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 72
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When the war was over, and the regiment was disbanded, and those left of company C returned to this place, they brought with them the silken banner which had been their pride and care; and being tendered an ovation by the ladies, in the form of a public supper, at Johnson's school-house, they made that the occasion of returning the flag to the ladies of Clear Creek. The writer, now Mrs. Hamilton, was delegated to receive the flag. Many speeches were made, fine quartettes sung, a splendid supper served, and everybody was happy.
STORIES, SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS.
Grave of an Indian Chieftain's Son-(B. Dennis) .- Near the eastern boundary of the township, on the right of way of the C., R. I. & P. R. R., lie the remains of the son of Shebana, chief of the Pottawattamies. The young chief and a few comrades of the tribe left their Rock River home in Illinois, for the purpose of inspecting their new home west of the Mis- souri river, in the Indian reservation. While on their way the young chief was attacked by fever; he was taken into the cabin of a white man and cared for until he died, which was in a few days. His remains were deposited in their last resting place by the whites, attended by his sorrow- ful and lonely companions, who retraced their steps to the home of their tribe. Several years after, the old chief and a few families stopped on their way to the Indian reservation, and, enquiring, found the grave, held a pow-wow over it, paid Mr. Wise $10 for putting a picket fence around the grave; also, a pole, from which streamed the stars and stripes, was placed securely; another pow-wow; and then they sadly renewed their journey towards the setting sun. There is nothing now left to mark the spot but a slight depression in the earth.
The Indians moved out of this township about the time the first settlers moved in. The government, in treaty with them, broke a section of prairie land and established a trading-house for them about five miles east of Marengo, in Iowa county. Here they lived, and the squaws cultivated the land, while the lazy men of the tribe wrapped their dirty blankets- about them and sought their old hunting-grounds in this township, where they hunted and fished, and traded with the whites, and got drunk.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
WEATHER.
In 1842-43, Mrs. McConnell moved to this township from below Iowa City as far as Carolville on the ice, on the 6th day of April.
The same winter was a season of much distress and gloom among the early settlers on account of unusual severity of weather and deep snow; and the question of moving to Oregon in the spring was discussed eagerly in the Clear Creek lyceum, and also in a lyceum established over on the river in Penn township. The next season proved one of abundant crops, and the settlers took heart and stayed.
This winter the family of Wesly Reynolds lived for two months with- out flour in the house, an account of deep snows and difficulty in getting to mill. They used baked potatoes for bread and cooked in other ways for vegetables.
Bryan Dennis says, the winter of 1842-3 was memorable for its arctic intensity by all who endured the rigor of that winter, penned up in their crowded log cabins, mere refugees from wind and rain, but not from cold. It nearly froze out all the enthusiasm we had for Iowa's beautiful prairies, and many talked of emigrating to Oregon.
The following year being an exceptionally good year, the Oregon fever died out. The prairies assumed new beauties, and new farms were opened on every hand.
There was a man frozen to death on English river, in April, which illustrates the severity of the much talked of winter and spring of 1843-4.
The winter of 1877 was unusually mild and pleasant, particularly the early part of the winter. Fall plowing was continued with little inter- mission on account of cold until December 20.
Among all the noted years of unusual weather the year 1882 will take precedence, for being the most disagreeable, unfruitful and variable ever known in Iowa. The year opened mild, and every indication pointed to an early spring, which suddenly in March veered off into winter weather after many had sown wheat and planted potatoes; then there were chang- able degrees of severity until the middle of May, during which month there was a fall of two or three inches of snow, after rye had headed out and grass was a foot high. Then followed a succession of disastrous storms and floods, which, while not doing here the local damage in some localities, yet effectually ruined all the corn on low ground. Following the wet spell was a short hot drouth that in a few days "fired " the corn on hill land that had been promising a reasonable crop. All varieties of fruit except blackerries, were either destroyed by the several late freezes, or injured so that the crop was small.
ORIGIN OF NAME OF SQUASH BEND.
