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 45

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 45

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ment, could be readily occupied, and easily defended by the settlers. The Algona stockade was six rods sqnare, built of two inch plank doubled, and small logs split in halves, the flat sides lapped to- gether and set in a trench two feet deep; which left the wall eight feet high above the ground. Port holes were made every four feet, and bastions on the north west and southeast corners, a secure double gate in the north end, and a well near the center. The Algona stockade was built around the site of the Town Hall (Congre- gational church). Its building occupied nearly the whole population about two weeks. The mill was kept running night and day sawing plank, and a large force was also employed in the woods splitting timber. The settlers were kept in a con- stant state of alarm by rumors of the near approach of Indians, which proved a suf- ficient incentive to keep them at work. A report was started in Humboldt county that a large band of Indians was seen at the upper timber on Lott's creek. The couriers who went to Fort Dodge for am- munition, as they returned, met nearly the whole population of Humboldt 'running from Indians.' The writer, at this time, was 'baching' south of the river, in the timber, with three companions. The boys worked on the stockade in the day time, and boiled sugar, nights. The river was bank full, and the only means of crossing was a 'dng out' which frequently resented the familiarity of strangers by rolling over and dropping them into the water. About ten o'clock one night we heard fearful hallooing at the river, and on going down were interviewed by 'Big Burright' from the other side who had verbal dispatches

from head quarters. He said he had been sent down to tell us that there was a large number of Indians on Lott's creek. That it was believed up town they would attack the settlement before morning. That the news had come in since dark, and the people had all gathered at Judge Call's and Mr. Henderson's. This news was of too much importance to go unheeded; we, unfortunately, happening to be on the same side of the river the Indians were supposed to be on, the writer and Sam Nixon at once started to notify the settlers and gather them in at Mr. Brown's. They needed but little urging, and by midnight were all housed and ready to defend their castle. At old Dr. Cogley's, after a deal of hallooing, a faint response came from the neighborhood of the stock-yard. 'Hal- loo, doctor, what are you doing out there this time of night?' says the interviewer. "The Indians haven't been here have they ?' 'No,' says the doctor 'and I don't propose to have them find me if they do come. You see I have my family buried in the hay out there, and if the Indians come and attack the house, I can fire on them from the rear, and they will think I have re- ceived reinforcements, and run. Do you see?' Of course we saw the point; but the doctor never had an opportunity to test his strategy, the Indians having failed to put in an appearance. Early the next morning, Mr. Maxwell and the writer rode down to Lott's creek to see if there existed any grounds for the rumors which had alarıned us. Of course we found no In- dians and no signs of any .having been in the country. The settlers had all left in great haste-some even leaving their stock tied and penned up without food.

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After this scare the settlers began to lose faith in Indian stories, and returned to their homes. When the condition of the streams and sloughs would permit travel we found there were no Indians in the country, those committing the massacre at Spirit Lake, having fled to the west- ward. The stockade remained as built several years, and was finally pulled do + 11 and used for road plank."

The following reminiscences of early days, was written by Mrs. C. A. Ingham, and published in the columns of the Up- per Des Moines, several years ago. The compiler of these annals deemed it of suf- ficient interest to the people of the county, to preserve, in this volume, this picture of pioneer life in Kossuth.

"The great events of the world's his- tory are usually chronicled with a pen of fire on the grand scroll of time, that the eyes of the multitude may see them, and catch the glow of their sublimity as they pass by. We do not know that any great event has been buried in oblivion. We incline to the opinion that however genu- ine may have been the dreamy rhapsody of the poet, when he inhaled the aroma of flowers, 'That were born to blush unseen, and waste their sweetness on the desert air,' yet it was only a poet's rhapsody af- ter all, and the tendency is very strong- in this practical, utilitarian age-to hustle rudely past it, and find out to a certainty the true beauty and worth of the world.

"Progress! that rallying watchword of to-day, is no myth, no will-o-the-wisp to entice us astray, as some would have us believe. Through its grand leadings we stand to-day upon the high table-land fron whence we can view the flowersthat shall

nevermore blush unseen, and breathe the fragrance that has found a purer atmos- phere than the desert air.

