USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 31
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The doctors in Louisa County at present are: W. S. Grimes, Wapello; J. 11. Chittum, Wapello; E. C. Rogers, Wapello; F. L. Darrow, Columbus Junction ; J. L. Overholt, Columbus Junction ; F. A. Hubbard, Columbus Junction; M. H. Summers, Columbus Junction ; J. W. Pence, Columbus Junction ; D. Y. Graham, Morning Sun; W. R. Smyth, Morning Sun; W. S. McClellan, Morning Sun; S. J. Lewis, Columbus City ; R. C. Ditto, Oakville; C. B. Childs, Oakville ; D. J. Higley. Grandview ; J. C. Armentrout, Lettsville ; T. L. Eland, Lettsville.
PUBLIC LIR
1
ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDA. ( R
S. K. HELMICK
JACOB MINTUN
WRIGHIT WILLIAMS
CHAPTER AVL.
PERSONAL MENTION.
One of the pioneers who deserves more than a passing notice in this history is Wright Williams, the first county judge of the county, whose picture we have been fortunate enough to get. Mr. Williams was born in Crawford county, Indiana. He came to this county in 1836 and took high rank from the very first among those who were entrusted with its important public affairs. He was elected county commissioner soon after the formation of Iowa territory and held the office from 1839 to September 30, 1844. When the first convention for the purpose of a state constitution was elected, Louisa county had three members. This was in 1844 and Wright Williams was chosen as one of the delegates from this county to that body. Again, after the territory of Iowa was admitted as a state in 1846, Wright Williams was chosen to represent the county in the first legislative assembly and again to represent it in the second legislative assembly. Later, when the governing body of county affairs was changed from a board of commissioners to a county judge in 1851, Wright Williams was by common con- sent regarded as the best and safest man in the county with which to inaugurate that system, although there were several other aspirants for the place. He held this office until his death, November 21, 1854.
The respect in which Mr. Williams was held at that day may be better gath- ered from the following article taken from the newspaper of that time than in any other way. In the Wapello Intelligencer of November 12, 1854, are found the proceedings of the merchants of Columbus City, held November 22d, at the counting room of Wesley W. Garner, for the purpose of testifying their respect for the memory of Hon. Wright Williams. At this meeting the following res- olutions were adopted :
"Resolved, That our places of business be closed this day at two o'clock. and we attend the funeral.
"Resolved. That we condole in the most heartfelt sincerity with his afflicted family, and that Messrs. F. S. Bert. H. R. Moore and Thomas Simpson be ap- pointed a committee to transmit the resolutions to them.
"Resolved. That the proceedings of this meeting be published in the Wapello Intelligencer at Wapello, Iowa, and the Telegraph at Burlington, Iowa."
The following obituary notice of Mr. Williams appeared in the same paper, December 19, 1854:
"Died at his residence in Wapello, on the 21st inst .. of congestion of the bowels. Wright Williams, in the fiftieth year of his age. The death of such a
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man as Mr. Williams deserves more than passing notice. He had been a resident of this county for some sixteen years. During that period it was the good for- tune of the writer of this to share his acquaintance and friendship. Few have lived among us in that time to whom his name and fame have not been familiar. Few men have enjoyed more largely the confidence of the people-always agreeable in his intercourse with his fellowmen, he had the happy gift of a dis- criminating mind, a sound and intelligent judgment and an honest heart. His excellent business qualifications enabled him to perform the duties of the various offices he held in such a manner as to justify their choice. His first appearance in the county seems to have pointed him out as a fit recipient of public trust. Accordingly we find him as early as 1839 elected a member of the board of county commissioners in company with William Milligan and Israel L. Clark. Serving with credit in that capacity, we find him next. in 1854, after an animated canvass against strong competition, returned with W. L. Toole and the lamented Dr. Brookbank, a member of the first convention, for the formation of a con- stitution and state government. We next find him, in 1846, elected a member of the house of representatives, to which place, after serving two sessions, he is re-elected in 1848. Lastly, upon the going into operation of the new code, by the provisions of which the old board of county commissioners was abolished, its powers vested in a single person, we find him in 1851, elected to the re- sponsible post of county judge, which office he held up to the time of his de- cease. The difficult and arduous duties of this office he discharged with ability and to the general satisfaction of his constituents. When this can be said with truth of a man who has had to pass upon for two years and a half the various, difficult and delicate questions which belong to the county court, it will be con- sidered as praise enough."