Bryan Dennis relates: "Dr." Josiah Crawford, from whom the name of Squash Bend (now called North Liberty) originated, lived in this town-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ship in the spring and summer of 1842. He was a quack doctor of the original type. Being hard pushed for a living, he moved to Sugar Bot- tom, in Penn township, and occupied a shanty vacated by a bachelor named Waterson, a farmer from Illinois. Waterson made a claim out on the prairie, now a part of the Donner farm. He broke up a few acres and planted sod corn, pumpkins and squashes, which was the sole sub- sistence of the doctor's family for four or five months. The whole crop used was packed in sacks by an old man by the name of Pettis a distance of three or four miles. It occupied nearly his whole time. Crawford spent his time in visiting his "ager" patients, and in the woods gathering " roots and yarbs." He was very fond of the good things of this life, and never in a hurry to leave his patients as long as there was prospect of grub ahead. The family at home, meanwhile, enjoyed their change of diet, from roast- ing-ears and squash to squash and roasting-ears. Pettis said, "the board done first-rate, but it was mighty hard work to get it."
Pioneer jokes have a savor of interest to old settlers that the latest illustrated comic literature fails to secure. One remembers the story of Mr. Bryan Dennis' first and only attempt to dance. "B. Dennis and lady " were invited to a wedding. In those days handsome and intelli- gent girls did not number as large a majority as they do now in Clear Creek township, and Mr. D. escorted a young gentleman and paid him the most assiduous attention, in lieu of the more desirable other party. Dancing was the order of the entertainment, and the mother of the bride, a woman of seventy, mellow with "the hilarity of the occasion " (it stood in an open barrel by the door, with the dipper handy), invited Mr. D. to lead off the dance with herself. Age and beauty were resistless, and he could not be less than courteous to his hostess, who had set forth a fine spread, for those days, for her guests. So he helped his fair companion through the maizy reel(ing) as best he could; but that experience satis- fied him, he has never danced since.
A story is told of a claim quarrel as the only occasion in which the populace were stirred to threaten deeds of violence. As some of the par- ties are living, we suppress names. B. bought of A. a claim, and not being possessed of much money, turned in a note on a man in Illinois, which A. accepted, after first learning that the note was good. A. did not attempt to collect the note until about a year after it was due. The man who gave the note in the meantime had failed, and A., to save him- self, went to Dubuque and entered the land " over B.'s head." The peo- ple got excited and indignant over the transaction and called a mass- meeting, which was attended by every man in the township; A. and B. were also requested to attend. A. failed to put in an appearance, and the meeting sent for him again. The murmurings and threats grew so loud that policy told A. he had better appear; and the meeting requested him to go out and settle it with B. or the citizens would settle it for him,
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
which he did; and B., being better educated, " saved " himself, while A. lost all he had by the transaction.
This township has been the ground of many romantic episodes. Among the earliest was a runaway match between Orla Hall and Miss Mary Clark, who were among the earliest marriages, by Esq. Hartwell. Geo. Den- nison and Henry Headly espied the parties on horseback riding in haste, and taking their horses, followed in time for the denoument of a happy wedding, before the pursuing father of the bride reached the scene. All were subsequently reconciled, and "lived happily ever after," as the story writers says.
James Douglass was the first emigrant as far west as where the old homestead farm is located. Four weeks afterward his brother, Ebenezer and family came seeking him, to locate near. They stopped and enquired at J. N. Headley's-where Wm. Wolfe now resides. They were told that only one team had passed, and as this answered his description, they were satisfied they were now on the right trail, which they followed till they came to the banks of Buffalo creek near the old Copi ford. There they lost the trail, and after searching half a day slept over the matter-when "Aunt Sarah" dreamed that they were directed to cross the stream, and up further towards its source they would find the trail; and that their brother's house was at the end of the road-all of which proved correct, and was one of those singular coincidinces of dreams that seem so entirely unaccountable, but which almost all families occasionally experience.
Indian arrow heads have been and are yet found in many places. Two stone axes were found on the farm of J. M. Douglass, near his present resi- dence. They were sent to Prof. Nipher in St. Louis.
Buffalo creek was named by Jeremiah Slaght; so called from its run- ning speed in time of a rapid rise.
The small stream east of A. J. Bond's residence was long called Pin- hook creek, from its peculiar outline.
GAME AND HUNTING STORIES.
As late as 1853 deer were frequently seen; Hon. Rolla Johnson saw five head, that year on the spot where his residence now stands, and H. N. Hyde, his brother-in-law, shot two wild turkeys near the same spot, the same year.
Elk used to roam these glades, and the belts of timber land afforded them shelter. J. M. Douglass saw a drove of five at one time.
A grizzly bear was seen down at Old Man's creek; and E. Douglass saw a panther at the head of Clear creek.
Mr. J. R. Willis saw tracks of bear on sand bars of the Iowa river, but never met one.