"But I was to tell you of our first grand party. It was in September of the year 1859, a birthday occasion. The judge liad built a large handsome residence, and be- ing of generous turn of mind, as well as his good lady, they determined to call in their friends and make them welcome on this joyous occasion. It was not to be an exclusive affair, just onr set and no more -in fact we knew but little about sets in those days-but everybody in the county was to be welcomed. It had been whis- pered that the judge's lady was quite proud of her new house, and we could hardly wonder, for coming into the county at so early a day, with both youth and beauty to recommend her, she had cheerfully made of her log cabin, a not only pleasant but hospitable home. The new home was not, at the time spoken of, complete, but rumor said it was to be very grandly fitted up. It was a rather imposing edifice; if not anggestive of marble and space, which is characteristic of Italian palaces, it was at least suggestive of generous home com- fort and social good cheer. There were whispers of lace curtains, and mirrors that should reach to the floor, and tapestry carpets, all of which made the ears of the listeners tingle with delightful expecta- tion. Well, the night of the party ar- rived, and as early as the hour of seven the guests began to assemble. There were the old, the middle-aged, and the young, and not a few mothers with their babies in their arms-for what mother could forego so much pleasure, even had it been considered unfashionable to present her-

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self with a child in her arms, which in those days luckily it was not. More than this, the judge's lady had carefully pro- vided for this, and had a room in com- plete readiness where the little ones could receive every comfort. By 8 o'clock the guests had all assembled and were mingling in the full pleasure of the occa- sion. The judge and his lady were the most hospitable of entertainers, greeting each new-comer with a cheerful warmth which put him at once thoroughly at his ease.

"The judge was a man of marked char- acter. Being the founder of the town and foremost in every enterprise to en- hance its value, people naturally looked to him as a leader and counselor. He was rather tall than otherwise, with a strong, muscular frame, a broad compre- hensive brow, over-arching his eyebrows, from beneath which he looked forth with hardly the earnestness and zeal of one who is quick to speak his convictions, but rather with that thoughtful, calculating look which marks those who weigh mat- ters and deliberate coolly. Ilis whole ap- pearance impressed you as a man of sagacity and comprehension. You would hardly feel that he was made of the metal which constitutes martyrs, and in things spiritual you would be inclined to think his faith rested rather in the things that are seen, than those which are invisible.

"His wife was one of those good-hearted, good-natured, good-looking women whom you always like to meet; who, if they have ills and woes and aches, keep them out of sight, and give you the impression that life is a joy to them rather than a burden, consequently impart joy in their

intercourse with others. Principal among the guests were the Rev. Seignior and his handsome daughter, the prima donna. Then there was the physician, a good- natured son of Esculapius, who might have had a fault of looking upon mor- tality a little too lightly at times, he hav- ing been heard to remark in one of these happy moods, 'Nero danced while Rome was burning! Why should I mourn when a patient dies" There was the grave and somewhat reserved representative and his family, a gentleman of candor and worth-some said a little slow-but all felt, honorable and trustworthy.

"There was the young and aspiring law- yer-our quondam chief of the literary band, and his young wife, a fair blonde with a look of confiding trust on her in- nocent girlish face that told you how will- ingly and proudly she rested upon the arm of the young lawyer by her side. There were scores of young ladies and gentlemen, all very gay and evidently very happy on this festive occasion. In almost direct contrast to the poetical gen- tleman was another, whose dark eyes ar- rested my attention. He was a tall, slen- der gentleman, who evidently in a quiet way enjoyed the scene very much. He had the air somewhat of the man of society and somewhat of the recluse, was a great admirer of the judge, and especially this grand entertainment seemed just to his liking. He was said to be very fond of the heroic, and was inclined to become a little restive under the restraints and pri- vations of frontier life; so this occasion was to him a sincere joy, which, no doubt, helped to make many future days bright and hopeful. At ten, supper was an-

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nounced. The doors of the large supper room were thrown open and the company ushered in. The tables were fully equal to the occasion, and every guest found sufficient room. To say the supper was bountiful would hardly be significant of my true meaning.

