USA > Iowa > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 6
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We have given the above account of Mr. Silvers, at length, because it illus- trates the trip westward by the average pioneer. and the effect a view of the country had upon him. It also shows how many starting for other parts were by slight circumstances caused to look at this part of the country and finally settle here.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
AN EARLY DISASTER
Early in the year 1854, Benj. Bell lost his house by fire. This was the first house burned in the county. The house took fire near midnight and the fire made such rapid progress that it was impossible to stop it. By dint of hard, and part of the time, dangerous work, most of the household goods were removed. A wild winter "blizzard" was howling and the snow was blowing quite thickly. The children tumbled out of bed and out of the house without having time to dress and a neighbor about eighty rods away, seeing the fire came with his ox team and bundled the children and Mrs. Bell into the wagon and took them to his house. Jas. Bell, being the oldest boy, then near fifteen years old, had lost all his clothes in the fire and besides did not notice the departure of the family so he had to take a quilt which he found there, and wrap about him and walk, or rather run barefooted through the snow to the neighbor's house. Next day the neighbors all turned out and went to work to build a cabin. It was intensely cold, but the logs were cut, hauled up and the cabin put up. A huge log pile was kept burn- ing and with hot water mud was mixed and the house "daubed" though the mud froze as fast as it was put on. As soon as it was completed, the family moved in. Very few people of the present day would think of building a house under such conditions and fewer still, of living in one so green and newly made. But houses were scarce and small, and it was really a "ground-hog" case, a sort of "Hob- son's choice" affair and no bad consequences resulted from it.
ARRIVAL OF THE WILLSONS
Among the earliest settlers in the spring of 1855 were W. C. and S. Willson, and as Mrs. W. C. Willson, in an essay read before the Old Settlers Reunion Society in 1886, gave a very graphic description of the journey and many import- ant happenings, we quote from that essay so much as pertains to the year 1855.
MRS. WILLSON'S STORY
"We left Wisconsin the last of October, 1854; went by rail as far as Rockford, Ill., that being the terminus of the railroad at that time. There we fitted up teams for our journey to this state. Our party consisted of Mr. William Hammond, Mr. Levi D. Stearns, Mr. W. C. Willson, S. Willson, and the writer. We crossed the Mississippi at Fulton and Lyons. The ferry having stopped at 4 o'clock the day previous, we took rooms at Clinton, expecting to remain until the river froze over, there being no bridge across the Mississippi at that time: fortunately a cake of ice floated down that night and lodged between the two places, and early the next morning we crossed over it. The cake of ice was fully a quarter of a mile long and the water surged incessantly both above and below it, making the pas- sage exceedingly perilous. Our first stopping place for any length of time was Iowa City, then the capital of the state. The legislature being in session at the time made it quite lively and attractive, and I was quite desirous of making it our home. I remained there two months while the gentlemen took prospecting tours throughout the state. Mr. Hammond and W. C. Willson in particular came back with glowing descriptions of Webster county and a little town called Newcastle.
W. C. WILLSON
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
But we decided it was altogether too far from civilization to suit any of us. How- ever, after every trip, W. C. would invariably wind up with 'Well, I have found no place that suits me like Newcastle.' The last of December we went to Inde- pendence. On our journey we frequently passed farmers plowing in their shirt sleeves. After a few weeks stay at Independence, W. C. prevailed on his brother. Sumler, to accompany him to the famous 'Castle.' The last thing they said was. 'We will buy land there, but it is altogether too far west to live.' On their return they had bought the 'Castle' and surroundings, and with hearts beating high with great expectations of the ever bright future, and a railroad within two to five years sure, we turned our faces toward the west and started for our new home in hopes of reaching our destination before the breaking up of the sloughs. Two days travel brought us to Beaver Creek. The ice had gone out and taken the bridge with it, and we were delayed there over a week, while the men worked in the water up to their waists building a bridge. This obstacle being overcome, we continued our journey to 'Pilgrims Grove' on the south fork of Iowa river, our next stopping place. I had got the impression that Pilgrim's Grove was quite a town where we would have to stop over until the next morning in order to eross the forty miles of prairie between there and Newcastle; but what was my astonishment when we came in sight of the Grove to see only the smoke from one chimney, and as we approached a log shanty with one shaky door and a quilt for the other. W. C. dropped the lines and called out 'whoa,' and two strapping girls, barefooted, came running out to see what was wanted. We ordered dinner-and such a dinner-all the delicacies that that thriving commercial centre afforded, which consisted of strong coffee without sugar or cream, fried pork in a sea of grease, and corn dodgers, served on a red chest without table cloth. The eating utensils were three knives, two forks and the same number of plates and eups. The next morning bright and early we started for Newcastle. We left the road north of Rose Grove and followed stakes W. C. and S. Willson had set up on their return, for fifteen miles into Newcastle, crossing the Boone river near where Mil- lard's bridge now stands, and made the first halt at Wilson Brewer's log cabin where we received a hearty welcome. They not being able to keep us, we drove on to Tolman Wiltsey's and stopped with them two weeks, until our log house was in readiness for ns. We arrived on the 26th day of March, 1855. We moved into our house on Wednesday and on Saturday following we had twenty to stay all night and from that time to October, we never had less than forty to one hitn- dred at a meal. The cause of this rush was the opening of the general land office at Fort Dodge which occurred in April, 1855.
