USA > Iowa > Kossuth County > History of Kossuth County, Iowa > Part 28
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COMMEMORATING FORT DEFIANCE
In August, 1911, nearly fifty years after the organization of the Border Brigade, a monumental shaft, commemorating Fort Defiance, was dedicated at Estherville with imposing ceremonies, under the auspices of the Daughters of the American Revolution. There were present from this county of the "Old Guard," Capt. W. H. Ingham, Quartermaster Lewis H. Smith and others. Among the many interesting features of the elaborate program was the follow- ing brief address delivered by Captain Ingham:
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"This celebration so far has been a rare treat for all of us, and especially so for those who were here in 1862 and '63, and words can hardly express our thoughts and feelings as we gather here about the campfires tonight, on the invitation of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where we can see and meet each other and listen to the stories of the early pioneer days. In the short time I shall use, it may be well to present an early picture as seen by Mr. A. L. Seeley and myself in the latter part of May, 1856, as we traveled on horseback from Algona to the Little Sioux river in Clay county, and then up the river valley to Okoboji Lakes. After looking them over carefully and the timber about them, we went on to Spirit lake, and then took a northerly course into Minnesota until we reached the Des Moines river, and then down the river valley to the present site of Estherville, and so back home by the way of Mud lakes without seeing a person or any evidence of settlement anywhere on the way. No one can imagine the quiet beauty of the prairies, lakes and streams, so well filled with wild animal life as was seen at that time, making it a choice hunting ground for the Indian, as well as a very attractive section for the early pioneer and his cabin home.
"It was only a few weeks later when the first settlements were made at Okoboji and Spirit Lakes, that were afterwards destroyed by a band of treach- erous Sioux in. the following March, 1857, making it the beginning of our Indian troubles and excitement along the northern border of the state. The settlements at the lakes were soon reformed and then spread out rapidly over the unsettled parts of Iowa and Minnesota up to the beginning of the Civil war. The Sioux, thinking it to be a favorable time in 1862 to beat back the white intruders, began a general massacre of the people along the upper Minnesota river, and as far down as New Ulm and from Lake Shetek down the Des Moines river to the boundary line, not far away from here, making the loss of life some eight hundred or more. This brought on stirring times to the frontier settlers, that could only be quieted down by the presence of an armed force. Governor Kirkwood acted promptly and had an investigation made, that resulted in the formation of a company of state troops, known as Border Rangers, with orders to report at Iowa Lake and Estherville without delay for the protection of the settlements. The legislature then in special session authorized the enlistment of four companies of militia, that were soon organized and stationed at several posts between Fairmont and Sioux City, with orders to build suitable works for places of refuge and defense for the settlers in case of further border troubles. These companies were known as the Northern Border Brigade, being named by the famous old Adjutant Gen., N. B. Baker, so that the initials of both names, the brigade and his, happened to be the same-N. B. B. The Border Rangers now became known as Company A in the new organization with orders to report with the full company at Estherville. A site was soon furnished by Mr. R. E. Ridley for the works, known, when finished in June, 1863, as Fort Defiance. Soon after its completion Col. R. B. Marcy, Inspector General of the United States army, traveled along the line of posts from Fair- mont to Sioux City and made the following a part of his report :
" "The authorities of the state of Iowa, after the depredations committed by the Indians last autumn, established a chain of stockade posts to fill up the gap and protect the settlers along the northern border of that state. These posts
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have been garrisoned by three companies of Iowa state militia. I passed along this line from Fairmont to Sioux City, a distance of 155 miles, and made the following notes en route, to wit: "The posts are located, the first on Iowa lake, ten miles south of Fairmont, near the state line; the second, at Estherville on the Des Moines river, twenty-five miles west of the first; the third, at Spirit lake; the fourth, at Peterson, near the headwaters of the Little Sioux river ; the fifth at Cherokee on the Little Sioux river; the sixth, at Correctionville, fourteen miles northeast of Sioux City. The three companies, one having been discharged, occupying this line of posts have been mounted, armed, equipped and paid by the state of Iowa. They have erected quarters and surrounded them with pickets at each of these places named, except Spirit lake, where they have been quartered in the court house. These posts are very well built and are quite defensible against