USA > Iowa > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Iowa, including a condensed history of the state, the early settlement of the county together with sketches of its pioneers > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
Some little jealousy at that time springing up in this neigh- borhood, the day of meeting came and they who were instrumen- tal in procuring the seeds were legislated out of office and new men elected who, in return, let the organization die for want of attention.
On the 5th day of March, 1866, a few neighbors having called and dined with Mr. and Mrs. Stern, the present Harris Grove Farmers' Club was at that time organized, being composed of the following named persons, viz .; Jacob T. Stern and wife, Henry S. Milliman and wife, J. S. Vanderhoof and wife, E. W. Milliman and wife, David R. Rogers and wife, William Elliott and wife, F. T. Hill and wife, Thomas McKenney, and soon included the names of Jas. D. Rogers and wife, J. F. Hull and wife and D. B. Vanderhoof and wife, who, at the time of the organization, adopted a constitution and by laws, and from that time on met once per month, on the last Saturday in the month, with one of the members, where and when the women were upon the most perfect equality with the men in all club business, viz .: reading, writing, debating, voting and eating; and a more successful and harmonious organization has seldom been formed in any portion of the entire State.
The following is a full list of all who are and have been mem- bers of this club:
J. L. Beebe, R. W. Beebe, F. F. Beebe, F. T. Hill, Wm.
244
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
Elliott, C. T. Loveland, D. B. Vanderhoof, J. D. McKenney, L. P. Vanderhoof, Almor Stern, J. F. Hull, Geo. White, H. H. McKenny, William Riddle, Wm. Dakan, Wm. F. Vore, J. D. Rogers, D. R. Rogers, J. S. Vanderhoof, Geo. Bobbitt, Ambrose Milliman, J. T. Stern, A. B. Sherwood, Mr. Abel and Mr. Fensler.
The meetings, as aforesaid, were held on the last Saturday of each month, at the home of one of the members, and discussed subjects of agriculture, horticulture, raising of stock, the better kinds, when to transplant fruit trees, plant corn, potatoes, the manner of preparation of the soil and the care to be given to the crop, etc., etc., in fact all the practical matters pertaining to suc- cessful farming and management thereof; when the society would partake of a little check, not approximating to the dig- nity of a meal. This continued until the society visited with Mr. Jas. D. Rogers, at the time of the ripening of strawberries, when, after the usual discussions of all subjects, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers led the club into the dining room and there treated them, not only to a dish of the aforesaid fruit, fresh and luscious, of scripture measure, but drowned in real cream, as well as a din- ner such as would have fed a wedding party. This then set a precedent for the cultivation of the tastes as well as the brain, and brought about a rivalry among the wives, constituting the female members of the organization, as to who was the superior cook, and who could load the table with the choicest and great- est variety of dishes.
This condition of things had to be legislated upon by the club, and when one of the members had prepared and offered a resolu- tion, "that whenever the club met the lady member should not. place upon the table more than two kinds of cake or pie," Mr. R. W. Beebe rose and made such an excellent speech against the resolution that it was about to be defeated, when Mrs. J. T. Stern purchased the influence of Mr. Beebe by quitclaiming to. him all the cake and pie which would fall to her share at each
245
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
meeting of the club; this silenced the matter and Beebe, for the past twelve years, on the last Saturday in each month has, all to himself, four pieces of pie and an equal quantity of cake.
This organization has been confined exclusively to those who are residents of La Grange township and the number of mem- bers is constantly kept up to the number of twelve. Great good has grown out of this organization, for by this interchange of thought much has been learned that each in turn would have been compelled to ascertain by individual experiment; besides the ambition of each member has been prompted to so recon- struct the farm, fences, out-buildings and home, as well as to keep pace with others in fruits, cereals, garden stuff and all things pertaining to the farm, and so making such forceful changes, that any person passing through the township can readily point out the farms of those who are members of this club. The home is attractive and inviting, the farm is a model of convenience and industry, the stock the best in the land, the members out of debt and masters of their own situations.