William Kennedy took an important part in the early public affairs of the county. He was one among the very earliest permanent settlers, having come here probably in April, 1836. He was born in Butler county, Ohio, December 23, 1809. His early education was rather limited, his time being passed mostly among the frontier settlements. In 1837. at a time when Louisa county, under the law, constituted but one township, Mr. Kennedy was elected township clerk, an office which at that time was nearly as important as if it had been called county clerk. Mr. Kennedy settled in Port Louisa township, where he con- tinued to reside up to the time of his death. While he was always a farmer, he started, in 1838. what is said to have been the first mill established in the county, and he continued to conduct this enterprise for several years. Mr. Kennedy was a strong whig and later a strong republican, and was a member of the United Presbyterian church.
William L. Toole was born in Virginia, April 6, 1803, his ancestors having come originally from England, and having been among the earliest settlers of Virginia. The father and Mr. Toole, with all the family, moved from Virginia to Indiana in 1822 and settled near Lafayette in that state. In 1836 William L. Toole came to this county and located near the mouth of the Iowa river. He
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was one of the most prominent figures in the early history of the county, having served in many important public positions. He was elected a member of the first board of county commissioners in 1838 while this county was still in the territory of Wisconsin. He was also elected to the first territorial house of rep- resentatives for the territory of Iowa in 1838 and also to the house of the third territorial assembly in 1840, and to the fourth in 1841. He was likewise one of the Louisa county delegates to the constitutional convention in 1844. It is greatly to be regretted that no adequate biography of Mr. Toole has ever been published and that the material therefor is not now obtainable. One of the most signal and important services which Mr. Toole did for the county was to write a series of articles for the Iowa Historical Record, in which he gave the best account we have been able to find of the early history and early settlement of the county.
Andrew Gamble was born in Belmont county, Ohio, August 1, 1816. His father died when Andrew was but eight years of age and in consequence he was thrown upon his own resources at a very early age. After getting what education he could, as best he could, he taught school for a few years and then moved to Union county, Indiana, where he was elected sheriff in 1845. Soon after this he came to Louisa county, where he engaged in farming in what is now Union township. Mr. Gamble was a man who quickly impressed himself upon those associated with him as being a man of keen discernment and rugged hon- esty. He soon became quite well known in the county, and in 1850 was elected a member of the third legislative assembly of the state. In 1854 he moved from Louisa county to Illinois but after a short stay there, returned to Col- umbus City, where he went into the grocery business and also served occa- sionally as justice of the peace. During his residence in Columbus City, Mr. Gamble edited the Columbus City Courier for a short time. This was in 1856. In our article on Columbus City we have copied the salutatory editorial written by Mr. Gamble and would commend the perusal of it to all who would under- stand the frankness and sincerity of this worthy pioneer. Mr. Gamble spent his remaining days in Columbus City, although from 1872 until his death, he was closely identified with the business interests of Columbus Junction. When the Louisa County National Bank was organized at Columbus Junction, Mr. Gamble was made its first president and held that position up to the time of his death. Mr. Gamble had much to do both as a private citizen and as a member of the board of supervisors with the settlement of the Air Line railroad bond troubles and it is quite certain that if the people had given more heed to his advice at the time the controversy first arose, the county would have saved many thou- sands of dollars, and the payment of what was paid, would have been much easier by being extended over a longer period of time.
George F. Thomas was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1816, and came to this county in 1838, settling in Wapello. His grandfather, Michael Fink, served with General Washington in many of the battles of the Revolutionary
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war. Mr. Thomas began his life work as a merchant tailor at the age of nine- teen, and continued that occupation for a number of years after he came to this county. In 1839 he was elected treasurer of the county and held that office under repeated re-elections until 1846. He also held the office of justice of the peace in Wapello township for five or six years. In 1862 President Lincoln appointed him postmaster at Wapello and he served the people in that capacity so faithfully that he continued to hold the office until 1885. In 1837 Mr. Thomas married Elizabeth R. Mintun, who was a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Jacob Mintun, one of the early settlers of this county. Mrs. Thomas died in 1865. Mr. Thomas was a whig for a great many years and became a member of the republican party on its first organization. He became a member of the Methodist church at a very early age and always took a great interest in the work of the church and the Sabbath school.
