still, a sentiment in favor of temperance, caused no doubt by witnessing the frequent drunks which the ever present whisky jug created, ripened into a pro- hibitory law which at an election had the sanction of a majority of the electors of this county.
ARRIVALS IN 1854
The year 1854 was destined to be one of more importance to the county than any that had yet preceded it. It was in this year, that what might be called the real settlement of the county began.
As has been seen by those who have read the former chapters of this history, the emigrants prior to 1854 were few and far between. It is probable that the whole population of the county of Webster did not exceed 300 on the first day of January, 1854. The garrison at Ft. Dodge had abandoned the place in September, 1853, and moved westward to Ft. Ridgley, leaving. according to an old Iowa bul- letin, only three men at Ft. Dodge, viz: Win. Williams, his son James B., and a discharged soldier named Joseph Sweet.
Among the arrivals this year-1854-were T. J. Ament. H. Gage, W. J. Silvers, L. B. Ilill, Benj. Beach, B. B. Segar, Tolman Wiltsey, R. D. Remmington, S. K. Boak, H. V. Boak, Joseph Fisher, A. Brock, Bailey Brock. H. M. Barstow, Robert Scott, J. F. Butler, W. C. Royster, George Cooper, Alanson Dickinson and A. J. Barr.
David, Than and Ben Beach, Geo. Cooper and Tolman Wiltsey, came together
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
and arrived at Wilson Brewer's, May 12, where they put up. The women of the party had been left at Marshalltown and the men came on prospecting. They all received a hearty welcome at Mr. Brewer's and the next day he went with them to select lands. The Beaches selected the Woolsey farm, now Lawn Hill addi- tion to Webster City, and the Shipp farm near the cemetery. Mr. Dickinson selected the farm afterwards for so long the home of B. Millard.
DAVE BEACHI WALKS TO DES MOINES
When the party had made selection of lands, David Beach and Alanson Dick- inson went to Des Moines to enter them, and Wiltsey and Than Beach went back to Marshalltown after their families. Beach and Dickinson went to Des Moines on foot. They stayed all night the first night at Alexander's, below Ridgeport, in Boone county. Beach had not been accustomed to walking, and next morning. he was so stiff and sore that he wanted to give up the trip, but, being assured by Dickinson that he would "limber up" in a short time, he started forward again and got through. One thing that made the trip uncomfortable was that he carried about $700 in gold in his trousers pocket, which became very heavy as the journey proceeded and chafed him terribly.
A PIONEER HOTEL
When the parties had returned, the Beaches built a log house on the land west of town and kept hotel. The house had only one room in it, but travelers could not pick and choose in those days, and so the house received a good patronage. As many as seventeen guests were sometimes accommodated here at one time. Of course the accommodations were not what would be considered by commer- cial travelers of today, first class, as most of the guests had to sleep on the floor, but it was the best they could do and there was no grumbling. Indeed those who stopped here were homeseekers and hardy pioneers, and they not only expected but rather enjoyed the hardships met. As some of these were light in compar- ison with what they experienced in a hundred other ways, they were not thought of until long years afterwards as being anything out of the way.
TIIE FIRST BRIDGE
Following close upon the Beaches and the Wiltseys, came L. B. Hill and five other families, the Harts, now residents of Webster county. The party arrived at Rose Grove just at night, and camped on the east side of Skunk river. Dur- ing the night there came up a very heavy thunder storm with copious showers of rain, causing the ox teams to stampede and raising the Skunk river so it could not be forded. Their stampeded cattle were found next day many miles south, prob- ably in Story county, and brought back. The wagons, in the meantime had been wheeled into a circle by those left at the camp, and the camp fire built in the center of the circle. The next morning, after returning with the cattle, the Skunk not being fordable, the men set to work to build a bridge. Tall, straight trees were cut and placed across from one bank to the other, and poles were placed on these stringers for a floor, being keyed up, to hold them in place. When the bridge
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
was finished, they brought their wagons as near as possible, then swam the cattle across .- fearing to put them on the bridge-and with chains and ropes attached to the wagons, drew them across. This was probably the first bridge built in the county. Other settlers coming in soon afterwards, drove over it, but it washed out during the summer or fall.
The party proceeded westward to the home of Mr. Turnham, about three miles south of Webster City, where they camped. One of the children, Lucius Hart, had taken sick on the way and died here during the night. The party were headed for Webster county, but the Boone river was too high to cross and they remained several days. In the meantime Mr. Hill looked about and selected a claim north of Webster City and moved to it while the balance of the party went on to Webster county.
