History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 32

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Iowa > Humboldt County > History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 32

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

During the winter, Richard Parrott and Lyman Craw took claims on the east side of the river, about three miles above Algona; also Henry Linder, a live young Hoosier, claimed "Linder's Grove," now "Paine's Grove," in Portland township. The creek took its name from him.

About the latter part of the year 1854, there came to this locality, Charles Eas- ton, an Englishman, a man of years and well informed but curious in his ways, and to this day spoken of as an oddity.

Christian Hackman also took a claim in what is now Cresco township. He, with a

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party by the name of Daniel Hill, seem to close the number of the pioneers of that year.

Mr. Call, in his sketches of the early settlement says :

"The first winter was very mild and favorable for the settlers, who were fre- quently obliged to make long journeys with ox teams after supplies, camping out by the way. The coldest day of the win- ter was January 13, when the mercury went eighteen degrees below zero ; Janu- ary 22 it got down to twelve below ; on the 26th to nine below; and February 24 to ten below, with but little snow."

Early in the spring of 1855, Asa C. Call built a block house, (logs hewn on each side ) near his present residence. This was the first house on the town site of Algona. Here he brought his young wife, and from this humble dwelling and this couple has grown the large and thriv- ing city of Algona, with its 2,000 inhabi- tanta and teeming industries.

Early in the spring of 1855, Solomon Iland and a Mr. Benson made claims in the county.

The 1st of May, 1855; the pioneers of the Whitinsville colony arrived. These were James L. Paine, Francis C. Rist, Al- exander Brown, Sr., Alexander Brown, Jr., Barney Holland and Robert Brown. Paine and Rist took claims on section 12, Al- gona township. Mr. Brown bought out old Daniel Hill and took other lands adjoining, in Cresco, and Barney Holland and Robert Brown took up claims in the same vicinity. Both of these latter left the county after but a short stay, going back to Massachusetts.

In March, J. W. Moore, accompanied by Jacob C. Cummins, arrived. Mr. Moore was a man of considerable means, and bought several timber claims, as well as an interest in the town site. These I believe were the first claims transferred for a consideration, although Mr. Cham- bers, a brother of ex-Gov. Chambers, of Muscatine, had previously offered Am- brose A. Call a yoke of oxen for his and his brother's claim on the town site, includ- ing the grove north of the town.

Among the other settlers of 1855 may be found the names of Jacob C. Wright, Reuben Purcell, Thomas and John Rob- inson, Benjamin Hensley, George Smith, August Zalten, L. I .. Treat, Kendall Young, D). W. King, Lewis HI. Smith, Corydon Craw, E. Lane and Hiram Wilt- fong. These all came in the spring and summer of that year. Mr. Wright bought out Solomon Hand ; Robinson and Hens- ley took claims adjoining; Purcell claimed what is known as Purcell Point ; Craw claimed on section 17, township 95, range 28. The lower end of the county also received some settlers in 1855. The first after Michael and John Johnson were Harlow Miner, Solomon and G. W. Hand and Mr. Mayberry. Eber Stone settled near S. Bellows' present residence, the same year. In May, 1855, Mr. Carter, father of A. B. Carter, settled where he now lives on the West Fork, and was the first settler on that stream.

In June, Dr. R. Cogley and John John- son bought claims, Cogley of Maxwell, (the Huntley place,) and Johnson of C. Easton, (the Fred Wilson place). Dr. Cogley was the first physician, a man of

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fine presence and good abilities, although a little eccentric in his habits.

A. Zahlten sold ont his claim near Da- kota, and bought the grove where he now lives. The 4th of July Lewis H. Smith struck the settlement ; he, with C. C. Car- penter, was finishing up the survey aban- doned by Leach and Ellis the previous summer.

In July a large band of Indians came into the settlement; they were impudent and troublesome, taking everything they could lay their hands on when they found a cabin with the occupant absent, or whenever they could intimidate by threats. In one or two instances a collision seemed inevitable, but was avoided by the In- dians backing down. A number of the settlers finally armed themselves and went into their camp, and ordered them off; they promised to go at sunrise the next morning, which promise they faithfully kept, making a straight trail in a north- westerly direction.

About 200 acres of prairie was broken in the county this summer, and sixty acres of sod corn raised by Asa C. Call, that produced about fifty bushels per acre of sound corn.

