USA > Iowa > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882 > Part 61
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Samuel H. Thompson, walked from Iowa City to Muscatine, and enlisted there. Served in Company K, Fifteenth U. S. Infantry.
Samuel Cole, now of Iowa City, was disabled in the Mexican war and draws a pension on account of it.
Michael McInnery, now a groceryman in Iowa City, was in the battle of Chapultepec; was wounded in the cheek, and also in the side; had a bullet cut out.
Lewis Swinehard and Wm. B. Hampton also served in Company K, Fifteenth U. S. Infantry in Mexico.
JOHNSON COUNTY's "MORMON WAR."
April 26, 1845, the county record says:
Ordered, that Major P. McAlister be, and he is hereby allowed forty- seven dollars and fifteen cents for the provisions and corn and oats pur- chased by him and used in his trip to arrest certain Mormon prisoners in the western part of this territory, in this present month.
(Mr. McAlister was sheriff at that time; " Major " was his given name, and not a military title; a circumstance often awkward and embarrassing to him.)
July S, 1845: Ordered, That Wm. Dupont be allowed nineteen dollars and fifty cents for provisions and horse feed furnished to the soldiers and officers of the Mormon war.
Ordered, That Warren Stiles be allowed three dollars and twenty-five cents for boarding furnished to the officers and soldiers of the Mormon war.
Ordered, That Charles Connelly be allowed four dollars and sixty cents for boarding officers and soldiers in the late Mormon war.
On July 11th, it was ordered, that M. P. McAlister be allowed forty- three dollars and eighty cents for feeding Mormons.
January 7, 1846, M. P. McAlister is again allowed thirty-seven dollars and twenty-five cents for his services as sheriff, and expenses paid by him to Brown and Douglass for provisions for Mormon expedition.
July 8, 1845, the following record appears:
On the presentation of the accounts of A. Arrosmith, W. A. Henry and others, for the use of teams and personal services rendered in the late expedition against the Mormons, it is considered by the board that the said accounts and claims cannot be allowed, and are therefore rejected.
Thus they laid this unwelcome ghost, but it arose again. to torment them, and they surrendered, "horse, foot, and dragoons," as the following further record will bear witness:
THE MORMON WAR DEBT PAID.
January 5, 1849. " Major W. A. Henry this day presented a petition from diverse citizens of Johnson county, praying for compensation out of the county treasury to those persons who rendered meritorious services in
527
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
an expedition under the summons and command of M. P. McAlister, sheriff of Johnson county, against the Mormons, in April, A. D. 1845; and the board being fully advised in the premises, and a list of names and number of days each person served in said expedition, with teams and otherwise, being furnished and sworn to by Geo. W. Hess. It is consid- ered by the board that each person shall be entitled to one dollar per day for each dayannexed to their names in said list, and each person with teams two dollars per day.
The following is the list of persons who served in said expedition, show- ing services rendered, and compensation for the same:
Name of Person.
Am't Rec'd.
Services Rendered.
Robert M. Huchinson .
$ 11
Himself and team
Howard Sprague
9
9 days services
Hance Sprague
9
9 days services
Linus Niles .
9
9 days services.
Mathew S. Cleveland.
9
9 days services
Ransom Mason
10
10 days services.
Geo. W. Hess
22
11 days services with team
C. C. Catlet .
10
10 days services.
W. A. Henry
9
9 days services.
Samuel McFaden
10
10 days services.
C. J. Swan.
10
10 days services.
H. H. Downer
10
10 days services.
Jacob Ricord.
10
10 days services.
E. Langster
10
10 days services.
E. Redhead ..
10
10 days services.
Wesley Redhead
10
10 days services.
Thos. Banbury
10
10 days services.
E. Pierson .
10
10 days services.
Ann Shelliday
22
11 days services of hub'd & t'm.
Lewis Wein.
18
9 days services with team ...
Joseph Case .
9
9 days services.
A. Arrosmith
18
9 days services with team.
John White.
9
9 days services.
Joseph Pinnegar
9
9 days services.
Wm. M. Stevens
9
9 days services.
S. Devault
9
9 days services
N. Spicer
11
11 days services.
P. McGuire
11
11 days services.
.
J. J. Shepherdson
9
9 days services.
