USA > Iowa > Linn County > History of Linn County Iowa : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 3
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71
Robert Ellis understood more or less of the Indian jargon, and still speaks of his many escapades among the Sioux. the Winnebago, and the Sac and Fox. At one time, about 1839, some 300 Winnebagoes were camped on what is known as MeCloud's Run. It was late in the fall and very cold; word came in the night that the Sioux were coming to exterminate the tribe. At once they broke camp and forded the river near the mill dam, first getting the women and children across. The white settlers were frightened. By nine o'clock the next morning the camps were up on the west side of the river and the gay young bucks had brought in thirty-eight deer which had been shot during the early morning, which were served to the hungry lot who had worked all night. While the Sioux had been in the neighborhood no attack was made upon the Winnebagoes at this time.
Mr. Ellis also relates that he and two friends eamped one night on the Cedar above Waterloo, where they were hunting. One morning in mid-winter a party of Sioux came to the cabin. They could do nothing but invite the Red Men in and offer them provisions and anything they had. While the Indians kieked against the whites killing their game, the friendliness of the whites seemed to satisfy them, and they left their new found friends in possession of their camps. After this discovery by the Sionx Mr. Ellis and his friends made a hasty retreat, not wanting to meet their dusky companions again when they might return in larger numbers.
Mr. Ellis relates another incident of his life among the Indians. He came to an Indian camp near Qnasqueton on his way to Ft. Atkinson and had to spend the night in the camp. Unfortunately nearly all of the Indians were drunk and insisted on killing every one. The squaws, who were sober, and a few of the old men, got Mr. Ellis to help, and all the drunken bucks were tied so they could seareely move. Mr. Ellis then retired, and in the morning all were sober and
11
THE FIRST INHABITANTS
untied, and then the squaws and the old men who had been sober started in to get gloriously drunk. Mr. Ellis wanted to hire an Indian to show him the way to West Union, but the Indian shrugged his shoulders and replied, "wolf eaty you." Mr. Ellis started out alone afoot over the snow covered prairie on a cold winter day and finally reached a cabin late at night, nearly overcome from cold. He still believes he would have perished if it had not been for the words of the old Indian which kept ringing in his ears all day and which added courage to his exhausted spirits.
At one time a large number of Muskwaki Indians were camping near Indian ereek, and as the winter was severe and snow deep the Indians were out of food. They came to the home of Susan Doty, who gave them the best and only thing she had - hominy - which she warmed on the fire and gave to the Red Men, who expressed their thanks by grunting and continually asking for more, till the entire supply was exhausted. From that time, when the Indians returned from the hunt with a deer or two Mrs. Doty was always remembered with a good share of game.
When the Indians lost ponies they would go to the old settlers like Usher, N. B. Brown, the Hunters, Oxleys, or Dotys, asking them to assist in catching the thieves. One day Usher and Brown came to Doty's with an Indian chief who had lost his pony. Hunter was also called in, and off the party started in pursuit of the horsethief, who was caught near Viola and who made himself scarce at once, for he was branded as an ontlaw by the Indians, who would shoot him at sight. The Indian was more than happy in getting baek his pony. These men who were willing to help the Indians were sure to get anything they cared for which could be proenred by the red brother. A white man who would help an Indian to re- cover stolen property was forever a friend of the Indians of the tribe.
The Indians in Linn county during the thirties and forties dressed in skins, lived in tepees, and owned ponies; all wore government blankets and had guns, also procured from the government. The men and women dressed much the same. The women earried home the game, looked after the tepee, made maple sugar, which was traded to the whites for sugar, flonr, and woolen goods. Flour especially was much relished by the Indians. The localities much frequented by the Indians were along the Red Cedar and Wapsie rivers, Cedar lake, Indian creek, the Palisades, Linn Grove, Scotch Grove, and Prairie creek. In these places they would remain for weeks at a time, when they would all pull up and leave on some hunting trip. not returning till in the fall or spring of the year. Where they went to no one knew, and where they came from no one inquired. But the Red Men in early days in this county were all treated with dne courtesy by the whites, who, in turn, were spared by the Indians. The best of feeling always existed among the whites and Indians.