"We sent a team to Boone for lumber and could only get enough for one door and table 14 feet long and half a dozen stools. We used a quilt for our back door.
"Among the first arrivals were B. S. Mason, Alonzo Thompson and a Mr. Hancock, also a Col. Dewey and Toby of Des Moines, who entered considerable land here at that time. Cyrus Smith came with a peddler's wagon, and started the first store in Newcastle. At the same time a Mr. Leavitt, now of Waterloo, arrived.
"The first town election was held at our house. The polls were our din- ing room table, and the ballot box, J. M. Funk's hat. He acted as one of the judges of the election. The names of the voters were: Wilson Brewer, Peter
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
Lyon, Tolman Wiltsey, George Cooper, David and Nathanial Beach, Levi D. Stearns, Jack Brewer, Jake and William Funk, Ross Payne, N. Osbourne, A. W. Frakes, W. C. and S. Willson, and Messrs. Bradshaw and Griffith. Homer was then the county seat of Webster county and we received our mail from there until the first of July. It was usually brought up in a pocket handkerchief, the boys taking turns as mail carriers. The first physician was Dr. Jewell. The first min- ister Rev. Mr. Skinner, congregationalist. The first lawyer was L. D. C. Mac- Gart. Henry Martin was the first postmaster. The first school was taught by Mrs. Wheeler in the rear of her husband's store. This was in July, 1855. Up to this time W. C. Willson had erected log cabins and a saw mill on the site of the Webster City water mills now owned by Judge Chase. The first boards were sawed on the 18th day of September, 1855, and were used in the construction of a house for B. S. Mason now occupied by Mr. Goit, and in November he brought his bride from Massachusetts and commenced housekeeping.
"The first of October we sold our log hotel to Mr. Lockwood, moving into a slab barn, where we lived three weeks until W. C. completed a frame building known as the Webster City hotel. The plastering was done by W. C. Willson and M. Sweeney the day before we moved in. They got as much on the floor as the walls, and that night it froze solid, so that it required that fancy team of oxen that John Maxwell spoke of to scrape it off. The walls were wet all winter so that our beds required new hay every few weeks.
"On the 9th of November,-I remember the night well, was ironing,- Mr. McChesney, the stage agent, drove up wanting to see Mr. Willson imme- diately. He had just received orders to change the mail route by way of Alden, Eagleville, Batch Grove and Fort Dodge. Mr. Willson jumped onto a mule and left at once for Fort Dodge although it was storming fearfully, not being willing to surrender the route so easily after giving the best carriage and team we ever owned to get it here. After consulting with Major Williams and John F. Dun- combe, they decided that Mr. Willson should go to Dubuque and see Gen. Jones, which he did at once, not giving himself any rest until he had seen him. The general said : 'My God, Willson, I don't know what to make of it ; the mail shall never pass over that route and I know what I am talking about.' He wrote a line to the agent to disobey the order and he would be personally responsible. He wrote to President Buchanan if that order was not changed he would resign as he thought he ought to have something to say about mails in his own district. The final adjustment was made through his influence with Senator Bigler, of Pennsylvania.
"People of today cannot realize the fearful hardships we had to endure in crossing the forty miles of prairie east of us without a house or stopping place, many losing their way or becoming sloughed down, came straggling in all hours of the night hungry and tired."