Joseph Bowen
8
8 days services
Wm. Lancaster
10
10 days services
S. W. Shaff
11
11 days services
A. Sells.
9
9 days services
Joseph Jecko
10
10 days services.
Wm. Paxton
10
10 days services
Total
$480
WHAT THE "MORMON WAR " WAS ABOUT.
From Thomas M. Banbury we gather some particulars of that ridicu- lous and pitiful episode in Johnson county history known as the "Mormon War."
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528
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
In 1844 the Mormons were driven from Nauvoo, Illinois, and started in companies by different routes toward Kanesville, (near the present city of Council Bluffs), where their "prophets" promised to establish the apostolic city and central seat of their theocratic empire. One of these Nauvoo companies took the route of following the Iowa river, for there were as yet no trails or routes opened across the unbroken and unsurveyed wilder- ness of prairie beyond Johnson county. This fugitive troop was over- taken by winter when they had got as far west as what was called the " Big Woods," a few miles northwest of where the city of Marshalltown now stands; and here they made a winter camp, building rude cabins and mud huts and tent shelters as best they could, and slashing down young trees for their starving animals to browse upon the tender twigs and unopened buds. At this time the Poweshiek Indian trading post was near where the city of Marengo now stands, in Iowa county. This was the extreme frontier then, and a few white men had made claims in this vicinity along the banks of the river. There was no organized county west of Johnson, and her civil jurisdiction extended indefinitely to the setting sun. The roughs about the trading post put a report in circulation that the Mormons were robbing and murdering and depredating generally-and they called upon the sheriff of Johnson county to go with a posse comitatus and arrest their leaders. Major P. McAlister was the reigning sheriff, and he responded to the call as promptly as possible. A posse was formed at Iowa City and marched to Dupont's whisky store cabin on the north side of the river, on what is now section twenty-one in Monroe township Here the complainants themselves joined the sheriff's posse. George Hess had been chosen captain; and from here they marched in grand style like an army of conquest, making from twenty to twenty-five miles a day, all on foot. On reaching the vicinity of the Mormon camp, skirmishers were sent out to reconnoiter; pickets were established; and all the "pomp and circumstance of glorious war" was observed, as if in the presence of a formidable foe, and a great battle liable to begin at any moment. Two men then went into the Mormon camp with the awful summons to sur- render, or their stronghold would be taken by storm. They found a lot of peaceable, harmless, half-starved men, women, children, dogs and cat- tle, utterly inoffensive, but all everlasting hungry. The sheriff had war- rants for fifteen or twenty men, and subpænas for as many more for wit- nesses. He however took only five as prisoners, and started back; marched five miles, and camped for the night on a low flat place. He had told the Mormon campers that if any of them wanted to leave that sect and go back to civilized settlements, they might go along: three women and a few men had accepted this offer.
During the night a fearful rain storm broke upon them, and the camp ground was flooded six inches deep with water. In the midst of this storm and misery, one of the women (whose husband was also along)
529
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
gave birth to a child. For two days they all marched sopping wet-no sunshine nor a chance to dry. The new mother and child were carried in one of the supply train wagons, weltering in her wet and soiled gar- ments. The women were all left at the Poweshiek agency, and after- ward brought down to Iowa City in an ox wagon, by O. G. Babcock, now [1882] postmaster at Chase post office, in Madison township. He had just taken the claim where he still lives (in section 32), and the Mormons ate up all his sod crop and winter supplies.
But now to return to the back-trail march and first night's camp. The prisoners had been put in charge of Mr. Banbury as deputy sheriff. Before and after the "grand army" stopped for camp, the roughs wanted to go back to the Mormon camp themselves, and let the rest go on. With regard to this, a leading and stalwart Mormon named Porter, made a strong speech, and said if the sheriff permitted them to go, he would go to, or die right there in the effort. During the dispute over this matter it became apparent that the whole thing was a plot of the roughs to get all the fighting men away from the Mormon camp so they could go there without risk, to plunder the camp and ravish the women. When this secret had fairly leaked out, the camp became divided into the law-and- order party and the roughs party-the latter determined to go back . and the former determined that they should not; and Mr. Banbury says that for nearly an hour it seemed as if they would certainly come to bullets and knives, and have a bloody fight right there among themselves. He had promised Mr. Porter that if any of them went back he would go along, and Porter should go too. The sheriff's party finally prevailed, however, and none were permitted to go back.
