USA > Iowa > Jones County > History of Jones County, Iowa, past and present, Volume I > Part 55
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"The 16th section, being reserved for school purposes, and placed under the control of the state, was liable to be kept out of market for a series of years, and, when offered for sale, was put up with such limitations in regard to price, as was deemed most advantageous to the school fund. Therefore should a settler have made valuable improvements on such lands, he was liable to be subjected to pay a higher price per acre for his lands than he would have been had such land been put under the control of the general government. The cutting and using of timber on such lands, except under certain restrictions, was declared by law an indictable offense.
"On the Ist of January, 1838, Barrett Whittemore first took up his perma- nent residence on Bowen's Prairie, and commenced improving the premises now owned by himself, and including the farm immediately east, now owned by J. Hickman, consisting of one hundred acres of prairie and eighty acres of timber. His first domicile was a log cabin fourteen by sixteen feet, built some three rods north of his present residence, and into which he moved on the 19th day of May of the same year, entering into a temporary partnership with T. Dickson, and boarding with him.
"On the 28th of February, in this year, John Gillman, a Methodist minis- ter, held the first religious meeting on Bowen's Prairie, and probably the first in the northern part of the county. He preached here regularly every three weeks afterward, during his stay on this circuit.
A MELANCHOLY EVENT.
"On the 24th of April. 1838, a most melancholy event transpired on the prairie, filling the whole community with gloom, and the family immediately interested with unspeakable anguish. The circumstances were these: We had finished our outdoor work and chores, glad to enter the house to sit down and enjoy the cheerful fire blazing on the hearth, which the cold, bleak northeast wind and rain rendered peculiarly grateful to our chilled bodies. Darkness had set in, rendering the outdoor desolation doubly so. Suddenly we were aroused by a knock at the door, and the entrance of two of our neighbors who informed us that a boy was lost. Alfred Denson, a remarkably bright and
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amiable lad of six years, and the light of the household, had wandered from the house and was lost, either on the cold bleak prairie, or in the still more dismal forest. The instant this information was communicated, we felt that the poor boy's fate was sealed. If he had wandered into the thick woods, he might pos- sibly survive until morning, but if, as we feared, he had strayed out into the wide unprotected prairie, we felt that his sleep that night would be 'the sleep from which there is no awakening.'
"Dark and dreary and uncomfortable as was the night, the citizens were aroused, and started out with the resolution to do what they could. But the night was intensely dark; we were destitute of lanterns and were obliged to depend on torches to guide us in our travels, and these were comparatively use- less on account of the strong wind and rain. We expected to get lost ourselves, but this did not deter us. Our first design was to search the forest in the vicinity of the child's home, and to build fires in different places, if possibly the child might discover them; they might also be guiding-stars to the searchers.
"There was a timber road leading into the forest, which we thought possibly the boy might have taken, and, examining it particularly with the light of our torches, we discovered his track leading into the forest. This encouraged us to proceed, thinking now we had ascertained the direction he had taken. We were also the more encouraged in regard to the safety of the boy; as, if we should not find him that night, he might obtain shelter which might save him from perishing. Soon, however, we found another track of his retracing steps, and leading back into the prairie. On this discovery, we were thrown into confu- sion in regard to the course we should take. We knew not whether he would abide by the road, and thus reach the open prairie, or whether; in the dark- ness, he might have left it and still be wandering in the forest. We, however, followed it, and again discovered his track near the northeast corner of Hugh Bowen's field, and some one hundred rods out into the open prairie. Here we took rails from the fence, and built a large fire, which could be seen through all the settlement. We built the fire also, partly, as a guide to the child, if he should be fortunate enough to see it, and partly as a pilot to ourselves.
"Hoping that possibly in his wanderings, he might have reached some of the neighbors, we visited those living on the north side of the prairie, to-wit: Moses Collins, Charles Johnston and Franklin Dalby. Not discovering any further trace of the child, we proceeded thence westerly on a neighborhood road, became bewildered, losing our track and course. We then commenced shouting, and obtained a response from the elder Mr. Dalby. We groped our way to his residence, and deeming it advisable to hunt no further before day- light, we encamped by the fire for the night.