"You must remember,in those days, many things which had once been comforts had to be considered luxuries, conse- quently it was no small matter to be comfortably placed at a table loaded with all that the most fastidious taste could de- sire. The Rev. Seignior was invited to pronounce a blessing, after which eachı guest was free to dispose of the dainties and viands nearest him; and right well was this accomplished. We do not be- lieve the judge and his lady ever had oc- casion to feel that this supper was not fully appreciated. After supper there was music and dancing. The young lawyer schottished with one of the fair belles of the evening. While her father-a gentle- man of sixty summers perhaps-recalled, with a nimbleness of youth, the jig of which was the delight of his early days.

"The Rev. Seignior, with the prima donna leaning upon his arm, withdrew at the commencement of the dancing, but most of the guests remained until the festivities were brought to a close near the small hours of morning.

"And so this first grand party was ended. It was a joy to many, who still find joy in recalling it. The light has faded from the eyes of some happy faces that graced the occasion. The physician answers no longer to the roll call of his patients, and the fair young wife of the lawyer-like a fragrant rose fully ripe-

bowed her head to the storm and passed to the other side. The young gentleman with the dark eyes heard his country call for men in the great struggle for freedom, and the heroic leaped to the surface, and he marched away to the battle-field with a light in his eye which lingers still- though he numbers one among the mar- tyred heroes. The poetical gentleman- so joyous, so open hearted and brave, on a bright spring morning turned his eager face toward the great plains of the west, and found ere long in their broad bosom a quiet resting place, where he now peace- fully sleeps, far removed from the tearful lament of kith and kin.

"The great events of time we say do not die! And the flowers that blush un. seen to-day will raise their heads in the sunlight to-morrow. So we cherish faith in every event that tends to make life beautiful, and love to keep bright the hal- lowed spot where memory links it with the imperishable. And thus step by step and deed by deed we too join in the pro- longed chorus which forms the world's grand symphony.

'And tread in the paths of the bygone years, Mid the ghosts of dead generations;

Life is sweet with their songs and salt with their tears, And rich with their souls' oblations.

We enter to-day and we go out no more. Till on through the gloom and the glory, We pass to the realms of the gone before, And tell them our own sweet story."""

A history of Kossuth county would hardly be complete without the mention of the terrible plague of grasshoppers that fell upon this section in past years, and devastated the entire county. The first of these came as early as the 16th of June, 1867. These, although numerous as the sands of the seashore, were but the ad-

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vance guard of the myriads that came in after years. They, this year, destroyed whole fields of grain, especially in the west side of the county. Algona and Lott's Creek township suffered probably the most, as these had the most grain standing of any of the townships in their path.

In 1873, the countless hosts of the grass- hopper army descended upon this fair land, and while destroying about half of the crops in the county, deposited unnum- bered billions of eggs in the soil. These hatched out by the warm sun of the sum- mer of 1874, and the ground seemed to be literally alive, and give forth clouds of jumping, leaping, struggling, flying ver- min. Field after field, green in the morn- ing with the rich, growing crops, before noon was eaten as bare as the sands of Sahara. What they seemed to go over in the morning, they returned to in the evening and made a supper of. The en- tire crops of the county were absolutely and completely destroyed, and the cry of distress went up throughout the land. A committee was appointed to go out into the more favored portions of the State and gather together the contributions of the charitably inclined, in the shape of food and raiment, for it is said some of the best and wealthiest farmers of the county were among those who had no food nor the wherewithal to purchase any. All over our fair State notices were put in the papers asking for these donations, and committees were appointed. The follow- ing, cut from a North Iowa Times, of Mc- Gregor, Clayton county, will give some idea of the strong appeal made to the

generosity of the people, for these suf- ferers :

"The following named persons are desig- nated to receive contributions for the grasshopper sufferers of Kossuth Co., Iowa :

E. S. Fitch, Clayton ; Fleck Bros., Guttenberg ; R. Meuth, Buena Vista ; John Garber, Elkport ; Henry White, Volga City ; S. J. Carrier, Strawberry Point ; C. F. Stearns, Elkader ; William Thoma, Garnavillo; C. C. Lang, National; C. A. Dean, Monona; T. C. Peterson, St Olaf ; Ralph Knight, Windsor ; Adam Schneider, Froelick Station ; George L. Bass, McGregor. Ship to George L. Bass, McGregor, or D. H. Hutchins, Algona.