OTHER "55 SETTLERS"
While 1854 had been an important year. 1855 was still more important. The following is a partial list of the new comers this year. W. W. Boak and family, P. C. Babcock, B. S. Mason and wife, Joseph Adams, Richard Sacket, Cyrus Smith, James Key, I. E. Church, W. C. Willson and wife, S. Willson, W. L.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
Church and family and Mrs. Swanger (now Gillispie), G. T. Adams, Uncle Jimmy Adams and family, W. I. Worthington, John McFarland, Israel Wood- ard, M. Sweeney, Huitt Ross, Zera Hayden, Jacob Duckett and wife, James Duckett, E. P. McCowen, C. F. Kent. A. Hazwell, Morgan Hill, P. Clayball, E. Lakin, L. Lakin, A. B. Lakin, B. Millard.
There were of course many others but we are unable to secure their names. Most of the above mentioned men were probably married but we have only men- tioned the fact where we were sure of it.
These came in companies from two to six or eight families and though many of them started for other parts of the west most of them made this their stopping place for the reasons given by Mr. Silvers and Mrs. Willson.
This year also made Webster county a center of attraction on account of the location of the land office at Fort Dodge which, of course, brought everybody desiring to enter lands within the district, to that place. As a stage line was started between Des Moines and Fort Dodge early this year, most of the home- seekers passed through what is now Hamilton county and many of them were induced to settle here.
HOMER AS A PIONEER CITY
Homer, as the county seat of Webster county, grew with surprising rapidity and its fame reached the eastern states and it became the most noted city in north- ern Iowa. Had Homer secured the Land office instead of Fort Dodge, it would probably today, be one of the first cities of the state, and the line of the east and west railroads would probably have passed through there. But while its citizens were building up and swelling with importance over being the most populous and prosperous town in the northwest, the shrewder citizens of Fort Dodge secured the land office which took everybody to that place, and as a matter of course. where everybody goes, a great many will stay. Fort Dodge now began to build with a vigor that surprised the Homerites and a rivalry was at once started, and so constantly were the eyes of the Homer people kept upon the Fort that they almost forgot that another, equally powerful rival was beginning to spring up at Newcastle. But Homer was the county seat and she grew almost as fast as both her rivals until the fall of 1856.
THE SECOND STORE
As has been mentioned, a store had opened there in 1854, and now early in the spring of 1855, Philip Detrick and Benjamin Bell opened a second store. The goods for this store were brought from Keokuk by Benjamin Bell, Ike Murphey and J. N. Bell, with ox teams, and a store opening up in the new town, with three ox loads of new goods was indeed an event of great importance and tended to remind the settlers of the stores in the east. How much of the three ox loads was whiskey we have not been informed, but as no store was considered com- plete in its stock without that delectable beverage, we have no doubt they had enough to supply the customers. These were the days when whiskey was un- taxed, and consequently cheap and a little black jug could be found under the bed of almost every settler ; if not for his own use, to play the agreeable to his neigh-
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
bors when they called, and to have handy in case of a snake bite, for snakes were as numerous as whiskey was plentiful, and nothing was more plentiful than both of them, unless it was mosquitoes and unoccupied land.
ARRIVAL OF SNELL AND BUTTERWORTH
Snell and Butterworth came in 1855 and as both were men of means, they branched out into all kinds of business and came as near owning the town as it is possible for men to own a town. They started a store that, within a year did a wholesale as well as a retail business. They purchased a mill. They owned and speculated in land. They traded with everybody who came along, and trusted everybody who wanted goods whether settlers or emigrants to points further west. They took everything in exchange for goods that could be turned into money, and infused a spirit of enterprise, trade and dicker into the settlers that made the town a "teeming mart of trade." A couple of years ago the writer was engaged in conversation with a gentleman in Des Moines, who, finding that we were from Webster City, inquired about Homer and stated that about the time of which we are now speaking, he came west with some money, looking for a future home and a chance for speculation in some new town that would in a few years become a city of importance. He looked Des Moines over, heard of Homer, came to see it. From the thrift and enterprise apparent. its location, and the rapidity of its growth, he made up his mind that here was to be one of the first cities of the state, and invested all his means in town lots expecting to get rich on the rise in valuation of property ; and he laconically remarked, "That money is still in- vested there. Do you think there is any prospect of every realizing upon it ?" We replied that inasmuch as he had no doubt, already realized a very large divi- dend of disappointment, he could hardly hope to reap further emoluments, and he said he supposed he'd have to be satisfied with that. The incident shows what splendid prospects appeared then to lie before the now desolate town of Homer.