Catamounts, wolves, deer, wild cats, turkeys, geese, and ducks were plenty. None of these found for many years past.
Bee hunting, or more properly honey-hunting, has always been a favor-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ite pastime with early settlers, not only because it was good, but because "sweets was dear and skase." John Miller, (now Judge Miller of Mar- engo) went to Marshall county in 1840 on a honey hunt, and brought back a barrel of strained honey.
J. M. Douglass on one occasion shot five fish with one rifle shot. The fish collectively measured ten feet, the largest weighing seven pounds. Affidavit on demand, if you don't believe it.
Another time he was wading Clear Creek when a fish ran between his feet; he caught it in this extemporaneous fish gate, and it weighed two pounds.
The same gentleman had his hunting luck by bunches; one time he killed five prairie chickens at one shot; at another time he brought down seven ducks at one shot.
Deer were once plentiful in these groves, and venison steak as common as beef is now. They were so plenty as to be at times a nuisance to early settlers, breaking into fields and eating corn like hogs; but they were shy and often difficult to capture. A party of four men chased a drove of seventeen deer from Old Man's creek into this township, and only got one.
Mr. J. J. Shephardson was the mighty Nimrod of this section. In the year 1850, he killed forty deer and fifty-two wild turkeys, by actual count. The last day of the year was one of unusual severity. A blinding snow storm prevailed. Shephardson had killed thirty-nine deer; but on being told that an Indian had killed that many, he seized his gun and started out, determined to beat that Indian. He saw a deer and chased it several miles through the pelting storm; he finally shot it down in a creek full of snow and ice, where before he could secure the deer he froze both of his feet. He once killed a very large catamount in Snow's Grove, south of Oxford; wounded it first and on following it, just as it was crouched to spring upon him, raised his gun and shot it dead. It measured five feet nine inches. Finding he could not carry it home, he skinned it and sold the hide in Iowa City. As he was returning home with the hide and a wild turkey he had shot, he was chased by wolves some distance; and just as they were getting .in uncomfortable proximity, Shepardson's faithful dogs came to meet him, as was their custom, and rescued their master. On one occasion he was chased by what he supposed were wolves, but on investigating the next morning, was discovered to be a panther, by its tracks.
Mr. Shepardson is a noted wolf hunter, having claimed the bounty oftener and more at a time than any one in the county. In the last five years he has killed 121 wolves, bringing him the neat bounty of $605. The largest number killed in one year was thirty-three. He has often found Indian arrow heads whilst out hunting, some of them as large as four and one-half inches long.
In all Mr. Shepardson's conflict with savage game, and killing over 500
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deer, he never met with an accident but twice; once he was kicked by a large buck in its death throes and was knocked about a rod on frozen ground. On another occasion, a large buck that Mr. S. thought he had killed, rallied just as he had taken hold of it, and struck him a blow on the left breast that knocked him insensible for a time. When he recovered his senses he was clinging to the deer's neck, while it was circling and kicking in a frightful way. He drew his knife and ended the circus, but has never fully recovered from that blow.
He once killed a buck with sixteen prongs to his antlers. He killed a moosehead in Hardin county, with forty-three prongs to his antlers.
Reptiles were very large in early days. Mr. Shepardson once killed a bull snake 82 feet long, just as it was coiled to spring upon him.
Large orchards numbering 100 trees or more, are owned by Hon. Geo. Paul, N. Scales, Chas. Colany, Wm. Wolfe, Hon. Rolla Johnson, A. J. Bond, H. Springmeyer and Wesley Reynolds. Mr. J. R. Willis had an orchard of 500 or 600 trees that have borne well; but using his orchard for a hog pasture has greatly injured it and in many instances killed the trees. He is now plowing it and filling the vacancies with choice fruit.
The orchard owned and planted by Hon. Geo. Paul was the first orchard planted in the township-principally apples from the Nicholas Longworth nursery, of all varieties; but also contains pears, peaches, plums, cherries.