The Sioux very seldom came into this part of Iowa. William Abbe and Robert Ellis were the agents for the government in supplying the Winnebago Indians at Ft. Atkinson with food, thus these men were well acquainted with the Winnebagoes, who, in turn, were on terms of friendship with the Sacs and Foxes. The Winnebagoes, like the other tribes, became addicted to the use of fire water to such an extent that they would sell their guns and ammunition for whiskey. One of the early experiences of W. H. Merritt as a young store keeper at Ivan- hoe was to clean out the store single-handed of a crowd of drunken Indians who intended to take possession of the store for a sufficient length of time at least till they could consnme the large quantity of whiskey stored therein, but they had not figured on the courage of the young man who later distinguished himself during the Civil war. Young Mr. Merritt drove out the intruders and saved the store, as well as the property of the company for which he worked.
Many of the old settlers tell stories of the quantity and variety of food these wandering tribes of Indians were capable of consuming, which seemed to be
12
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
beyond the comprehension of the white man. Mr. Ellis relates how he and Wil- liam Abbe were notified to forthwith procure beef cattle for an Indian conference at Ft. Atkinson. These men promptly drove a large number of young cattle to Ft. Atkinson from Linn county, and the Indians consumed in a very short time rations which were expected to have lasted for several weeks.
Others have left records of straggling bands of Indians who were fed at some pioneer cabin and consumed quantities of food at a sitting several times more than the ordinary white man could eat in a week. But then it must be remembered that these Indians did not have their regular meals three times a day, by any means. They seemed to go for days and for a week without eating much of anything, and when a feast was set before them they did full justice to the repast.
The Indians had an abnormal fondness for sweets. The making of maple sugar, especially in Wisconsin, had been one of the industries of the aborigines; a little was always made in Iowa. The season for sugar making came when the first erow appeared ; this occurred about the first of March, while there was yet snow on the ground. As a substitute for sugar the Indians were very fond of honey, and it was said by the early settlers that the squaws could smell a bee tree further than anyone else. These bee trees were claimed by the Indians, and woe to the white man's son who by stealth or otherwise would eneroach upon the Indian's rights in this regard.
While the Indians were called cruel and merciless during the Black Hawk war and later, the pioneers of Linn county found them friendly, hospitable, devoted and loyal friends. Many instances have been cited how the Red Men risked their own lives even to assist their white friends. While they never for- gave an injury. they never forgot a deed of kindness.
.
THE
A SCENE ON THE CEDAR RIVER AT CEDAR RAPIDS IN THE FIFTIES
RESIDENCE OF ISAAC CARROLL IN 1839
CHAPTER III
Iowa Historically
We take the liberty of quoting here a chapter from "The Louisiana Purchase," by C. M. Geer, in The History of North America, Vol. VIII, edited by Guy Carle- ton Lee, and published by George Barrie & Sons, Philadelphia, 1904. It gives in brief space the more important historical facts connected with the formation of the State.
"The governmental experiences of Iowa before its admission into the Union as a State were many and varied. Its diseoverers were the missionary priest Jaeques Marquette and the explorer Louis Joliet, who were living at St. Mary's, the oldest settlement in the present State of Michigan. On May 13, 1673, with five Canadian boatmen, these two men left on an exploring expedition, and on June 25, 1673, landed near the month of Des Moines River .* By right of dis- eovery France elaimed jurisdiction over the country thus visited until 1763, when the Territory was ceded to Spain. On October 1, 1800, it was ceded with the rest of Louisiana Territory from Spain back to France. On the 30th of April, 1803, it was in turn eeded to the United States by France as a part of the Louisiana Pir- chase.
"These changes of government had little effeet upon what was to constitute the future State of Iowa, because the Indians remained in almost undisputed pos- session. Although discovered and claimed by Franee in 1673, no attempt at settlement was made until 1788, when Julian Dubuque, a Canadian, obtained from Blondeau and two other Indian chiefs a grant of lands. This elaim was twenty-one miles long and extended from the Mississippi westward nine miles. The grant was confirmed, in a qualified way, by Carondelet, Spanish governor at New Orleans. Dubuque engaged in mining and trading with the Indians, mak- ing his headquarters at the plaee which now bears his name. The question of the validity of his claim to this great traet of land came before the United States Supreme Court in 1854, and the decision of that body was that his grant was only a temporary license to dig ore.