A real good time these people have during the day of their meetings. The author hereof had an opportunity of visiting with the club at their last meeting in December, 1887, at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood, and was really pleased at the measure of information arrived at by the different commit- tees in matters pertaining to agriculture, horticulture, and in fact many topics relative to the best interests of the farm, orchard, garden, pasture lot, pig pen, ballot box, and last, but not least, the kitchen.
246
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
I can not better illustrate the feelings and history of this organization, than by giving place to a poem written by Father Stern and read at one of their meetings in 1887, which is as fol- lows:
RETROSPECTIVE.
[Written for Harris Grove Farmers' Club and published by request.]
Ye who love the beauteous prairie,
Love to cultivate its surface,
Love the groves for shade and shelter, Listen to my simple story
Of the change of times and seasons,
When we settled down at Linnwood,
Thirty years ago this season.
We enjoyed our rude log cabin,
Daubed with mud and roofed with clap-boards,
Mud and sticks for fire and smoke stack,
Then no Farmer's Club was thought of. The spelling school was then in order, And the dance upon the puncheon
Furnished young folks with amusement. We have made abundant progress, Mental, moral, social progress.
Now our dwellings neat and tasty,
Rival those in famed New England.
Trees for shade and fruit and beauty, Ornament our prairie homesteads. The Farmers' Club was also planted, And it soon took root and prospered.
Now for one and twenty seasons, It has held its place amongst us; It yields cheap, rich entertainment, Once a month to all its members. Many were the social meetings,
Many were the questions answered,
Each one's valued contribution Was a gift to all the others. All could thus be made the richer, Without any one being poorer.
For years we flourished well and prospered,
Not a death occurred among us, 'Till at least a dark cloud gathered, And we lost dear Mother Beebee.
She, who was so very cheery,
247
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
Adding zest to all our meetings, Faithful, honest, active, lively, Few were missed so much when absent. The next to fail to answer roll call, Was the ever faithful *David, Who enjoyed our social meetings, And was practical in judgment. Next was +Ambrose M., the soldier, Who was sound in agriculture, Seldom failing to enlighten By his speech and fair discussion.
Next to pass from our loved circle, Was the suffering Mrs. Beebee. Kate was patient, brave, heroic,
Long years suffering, most intensely;
With ambition unahated, She was always at our meetings, And her words of earnest counsel, Often were a source of profit. Those who were the early settlers, And were keen of observation, Can compare and mark the progress Of improvement on and upward,
Made upon the homes of members.
Houses, orchards, flowers and blue grass,
Combined taste for health and service; Our annual visit to each member, Marks a strong decided progress. Our loved and valued institution,
Should take pride in noble offspring.
Many years rolled round without them,
But now we have two healthy children, One at Elk Grove, one near Dunlap, Each a vigorous healthy fellow.
Indeed from present indications
Our children may outstrip their parents.
Our last most vigorous son named Mill Creek Has given us a novel lecture On dehorning all the bovines. We must watch this question And investigate the system, Or our beautiful horned bovines Will all turn into muleys.
* David B. Vanderhoof. t Ambrose Milliman.
AMBROSE.
248
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
From the Farmers' Club of Harris Grove, last above referred to, two others have taken root in the county and are located, one at Elk Grove, in Jefferson township, and is officered by the following named persons and have the membership below named, viz .:
Isaac Sears, President; John Holton, Vice President; J. K. Deyo, Secretary. Members-Wives of the officers, J. J. Peter- son and wife, George Findlay and wife, J. D. Frock and wife, J. S. Ready and wife, Mr. Huntly and wife, Avery Howard and wife, Frank Peckenpaugh and wife, Chas. Children and wife, Chas. Safford and wife. These, together with the children of the parents above named, have a happy and social gathering on the last Saturday of each month, and in all respects conform to that of the parent Club of Harris Grove.
The third club is known as the " Mill Creek" Club, in Harri- son township, and has the following officers and members, viz .:
D. R. Rogers, President; Hon. B. F. Roberts, Vice President; G. W. Green, Secretary; Mrs. H. A. Green, Treasurer; and as members, the wives of the President and Vice President, W. H. Garrett, B. S. Green, E. B. Mead, S. W. Morton, Peter Campbell, William Moore, I. D. Hull, G. W. Green, M. B. Ewer, I. A. Jackson, Mrs. H. Rogers, Mrs. A. A. Hull, Mrs. Anna Ewer, Mrs. Mary Moore, Mrs. I. A. Jackson, Mrs. H. D. Campbell, Mrs. E. Marton, Mrs. A. Meade, Mrs. Ellen Roberts, Mrs. H. A. Green and Mrs. C. A. Garrett.