No personal enterprise of the township is viewed with more public satis- faction and interest than the large and flourishing orchard of Hon. Rolla Johnson, which occupies forty acres in extent. Since it came into bearing it has yielded enormous crops of fruit. The land is part of the original farm of Mr. Johnson, and most favorably located as to soil and protection for the purpose of raising fruit. About ten years since it was planted principally with apple trees, but later with all varieties of grapes. One year his vines gave a marvelous yield. He sold two tons; and finding it impossible to give them any more time without neglecting his crop of fall and winter apples, he gave notice to the people to come and get what grapes they wanted, free of cost; and tons of them were disposed of in this way, while other tons dropped to the ground ungathered. Last year his trees did not bear so well, but he sold over $400 worth of winter apples. Mr. Johnson thinks that the late freezes that destroyed all the fruit this spring [1882] will change the bearing year, and that another year the trees will bear heavily. For choice fruit he cultivates cherries, pears, peaches, Siberian crab apples, chestnuts (bearing trees), grapes,-principally [Con- cords-strawberries, raspberries, &c. Mr. Johnson has something over 1,500 apple trees, comprising the following varieties: Ben Davis, Jonathan, Willow Twig, White Pippin, Benoni, Sweet June, Red June, Fameuse, Walbridge, Red Romanite, Dominie, Snow apple,-about the only apple bearing this year-and others. In crabs his favorite is Whitney No. 10-as large as an ordinary apple and of most delicate flavor., In 1880, that wonderful fruit year, Mr. Johnson sold 1,100 bushels of winter apples.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Bryan Dennis was born Angust 1, 1819, in Batavia, Clermont county, Ohio; came to Clear Creek township in 1839 with his mother. October 30, 1844, he was married to Miss Agnes J. McConnell, in Iowa City, at the residence of the bride's brother-in-law, Rev. W. K. Talbott, who also performed the interesting ceremony. In coming to their home the same day, when coming up the Folsom hill near where the "Centennial bridge " is now, Mr. Isaac V. Dennis, who as "best man" of the occasion, was driving, sportively threatened to upset the party, which feat, [not difficult to accomplish at the same place even in the present time,] he suc- ceeded in doing, to his great mortification and regret, a moment later for it hurt Mr. Bryan Dennis quite badly. Mr. Dennis bought the land where he now lives, which then was claimed by Mr. Sprague, and the happy pair set up their home on this spot, a home that has been noted for more that forty years for its hospitality, and social delights .. From his youth up Mr. Dennis has been one of the foremost men in the community in all matters of public interest, occupying the most of the time some town- ship office. His counsel is sought on many subjects, and by all classes of people, and is always kindly and sympathizingly given. He has been quite prominent, as these pages will testify, in all matters connected with lit- erary exercises, debates, etc., and although debarred by the few school privileges of pioneer life from the education he has so liberally given his children, he has yet had the natural nbility to apply the three months' schooling, (all he ever had), to better account than many who take a uni- versity course. Like his compatriot and fellow pioneer, Hon. Gec Paul, who never attended school after he was nine years of age, there is nothing to indicate illiteracy either in speech or pen. These men have profited by reading and observation to an extent worthy to be imitated by our men of to-day. His wife, Mrs. Agnes J. Dennis, was born April 25, 1825; came to Iowa in 1837, with her father, John McConnell, and to this township, in 1841. Mrs. Dennis is a lady beloved and respected by all who know her, useful in church and society, and a model wife and mother in her own family. Seven children were the fruits of this union, four of whom are living; Mrs. Mary Howe, of Janesville, Iowa, her hus- band, Rev. Chas. Howe, being a Presbyterian minister; Mrs. Josie Rem- ley, whose husband is a lawyer in Iowa City; Mr. E. J. Dennis of Tiffin, and Miss Lottie Dennis, who is still at home. Their family includes also, an adopted daughter, Miss Nellie Slocum, a niece of Mrs Bryan Dennis, whose mother died in 1865, leaving her orphan daughter of five years to Mr. and Mrs. Dennis, who have most faithfully fulfilled their promises to the dying mother to care for the little motherless one as their own.
This lovely christian home is also still lighted by the presence (1882) of Mr. Dennis' aged mother, Mrs. McConnell, who is at once mother and step-mother,'and mother-in-law and grandmother in the same family circle; for mother McConnell was step-mother to Agnes McConnell before she became Mrs. Bryan Dennis.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
CHAPTER X .- PART 4.
Beginnings of " Big Bottom," by Nicholas Zeller .-- Being the Early Settlement of what is now Madison and Penn Townships.
BEGINNINGS OF "BIG BOTTOM."