John F. Duncombe came to Fort Dodge this year ( 1855) and that town began to grow too. The land office, the hotel, and in fact almost everything there was in the deserted government buiklings, and crowds of men came and went during the summer and fall.
ARRIVAL OF BENJAMIN MILLARD
Benjamin Millard, who came to this county that year, relates that he came from Des Moines, going through several counties southwest of here, and finally arrived at Fort Dodge in the last days of April. He says there were so many people stopping at the old Waukonza House-the principal building of the old fort,-that there was little accommodation or comfort, a man being thankful if he got shelter of any kind, and usually made no objection if he had only a nice good hard floor to sleep on. As soon as it was light, the guests at the hotel ranged themselves as near the dining room door as possible, and held their places for almost two hours, so as to get in at the first table, and for two reasons: first, to get away to their business as soon as possible, and second, because there would not be much left to eat for those who came last. Hotel keepers had no competi-
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
tion in the Fort, and while they tried to provide for their guests as well as possible, there were so many of them, and they were so far from sources of supply that what they could not conveniently get, they did without, and the traveler who didn't like the fare and accommodations, knew he couldn't do any better and found it wisest to keep quiet and take things as they came.
Mr. Millard didn't like the looks of things at the Fort, and so, hearing of Newcastle, started out to look it over. There was then no road, and being on horseback he started according to directions, across the trackless prairies. IIe travelled so long, he began to think he had missed the place and would probably have to stay out all night, but was happily disappointed just before night while crossing a ravine near where Millard's bridge now is, to come upon the cabin of Mr. Dickinson where he called and arranged to stay for the night. Being thirsty, he asked Mrs. D. for a drink and she directed him to the spring. When he saw that spring, he determined to buy the place if possible. Accordingly the next day, May Ist, '55, he made a deal with Mr. Dickinson for the farm, trading in his horse as part payment and was to have possession in the fall. The next day he started on foot across the prairie east, for Cedar Falls. He moved his family out in the fall. As an illustration of the severity of the cold the next winter, he says he purchased a lot of potatoes of Jake Funk at 75 cents a bushel, and had Mr. Dickinson bury them for him. They were buried so deep that Mr. Millard told him he would never be able to dig through to them in the spring, and yet the whole lot was lost.
FIRST SETTLEMENT ON THIE SKUNK RIVER
The first settlements made in this county away from the Boone river, were made at Lakin's Grove on the Skunk river. In the fall of 1854. Luther Lakin, Elisha Lakin, Dr. Cochran and Oscar M. Lakin, came to Hamilton county, entered land lying on the Skunk river, and returned east. In the spring of 1855. Luther Lakin left home, intending to get married and meet his father and other settlers on the Skunk, but he arrived about two weeks earlier than the rest and can therefore lay just claim to being the first settler in the east part of the county and in Lyon township. About two weeks after his arrival Elisha Lakin, B. A. Lakin, and E. P. McCowan came and all settled near each other. The men turned in and helped Mr. McCowan to build a cabin, which was the first house built in that part of the county. McCowan moved into his new house and shortly after- wards Evaline McCowan was born, being the first white child born in the east half of the county. The next house built was Luther Lakin's, which stood about a half mile west of his present residence. The house was not built until about three months after his arrival. In the meantime, the cooking was done on a stove in a bark shanty, and they slept in the covered wagon.
Elisha Lakin put up the next house, and it remains yet on the farm of Palmer Tatlıam, having been used for many years as a stable. In the fall of the same year, Geo. and Henry Staley moved in and took a claim about four miles south of Lakin's Grove in what is now Ellsworth township and so far as we have been able to learn, these were the only settlers in the east of the county prior to the year 1856.