E. Moll took claims in September, at the mouth of Buffalo Fork.

In the fall of this year J. E. Blackford arrived and settled near the town of Al- gona. Richard Hodges, who came abont the same date, located on the 8th of De- cember, on section 5, in what is now Sherman township.

These parties were followed by a num- ber of others from Whitinsville, Mass .. among whom were Jason Richmond, Charles Osgood, Stephen Millen, Theodore

Smith, John Hutchinson and Mr. Wood, Richmond and Holland bought ont the Clarks, who moved to Irvington and be- came the owners of Benson's claim. Mr. Call,in speaking of these old settler's says: "Osgood bought out old Billy Hill, and this relieved us of his presence. About the middle of May, D. W. King, Preston, Smock, and Edward Putnam, struck the settlement. Mr. King took the claim where he now lives ; Putnam remained several years, making his home with W. H. Ingham, and officiating as chief cook. He is now cashier of the Merchant's Na- tional Bank, at Cedar Rapids. Smock and Preston left this locality soon after their settlement and their present where- abouts is unknown."

James Hall and Thomas C. Covill were also arrivals of this year. Hall worked on the saw-mill put up by Judge Call, and is now engaged in cabinet making in Des Moines. Covill went away from the county shortly after his advent here and has passed out of view.

During the summer of 1856, the popu- lation of the county nearly quadrupled. Among the more prominent arrivals were: Barnet and Jolm Devine, Joseph Raney, Levi Parsons, L. Fox, Kinsey Carlon, G. C. Carlon, William Carter, D. W. and Matthew Sample, George Wheeler, Charles Ilarvey, Luther Bullis, G. S. Jones and his sons, George Blottenberger, John, Charles II., and Jesse Magoon, J. E. Stacy, Rev. Chauncy Taylor, John Heckart, Michael Reibhoff, J. G. Green, HI. A. Hen- derson, Frank Harrison, Thomas White- head, Roderick M. Bessie, Robert Moore, William Carey, Horace Schenck, James Roan, Rev. D. S. McComb, Luther and

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Sylvester S. Rist, Orange Winkler, C. Gray, Oliver Benschoter, George E. Lowe, Havens F. Watson, Joseph Thomp- son, William Green, O. W. Robinson, Jonathan Callender, George D. Wheeler, Eli Ferris, William B. Moore, Amos S. Collins, E. J. Rice, Gilbert W. Skinner, Amos Otes, George P. Taylor, James Cur- ran, and others.

In this year of 1856, Mrs. Francis C. Rist, now the wife of Judge Smith, made the journey from Dubnque to Algona, to meet her husband. The roads were truly awful, the way long and dreary ; but sus- tained by warm affection she dared the trial. Truly such women as these deserve this place in history, among the pioneers of the new country. There were many of the trials that the men escaped, and in the person of this lady, history honors the noble women pioneers of Kossuth county.

The most of these pioneers thus briefly mentioned, and many who have been omitted, receive more lengthy notices fur- ther on, in the chapter of township history.

The pioneer days of the county may by this time be said to be over, as many now flocked to this vicinity and the county settled up rapidly until the stringent times of 1857, and the breaking ont of the rebel- lion stopped for a while the flow of emi- gration to Kossuth county, as it did all over the Union.

Mr. Call, in his sketch of the first set- tlement, to which we are indebted for so much of this chapter, gives the following epitome of events as they looked to an eye-witness. We quote the article ahost in its entirety, as it is the valuable contri- bution to historical research by one of the

principal actors in the events of the time. He says:

"The first formal meeting ever held in the county was for the purpose of organ- izing a claim club. This was held at the house of J. W. Moore early in the sum- mer of 1855. The meeting was organized by the election of Robert Cogley presi- dent, and Corydon Craw, secretary, who were also elected first officers of the club. A fee of $2 was charged for membership, with power to assess members as occasion might require. Each member was allowed to record a claim of 320 acres, the same being plainly marked ont, in the peaceable possession of which the club undertook to protect him. Meetings were held monthly and new officers elected quarterly. The club was never called upon to use violence in protecting the claims of its members, and I believe bnt one case came before it for arbitration; but there is no doubt but the organization did inch good as a prevention of trouble. It was kept up until the lands became subject to pre- emption under the United States law.