Indians."' Lieutenant Colonel Sawyers in command of the Brigade now made his final report to Governor Kirkwood that the works along this line were completed, so that the brigade was mustered out of service on September 26, 1863, and the works cared for by a company made up from those being discharged, until relieved by United States troops. This took place on the morning of December 30th, when we said 'good bye' to each other, to the old fort and to the good people of Estherville, and started out for our several homes, not thinking the company had gained any reputation for over active work during our service until later when we met with the following incident that may be worth the telling. One cold morning in January, 1865, I stepped into the office of the hotel in Fort Dodge, kept by our old-time friend, Mr. Dwelle, to warm while the team was being brought out, and found a party of three. sitting about the stove, who were actively discussing in a general way the short- comings of the different captains of the Northern Border Brigade. Finally the one nearest by said that they were a bad lot, but the one at Estherville was the worst of all. Being somewhat interested in the conversation, I asked him what the Estherville captain had done that made him so obnoxious. His answer came back quickly, 'He worked his men too hard.' I told him in traveling about, I had heard a great deal of fault found about soldiers not working, but never before that they had worked too hard, and then suggested that it might be possible that the people and soldiers should be willing to do some hard work in order to finish the works as soon as possible and have a place of refuge in case of an Indian invasion. His reply was 'Quite likely, I hadn't thought of it in that way.' He then told me, on inquiry, that he had gotten his information from an old rheumatic friend, a member of the company, who told him that he was badly overworked with others out in the timber from morning until late at night getting the material ready for the fort. Just at this time I was called to the door to see about the team and then hurried back and found the men gone. On asking Mr. Dwelle who they were, he told me that when I stepped out, inquiry was made as to who it was they had been talking with. On being told that it was the Estherville captain they had been talking about, they disappeared so quickly that he could not say whether they went out of the door or down through the floor. I told him I was sorry not to see them again as I wished to introduce myself and thank them for the compliment they had paid the company by reporting they had worked too hard. Mr. Dwelle was very much amused over the incident
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and said it was the best thing he had yet met, and it taught a good lesson-to be careful when talking with strangers.
"And so following our first picture, the Estherville site before any settlement was made, with the second-the building of the fort-we now come together after nearly fifty years to witness the great changes made as we see them here today, and so a third picture is made complete and ready for its place beside the other two.
"Now on behalf of Company A and the members who are now present, I wish to thank the Daughters of the American Revolution for their timely thought and efforts in bringing out this grand memorial shaft in full view of the people here today, in memory of the early pioneers and the building of Fort Defiance for their protection. May it ever stand as a silent witness of the early beginnings; and its presence ever urge the people on in all good ways until the great gathering in the coming centennial celebration, fifty years away, and so bring out the fourth picture, showing the wonderful progress made."
Vol. 1-14
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CHAPTER XIII
THE SOD HOUSE PERIOD
Thousands of people at the close of the war started westward seeking loca- tions for new homes. Many of those who found their way to Kossuth at that period spent the remainder of their days on the homesteads upon which they settled, and some are still residents of the county and own the lands the govern- ment gave them for having made their homes upon them for five years. Con- gress passed the homestead act in 1862, but as the war at that time was attract- ing general attention, but comparatively few gave any concern about the free homesteads, or about where they should settle when peace was declared. Before the smoke of the last battle had hardly cleared away, homeseekers came pouring into the county and began selecting their homes out on the prairie. Until 1865 the settlements had been confined almost entirely to the river and timber regions. There were a few localities where scattering settlers located out a few miles from timber before the war. For instance the two Mike Smiths built their cabin some four miles northeast of Algona, and Joe Raney and Dick Hodges went out about the same distance from the Irvington timber. A few settlers ventured out about that far on the Irvington Ridge, and a few also located out as far as four mile creek, west of the village. The Joe Thompson family was considered as almost living beyond the bounds of civilization when they built their cabin a couple of miles east of Algona in 1856 and moved into it for their home.