Edward Il. Thomas. The first resident lawyers in this county settled in Wapello in December, 1838. They were Edward H. Thomas and Francis Springer, who came here together from Portland, Maine, where Mr. Thomas was born in 1813. He studied law in the office of Stephen Longfellow, father of the poet Longfellow, and was admitted to the bar in 1835. He resided in Louisa county, in Wapello, for something like twenty years and afterward lived in Des Moines county for seven or eight years. Later he returned to Portland, where he spent the remainder of his days. Mr. Thomas was a man of wide reading and fine education, and was an accomplished lawyer. In 1854 he was appointed by Governor Chambers district attorney for the judicial district in which Louisa county belonged. and held that position for two years. He was married in 1855 to Miss Charlotte A. Dubois. They had two sons, Edward and Charles. Mrs. Thomas died in Burlington. December 28. 1861, and soon afterward Mr. Thomas removed to Portland, Maine. Mr. Thomas was honored and respected by all the early settlers. They called him "Lawyer Tom." For many years before his death Mr. Thomas was doubly afflicted by the entire loss of his eyesight and the partial loss of his hearing, but he bore his misfortune like a philosopher and nearly al- ways appeared to be in good spirits. Ile never forgot his early days and early friends in this county and frequently sent a letter or a poem to be read at the old settlers' meetings.
John Deihl came to Louisa county from Franklin county. Pennsylvania, in 1836. At the same time, another pioneer, Philip B. Harrison, came to the county from Pennsylvania and these two men became partners in a number of enter- prises. They bought or entered considerable land in and about the old town of Florence. Mr. Deihl was a storekeeper at Florence for six or seven years. He was the first and only postmaster at Florence, having been appointed to that office, July 5. 1839. and served until February 11. 1846 when the postoffice there was discontinued. Mr. Deihil was also a member of the board of county com- missioners in 1841. 1842 and 1843. Ile was also a member of the board of super- visors in 1867 and 1868. This was the board that was taken to Des Moines by
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the United States marshal for failing to levy an Air Line bond tax. Mr. Deihl made no pretenses to learning but was a man of more than ordinary ability, and of most excellent judgment in regard to business affairs. He was thoroughly honest, frank and outspoken and had no patience with pretenses or shams of any kind. In his early manhood he was a strong supporter of the whig party and naturally became one of the leading members of the republican party from the time of its organization.
One of the pioneers who had much to do with the early history of the county and the territory was John Ronalds, who was born in Caledonia county, Vermont, July 12, 1799, and died in this county, March 23, 1873. Before coming to Iowa, Mr. Ronalds lived in Indiana and Illinois, settling in the latter state in 1830, at a place then called White's Landing, but afterward called Commerce, and later named Nauvoo. While living in Illinois, Mr. Ronalds was appointed a lieutenant and saw some service at the time of the Black Hawk war, but his command was engaged in guarding some of the settlements and did not participate in any of the battles. Mr. Ronalds with his family came to Louisa county in 1836, crossing from New Boston. Mr. Ronalds was a member of the first county board, called the board of supervisors, which was elected in 1837. He was also a member of the constitutional convention, which framed the constitution of 1846. He was also appointed by Governor Lucas as a colonel in the territorial militia. We give in connection with this sketch facsimile copies of both Mr. Ronalds' military commissions. It will be noticed that the Illinois commission has made a mistake in giving the name "Reynolds" instead of "Ronalds."
Mr. Ronalds was also for many years justice of the peace, having been first appointed in 1838. Mr. Ronalds was a public-spirited man of exemplary charac- ter and took an active interest in public affairs and the public welfare up to the time of his death. He was elected by the lowa territorial legislature in 1839, as one of the commissioners to locate the capital of the territory, and for that reason a brief history of the location of the capital will be of especial interest to Louisa county people. The first act on this subject was entitled "An act to locate the seat of government of the territory of Iowa, and for other purposes," approved January 21, 1839, and provided that the legislative assembly should meet at Bur- lington until by proclamation of the governor the public buildings at the perma- nent seat of government should be declared ready for its reception ; and that three commissioners, consisting of one person from each judicial district of the terri- tory should be appointed by joint ballot of the council and house of representa- tives to locate and establish a permanent seat of government. The act also pro- vided that such commissioners, or a majority of them, should, on the first day of May meet at Napoleon and proceed to locate the seat of government at the most eligible point in Johnson county ; that they should agree upon a plan and issue proposals for the erection of the necessary public buildings ; and that they should agree upon one of their board to be acting commissioner, whose duty should be to superintend in person the rearing and finishing of the buildings.