"Prior to 1859 the elections for State and county officers were held in August, and township officers were elected in April. The settlers had determined to organize at the general election in August, and with that object in view got together and made mp a county ticket which seemed to give general satisfaction. Up to this time there had been no town ri- valry, in fact no other town but Algona had been spoken of, and so far as the writer knows there had been no itching for political preferment. Speculation throughout the west was running high at that time, and Iowa had more than her

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share of it. Gold was abundant, and as is usually the case when money is plenty interest was high; 3 per cent. a monthi be- ing considered reasonable for short time accommodations, but 4 per cent. was more common. Uusually from 36 to 40 per cent. was charged by the year, and at these high figures fortunes were made by borrowing money and entering lands. Men who had no capital whatever could, by making judicious selections of govern- ment land, borrow money to enter it, giv- ing the land itself for security, and before the end of the year more than double their money by selling.

"Land and town lots was all the talk in the older portions of the State. Com- panies were organized and rings formed for the purpose of building up cities and making fortunes for the sanguine stock- holders. In this way Des Moines, Sionx City, Fort Dodge, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Charles City, and other large towns were started, besides hundreds of others that proved failures and were abandoned by those who projected them. Of course large fishi took the largest bait, the smaller ones having to content themselves with what was left and look out sharp that they themselves were not made bait of. Kossuth county and Calls' settlement had gained considerable notoriety, and was considered a good field for speculative operation. Consequently, just before the August election, a company was formed, with headquarters at Webster City, for the purpose of capturing the offices, get- ting the county seat and building a rival town. The active men in the company were: George and Cyrus Smith, Kendall Young and L. L. Treat, all good and dis-

crete men with plenty of capital to back them. They came quietly into the settle- ment, selected their own site at Irvington named their town Irvington, after Wash- ington Irving.

"Securing the friendship of the family of Clarkes, thus giving them five votes, made up their ticket hy giving the best offices to men who might otherwise go with Algona, agreed to divide their lots liberally with those who worked with them, and as the writer was afterward told by one of the parties, received pledges from four more than a majority of all the voters of the county to vote the Irvington ticket.

"With the assurance of success they re- tired, leaving the election in the hands of the people. So quietly was this work done that the Algona party were taken by surprise. They had not expected a contest and had made no preparation for it. A number of voters were out of the county, but feeling that the prestige of our town depended upon our electing an Algona ticket, every exertion was made to win the election. One man (Jacob Cum- mins) who had started for Cedar Falls was overtaken sixty miles away and brought back to vote. The writer spent two days in what is now Humboldt county chasing after voters who were out on the prairie elk hunting, and finally brought in two, Solomon Hand and Harlow Miner. The judges of election were sworn by John F. Duncombe, who came up from Fort Dodge on purpose. The election was hotly contested and won by the Algona party by a few votes. The officers elected were: Judge, Asa C. Call; county clerk, Robert Cogley; treasurer and recorder,

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J. W. Moore; county surveyor, Lewis HI. Smith. The vote was canvassed at Homer, the county seat of Webster county.

"The weather remained very mild until about the 1st of December, when con- siderable snow fell, followed by other storms and very cold weather; snow ac- cumulated to the depth of nearly two feet. Game of all kinds were very abund- ant, being driven into the timber by the severity of the weather. At the head of some of the small streams, where the old grass was unburned, buffalo and elk were corralled by the snow and remained nearly all winter living ou the old grass. The timber was full of deer and wolves, a great many of which were killed. Bea- ver, otter, fisher and miuk were ummerous, but as we were not skillful trappers we got but few of them."

At the time of the incoming of the first settlers but little, if anything, was known of the topography of that portion of Iowa lying west of the Cedar river and its afflu- ents, and north of Fort Dodge. But for all that, the Legislature of 1852 set off, bounded and named this tract of country, with the name, but not the same bound- aries it now bears. It then comprised sixteen townships and was twenty-four miles square. That part then lying north of Kossuth, was christened Bancroft county, after the great historian of that name. In the Legislature of 1854-5, an organic act was passed, whereby, Kossuth, Bancroft and the north half of Humboldt connties were placed together and organ- ized under the name of Kossuth county, and temporarily attached to that of Web- ster county for judicial purposes.