"For two succeeding days, the whole community, including Cascade and Monticello, comprising some thirty persons, made a systematic search through the timber, north and south of the settlement, and the prairie between, but without success, and it was not until the fourth day afterward that the life- less body of the boy was discovered nearly covered up with tall slough grass, some eighty rods north of the present residence of T. W. Little, and nearly two miles distant from his home. He doubtless perished on the first night of his wanderings. The sympathizing neighbors immediately collected and assisted
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as best they could in performing the last rites of burial. There were no minis- ters to officiate. A little band of sincere mourners bore the child to its last resting place, there to rest in peace until the resurrection morn. And this marks the era of the first death and burial on Bowen's Prairie.
SOME PIONEERS.
"On the 26th of May, in the same year, William Collins first visited the prairie, taking up a claim on the north side, now more familiarly known as the Collins' farm. He soon afterward moved to the prairie with his wife and two small children, Mary and Ann. The elder one, Mary, is living in Delaware county, and is the widow of the late Dr. Moses Perley. Mr. Collins was a native . of Kentucky and first came up the Mississippi River about the year 1827, land- ing at Galena, and thence proceeding up the Blue Mounds, in Wisconsin, where he resided some six years, when, in 1833, at the first settlement of Iowa, he came to Dubuque and commenced mining on Catfish Creek, some two miles southwest of Dubuque. Thence he moved to Durango, where in January, 1835, „he married Kezah Hogan, a daughter of David Hogan, with whom, as above · stated, he moved to Bowen's Prairie. I do not feel justified in closing the his- tory just here. Born in Kentucky, he possessed in an eminent degree that frank- · ness, hospitality, that stern independence, that delicate sense of honor, which marks the true Kentuckian. His wife also was a model woman, remarkable for her intelligence and grace, and for all those noble qualities of mind and heart which characterize the true Christian lady. She died suddenly on the 30th of September, 1842, leaving a family of five helpless children and a broken- hearted husband. During the gold excitement, Mr. Collins went to California, where he remained fourteen years and then returned to Bowen's Prairie. After remaining here some five years, he moved to Warrensburg, Johnson county, Missouri, where he died some years ago.
"On the 24th of May, 1838, the Delong brothers raised a sawmill some two miles above Cascade, being the first sawmill built in this vicinity. On the 12th of June following, the territory of Wisconsin was divided by act of congress, to take effect on the 3d of July following, that portion west of the Mississippi River to constitute.the Territory of Iowa. On the 11th of September, 1838, . the first general election in Jones county was held at the house of Barrett Whit- temore, for the purpose of electing a delegate to the legislative assembly of the Territory of Iowa. Eleven votes were cast. Mr. Whittlesey, a candidate from Cedar county, was present. On the 7th of December following, a meeting of the citizens of Jones county was held at the house of Barrett Whittemore for the purpose of taking the preliminary steps toward the organization of Jones county. Hugh Bowen was chairman of the meeting and William Hutton, secretary. On the 24th of January, 1839, the county of Jones was organized by act of the legislature, to take effect on the first of June following; also on the same date, January 24th, an act was passed appointing three commissioners to locate the county seat of Jones county. The names of the commissioners were: Simeon Gardner of Clinton county; Israel Mitchell of Linn county, and William H. Whitesides of Dubuque county, who were instructed to meet at
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the house of Thomas Dickson, of Bowen's Prairie, for that purpose, on the second Monday in March, 1839. On the day appointed, Mr. Mitchell arrived and after waiting two days and the others failing to make their appearance, he returned without accomplishing his mission.