When the cavalcade had got back as far as the Poweshiek agency [Marengo] the men who had made the complaint against the Mormons, and brought all this cost and trouble on Johnson county stopped, telling Sheriff McAlister to go on, and they would follow the next day, and overtake him before he reached Iowa City, and be ready to appear against the prisoners. The sheriff reached the city on Saturday. The next Monday his prisoners were brought before 'Squire Hawkins for examina- tion, but not a single complainant or witness appeared against them, and they were at once discharged. Their guns and baggage were restored to them and some provisions supplied for their return journey. Most of these Mormon men were Freemasons, and when the diabolical plot against them was made known, and confirmed by the fact that their accusers never dared to appear in court where law and reason ruled, very naturally a strong interest and sympathy was awakened in their behalf. As a result of this they were supplied with many things for the relief and com- fort of their destitute people at the camp, and they departed with light hearts and heavy loads.
Of course a great many jokes were perpetrated by the men on one
530
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
another about that baby born in camp. Its own father was along-a funny little Frenchman. The sheriff being commander-in-chief of the expedition, was asked why he did not go and act as midwife to the poor woman. He replied, " By G-d, that sort of tactics wasn't taught where he got his military education." The woman, in spite of her hardships, came up all right, and when she reached Iowa City about two weeks after- ward, the baby was bright and healthy, with sharp and cunning black eyes. A few ladies furnished the destitute mother with some garments for her- self and child. The parents went back to Illinois.
CHAPTER IX .- PART 1.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Geography, Topography, Hydrography and Climatology .- The Iowa Weather Service.
Johnson county lies between 41 degrees 24 minutes, and 41 degrees 51 minutes of north latitude. The longitude of its central meridian is about 91 degrees, 33 minutes west. It is bounded on the north by Linn county ; on the east by the counties of Cedar and Muscatine; south by Louisa and Washington counties, and on the west by Iowa county. It contains sev- enteen full congressional townships and about six sections over, which is equivalent to six hundred and eighteen square miles, or three hundred and ninety-five thousand five hundred and twenty acres.
The surface of the country presents a great variety; the south-west and western portions are perhaps the most rolling or undulating, while the north-east and eastern parts are the most regular. The bluffy and broken lands lie principally along the streams. The Iowa and Cedar rivers are the prominent streams.
In shape the county is not regular; its west line running north and south, is an unbroken township line, and it is the same with its north line, run- ning east and west, also its east line: But its south line extends from its south-east corner in a due west direction to the Iowa river, cutting that stream three times. At the third intersection the boundary follows along the channel up the river to the south line of township seventy-eight north, then following this south line to the south-west corner of townsihp seven- ty-eight north, range eight west, which south-west township corner is also the south-west corner of the county.
The north-west corner of township eighty-one north, range eight west, is the north-west corner of the county, and in like manner the north-east corner of township eighty-one north, range five west, and the south-east corner of township seventy-seven north, range five west, constitute respect- ively the north-east and south-east corners of the county. The county is traversed by two streams of considerable size-the Iowa and Cedar rivers,
.
531
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
and with their branches is therefore well watered. The Cedar runs but a short course in the county, striking its north line about two and one-half miles west of the north-east corner and cutting the east line about three miles south of the same corner, running in all about six miles in the county. The branches of the Cedar within the lines of the county are few and small, the largest one heading near Mr. Nolan's, in section two, of town- ship eighty, range five west, and running about due north a distance of three miles, empties into the river just below quite a large island.
The Iowa river enters the county at the northwest corner of section thirty-six, five miles south of the northwest corner of the county. It then runs a course a little north of east to section nineteen in township eighty- one north, range six west, at which point it changes its course to nearly southeast, running to the south line of section fifteen in township eighty north, range six west. Here its course is about south twenty-five degrees west to section five in township seventy-nine, range six. At this point (near Coralville) it makes a sudden bend, taking a course of about north twenty-five degrees east (or a direction about opposite to its last course), to section three of the last named township; from which point it runs almost due south nearly twelve miles, to the south line of the county, mak- ing in that distance only one mile of easting. Thence it bears still more easterly, and forms the boundary between Fremont township in Johnson county, and Iowa township in Washington county.