During the month of August, 1855, an election was held to perfect the organiza- tion and elect the first officers, as related by Mr. Call, and resulted in the choice of Asa C. Call for county judge; Robert Cogley, county clerk; J. W. Moore, treas- urer and recorder; Lewis II. Smith, coun- ty surveyor. These were the first officers of the new county of Kossuth.

In 1857, the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, passed an act, chapter 147 of the session ordinances of that Assembly, whereby, that part of Humboldt county, heretofore a part and parcel of Kossuth county, was detached and the latter was made the size that it at present has. At this same session, an act was passed which prohibited the constitution of any new county "having less area than 432 square miles, nor shall the territory of any organ- ized county be reduced below such limit, except the county of Worth and the coun- ties west of it along the northern border." In later years an abortive attempt was made to organize the twelve northern townships into a separate county, under the name of Crocker, an account of which may be found elsewhere.

COUNTY'S NAME.

Kossuth county was named after Louis Kossuth, who has long been known as one of the world's most famous agitators, ora- tors and patriots. His learning and elo- quence have been admired on both sides of the ocean, and his heroic struggles for Hungary's independence has stirred the heart and called forth the sympathy of every lover of freedom. Four score years have rarely been allotted to public men who have worked so vigorously, suffered so many hardships, and lived as intensely

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as has Kossuth. He was emphatically the product of his times. Possessed of intel- lectual genius of a high order, and endowed with an indomitable energy, he would have been a man of mark in any country, but the sublimity of his patriotic devo- tion, the inspiration of his eloquence, and the rugged bravery of his character, could only have been developed and called out by the troubled times of his Nation's his- tory. Hungary made Kossuth. Kossuth spent his life in trying to make Hungary. No effort he could put forth, no sacrifice he could make, was too great for her, but he had no word or work for any other cause. Wendell Phillips, in his lecture on Toussant L'Overture, graphically appeals to "the eloquent Son of the Maygar" for some word of sympathy with the down- trodden negro, but is forced to the con- clusion that however much he may love freedom, Kossuth is deaf to all cries but those of Hungary.

Louis Kossuth was born in Monok, Hun- gary, April 27, 1803. His family was of Slavie descent and noble rank, and his father gave him the advantages of a lib- eral education, including a course in law and philosophy, at the University of Pa- tak. He excelled as a scholar, particu- larly in his knowledge of history and the languages, speaking fluently the Maygar, Slavak, German, French and Latin, and later in life, the Italian and English. Af- ter leaving college Kossuth was appointed an assessor of the Assembly of his native country, and joining the liberals in poli- tics he became very popular with the com- mon people. During 1832-6 Kossuth be- came, by proxy, a member of the Upper House of the Diet, and though its debates,

of so much interest to Hungarian patriots, were forbidden publication, yet by Kos- suth's efforts they were circulated by means of manuscript newspapers. At the close of the Diet, Kossuth endeavored to publish a lithographie paper, but the gov- ernment prohibited its publication, and for persisting in his work he was seized in the night, tried for treason and sen- tenced to four years imprisonment. Gen- eral public indignation, and the prospect of foreign intervention, procured his re- lease before the time appointed. He then became editor of the Pestli Journal, en- tered the Legislature as leader of the lib- erals, and kept up a vigorous agitation for local self-government. During the war for liberty, he was for some months gov- ernor of Hungary, but on the failure of the struggle he escaped to Turkey where he was protected by the Porte. In 1851 he sailed from Turkey on the United States war vessel Mississippi, as the guest of our government. While in this coun. try Kossuth spoke in many of our leading cities, enlisting sympathy for Hungary and urging the United States to join with England in preventing European inter- ference with her struggles for liberty. Returning to Europe, he engaged in lit- erary and scientific work, but all the time watching for any political complications, that might justify Hungary in striking another blow for liberty. In 1867, on the reorganization of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he was allowed to return to his native land, but lie preferred to remain in Turin, condemning the compromise that had been made by his countrymen. Kos- suth in many respects resembled Gam- betta. Of like fiery disposition and im-

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passioned eloquence, they were equally effective on the platform or wielding the pen. The latter lived to see the consum- mation of his hopes, in republican France; the former, after a lifetime of heroic ser- vice, has seen Hungary liberalized, but not enfranchized.

HISTORICAL ITEMS.