"On the Ist of January, 1839, an act was passed providing for the estab- lishment of common schools. February, 1839, marks the era of the first settle- ment of Fisherville, some two miles above Anamosa, on the Buffalo, by George H. Walworth and Gideon H. Ford, for the purpose of building a sawmill. Hon. Timothy Davis, of Dubuque, was also a partner in the concern. A hewed-log house twenty-four feet square, was erected for the accommodation of the firm. Shortly after, two younger brothers of Mr. Walworth, to-wit: C. C. Walworth and J. D. Walworth, arrived and formed part of the household. On the 16th of April, 1839, Harrison Bowen, a brother of Hugh Bowen, arrived with his family from Ohio, taking up his residence with his brother. Joseph Berryhill, a half brother of Mr. Bowen, arrived at the same time. On the 23d of May, in the same year, the engineers appointed to survey the miltary road from Dubuque to Iowa City; passed through the prairie, locating the road substan- tially where it now runs; twenty thousand dollars was at first appropriated by the general government for surveying, bridging, grubbing and opening the same. Subsequently, thirteen thousand dollars additional was appropriated for the same purpose. Out of this appropriation, a Mr. Reed, of Fairview, was paid for building the first bridge across the Wapsipinicon at Anamosa. In the same year, 1839, James L. Langworthy of Dubuque also took contracts for bridging, grubbing and opening the road, paying three dollars per mile for running a furrow to indicate the locality of the road. July 3, 1839, witnessed the raising of Walworth's mill, at Fisherville. Runners were sent some eighteen miles for hands to raise. Thirty were obtained. This was probably the first heavy raising in Jones county without whiskey. Strong coffee, richly prepared with sugar and cream, was used as a substitute. As the raising occupied two days, all hands encamped for the night on the ample floor. As a pastime during the evening, an interesting discussion on banking was held, George H. Walworth being in favor and James L. Langworthy, opposed to the institution.
A POLITICAL ANECDOTE.
"On the 24th of July, 1839, the first political caucus in Jones county was held at the house of Clement Russell for the purpose of nominating territorial county officers. George H. Walworth was nominated for the assembly. On the 5th of August, was held the second general election in Jones county, forty-two votes being cast in Bowen's Prairie precinct. The candidates for representative were Israel Mitchell and George H. Walworth. The latter was elected. Hugh Bowen was elected sheriff. I will relate an incident, said to have transpired in this precinct at this election, tending to illustrate the accommodating spirit of justices in those days, as well as the sensitiveness of candidates for office when their fitness for duties was called in question. During the day of election, it was noticed that a certain candidate was for some length of time in close con- sultation with a certain justice of the peace. There appeared to be great earnest-
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ness on the part of the candidate, as well as a disposition to listen on the part of the justice. Something was up, that was evident, an ax to grind if nothing more. At length an inkling of the state of things was revealed by a favored few who pretended to know how matters stood. The said candidate, whom we will call Daniel, has heard it whispered that he was incompetent for the office, in fact that he couldn't spell his own name correctly. This, if true, would certainly have been a damaging accusation. But the said candidate was determined that such a glaring slander should be refuted; that obstacle, at least, in the way of his election, should be removed. He would produce an affidavit signed by his own hand; that the accusation was cruelly false; that he did know how to spell his name; that he had done it and could do it again; that he never spelled his name Daniel, that he was prepared to produce documents to show that he always spelt it Danill. Having of course satisfied the legal voters on this point, it is presumed they governed themselves accordingly, accepting his statement of the case that he did spell his name with a double instead of a single 'I'.
A HORSE RACE.
"As horse racing is one of the established institutions of the day, it may not be inappropriate to trace back its history to the first grand horse race on Bowen's Prairie, and probably in Jones county, tending to show, if nothing more, the respectability of its origin, its felicitous results, and its tendency to refine the moral sentiments of the community at large. This event happened on the 18th of August, 1839. The competitors were Charles Johnston and Alfred Weatherford; the day, the holy Sabbath; the wager, a gallon of whiskey; dis- tance to be run, eighty rods; terminus, a stake and rider fence. At the word 'go' both parties started off at a commendable pace, but, as they neared the fence, the said Johnston, valuing his head at a higher figure than a gallon of whiskey, held up, and thus saved a skull he was not prepared to break. But his competitor, Weatherford, was not to be thus defeated; he could see in the stake-and-ridered fence ahead something which would make him happy for .a week, so for the fence he went with all the madness of a Calmuck tartar. His horse, however, once in his life, seemed disposed to exercise his own rights, to-wit, that of life and limb, and when within some twenty feet of the decisive leap which would have mingled horse, rider and fence in one indistinguishable ruin, suddenly stopped. The momentum however, carried the rider most ef- fectually not only to but into the desired goal, completly demolishing both rider and fence. The conflict was over, the race won, and the whisky most cheerfully forthcoming, the loser declaring his entire satisfaction at the result, and propos- ing to repeat the contest, saying he had one more gallon he would be happy to dispose of with similar results. Whether the race was repeated, deponent is not informed.