In all these clubs the members gather together at 10 o'clock, A. M., and discuss the subjects pertaining to matters selected for discussion at the former meeting; then dinner, then the young people declaim, read essays, have music, followed by criticisms, select subjects for the following meetings, etc., etc., etc.
FARMERS' ALLIANCES,
Have three distinct organizations in the county, one in Doug- las township, of 60 members, one at Magnolia and one at Mis- souri Valley.
249
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
GRASSHOPPERS,
Or Egyptian locusts, have on five separate occasions visited this county, in such countless millions that beggars description, and were any one to attempt to tell in what countles myriads they came, provided the auditors had never witnessed their advent, they would at once brand the party describing the same as one rival- ing the stories told at the " Arabian Nights' Entertainment."
The first grasshoppers that lit down in this county was on the 23d of August, 1857, and when first seen by the author hereof, was at a time while attending the M. E. camp meeting near the former village of Jeddo, in this county. In the afternoon, near the hour of 4 o'clock, they began to light, and in their flight toward the ground, they seemed to drop as from the clouds, and in such numbers as to look very much like the falling of a flurry of snow. This was continued until sunset; and near all places where improvements were made in the way of the culti- vation of the soil they were in such numbers that when crawl- ing upon the fence rails or fence boards for roost during the night, the entire fence was colored like that of a dirty lead. Here they tarried, were sociable, deposited their eggs and by the 1st of October had died.
At this date but little of the surface of the soil of this county was under cultivation, and of course they could not do much damage; but in the spring, when the eggs began to be hatched out by the warmth of the spring sun, they appeared in countless millions and were the liveliest little devils ever hatched. The first hatch- ing came to the surface of the ground on the 9th of March, 1858, and remained in the county until the 11th of July before tak- ing their final departure.
Twelve years after their first lighting in the county, viz .: on the 27th of August, 1867, at nearly the hour of 1 o'clock, P. M., they again began to drop down as before stated, but much more numerously, and continued to fall, as it were, from the highest point skyward, until past the hour of sunset, and in
ยท 250
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
such vast numbers that when alighting on the full grown stalks of Harrison county corn their united weight would either bend the stalk to the ground or break it off. Whole fields of corn were thus covered by night fall; the fences in all the county were painted by reason of the vastness of the " hoppers" crawling thereon looking for lodging, to a dark leaden hue; the rails on the railroad track were so thickly covered by them that all the sand in the county would scarcely furnish sufficient thickening to take away the slippery mass caused by the juice exuding from the pulverized grasshopper, so crushed by the trucks and drive-wheels of the engine.
The wings of the "hoppers," spread for flight, when they were alighting, presented an appearance quite like a snow storm when the flakes fall in apparent patchwork, and no sooner did they touch terra firma than they began business by gnawing nearly every thing they came to. The silk at the point end of the ears of the corn, as well as the blades, seemed to be a favorite diet, and as their stay continued the fields of corn, so far as the blades and the silk in the ear were concerned, seemed to melt away before their presence.
Their appetites were as ravenous their saw-toothed jaws were destructive; they spared neither the garden lot or cornfield, cab- bage, turnips, cornblades, corn in any shape, tobacco chews, old boots, fork handles and overcoats, all perished before their des- tructive powers and appetites. Here they lit without request and here they tarried without invitation, assumed such a famil- iarity on short acquaintance that their presence soon became nauseous and disgusting.
The drier and more barren the knob, the better the location; and this because they were here on business and no injunction from earthly court could stay the progress of these thieving, self-willed, bad-acting marauders, for in such places as these dry barren localities, where the stock of the country had trodden
251
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
the surface as hard as could be, were the places selected by the hoppers for depositing their eggs.
As soon as they had destroyed the greater part of that part of vegetation which was green and tender, they immediately turned their attention to the business of providing this location with an over abundance of young hoppers in the following spring.