The coming of the homestead seekers in 1865 marks an epoch in the history of the county. The prairies began to take on a different appearance as the green sod in numerous places was turned over by the breaker and simple places of abode were constructed. The immense grazing lands where cattle had roamed at will, becoming dotted over with little farms, obstructed the freedom of the range. Clusters of houses formed in new communities which were far away from the river and timber and which became known as "settlements." They were usually named after the first family to locate in these places, but sometimes the most active or influential men in these communities were honored by having the settlements named after them. The very name "settlement" suggests a community that is surrounded by uninhabited territory. The roads leading to these settlements invariably passed over the higher portions of the land without any reference to section lines. It was an age of diagonal roads, when they cut across almost every man's farm. Even after the roads were broken up and seeded down, the travel continued for some time to pass over the old roads. That was the time when there was no occasion for referring to the names of the streets at the county seat, for the roads there also ran diagonally as they did in the country.
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The Sod House Period is usually considered as having begun in 1865, and closed in 1870 when the Milwaukee train began bringing in the pine lumber with which frame buildings could be constructed. That period, however, ex- tended to a later date-well up into the seventies. Then again, a few sod houses were built late in 1864-the first in the county. Of the hundreds of these crude dwelling places the greater portion of them were built before the close of the year 1870. Albert Wheeler's was the first of the kind to make its ap- pearance. That was built on the northeast quarter of section 12 in what is now Union township, in the fall of 1864. "Red Whiskered" John Brown was the designer and master workman on the job. The only other one, of that style built that year, was over in Portland in the H. A. Smith settlement. From that time on, for five or six years hundreds of such houses were built upon the prairies in the scattered settlements. Two tall posts set in the ground, and a ridge pole reaching from the top of one to the other, was the beginning of the frame work. Prairie sod composed the sides and ends, and the roof was made by first laying poles from the top of the sides to the ridge pole, and then in turn there was put on a covering of brush or hay, a covering of sod, and last a covering of dirt or gravel. These sod shanties being usually quite low were warm and comfortable for a year or two after built. Many took the pains to have the interior walls smoothed with a broad ax, and then plastered, with clay. Some of these houses were finished so tastily that one could hardly tell when inside that they were made of sod. When new they shed water with perfect satisfaction.
After a while these prairie abiding places began to rot and crumble ; the ridge poles sagged and the rain poured through; dirt rattled down on the dinner table and the beds, and snakes made their way through the crumbling walls. The tall weeds, growing upon the roofs and nodding in the wind, gave the premises a dilapidated appearance and caused the homesteaders to bend every energy to provide better quarters as soon as possible. After the new houses had been built, their sod shanties served for stables, granaries, tool-houses, and other similar purposes. Former teachers, still in the county, had their first experience in con- ducting schools in sod houses. M. Helen Wooster and John Reed both had occa- sion to visit such schools while they were county superintendents.
One noble characteristic of the settlers of that period was so remarkable as to deserve special notice in this historic record. No matter how crowded they were in their sod shanties or how little they had to eat, a stranger could always stay over night as a guest in welcome if he was willing to put up with the limited conveniences. The room was kept warm and the meals were cooked often by twisting hay and feeding it into the cook stove for fuel, wood and coal being lux- uries which only the more well to do could afford to procure. They lived con- tentedly in their little "mud dens," enjoying life far better than some of them did in after years while living in their much more costly houses, which were provided with abundant room and ample conveniences.