POLITICAL QUESTIONS.
"On the 24th of August. 1839, a meeting of the citizens of Jones county was held at the center of the county, to obtain an expression of their wishes in regard to the county seat. On the 16th of September, 1839, Edmund Booth
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called here on his way to Fisherville. It is none of our business to enquire what his business was, or why in a reasonable time afterward, he led to the altar the accomplished sister of Mr. Walworth. On the 13th and 14th of November, 1839, Joseph E. Green, raised his hewed-log house, on the premises now owned by Francis M. Hicks, being attracted to that locality by its bountiful spring of water and beautiful scenery, and on day following, a dwelling was raised by a Mr. Michaeljohn, a Scotchman, near the late residence of Andrew Gordon. On the 27th of the same month, Hugh L. Johns raised a blacksmith shop some twelve rods east of the house of Barrett Whittemore.
"On the 21st of January, 1839, an act was passed appointing Chauncey Swan, John Ronalds and Robert Ralston to meet at Napoleon, on the Ist day of May, 1839, and locate the seat of government of the Territory of Iowa, resulting in its location at Iowa City, in the county of Johnson. On the 17th of January, 1840, the city of Dubuque was incorporated. On the 13th of March, in the same year, ground was broken in the public square of Iowa City for the foun- dation of the State House, Barrett Whittemore being plowman. On the 15th of June, 1840, the official census of Jones county was taken by Hugh Bowen, as follows: Males, two hundred and ninety; females, one hundred and eighty- five; total, four hundred and seventy-five. About the 20th of June in this year, the citizens of Bowen's Prairie, including Monticello and Cascade, met at the house of Moses Collins for the purpose of taking measures to protect their claims at the coming land sales, from the iron grasp of land speculators, and to reconcile conflicting claimants, so as to avoid counterbidding at the sale. A resolution to that effect was drawn up and signed by twenty-five persons. Wil- liam Collins and Barrett Whittemore were appointed to act as bidders for all purchasers in this vicinity, and George H. Walworth for the same purpose in the southern part of the county.
"On June 22, 1840, the land sales for this region commenced. George L. Nightingale, was auctioneer, and Thomas McKnight, receiver. Two townships were sold daily, occupying about one hour. The remainder of the day was de- voted to receiving money and issuing certificates. On Thursday following, June 25th, Richland township was offered. Only two sections were sold, amounting to one thousand, six hundred dollars. This amount not only drained the pur- chasers of their ready cash, but a considerable amount of it was borrowed at twenty-five to thirty per cent interest. The remaining claims were left unsold for the want of means to purchase with, thus subjecting the claimants to the risk of losing their claims. The risk however was not wholly on one side. Woe to the audacious speculator, who, in those days, failed to recognize the equitable rights of the occupying claimants. During the hours of sale, the auction room was surrounded by an organized band of determined men, ready to inflict sum- mary vengeance on any who should dare to raise the bid of an actual settler, or who should bid on land claimed by one. It must be acknowledged that the stand taken by the settlers could not have been legally sustained, and might, in certain contingencies, have provoked a conflict between the settlers and the government. But the settlers were willing to incur that risk, the circumstances rather tended to lead to the impression that the government officers were inclined to avoid, if possible such a conflict.
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OTHER PIONEER SETTLEMENTS.
"At this date Alfred Weatherford sold his claim to Francis Gehon, and moved to Missouri. Mr. Gehon sold to a Mr. Maloney, who, in 1847, sold to Ebenezer Little. His son is the present owner and occupant. During this sea- son, 1840, John Byers, then a lad of some ten summers, came to the prairie, taking up his residence with Hugh Bowen, with whom he lived till about the time of his marriage to Mary Ellen Graham, a daughter of David Graham, for- merly of Bowen's Prairie, and now a resident of Anamosa. Mr. Byers lived for some years in independent circumstances on his farm near Langworthy, and with his estimable lady, still retains the cordial respect and good will of numerous friends of his earlier days. He now lives at Great Bend, Kansas.