"In 1799, a trading post was established on the Mississippi within the present territory of Iowa. This settlement and the one at Dubuque were abandoned, so that Iowa was practically an unknown and undesired country at the time when it came under the control of the United States in 1803. It was at that time Indian territory, occupied by the Sacs, Foxes, and Iowas, with the still more war- like Sioux on the north and east.
"On the 31st of October, 1803, a temporary government was authorized for the recently acquired territory. By Aet of Congress, approved March 26, 1803. Louisiana was ereeted into two Territories and provision made for the adminis- tration of each. The upper part was known as the Distriet of Louisiana and ineluded Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa. This was placed temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Territory of Indiana. On July 4, 1805, all this northern dis- triet became the Territory of Louisiana, with a separate Territorial government.
* This is the view of nearly all the writers and historians, but Professor Weld in vol. i, no 1, Iowa Journal of History and Politics, holds to the opinion that the landing was made at the point in Louisa county where the Iowa river enters the Mississippi and gives cogent reasons for his belief.
14
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
The legislative power was vested in the governor and three judges to be appointed by the President and Senate. This condition continued until December 7, 1812, when the Territory of Louisiana became the Territory of Missouri. In 1821, Missouri was admitted into the Union, and this admission of Missouri carried with it the abolition of the government of Missouri Territory, so that for a time Iowa was without any government. It is a question how much law remained in force in Iowa after the admission of Missouri. It is probable that the only civil law in force was the proviso of the Missouri bill, which prohibited slavery north of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes north latitude. No provision was made for that portion of the Territory of Missouri until June 28, 1834, when Congress attached the present State of Iowa, together with other territory, to the Territory of Michigan.
"On July 3. 1836, it was ineluded in the newly organized Territory of Wis- consin. On June 12. 1838, the Territory of lowa was constituted by Act of Con- gress. This Territory included 'all that part of the present Territory of Wis- consin which lies west of Mississippi River and west of a line due north from the sources or headwaters of the Mississippi to the territorial line.'
"From the time of the purchase in 1803 up to the date of the organization of the Territory in 1838 there had been a gradual increase in the knowledge of this land and a growing appreciation of its value. There had been parties of hunters and trappers who made temporary settlements on the banks of the Mississippi in the period from 1820 to 1830. It was not till steam navigation was estab- lished on the Mississippi that there grew.up a demand for lowa lands. South- eastern Illinois and northwestern Missouri were settled and the pioneers naturally looked to the equally desirable lands in Iowa. Various exploring expeditions also contributed to a desire to settle in the territory. Lewis and Clark added to the knowledge of its western borders by their expedition in 1805. Pike in the same year traversed another part of the Territory, and these explorers brought back accounts of its great fertility and of its desirability for settlement.
"The government established a broad strip of neutral ground between the Sioux in the north and the Saes and Foxes in the south to keep these tribes at peace, and in 1830 acquired lands on the Missouri to be used as Indian reserva- tions. Here and there in the Iowa Territory were white men who had gained the friendship of the Indians and lived with them. There were trading posts of the American Fur Company and miners at Dubuque, who were licensed by the government to work at that point. Iowa remained the home of the Indians until the elose of the Black Hawk War, when General Winfield Seott, on September 15, 1832, coneluded a treaty of peace with the Saes and Foxes, by which the Indian title was extinguished to that part of land known as the Black Hawk Purchase. This was the eastern part of lowa and extended along the Mississippi, from Missouri on the south to the 'Neutral Grounds' on the north, and westward a distance of fifty miles. It contained about six million aeres and was to be sur- rendered by the Indians on June 1, 1833. This gave the first opportunity for the legal settlement of Iowa by citizens of the United States.