CHAPTER IV EARLY EVENTS CHIEFLY OF A POLITICAL NATURE By F. Q. Lec
THE FIRST ELECTION-ORGANIZING WEBSTER COUNTY-TAXATION WITHOUT REPRE- SENTATION-THE FIRST COUNTY OFFICERS-THE COUNTY SEAT- THE STATE ROAD -THE SECOND ELECTION- GRANVILLE BURKLEY-THE BUILDING OF HOMER-NEW CASTLE-A MILD WINTER-PRAIRIE VS. TIMBER FARMS-A STATE ELECTION-THE FIRST SCHOOLS-PROBIBITION SUSTAINED-A CONTEST OVER COUNTY JUDGE-C. C. CARPENTER VISITS NEW CASTLE-TIMBER STEALING-ANOTHER "WILSE BREWER" STORY-SOME NEW TOWNS-THE THIRD SCHOOL HOUSE-THE HOTEL SIGN-MOV- ING THE COUNTY SEAT-BALLOT BOX STUFFING-THE MOON HOUSE-THE "OLD WILLSON HOUSE -IION. W. C. WILLSON-RAILROAD BOND ELECTION-A HARD WINTER-PORK AND HOMINY-HAMILTON COUNTY ORGANIZED-CHOOSING THE NAME-THE FIRST HAMILTON COUNTY ELECTION-WEBSTER CITY IN 1857.
It must be remembered that when the first settlers arrived there was no county or township government of any kind and no officers of the law among the settlers. Heavier settlements had taken place along the Des Moines river within what is now Webster county, than on the Boone in Hamilton. But the settlements in the two counties were really one large settlement and they were all neighbors and friends.
In laying out Webster county the Legislature had named it "Yell," after a colonel who fell in the Mexican war.
THE FIRST ELECTION
Without county organization or any provision for holding elections, the people did not forget that they were citizens of a great nation and entitled to vote and with true democratic instincts determined to exercise that right whether there was any law for it or not. County lines adopted by a state legislature did not stand in the way and it was determined to hold an election and vote for state officers. There was no sheriff to make proclamation or other officers to direct affairs, but this did not deter them from their purpose. Word was sent out that an election would be held. It was carried from neighbor to neighbor, as there were no newspapers to publish the news, and there is little doubt but every set- tler within both counties of Risley and Yell was duly notified. The election was held in August, 1852, at the house of William Pierce, a short distance southwest of Homer and near the line of the two counties. When the settlers met to hold Vol. I-4
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
the election, they chose for judges, Isaac Hook, William Pierce and John Tohman, and for clerks, L. Miracle and William T. Woolsey.
The following is the poll list and will give a fair idea of the population of the two counties at the time: W. A. Kratzer, Isaac Bell, Henry Lot, John Huff- man, Theodore Eslick, Samuel Eslick, Perlonzo Bell. Jesse Goodrich, John Galer. Daniel P. Devore, Joseph Hardin, Levi Hall, Jacob Booker, John Hefley. Lazarus Wright, Franklin McGuire, Philomen Johnson, Isaac Hook, Adam Mesmore, WVm. T. Woolsey, Henry Harden, Jesse McGuire, Jacob Dick, Pearley C. Bell. James Anders, Richard M. Bonnet, Wm. Creller, Thos. Hogan, Jacob Crouse. E. B. Hall, John Tolman, Lodorick Miracle, Francis McGuire, Linas Gilmore. Squire McGuire, James McGuire, Win. Pierce, Wm. R. Williams, James Doty, Benj. Bell, Jacob Miracle, Jacob Bell, John Drought, Ephrem Doty.
At the time of holding this election, the settlers called the two counties Cass township, and it is stated by old settlers that no more than a dozen residents of the two counties of Risley and Yell failed to vote.
ORGANIZING WEBSTER COUNTY
The holding of this election brought all the settlers together and through it they got a taste of politics and the subject of organization into a county began to be agitated and a general sentiment favorable to it was created.
The settlers of the counties of Risley and Yell, therefore, late in the fall of 1852, united in petitioning the legislature for a separate county government embracing the territory of both counties and that the new county be called Webster.
The legislature therefore passed the following act at the session which con- vened Dec. Ist, 1852 :
AN ACT TO CREATE THE COUNTY OF WEBSTER
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa: That the counties of Yell and Risley, be and the same are hereby united into one county, to be called "Webster."
Section 11. This Act to take effect from and after its publication in the Iowa Star; Provided, the State shall incur no expense for such publication. Approved Jan. 22nd, 1853.
By an act approved the same day the counties of Yell and Risley were at- tached to Boone county and it became the duty of the county judge of Boone county, to appoint commissioners and supervise the organization of the new county and under these commissioners the first election for the selection of county officers took place and returns were made to the county judge of Boone county.
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