The river, in its passage across the county, makes some very sharp and remarkable bends, the most notable of which is the one where it changes its course from north-easterly to almost due south. Among the smaller bends, the one on section thirty-one, in township eighty-one north, range six west, deserves notice. The river, after running a distance of two miles, comes back within about a third of a mile of itself. The banks, nearly all the way around the bend, are high, and the river channel nar- row, causing the stream to rise very high in times of flood. During the high water of 1851, a gorge occurred in this bend, throwing the waters back and raising them to a great height. In the fork of a tree standing near the mouth of Hoosier creek, about a mile above the gorge, Capt. F. M. Irish saw a rail that the waters of the gorge had lodged there. He found, by actual measurement, that the rail was elevated twenty-five feet above the ground at the foot of the tree, and nearly thirty feet above the water.
Another bend occurs just above Iowa City, where the river, after run- ning a distance of about three and one-half miles, comes back within a mile of itself. A number of surveys have been made with a view of bringing the waters of the river, by canal or tunnel or both, from the northern flexure of this bend to the city, for manufacturing purposes. The last survey of the kind was conducted by Peter A. Dey, Esq., C. E. of Iowa City.
532
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
A remarkable contraction in the high water channel of the river takes place just below Iowa City, at a point below Joseph Stover's, and directly west of the residences of Cyrus and Richard Sanders; here the river in 1851 rose three to four feet higher than it did a half mile below.
About a mile above where the river leaves the county altogether are the Buttermilk Falls, a place of danger in low water to the flat-bottomed craft of that pioneer merchant and the first boatman to successfully navi- gate this tortuous stream, John Powell, Esq.
The river at this point has cut a channel through an ancient bed of " Drift," washing away the clay and leaving the boulders, large and small, scattered thickly along its bed, and the water rushing and foaming through them constitutes the Buttermilk Falls.
On the west side of the Iowa river, the principal streams that empty into it within the limits of the county are, beginning at the south side of the county, first, a small creek that, for the want of any other name, I shall call Fesler creek. It enters the river about half a mile above the south line of the county. Next in order, going northward, is " Old Man's creek," quite a large stream. It with its branches, waters nearly all of the civil townships of Hardin, Union, Sharon and Liberty, and a part of Washington. The remainder of Washington township is watered by Deer creek and another branch of English river. About one mile and a half west of Iowa City, and above it on the river, near Coralville, Clear creek empties itself. Not so large a stream as Old Man's creek, yet it gives power to at least one mill on its banks. This stream waters the townships of Oxford and Clear Creek, and a small part of Lucas town- ship.
There is but one more stream of note on the west side of the river-this is called on the map Buffalo creek, but has been {known to the inhabi- tants along its banks as Dirty Face creek. [See N. Zeller's sketch.] It waters the southern part of Penn township, and empties into the river about two miles due northeast of Iowa City,-or five miles by way of the river.
The north parts of Penn and Oxford townships are watered by insignifi- cant rivulets, flowing in a northerly direction into the Iowa river.
The river, in the northwest part of the county, runs nearly east for a distance of about twelve miles, and the streams coming into it flow south- ward.
First, in Monroe township we have, beginning at the west line of the county and going eastward, Price, Knapp, and Plum creeks.
In Jefferson township Brown's, McAlister's, and a branch of Hoosier or Lingle creek.
In Big Grove township, is Hoosier or Lingle creek. This is a consid- erable stream, the proper name of which is Lingle, from the mouth to the forks about three miles above, at which point the west fork takes the
533
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
name of Hoosier creek, and the east one retains that of Lingle. There is a branch of Lingle creek on the west side about a mile above the mouth, which has already been spoken of as watering a part of Jefferson township. Just below the point of the meeting of Hoosier and Lingle creeks is the mill once known as Lingle's Mill, but is now known as the "Bohemian Mill." Also in Big Grove township, and to the south of Lingle creek is Sells, or Mill creek. This stream is properly called Sells creek, from Anthony Sells, who settled upon it in an early day and built a mill, now known as "Hendrick's Mill." This creek forks about a half mile above its mouth, the south branch taking the name of Jordan creek. Hendrick's mill is situated upon the north branch, on Sells creek, just above where Jordan joins it. We have now passed the point where the river makes its great bend to the south, and are now traveling south- ward. The last stream that we crossed (Sells creek) flows westward, as do all that succeed it. Going southward the next in order of importance is Turkey creek. Between this stream and Sells creek are to be found two or three small ones, the names of which are unknown to the writer. Turkey creek empties into the river about four miles above Iowa City. All of the streams we have crossed since leaving Sells creek are in New- port township.