Provision was also made for the employment of competent surveyors and other necessary labor, and the laying out of six hundred and forty acres in lots, streets, etc.
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A supplementary act provided that so soon as the place should be selected and the consent of the United States obtained, the commissioners should proceed to lay out a town to be called Iowa City. This act also provided for the sale of lots and named the three commissioners, Chauncey Swan, John Ronalds and Robert Ralston, who were to locate the seat of government and superintend the erection of the buildings.
On March 3, 1839, an act of congress was approved, making a donation of one section of land to the territory of Iowa for the purpose of erecting public buildings thereon. As we have already seen, the act of the territorial legislature provided that the commissioners to locate the seat of government should meet May ist, 1839. When that day arrived, Chauncey Swan, of Dubuque county, was the only commissioner present. About noon he mounted a dry-goods box and made a short speech to the crowd present. He said that the act of the legis- lature directed the commissioners to meet at Napoleon on the Ist day of May, and that should a majority of them fail to meet there on that day, their actions would be null and void. Mr. Swan then called for a volunteer to undertake to bring another commissioner to Napoleon before midnight. A man named Philip Clark volunteered this service and started for John Ronalds, of Louisa county, the nearest commissioner, who resided thirty-five miles from Napoleon. We quote the conclusions of this matter from Dr. Shambaugh's "lowa City," from which we have abbreviated what proceeds in reference to the same subject :
"Henry Felkner, who was among the anxious crowd at Napoleon on that memorable May day, continues the narrative as follows: 'Of course there was much anxiety lest the effort should prove a failure. Fears were entertained that ( John ) Ronalds might not be at home, or not disposed to come, or that he could not reach the place in time. But these were all idle fears, for as soon as ( Philip) Clark told him the situation he got ready at once and they started with the deter- inination to reach their destination in time. While they were going at their best speed the watchers at Napoleon had their doubts and their fears, and as it began to draw on towards midnight, and no tidings, their fears began to give way to despair. (Chauncey) Swan often consulted his watch and then would send some one out to listen. But no sound could be heard. This was repeated frequently, until at last the sound of horses' hoofs were heard in the distance, approaching rapidly. They did not slack up until they had arrived at the place of meeting. And when the riders dismounted and went in (Chauncey) Swan again consulted his watch and found that it was just five minutes to twelve o'clock.' Robert Walker, a justice of the peace, was on hand to administer the oath, which was signed by the commissioners and the date 'May Ist, 1839,' thereunto affixed. It has, however, been shrewdly intimated by one present that perhaps the hands of Mr. Swan's watch were turned back that night; 'for it was noticed that from midnight to sunrise were the shortest six hours on record.' It is not improbable that Mr. Swan did either stop his watch or turn back its hands; for it is difficult to understand how a man on horseback could travel seventy miles in twelve hours over such roads as existed in the territory at that time.
"On the morning of May 2d the two commissioners, Chauncey Swan and John Ronalds, 'proceeded to examine the county of Johnson with a view to select the most eligible point for said location.' They did some preliminary surveying. The location was finally made on Section Ten, Township Seventy-nine North,
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Range Six West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, on the 4th day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine. The site was indicated by a post or slab, driven in the ground about where the old capitol building now stands. bearing the following inscription :
SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, CITY OF IOWA. May 4th, 1839. C. SWAN, JOHN RONALDS, ROBT. RALSTON, Commissioners.
Witness,
Geo. W. Kelly. J. H. McKenny. Des Moines. J. W. Isett, Louisa. J. Dillon, Dubuque.
SEC. IO, T. 79, R. 6, W. 5THI MER.
"Robert Ralston, of Des Moines county, the commissioner, who did not appear at the meeting on the Ist of May, arrived at Napoleon on the 6th of May and agreed to the proceedings of the majority of the commissioners. On the 7th day of May, Chauncey Swan was appointed by the board 'Acting Commissioner' to superintend in person the affairs in connection with the seat of government."