ARRIVAL OF W. J. SILVERS
W. J. Silvers came in the fall of 1854. He, in company with his brother-in- law. A. J. Barr, and two men named Gregory, started from central Illinois, in a two-horse wagon for Kansas. They crossed the Mississippi river at Burlington. Iowa, arriving at Mitchelville, Iowa, and while eating dinner and talking of Kansas and lowa, concluded to look Iowa over, before proceeding any further westward. The next morning therefore, they started northwest. Mr. Silvers says :
STORY OF SILVERS' TRIP TO HAMILTON COUNTY
"There were no roads and after driving about fifteen miles we came to a grove ; saw an old log shanty, and on driving up to it we were met by a pack of dogs. There were four women at the shanty, and one of them blew a long tin horn. and very soon six rough looking men came out of the brush. We asked there about a camping place and they told us of a favorable place down on the creek bottom. We drove down about 80 rods distant from the cabin and found a grassy spot-thick willow groves on both sides and only a narrow road cut through. While going down, we noticed one of the men following us, but we thought little of it. We had a splendid team of horses which we staked, and lit a fire. While eating our supper, our two dogs began barking savagely and the horses snorted as though they scented danger, refusing to eat. We knew that something was wrong, but could only guess that our neighbors of the cabin were prowling round. meditating a raid on our team, though we could hear nor see nothing. Finally at the suggestion of Mr. Barr, we concluded to break camp and move out of there. We put out our fire, hitched up our team as quickly as possible and began to get out. It was so dark we could not see the road. After a long time, we came out of the timber onto a prairie where we found a cabin but no one lived in it so we concluded it would be safer to pass it by. We drove out on to the prairie : found a low spot of ground. unhitched, and settled down for the night. It was not long until we found our move had been a judicious one, for we heard the men coming. We had no light and kept perfectly quiet but each man had his gun ready to give them a warm reception if they attempted to molest us. They were evidently looking for us, for they passed us on one side, and after a while came back and passed us on the other side, thus going round us. Failing to find us, they went to the deserted shanty, built up a fire and sang and yelled
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
for a couple of hours. As soon as day began to break, we hitched up our horses and set out on our journey, concluding to take our breakfast farther on the way. I have no doubt, if we had not been on our guard, our horses would have been missing, for those fellows were not prowling about in that manner for nothing. We arrived that evening at Nevada, Story county, but found there only one log house and with its owner we swapped a wild turkey, that we had captured, for a loaf of bread. I bought a farm here for $5.00 per acre but when we came to make out the deed the man backed out. We then started on and coming to the place where Story City now is-there was no house there then,-we met an old trapper named Brown, who told us there was a good country on the Boone river, so in the morning we started out across the big prairie for Boone river."
SILVERS FINDS HIS HOME
"A team had gone over before us and little rags had been tied onto the gum weeds along the track to mark the way, and, by following this trail, we reached the Boone river at a point where Bone's mill now stands. A man named Tom Williams then owned the place. We crossed the river and went out of the timber on the west side, and found only one log house, Nate Prims', which stood on the place now occupied by Robert Martin. Coming out upon the prairie west of the timber, we saw a sight never to be forgotten,-the land covered with a luxuriant growth of grass, known as the 'blue stem.' It grew tall as a man could reach. I said to the boys, 'This is good enough for me, I guess I won't go any farther.' We could have our pick of the land as it all belonged to Uncle Sam and he only wanted $1.25 per acre. I selected the southeast quarter of section 26-88-26 where my present house now stands. I went back to Illinois next fall, with my wife and one child, returned to Iowa in a wagon drawn by three yoke of cattle. We arrived on the 8th day of October, and stopped with Mr. Prims until I could cut logs and build a cabin. On the first day of November, Mr. Prims, Mr. Pricket, Mr. Standsbaugh and Jacob Bibler helped me raise the cabin. I got it chinked, and the north and west sides mudded, when a great blizzard came and froze everything up. We lived in that way all winter. My wife and I froze our heels so we could scarcely walk. The timber along the river was all claimed. but I bought some about two miles from my land. Deer were plenty, though I never had the good luck to kill one. While I was away from home one day. a half dozen took shelter from the wind at the side of the cabin. My wife got the gun and tried to shoot one, but knowing nothing about guns, only raised the hammer half way and could not get it to go off. so she put the gun away and went out and scared them away. I paid ten dollars a hundred for flour that year. There were plenty of elk and some talk of buffalo but I never saw one. The first corn pen and wheat bin I ever had was under the beds, so it will be seen the crop was not so large. I had all my fence burned twice by prairie fire, and barely saved my house and stable by hard work."
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