The generous hospitality of the sod house families was strikingly illustrated by Evangelist Lyon one evening in January, 1910, while he was addressing an immense audience at the tabernacle at Algona. There was so much truth in what he said that numerous parties in the audience winced as they became conscious of their guilt. Said he "I am thoroughly acquainted with the hardships the early settlers of this country had to endure, and of their hospitality to strangers. I want
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to say to you that no class of settlers ever excelled those who were compelled to live in sod houses in the matter of generous hospitality. Some of you ladies lived out on the prairie in just such houses where you hardly had room enough to stow your children away for the night. When a preacher came along and wanted to hold services, you gladly made a place for him and gave him a hearty welcome. You twisted hay for fuel to cook your meals, and sat around a goods box in the corner for a table. You were gleesome and happy and did not have to apologize for your limited conveniences. When the preacher started to leave you asked him to call again whenever convenient. You are now living in town in your elegantly equipped, palace homes; you have your furnace or hot water heat and have spare room for sleeping purposes not needed by the members of your family, and you have money in the bank and a maid to help you get ready to attend pink teas and theaters. You are now in town trying to put on a little style, and in doing so have destroyed those noble Christian principles which were your greatest joys in the days of your poverty, in that little sod cabin; you have smothered out the finer sensibilities of your soul, and now when an evangelist, who has come to hold a series of meetings, seeks a lodging place in your home, you turn him away with a lie on your lips, telling him that you have no room and no help."
To-day corn is king, but in the days of the sod house if any such monarch reigned in the county, it must have been King Hay. Free grazing and free hay, on any man's land not in crops, were blessings which the homesteaders thought would always exist. No wonder that so many buildings out on the prairie had both hay and sod in their construction. How these homesteaders resented the action of the land men in town when they began collecting rent money from those who had done grazing or hay cutting on the lands of non-residents, whose agents these land men claimed to be. In denouncing the scheme as high-way robbery these settlers of that period could not be led to believe that a single cent of the money they paid ever reached the real owners of the land. By degrees every acre of the non-resident owners' land became controlled by some local agent, and the days of free hay and free grazing came to an end.
To those once familiar with the scenes, an interesting study is afforded by endeavoring to recall the order in which the settlements were formed after the close of the war, and what families they included. Until the fall of 1869 home- steaders had to locate either in the township of Algona, Irvington or Cresco, for no other townships were organized. Those locating on the east side of the river, within 91/2 miles of the Humboldt county line, were in Irvington, those on the west side, within 101/2 miles of that line were in Cresco, and all others were in Algona. These three townships having been sub-divided over and over again with varying names since that period, the names of the present townships, in which settlements were made in those days, have been given instead in this chapter as a matter of convenience when referring to such settlements.
The nucleus for several new settlements began forming while the billows of war were still raging. On the west side of the river the A. D. Barker and the Betsy Norton families located in Riverdale and Hiram Howard on the south line of the county. H. C. Parsons came into the Irvington community and Robt. Roy homesteaded in Sherman township. During the year 1864 Morris Chapin and parents secured land a short distance northwest of Algona, Israel Schryver on the Black Cat, Albert Wheeler and family in the northeast corner of Union,
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and John Brown a homestead close to them on the north. J. H. Grover, Rod Jain, H. A. Smith, S. V. R. Mann and others began operations about the same time in Portland, while in the Plum Creek region M. L. Godden, Daniel Rice, David Hegarty, Pat Kain and Owen E. McEnroe located, and the homestead settlement six miles east of town, consisting of Dr. M. H. Hudson, C. M. Dickin- son, Mr. Berrien and N. A. Pine, first made its appearance that year. Thayer Lumbar and Orrin Caulkins came as early as 1862 and located homesteads, the former in Portland and the latter in Plum Creek.