When the time arrives for the female to deposit her eggs, the male, by the use of the claws of the leaping legs, burrows a hole " in this apparent solid earth, quite a half inch in depth and then the female takes possession of the place prepared, when a deposit of some mucous is placed in the cavity so as to make the place of deposit water tight; the eggs are then deposited therein by the female and when completed the eggs or bundle of eggs are sealed by this same kind of mucous substance placed on top of the deposit, and when' the same is exposed to air it hardens and all dampness is excluded from this nest. In each of these plum shaped receptacles or deposits there are usually placed from 70 to 130 eggs, and no matter as to the severity of the winter in the way of constant hard freezing, or abundance of the rainfall, when the spring comes and the rays of the sun catches these places of deposit, the eggs hatch and the young hopper is on hand and never relinquishes his claims to earth until crushed by foot or has rusticated until the following Sep- tember.
Frosts only stiffen for a time, floods put the energies to sleep, only to be awakened by a bath of warm sunlight, and fire alone produces instant death. I have experimented on the young hopper by placing him in a tumbler of water and have kept him submerged continuously for three hours and then taken the appar- ent corpse from the watery grave, treated it to a half hour's sun bath and soon the rascal would show signs of life and in a few moments would hop off as lively as though fitted for a race by the most expert trainer.
These, then, that alighted here as aforesaid on the 27th of
252
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
August, 1867, remained here without any disposition of going further south until about the 1st of October, and then died by reason of old age and lack of green diet.
On the 7th of April the hatch from the deposit of the preced- ing fall began to make an appearance and increased day by day until the middle of the following May. The hatching out pro- cess being dependent on the extent of heat produced by the rays * of the sun' on the spot where the deposit was made, some farmers, in order to outgeneral Mr. and Mrs. Grasshopper, at the earliest time possible, in the spring plowed their grounds and by taking a deep furrow, so buried the eggs that it was quite late before they put in an appearance; but where the eggs were deposited on the southern brows of the bluffs as above stated the young began coming to the surface by the 7th of April, 1868. The young grasshopper is as hardy as a bed-bug or army body louse; they can be captured but they cling to life with a tenacity and fortitude like that of a cat. What other insect could with- stand the cold, freezing, snow, rain and chills of an April month of western Iowa?
Sheltered under a leaf, chip, clod, corn stalk or whatever little protection is at hand, or none whatever, on appearance of the life giving qualities of a few rays of April sun, they become as frisky and lively as a " Sandy Point flea " in June, and immediately set about the business of destruction for which they appear to have been created.
Itis not a full fledged grasshopper that drops down in a locality in the fall of the year, that does the terrible damage, but the young chick during the time of his maturing. Though they were as many in numbers as the sand on the sea shore, they all at once seem to be acting under the same impulse, and start moving in the same direction, not stopped by any obstacle that may impede their way, but like the buffalo or wild goose, take a course and keep going to destination or death.
From the time of hatching until they have lived ninety or
253
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
more days they are wingless, but are possessed of propelling power in their leaping, long legs that is scarcely equalled-jump, jump after jump, and on and on they go, and like Sheridan's horse, can smell " the smoke " of a wheat field a mile away.
During the summer of 1867 vast quantities of prairie were broken, and this dry, bare surface was the chosen place of deposit for the eggs, and this being sown to wheat in the early part of the following April, furnished a pasture ground for this hatch which made the young hoppers hale and hearty. Many of these were scarcely molested until the wheat was so far advanced as to be in the boot, when it was attacked by the hoppers and seemed to melt before them more rapidly than if there had been a dozen of reapers of the latest improvement, felling the crop to the earth.
During the third week in June, 1868, I stood at the windward side of an hundred acre field of wheat, which had passed into that stage of growth known as " in the boot;" the grasshoppers then were at work with all the powers of their destructiveness, and the smell or taint of their cutting or sawing process filled the air with a smell like that of a cow's breath at the finest season of the year for grasses, tame or wild, and in four days the entire field seemed as if it had been swept with the besom of destruction.
These pests, when about a month or six weeks old, shed their coats like the locust, while many persons finding their cast-off skins, have mistaken these for the dead bodies of the young and concluded that their crops were, or would be, free from their ravages, but this delusion was soon dispelled by the appearance of the young hoppers, more numerous and livelier than ever.