The first marriage in the county was that of William Moore to Sarah Wright, April 22, 1857. The license for this event was issued by Judge Call, and the knot matrimonial was tied by George D. Wheeler, justice of the peace.

The first death in the county was that of a party by the name of Maburen. This man, a minister or elder of the Christian Church, in the fall of 1854, came to the cabin of Ambrose A. Call, and being sick, staid there about two weeks, and at the end of that period died.

The first birth in Kossuth was that of James and Joseph Crose, twin sons of Philip and Mary Crose, which occurred Aug. 28, 1855, in Irvington township. James is teaching school in Bancroft, and his brother is engaged in farming in Creseo township. Some dispute seems to have arrisen as to this fact; some claiming that Irving Clark, sou of William G. Clark, was the first party born in this county, but upon investigation it appears that the latter party was born at Fort Dodge.

The first saw-mill was raised at Irving- ton and commenced operations early in the summer of 1856. Judge Call started his mill at Algona a few weeks later.

The first log house was built by Am- brose A. Call and W. T. Smith, on section

14, in township 95, range 29, now in Cresco, and was finished in August, 1854.

The first board building was erected by J. W. Moore, in Algona, for a store room. This was but a rude shanty, built of boards.

The first goods sold in the limits of Kossuth county are believed to have been a small stock of powder, whisky and like commodities peddled out by Charles Easton in 1854 or 1855. He had no store building but inhabited a tent from which be sold the goods.

The first store and stock of goods was es- tablished at Algona, by Maj. W. W. Wil- liams, who was the suttler at Fort Dodge. During the summer of 1856, he sent up a small assortment of such goods as would retail well in a new country. These goods were in charge of William Koons, but he did not stay long as he was superceded by II. F. Watson, who immediately built a new building for the accommodation of the stock.

The first frame building erected in Al- gona was one built by Lewis II. Smith,dur- ing that eventful summer of 1856.

The first citizen of the county to be- come naturalized was Christian Hackman who received his final papers upon the 10th day of October, 1856.

The first order or warrant for the pay- ment of money by the county, bore the date of April 22, 1857, and was issued to Lewis HI. Smith for locating a road.

The first newspaper, in the county of Kossuth, was the Algona Pioneer Fress, established in that town by Ambrose A. Call in September, 1861. This paper had an existence only of about two years, when it suspended.

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The first frame school house in the county was erected in the year 1860, on section 24, in township 96 north, range 29 west.

The first white woman whose feet trod the soil of Kossuth county was Mrs. Asa C. Call, in July, 1854.

The first kerosene ever used in this county was brought here by Lewis H. Smith in 1859. A great deal of sport en- sued in the first attempt to use this oil, as he thought that the wick must be above the cone.

The first bread made in the county, from wheat raised therein, was made by Mrs. H. A. Henderson in 1859. As this wheat was raised by her husband and was the first of Kossuth county growth, a fes- tive time was made of it and the neigh- bors were invited in to partake of the bread.

The first sewing machine was brought to Kossuth county in January, 1860, by Lewis HI. Smith of Algona.

The first threshing in Kossuth county was done by some parties from Boone river, for W. II. Ingham in the fall of 1859. This was done on section 20, town- ship 96, range 20.

The pioneer piano of the county was brought to Algona, by Lewis H. Smith,dur- ing the winter of 1865-6.

The first bank in the county was opened by W. H. Ingham in January, 1867, at Algona, and the first draft or bill of ex- change was drawn on the 11th of January of that year. It was for $100 frem James L. Paine to a minister of the gospel in Missouri.

'The first bank sigu, that of Ingham & Smith, was painted by the junior partner, and is yet preserved among the relics of by-gone days. This was lettered in 1870.

Lewis I. Smith, besides being the first lawyer in the county, was the first to hang ont a sign as notary public in 1857.

The first window blinds ever placed upon a house in Kossuth county were the property of Capt. W. HI. Ingham, who put them on his dwelling in 1860.

The last elk seen in this county was killed during the month of November, 1867, by a party of gentlemen in the Boone river near the east line of the county. The party consisted of the fol- lowing members: A. L. Seeley, A. Ken- nedy, Abraham Hill and J. G. Smith. The horns that ornamented this historic ani- mal's head now decorate the court room in Algona.

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History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 32

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company Number of Pages: 898

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Union Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 898