"June 1, 1833, was fixed as the day on which the Indians were to be removed from the Black Hawk Purchase and the lands opened for settlement. The would- be settlers came in large numbers to the banks of the Mississippi, ready to eross and get the choice of the land. United States troops kept guard on the western shore of the river and prevented any persons from entering the Purchase before the appointed time. At precisely twelve o'clock, midnight. June 1st, there was a wild rush of settlers from East and South and the settlement of lowa was begun.
"There was a rapid increase in population until the separate Territorial gov- ernment was established, June 12. 1838. The first capital was Burlington, and the place of meeting of the legislature was in a church. Robert Lucas was ap- pointed Territorial Governor, and William B. Conway, Sceretary. The Terri-
15
IOWA HISTORICALLY
torial Legislature met on November 12, 1838. Burlington continued to be the seat of Territorial government till 1841, when Iowa City became the capital.
"The Territory of Iowa had a heated dispute with the State of Missouri over the boundary line between the two. Missouri's northern boundary was the par- allel of latitude passing through the rapids of the river Des Moines. There were two rapids, eight or ten miles apart, and the dispute was as to which of these was meant, Missouri insisting upon the northern and Iowa on the southern one. Each government tried to enforce its authority. In the attempt to do this, Gov- ernor Boggs, of Missouri, ealled out the militia; then Governor Lucas, of Iowa, called out his soldiers. Five hundred men were under arms. On the petitions of Iowa and Missouri, Congress authorized a suit to settle the controversy, which resulted in a decision favorable to Iowa.
"Further treaties were made with the Indians by which additional land was gained for settlement. A large tract of land was opened to settlers on May 1, 1843, and on the preceding night there was a rush of land seekers similar to that which had occurred ten years before ; over a thousand families settled in the newly opened lands within twelve hours.
"The very rapid increase in population led to a demand for statehood. On July 31, 1840, the Territorial Legislature passed an Aet by which it called for a vote of the people on the question of assembling a constitutional convention. In Angust the vote was taken, resulting in the defeat of the proposition by a vote of two thousand nine hundred and seven to nine hundred and thirty-seven. An- other vote was taken in 1842, resulting in the same way, but on February 12, 1844, the suggestion of a constitutional convention met the approval of the majority of the electors, and without waiting for a Federal Enabling Aet a Constitution was adopted by a convention which met at Iowa City, October 7, 1844, and finished its work November 1st of the same year. This Constitution was submitted to Con- gress by the Territorial delegate.
"Here again there was the effort to balance a northern and southern State. Maine had been admitted into the Union in 1820, and Missouri in 1821; Arkansas in 1836, and Michigan in the next year. Now, it was proposed to admit Florida with Iowa. At this time Florida was much below the required population. The Congressional debate on the subject was a long and interesting one and brought out, clearly the growing jealousy between North and South. This feeling was espec ially strong at this time because of the probability that several southern slavehold- ing States might be formed from Texas.
"There was furthermore a dispute of considerable importance over the genera! boundary of Iowa. The Constitution submitted to Congress by the Territorial delegate provided that the boundary should be as follows: 'Beginning in the middle of the main channel of Mississippi River opposite the mouth of Des Moines River; thence up the said River Des Moines in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point where it is intersected by the old Indian boundary line, or line run by John C. Sullivan in the year 1816; thence westwardly along said line to the old northwest corner of Missouri ; thence due west to the middle of the main chan- nel of Missouri River; thence up in the middle of the main channel of the river last mentioned to the month of Sioux or Calumet River; thence in a direct line to the middle of the main channel of St. Peter's River, where Watonwan River (ae- cording to Nieollet's map) enters the same; thenee down the middle of the main channel of said river to the middle to the main ehannel of Mississippi River; thenee down the middle of the main channel of said river to the place of begin- ning.'