This status continues, only they grow in size, until about the 14th to the 24th of June, at which time the little buds or cas- ings, which are located directly over the places where the wings are, become thrust off, and expose to the air or sunlight a curi- ous little bundle, which in time, viz .: a half a day, unfolds and lengthens, so that by the expiration of that period, they become
254
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
supplied with a pair of wings and soon begin navigating the air instead of creeping or jumping on the ground alone.
Generally in less than seven days after they are furnished with wings, at or about 11 o'clock, A. M., they all apparently, by com- mon impulse, if the wind is from the north, rise and bid the local- ity of their hatch a final and lasting farewell.
As soon as they are hatched, they appear to have a decided preference for the blades of young tender wheat, and seemingly, by instinct, kuow the location thereof; the taste of the blades of oats finds no favor to their palates, until the wheat is all devoured, when the oat fields are attacked, then corn, or anything else, ac- cording to the surroundings. There have been localities where they, in their travels toward a certain wheat field, have centered at certain points, by reason of a rivulet or creek, where these obstacles met in the bend of a river or confluence of rivulet or creeks, and so plentifully that they were shoe-top deep and roll- ing or wriggling like a seething pot, filled with dirty, boiling water.
Oftentimes so numerous would they be upon the rails of the railroad track that the drive wheels would spin around for want of sufficient friction to propel the engine and train, and the engin- eer, in order to obviate this difficulty, would be compelled to affix brooms in front of the engine to clear the track of this nuisance.
On the 24th day of June, 1868, they all, having become winged, at or about 11 o'clock, A. M., rose in clouds and left for other localities to the south.
On the 1st day of August, 1873, in the neighborhood of Mag- nolia, and on the 4th day of the same month and year, at Harris Grove, at the hour of 11 o'clock, A. M., this plague again began to drop, as it were, from the skies, and by evening the entire sur- face of the country was covered with them, as above described, when they began an indiscriminate attack on the corn silks, blades and oats. At this time they were brought to the surface
255
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
of the ground by a wind blowing quite strongly from the south, and here they remained, wind-bound, until the 20th day of the same month, doing great damage to the corn crop and oats. Those who have tried a hand at farming soon learn that when the silk is eaten out of the end of the ear of corn and the blades stripped from the stalks, that the crop is rendered nearly worth- less.
After having filled themselves they immediately began deposit- ing their eggs, which after being buried in the ground until the 14th of April, 1874, began to hatch, with the same result as in former years, with only this change: they were more numerous. The wheat fields and all green vegetation was soon totally destroyed and starvation seemed imminent to the settler by the 30th of May. Some tried to protect their crops at this time by digging a trench around their wheat or corn fields, which, in a measure protected the same. The manner of this protection was this: a trench, ten inches wide by sixteen inches deep, was dug, and at relays of each twenty rods, a deep hole was sunk, connecting the trench therewith, and the young hoppers when coming to this trench would tumble therein and when once in they would follow the trench and finally fall into the deep hole that had been dug to catch them. These would fill up the hole in a day or two, depending on the quantity of the hatch in the immediate vicinity. As soon as these holes were filled up with these insects a new one would be dug and the others would be covered over, and it was surprising what a stench these decay- ing hoppers made.
Others would attempt to destroy these invaders by scattering straw, hay or other combustible matter along their place of travel, hoping that by nightfall they would take lodging therein, and as soon as it was dark to set fire to the combustible matter and burn them up; others would go to the nearest tin-shop and have a sheet-iron pan, made on the principle of a scoop, only much larger, say 14 feet long by 2 feet wide, and at the rear
256
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY.
end 1 foot deep, and attaching to this cords at both ends, and after pouring therein a half gallon of kerosene oil, they would draw this pan along the surface of the ground at the places where the hoppers were the thickest, when the rascals, in order to avert the pan from passing over them, would jump and alight in the pan, where they were immediately treated to a bath of the oil and would soon turn up their toes, open their sickle like jaws, and die. On June, 24th and 28th, the wind being from the north, they all arose quite at the same moment and took their flight towards the south.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.