On June 27, 1839, the board of locating commissioners ordered that Thomas Cox and John Frierson should be employed to survey Iowa City, and L. Judson to draw the necessary plans, and these men, under the supervision of Acting Commissioner Swan, commenced their work on the ist of July. The second sur- vey, however, was suspended for a Fourth of July celebration. A tall young oak tree, standing on the spot now occupied by the capitol building, was stripped of its branches and made a flagpole and the American flag was placed at the top of it. There was an old-fashioned picnic dinner, after which toasts were offered and responded to and the Declaration of Independence was read. The oration of the day was by John Frierson, and he is said to have delivered his oration standing in a wagon, with one foot elevated upon a barrel of Cincinnati whiskey, and while history makes no mention of the quality of the whiskey, it does say that the oration was a good one. After the celebration, the work of surveying the town was pushed forward rapidly. At the southeast corner of the section a monument of rough gray limestone was erected as a permanent lankmark. This monument is still to be seen on Summit street in Iowa City. There are two in- scriptions upon it. The inscription on the side facing the east reads :
"MI. VANBUREN PRESIDENT OF THE U. S. AND R. LUCAS GOV. OF THE TERRITORY"
Vol. 1-18
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The inscription on the side facing the west reads :
"IOWA CITY The Capital of lowa Territory as situated on Section Nº 10. Township 79 N. R. 6 W of the 5th Pr M located May 4th 1839 By Messrs Chauncey Swan John Ronalds and Robert Ralston
Comm's & Surveyed B Messrs Cox Frierson & Judson under the direction of C. Swan, Acts Com."
One of the streets of Iowa City running east and west was named after Mr. Ronalds.
It is proper to say that this name is sometimes written Ronald, but we prefer to use the spelling that was common at the time Mr. Ronalds was in active public life.
John Hale was born in Greene county, Ohio, August 8, 1825, and died on Thanksgiving day, November 25, 1909. His parents were John and Asenath (Searl) Hale. His father was a native of Bedford county, Virginia, and a car- penter by trade. In 1835 the family moved to Putnam county, Illinois, and after- ward lived in the counties now known as Bureatt and Marshall. John IIale came to this county September 29. 1839. when he was but fourteen years of age, and his father's family followed in about three months. The only school in the town- ship was at Toolesboro, and it was some years before any other existed there. During his first four years of life in Jefferson township, Mr. Hale managed to attend school at Toolesboro about two weeks. The rest of the time he worked at whatever he could get to do in the way of carpenter work. His teacher while at Toolesboro was Rev. Fisk, a Presbyterian preacher, who taught, worked in the garden, helped the farmers on week days and preached on Sundays. John Hale soon became an expert with the carpenter's tools and as his father was rather a sickly man, John had the greater share in the support of the family. even when he was but fourteen or fifteen years of age. A little later he attended a six weeks' term of school at Harrison. He boarded with Albert O. Stickney, the father of Mrs. Calista E. Carpenter, and he paid his board in work, but the work was done for Dr. Austin at Toolesboro in the following summer. At that
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time Austin was operating a distillery at Toolesboro and John Hale was doing some work there, when Mr. Stickney came from Harrison with an empty barrel in his wagon. Mr. Stickney had a big field of wheat to cut and in those days people thought they could not harvest without plenty of whiskey. The barrel was filled and John Hale paid for his board by paying for the whiskey. This seems strange now, but was nothing unusual at the time. Mr. Hale's father died in 1845, leaving him the head of the family. On July 2, 1848, he was mar- ried to Miss Esther Palmer, a daughter of Nathaniel D. Palmer. This Mrs. Hale died in 1863, leaving four children: Lydia, now Mrs. C. P. Lacey, of Wapello; Izola, who died December 25. 1905: Rush, who died at Villisca, Iowa, about 1902; and Lauren, whose home is in Kansas. On March Ist, 1866, Mr. Hale was again married to Miss Clara Rhodes, of Kossuth, who was a daughter of Grafton Rhodes, an early pioneer of Des Moines county. Six children were born to this union, two of whom died in infancy. Jay, a son, who was a soldier in the Philippine war, died about nine years ago in Kansas. Hal, another son, who married Miss Franc MacFarland, died in Fredonia, Kansas, about seven years ago. Oscar, a son, and Nellie, a daughter, still live in Wapello.
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