"On the 19th of October, 1840, the first schoolhouse on Bowen's Prairie, if not in the county, was raised, being a private institution of Barrett Whittemore's and situated a few rods east of his present residence. For some nine years, this building was used alternately as a schoolhouse, a church and a courtroom. Previous to this, quite a number of settlers had located in Cascade and vicinity, including John Rafferty, Mahlon Lupton, Asa Leek, Lyman Dillon, Robert and George Snowden, Peter Summers, and others whose names are not recollected. Elon Rafferty, son of John Rafferty, still lives on or near his original home- stead.
"On the 28th of January, 1841, John O'Sullivan raised his first dwelling house on the premises now owned by his son.
"On March 22, 1841, the district court was held at Edinburg, probably the first session held in the county. Thomas S. Wilson, of Dubuque, was the judge, Hugh Bowen, sheriff and William Hutton, clerk. In the lack of outside accom- modations, the courtroom was used as a substitute. In the evening was held a political discussion, in which Lewis A. Thomas, a lawyer from Dubuque, and George H. Walworth were speakers; Charles P. Hutton also participated, after which was had an organization of the Whig party. This year, William Tibbits arrived with his family, and settled on the premises where he resided until a few years ago, when he moved to Monticello. During his residence, he has been elected to various county and township offices, prominent among them that of justice of the peace.
"On the 3rd of February, 1841, Charles Johnston moved to Missouri, but subsequently returned, and about the year 1850, moved to California, where he still resides.
"In 1841, John McGinty and family moved to Bowen's Prairie, occupying a house belonging to Franklin Dalby, where he resided some two years, when he removed to his farm, two miles east of Cascade.
"June 21, 1841, a school was opened on Bowen's Prairie, being the first school taught in Jones county, north of the Wapsipinicon and continuing in session, with two short vacations, until the 4th of March, 1842, constituting a term of thirty-five weeks, or one hundred and seventy-five days; tuition, three dollars per quarter; children under seven years, two dollars and fifty cents; whole attendance, twenty-nine; average, fifteen. Books used were McGuffey's first, second and third readers, Webster's Elementary Speller, Smith's, Pike's,
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Daboll's and Smiley's arithmetics. There were eighteen writers, eleven in writ- ten arithmetic, two in geography and one in grammar.
"On the 27th of June, 1841, Rev. Ira Blanchard, a Baptist minister, residing in Castle Grove township, held a religious meeting in the schoolhouse and made appointments to preach every fourth Sabbath after. At his second meeting, on the 24th of July following, some seventy-five persons were present, considered then the largest collection of persons ever assembled in Jones county; some of the hearers residing fifteen miles distant.
"About the Ist of January, 1842, a postoffice was established at Cascade; L. A. Styles, postmaster. On the 19th of February following was held the first temperance meeting in this vicinity, at a house owned by Arthur Thomas, of Cascade. Some twenty persons were present, twelve of whom signed the pledge. Two weeks afterward, a second meeting was held and a Temperance Society formed; William Collins was elected president, Asa Leek, vice president, and William Hutton, secretary. Temperance meetings were frequently held afterward in this vicinity, awakening considerable interest in the cause, but in- stigating the enmity of the rumsellers.
"During the year 1842, the Delong family sold their lands in Cascade and vicinity to the following purchasers: Caleb Bucknam, since deceased; G. G. Banghart and John Taylor, the present occupants. Most of Mr. Bucknam's original purchase is now merged in the village of Cascade. Mr. Banghart has been a promintent merchant in Cascade for nearly the whole period of his residence there, some thirty-seven years, occasionally assuming the duties which the county or township imposed on him. He was elected county commissioner of Jones county, soon after its organization, performing his duties with credit and ability. John Taylor was a native of Rockingham county, New Hampshire, from whence he emigrated to New York at the age of sixteen years, thence to Wisconsin, subsequently to Dubuque, and thence to Jones county, as above stated. Soon after his arrival, he was elected probate judge of Jones county, which office he held for three years. In 1844, he was elected as delegate to the convention for framing a state constitution, and has repeatedly been elected state representative, serving in that capacity six or eight sessions in all. It is not necessary to speak of him as a neighbor and citizen; what the writer would say would be deemed a cold compliment by those numerous recipients of his bounty, by the desolate bosoms which have been cheered by his sympathy, and by alienated hearts which have been reconciled by his timely and wise counsels.
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