South of Turkey and about two miles above Iowa City is the mouth of Rapid creek,a large stream watering the township of Graham, and part of Newport. Its principal branch leaves it on the north side, about one half mile above the mouth, and is called Sanders creek. Upon this stream there were in early days the following mill sites: Radabaugh's saw mill, near the mouth of the stream; above this one mile was Strub's mill; at the crossing of the Dubuque road was the saw mill of Henry Felkner, Esq., the first saw mill built in the county, and above this a short distance stood the Taylor, or McCrady mill.
Passing Iowa City, we find running through its limits, a small stream called Ralston creek. It was named after one of the commissioners who located the capital, Robert Ralston, Esq., of Burlington. Below the city five miles, we find Snyder creek, (originally called Gilbert creek, from the old trader, John Gilbert), which waters parts of Scott, Lucas and Pleasant Valley townships. Ten miles below Iowa City, are two small creeks, the names of which are unknown to the writer. They rise in Lincoln, flow across Pleasant Valley, then down into the edge of Fremont township, and into the Iowa river. The eastern part of Scott township is watered by the head of the Wapsinonoc, a small branch of the Cedar river; which is also the case with the east part of Graham and Lincoln townships. This completes the list of water courses within the county.
The surface of the county is well diversified with groves and patches of timber, and in the northern part especially is heavily timbered [whence 34
534
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
the name "Big Grove" township]. All the forest tress indigenous to the northwest exist in abundance. All the varieties of oak, walnut, hick- ory, ash, elm, and cottonwood abound. Its springs are pure and numerous.
A COUNTY WATER GAUGE.
January 10, 1876, in response to a request from the Iowa Weather Ser- vice, the county board ordered a water gauge to be constructed "at or near the free bridge " at Iowa City, provided the cost should not exceed ten dollars. This is the bridge at the foot of Burlington street.
SOME NAMES OF STREAMS.
Picayune Creek is in Liberty township. "Picayune" was originally the name given in New Orleans to the old Spanish 62 cent piece, and later applied to the American silver 5-cent piece. New Orleans Picayune was the name of a daily newspaper which for some years enjoyed a national reputation. In the early ferry days it cost a "picayune" (6} cents) for a man afoot to cross the Iowa riyer.
Old Maid's Creek is in Union township; said to have been so named because four old maids lived on a farm on its banks in the early days.
Hoosier Creek is in Big Grove township, and " Hoosier" being the pseu- donym for natives of Indiana, it took its name from settlers from the Hoosier state.
Turkey Creek, in Newport township, was named by Sheriff Trow- bridge in 1838, because it was a good place to hunt wild turkeys.
Rapid Creek, in the same township, was named also by him, on account of its roaring, rushing, rapid character, especially at the part where Henry Felkner built his saw-mill in 1839-40.
Clear Creek was also named by Trowbridge, because of its clear flow- ing waters. But since that time its name has been belied by the herds of cattle tramping, and the droves of swine rooting and wallowing in its banks, marshes, and tributary brooklets. The original clearness of the creek has been swapped for fresh meat.
MR. LATHROP'S REPORT ON CLIMATOLOGY.
In January, 1881, H. W. Lathrop of Iowa City read a paper before the State Horticultural Society, which, though only including Johnson county in a general way, contains so much information of value to intelligent farmers and fruit growers in this region that it is worth preserving to them and their children for permanent reference. Mr. Lathrop says:
The elements or constituents of climate are light, heat, and moisture. At the first glance of the subject one would suppose that all places in the same degree of latitude, coming under the same influence of the sun's rays, would enjoy the same degree of temperature, but such is not the case. The altitude of a locality above the sea-level, and its proximity to or remoteness from large bodies of water have much to do in giving places on the same parallel a different climate. The presence or absence
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