"An amendment was proposed in Congress which substituted the following in place of the boundary as given above: 'Beginning in the middle of St. Peter's River, at the junetion of Watonwan or Blue Earth River; with the said River St. Peter's running thenee due east to the boundary line of the Territory of Wiscon-
16
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
sin in the middle of Mississippi River : thence down the middle of the last-named river with the boundary line of the Territory of Wisconsin and state of Illinois to the northeast corner of the state of Missouri in the said River Mississippi ; thenee westwardly with the boundary line of said State of Missouri to a point dne south from the place of beginning : thence due north to the place of beginning in said St. Peter's River.
"Of especial interest was the attitude taken by Samnel F. Vinton, represen- tative from Ohio, in regard to the admission of Iowa. He believed that the West- ern States should be small in area in order that the West might not be deprived of its share in the government of the nation. It seemed to him that the policy so far pursued in the West had been wrong because the States were so large that they were sure to contain two or three times as large a population as the Atlantic States. There was at the time a provision under consideration that Florida might be divided, when either East or West Florida should contain a population of thirty-five thousand. Vinton contended that if Florida was to be divided, there should be a provision for dividing lowa, because it was safer to give politieal power to the West than to the Atlantic States, for the West was the great conser- vative power of the Union. He stated that though the spirit of disunion might exist in the North and in the South, it could not live in the West, because the interests of the West were inseparably connected with both, and it would hold the two sections together, because it had no prejudiee against either North or South and. what was of greater importance, the West was a grain growing country, and so must look equally to the manufacturing North and the cotton growing South for its market. Therefore the West must be conservative whether it wished to be or not. Vinton believed that instead of five there should have been at least twelve States in the old Northwest, and that to partly offset this injustice, small States should be formed west of the Mississippi. After considerable debate in the House. the bill for the admission of Iowa passed that body and was transmitted to the Senate, which it passed March 3. 1845.
"After a vote for admission. the constitution was submitted to the people of lowa, who made serions objections to it. One objection was directed against the small salaries to be paid, which, it was feared. would result in getting only in- ferior men for official positions. The restrictions on banks and corporations proved an unpopular feature. The limitation placed upon the extent of territory elaimed by Iowa was unsatisfactory to many. though the State would still have an area of forty-four thousand three hundred square miles. This reduction of area was the greatest objection, so that when the vote was taken many who were in favor of statehood voted against forming a state of such redneed area, and the Constitution was rejected by a vote of seven thousand and nineteen to six thousand and twenty-three.
"The governor called a special session of the legislature, and a bill for the re-submission of the constitution was passed over his veto. This was defeated by the people in August. 1845. On January 17. 1846, an Act was passed which provided for a new constitutional convention. This body came together in May and adopted a new constitution which did not differ greatly from the earlier instrument. The boundaries given in it were a compromise between those origin- ally asked by the people and those granted by Congress. The matter was actively discussed in Congress when the new constitution with the changed boundaries eame before that body, but the arguments were essentially the same as those previously advaneed. An exciting campaign followed in Iowa, and the constitu- tion was adopted. August 3. 1846, by a small majority. On the 4th of Angust the president signed the bill which settled the boundary question in accordance with the second constitution, and an Aet was passed December 28. 1846, by which Iowa was admitted into the Union."
THE
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
CERTIFICATE
To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting:
WHEREAS, Abit Mulher of denn County marketing. Aa J deported in the GENERAL LAND OFFICE of the liales Bare, a Confiante of the REGISTER OF THE LAND OFFICE of Dha Because whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said , Y { { ℃ ec, ILS Buller.
according to the provisions of the i of Compras of the 34th of Jord, 1880, entitled " An act making further provision for the ale of the Public Lands," for the Hitthe list quanten mitthe North West ywarten Station Thirty three, con Marco whip Eighty four Routh, a Range Si, C'est of the fifth Funchal Mondrian in this Must y Lunds Subject to sice al Horndory Containing Forty (ice), 1 1
according to the bimas plat of the money of the ward lande, returned to the General Land Ofthe by the SURVEYOR NEVERAL, which and track has been purchased by the said NOW KNOW YE, Thi the
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in consideration of the Hongary, and in uniformly with the several acto of Congress, in such case made and provided, HAVE GIVEN AND GRANTED, and by these prevents DO GIVE AND GRANT, ento the ad Vil, Red Bullen,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.