In order to avoid duplicating the narration of location events, during the sod house period, only a slight reference to them will be made at this time since they will receive a more extended notice in the chapter of the respective town- ships at the close of this volume. The word "settlement" was seldom applied to places in this county prior to the close of the war. All were classed as belonging to the river settlement as a whole; but that settlement was considered as being divided into three sections before even the town sites of Algona, Irvington and Cresco were platted, and the terms Black Cat and Plum Creek had come into general use. The "upper country" at first meant, especially to those in the south end of the county, the timbered country from the proposed Algona town site to the mouth of the Buffalo Fork, but later that term was applied to the region where the first settlements were made on the Black Cat and Plum Creek, and up the river to the cabins of Edward and Dick Moll in what is now Portland. The "west side lower country" included in its territory the scattering settlers along the river south from the Algona site to the Jones cabin in the present Riverdale, while the "east side lower country" was the home of all who had settled on the east side of the river below Algona.
Soon after the rush of immigration in 1865 had begun, various names of settlements came into use, as the new settlements formed in clusters in different sections of the county. One of the first, as well as one of the most important, of these was known at first by those in the region of Algona as the "north end settlement," but a little later was widely known as the Greenwood settlement or the Crocker county boomers. How familiar that term "Greenwood" was in those days! The ambition of those active, able men to develop the north end, have it set off into a new county, and have the offices distributed among them, is well remembered. They made things happen lively, and made all others take notice of what they were doing. Captain Wadsworth, R. I. Brayton and Doctor Garfield were schemers and promoters and had a strong following. Those who remember the early days of old Greenwood, also remember the little cluster of cabins near the southwest corner of Swea, known as the Dundas settlement. The Swedish set- tlement did not attract notice until the early seventies when it leaped into promi- nence under the leadership of Capt. R. E. Jeansen, the American Emigrant Com- pany's local agent. The company building, which was erected to give shelter to the new settlers while they were having their own houses built, was the wisest and most satisfactory provision made for any of the new communities. Although Norman Collar was proprietor of the sod hotel in Ramsey as early as 1867, the Ramsey settlement attracted no notice until in the seventies. That community was one of the last in the county to have a particular name known throughout the county. It had a group of politicians that had to be reckoned with for a decade of election campaigns. Caleb Pearce in Lincoln and A. K. Kennedy in Wesley
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were lonely settlers in 1865 and the time never came when there was any Pearce or Kennedy settlement ; in fact, at no time was there ever a cluster of people on the whole length of range 27 that was known as any particular settlement, except when old Sam Colburn lived in the northwest corner of Wesley. On account of the numerous tongued-tied women he had about his premises, the community where he lived was often referred to as the Mormon settlement. The settlers came so gradually into the southeast part of the county, during the whole of the sod house period, that no names were used to designate the communities in that locality. Moreover, there were but few sod houses ever built in that territory.
Sod Town was the name given to an enterprising settlement in southern Port- land, in the vicinity where the S. V. R. Mann and neighbors located. The name was an appropriate one, for in no section of the county was there a larger cluster of sod houses. That township had another settlement which became widely known as section 8. Although there were 28 section eights, the one in Portland had more distinction than all the others together; and for no apparent reason. When a man at the Irvington store asked how far it was to section 8, all present knew without further explanation that the section in Portland where Ben Smith, the McDonalds, and others were living was the place about which the man was inquir- ing. When the newspaper referred to the debates at the section 8 schoolhouse, all the readers knew that they were being held in the schoolhouse in the north- west corner of Portland.
Burt and all the townships south of it received many settlers from 1865 to 1870, but their locations being so scattered no old-time settlements were formed having a distinctive name, except in Union where the settling of the McArthurs and Burts caused that vicinity to be known as the Scotch settlement. The Scotch schoolhouse is a name now frequently heard when reference is made to the school- house in that neighborhood. The settlements up in Seneca were nameless, but in Fenton there were three that were well known. When the Darien colony in the latter sixties came in and covered every eighty of section 26, the settlement not only became known as Darien, but the township was also named in honor of the colony by the board of supervisors, but later it was changed to its present name. That colony put up the most substantial sod houses in the county, the most of them being covered with shingles. The second was the Holtz settlement which flourished under the leadership of Joachim Holtz, who had many virtues and more peculiarities. The Weisbrod settlement on the west side was as well known as either of the others.
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