"D. HI. Hutchins, agent of the Kossuth county relief committee, a former well known resident of Clayton county, has called on us in person, and informs us that the entire crop of ten townships of his county was destroyed, and that it was partially destroyed in the other town- ships of the county. That there are over 2,000 persons in that county needing aid this winter. They need clothing, boots and shoes, (any old clothing for men, wo- men and children) bedding, provisions, and money. We earnestly call upon the people of Clayton county to organize a relief committee in each township to so- licit contributions to aid the sufferers.

E. K. BARRON, FRANK LARRABEE, State Committee." This set-back, although it caused much destitution and suffering, and was the cause of many selling out and emigrating to other quarters, still it was the making of this county, turning the attention of

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the farming community to the raising and growing of stock, and mixed farming, until to-day Kossuth county can hold up her head among the banner stock counties

of the State. The rich, luscious, native grasses that cover her prairies afford rich food for the numerous herds of cattle, owned by her citizens.

CHAPTER XIII.

TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE.

The county of Kossuth lies in the north- ern portion of the State of Iowa, nearly the center of the State on the Minnesota line. It is bounded on the east by Win- nebago and Hancock counties, on the sonth by Humboldt, and on the west by Palo Alto and Emmett counties. It is the larg- est county in the State, embracing twen- ty-eight congressional townships. The territory comprised is townships 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100 north, of ranges 27, 26, 29 and 30, west of the fifth principal me- ridian. Thus it is forty-one miles across from north to south line, the northern ownships lacking about a section in width, and twenty-four miles from east to west. This vast expanse of territory is divided into the following civil townships: Al- gona, Irvington, Cresco, Greenwood, Port- land, Sherman, Luverne, Prairie, Wesley, j almost to incalculable depths. The soil Lott's Creek, Fenton, Burt and Ramsey.

The surface of Kossuth county is a most beautiful and rolling prairie. It is gener- ally level with the graceful undulations common to the northwestern States. This, of course, is somewhat different in the vicinity of the streams, where the

rolling tendency is increased to such an extent as to be almost termed hilly. Very few places can be found, however, in the county, where the breaks are abrupt enough to debar the use of the land for agricultural pursuits. This whole region of the valley of the Upper Des Moines, has long borne the reputation of being the finest stock raising locality in the State. Commonly spoken of as the Upper Des Moines, this upland vale, has no peer in the State as a grazing ground, and it is no misnomer to call it the "garden spot of northern Iowa." As to the soil and geo- logical formation of this region, an allu- vial deposit, averaging some four or more feet deep, resting npon the vast beds of drift that underly all this upper plateau, and that in this locality is said to reach being of rich, black, adhesive loam, the deposit of countless ages of decomposed vegetable matter, the fertility is almost inexhanstible. A slight trace of sand in the earth makes this portion of the State very desirable, as it makes the soil more porons and a plow will scour in it readily.

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No stratified rock is found within the county, but sufficient stone for foundations and work of that description is readily procured by digging through the soil into the drift beneath, which is found full of the granite and porphyritic boulders, which when dressed make the most dur- able building material.

The county is well watered, and in all parts of it excellent well water can be ob- tained in abundance at varions depths, ranging from fifteen to thirty feet. Sev- eral streams intersect the county. The East Fork of the DesMoines, the principal stream, rises just across the line in Ein- mett county, and enters this county on the west side of Greenwood township, and traversing that township and those of Burt, Portland and Algona, serving as a boundary line between Irvington and Sherman and Cresco, makes its exit at the center of the south line of Kossuth county. This stream, whose pure, limpid waters flow between high, almost bluffy banks, furnishes sufficient power to propel a con- siderable amount of machinery, and which does not fail.