In 1870 Mr. Nicholas Zeller wrote for the "Annals of Iowa," a brief history of the early days of the "Big Bottom," or "Big Bend," or " North Bend " settlement, as it was variously called, and which ultimately devel- oped into Madison and Penn townships. Mr. Zeller was one of the most careful and reliable of the pioneer history writers, and we here by per- mission give his sketch entire; but the reader should bear in mind all the time that it was written in 1870, and not in 1882, so that some things men- tioned are not now just as they were when Mr. Zeller wrote: John Gay- lor and Alonzo C. Denison were the first men who made claims with the intention of settling in what is now known as Penn and Madison town- ships, Johnson county. Both were from Bureau county, Ills. Gaylor arrived late in the summer of 1838, with his family, and made his claim where the farm of John Wilson now is, who bought Gaylor's claim and entered the first land in the settlement.
Alonzo C. Denison in a few weeks followed Gaylor, and made his claim near by and returned to Illinois, and the following spring returned with his family and brothers, Joseph and George Denison, who all made their claims on the edge of the prairie and timber. Gaylor erected a cabin about twelve feet square in the timber to winter in the first winter, where was born the first white child in the settlement, no white settlers being nearer than Iowa City, ten miles distant. Medical assistance was had from the neighboring squaws. Gordon A. Denison, then about three months old, was the first white child brought to the settlement. This was in the spring of 1839. Gaylor was an athletic man, about six feet two inches in height, kind and affectionate, but able and willing to defend himself in any emergency, and is supposed to be still living in Illinois.
The three Denisons are still residents of the county, and two of them have seen their second generation. Joseph still resides on the claim he first made, and is now the oldest "settler" in the vicinity. These were soon followed by other, and in June, 1840, the following persons were resi- dents by claim law, as the land had not been surveyed, viz .: David Wray, Carson B. Wray, George Wein, John W. Alt, Jacob H. Alt, Joseph A. Alt, Adam Alt, Jackson Purdoo, Ira Purdoo, Evan Dollarhide, Rev. Israel Clark, Martin Harless, Robert Waterson, John Aslan, Hugh Napier, David Crozier, Gilbert and Frank Herington, and James Cham- berlain. About this time emigration commenced again to travel toward the setting sun.
William Dupont was the first white man who moved through the settle-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ment, "westward bound." These pioneer families were all "metal of the true ring," and began to think of founding a school; and in 1841 Benjamin Horner taught the first school in a cabin erected by David Crozier, and vacated by him. It took fire and burned down during school time; but not discouraged, in 1843 a pretty good and respectable log house was built, where North Liberty is now located. In 1849 the house was remodeled and improved; in 1860 a new frame house was erected, and the school graded. The first graded school was taught by Miss Martha J. Bowman. The house built in 1843 answered for school and all public business, and religious worship.
Elder Lineback preached the first sermon in the settlement in the shade of the grove where the first claim was made by Gaylor, John Horner and Israel Clark. The next, A. C. Denison, was the first man to erect the " family altar" in the settlement; now whose families number several scores.
The settlement increased rapidly, and when the township was organ- ized, on motion of Francis Bowman, it was named Penn township, in honor of the renowned William Penn, which was since, under the county judgeship of Hon. Geo. W. McCleary, divided into Penn and Madison townships.
NAMES OF STREAMS.
There are four small streams entirely within the " big bottom," as it was originally called, now known as North Bend: 1st, Purdoo creek, Jackson and Ira Purdoo settling near the mouth of said creek. One of the Purdoos exploring the creek to its head saw a cabin near the source, to which he went, and as he was a stranger and somewhat jocular, enquired of the lady of the cabin where Purdoo river was. The lady could think of no such river, and the stranger (Purdoo) got no informa- tion of Purdoo river. Afterward the joke was discovered, and the creek was called Purdoo creek. This was the original name, and should now characterize the little stream. Afterward it bore several names, viz .: Buffalo, Dollarhide, and Dirty Face creek. The name Dirty Face origi- nated thus: In those early days citizens did not always settle disputes by feeing lawyers, and passing through the routine of law, but sometimes settled them with the stout arm of their own law, without lawyers or jus- tice's court. A settlement or suit of this kind came off in Iowa City, then a small village, between the-before-named Harless and one Aslin. Both parties being in town, and it being a very dry time, the streets were sev- eral inches deep with dust (street sprinklers being then unknown in Iowa). The trial took place in the street, without lawyers or justice, and who- ever was willing pitched in, and before it was over some half dozen were at it. Both sides claimed the victory, and it was unsettled, both parties coming out of the battle with their faces covered with dust (and, of course, no credit) so as to be hardly recognizable. Harless, to give vent to his
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