The Blue Earth river rises in the north- ern part of township 98 north, of range 27 west, and flowing in easy current north, passes ont of the county into Minnesota at abont the center line of township 100 north, range 28 west. Many smaller af- fluents of the DesMoines, also stretch out through the county, and no township in the southern part but what is well watered with their life-giving streams. Along the banks of the principal of these rivers and creeks, timber is seen in considerable quantities, the principal growth being burr oak, white maple, sugar maple, bass and

cottonwood. Artificial groves and hedges are being raised and cultivated in various parts of the county to a considerable ex- tent, also. These varions belts and knots of trees break the monotony of the prairie, and, while adding beauty to the landscape, serve as a screen from the high winds and supply the settler with fuel.

As to the products of the county, corn and oats are the great staples varying rel- atively from year to year. Corn, how- ever, being generally in the ascendency, this being pre-eminently a stock raising country. Barley, hay and potatoes rank next as important productions. The cut- ting and baling of the wild native grass, in the form of hay, is a large and impor- tant industry of Kossuth county, hay presses being located in every town, vil- lage and hamlet within its limit. This business has grown in a few years to an almost incredible extent and thousands of tons of this product of the Iowa prairie are shipped east to feed the cattle of that locality. As mentioned above, the prin- cipal business of the agricultural portion of the community is stock and the pro- ducts arising therefrom. Iowa took the first premium for butter at the centennial exhibition, and Kossuth connty butter brings as much, and sometimes more, in the New York markets than the butter of New York State creameries, and the farm- er gets the same price at his own door for his cream on these $10 lands as he does on the $100 lands further east. For the dairy business the wild lands which are selling from $6 to $12 are in fact worth $25 to-day. In 1882 the two creameries in Algona sent out daily, forty-one double teams twenty miles in

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every direction to the farmer's doors to gather cream, and in the month of June they made 4,200 pounds of butter per day. No county in the State, with possi- bly one exception, produces a larger quan- tity of first-class butter, than does Kos- suth. The vast ranges of wild lands cov- ered with natural,"blue-joint," similar to that of Kentucky, and which rich and well-flavored, conduces to a large yield of high grade butter. Timothy and clover also grow luxuriantly with very little care. It is a matter, also, of historical fact, that the county has never been troubled with a drouth. In such a locality, of course the raising of all kinds of stock could not help but be a success, and there are few connties in the northern part of Iowa that can boast of so large an amount of blood- ed stock that Kossuth can. On the whole this county ranks high among its sister counties of the great State of Iowa, and as all of its resources have not been de- veloped, its promise is indeed flattering. KOSSUTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

As long ago as 1857, a society under the above name was organized in this county. No record exists of it in its earlier years, but in the first issues of the Pioneer Press in 1861, there is a call for a business meeting for the purpose of elect- ing officers and other business. This is signed by Ambrose A. Call, secretary of the association. At this meeting, held upon the 3d day of June, 1861, the first of which any record can be found, Kinsey Carlon, vice-president, was in the chair. The election resulted in the choice of the following officers for the ensuing year : D. W. Sample, of Irvington, president; L. T. Martin, of Cresco, vice-president ;

Ambrose A. Call, of Algona, secretary; Lewis H. Smith, treasurer. The board of managers was elected at the same time and consisted of: Asa C. Call, Dr. Mason, Horace Schenck, M. C. Lathrop and J. E. Stacy. The fair, which was the fourth annual one, was held in Algona on the 18th day of September, 1861. The pre- mium list was a long one and complete in its way. Among them was a prize for the best tilled farm in the county, which was awarded to W. B. Carey. The ladies, of course, were not forgotten ; Mesdames T. D. Stacy, W. H. Ingham, II. Schenck, Charles Gray and John Heckart, carry off prizes for culinary excellence, and Mes- dames H. F. Watson, J. E. Stacy, G. W. Blottenberger and H. Schenck, in the de. partment of needle work. Miss N. II. Rice, Mrs. J. E. Stacy, Mrs. C. Taylor, Mrs. H. F. Watson and Mrs. L. Rist, each were awarded premiums for excellence in ornamental work. These are but a tithe of the list, but space forbids a fuller mention.

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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 45

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