USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 46
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The fencing of a farm in the early days of Iowa was a serious problem, the idea of fencing stock in instead of fencing them out. had never occurred to the settler. therefore the first farms were opened in the vicinity of streams, where wood land for cabins, fuel, and fencing was found. How many carpenters would today be equal to the task of building a house with an axe, an anger and a froe. (The pioneer will recognize the froe as the tool with which he split clapboards to cover his cabin.) All stock ran at large in those days. some animals strayed away and were never reclaimed by their rightful owner, but he generally aimed to get his "per capita," and was satisfied, as values were quite uniform.
Swine were the favorite domestic animals of those pioneer days, and where access could be had to timbered land or river bottoms, they throve with but little attention from their owners, except to throw them a little corn through the winter season. As soon as spring opened the brood sows and shoats were left to shift for themselves, and would frequently disappear for months at a time : but when the corn began to harden in the fall. the farmer with a bag of corn on the front of his saddle would ride to their haunts, and after repeated trials would induce some old sow to taste of this almost forgotten luxury : the effect was that the old mammy swine would often beat him home, bringing with her a family of eight or ten thrifty shoats, which she had nurtured during her summer vacation.
A neighbor of ours, who was accused of not being able to distinguish at all times between "mine and thine," at one time, in early spring, turned out a rickety old barrow, which had failed to accumulate sufficient fat to doom him to the pork barrel: in the fall the barrow reappeared and with him some half dozen thrifty shoats, all of which were promptly impounded for winter use. A neighbor who knew that his spring "plant" had consisted of this one emanci- ated barrow, one day intimated to him that his title to the shoats was not good. "Why," said he, innocently, "what do you think that old barrow was doing all summer ?"
One of the most extensive hog raisers in the neighborhood was James Guest, an honest man, long since gone to his reward. He lived on the farm now owned by a MIr. Pemble, and his swine ranged all over the bottoms and across the Muscatine slough, and their numbers were almost unlimited. In autumn with a bag of corn, he would go to the bluff overlooking the bottoms, and with a voice as far reaching as a bugle would call-Pee-goo-ee-accented on the "goo." The effect was magical ; as the vermin and the children followed the Pied Piper. so did these swine, big and little, old and young, follow Uncle Jimmy to his barn lot. I have often tried to imitate that call, but without success. As a western teamster said to a passenger who asked him where he learned to swear, "I never learned it: you can't learn it, it's a gift."
To some, perhaps, these incidents may seem frivolous, but to the aged these memories are sweet and precious; and after all. the life of the average man
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and woman is a succession of little events; day after day we meet them, con- quer them, or are overcome by them.
The first great political awakening in this county was in the Fremont and Buchanan campaign in the fall of 1855. A Fremont club was formed at Tooles- boro, and my father was made president of the same. The republicans had a rally and a pole raising, and Judge Springer made an address. We had a brass band from Wapello, and our twenty-foot flag was emblazoned with the alliterate legend, "Free Speech, Free Press. Free Soil, Fremont and Dayton."
Not the least hero of the day, to my boyish eyes was Asher Sillick, who scaled a rope fifty feet to remove the tackle from the hickory pole which we had erected. Not to be outdone. the democrats shortly afterward erected a pole a little taller than ours, and only about one hundred feet away.
Did space permit, what pleasure it would be to speak of the noble men of that one locality who did so much to make the history of this county: Jonathan Parsons and his sons, Hannibal and Joseph J .: Isaac Parsons and Thompson, his son ; the Mallorys, Hooks, Trasks, and Tooles; and coming later, patriots like G. H. Mosier, who laid his little fortune on the altar of his country by feeding soldiers' families while the Government wrestled with its great financial effort to feed and equip an army without a dollar in its treasury.
Most of the pioneer men and women have gone to their reward. They live only in the memory of their children and neighbor's children, and in the love and esteem of those who knew them and honor them. They are not dead.
"To live in the hearts of those we loved is not to die."
[The foregoing article, and the article entitled "The First Louisa County Homicide" were written especially for this work, by James R. Smith, Esq., of Columbus Junction, who has so often entertained 'old settlers' meetings and soldiers' "campfires."]
THE COUNTY FARM
It is well known that there has been more or less controversy between the doctors of the county and the Board of Supervisors in regard to the payment of bills for medical services rendered to persons unable to pay. It appears that at one time it was the practice to advertise in the newspapers for sealed pro- posals for keeping the paupers of the county, and for medical attendance on them. In February, 1853, at the time Wright Williams was county judge, it is recorded that in pursuance of a notice published in a newspaper called the Louisa County Times, asking for sealed proposals for keeping the paupers of the county in board and clothing, the following bids were received and opened on February 7, 1853:
Thomas G. Forbes $2.00 per week
E. W. Ellsworth 1.70 per week
O. Spafford 2.90 per week
Dennis Williams I.75 per week
The record goes on to show that after examining the above proposals, the physicians of Columbus City and Wapello were requested to put in sealed pro- posals stating the amount for which they would give medical attendance to
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the paupers of the county for one year, from and after said paupers shall have been taken charge of by one of the aforesaid bidders, and on February 12. 1853. the following bids were opened :
Thomas G. Taylor offers to give medical attendance for one year for. $200
John Cleaves for 2.4
L. R. Burns for 100
John Bell, Jr., for 150
J. M. Robertson for 25
"H. T. Cleaver offers to give medical attendance to the said paupers for one year, and will pay $8.00 for the privilege of the same. It is therefore con- sidered by the County Judge that in consequence of the bid of Dr. Cleaver, together with the bid of Dennis Williams, are the lowest and best bids. It is therefore considered that Dennis Williams be appointed to take charge of the paupers and H. T. Cleaver is hereby appointed physician."
We may note in connection with the account of Dennis Williams, filed in December, 1853, a circumstance which occurred quite often in the early history of the county, and indicates, both, that the county was short of funds, and that the county orders were used as currency. Mr. Williams filed his bill for keep- ing paupers, amounting to $128, and this was paid by eight warrants, seven of them being for $20 each and the other for $18. These warrants would, of course, pass current with all who had taxes to pay.
Francis Springer became county judge on November 23. 1854, and the first bill presented to and allowed by him was one of Dr. H. T. Cleaver for $49.50. for medical attendance on panpers, and for quite awhile thereafter, bills for keeping paupers and for medical attendance upon them. came in, ranging from $5 up to $75. It seems they got too strong for the county judge, because we find that on February 21, 1855, he issued a proclamation, stating that in view of the heavy pauper expenses borne by the people of the county, and with a view of relieving them to some extent, as well as providing a home for the poor where the sick may be cared for and the well made to work, he submitted to the people at the election on the first Monday in April the question of pur- chasing a suitable farm, and estimated the cost at $4,000. The proposition carried and on December 29, 1856, the county court purchased of John Smith. of Mahoning county, Ohio, for this purpose, two hundred acres in sections 2 and II, and forty acres in section 5, township 74 north, range 3 west, at a cost of $4,000, and soon afterward a contract for erecting a county building was let to B. H. Druse of Wapello, for $2,500, and the building was erected by him.
In June, 1895, the Board of Supervisors submitted to the people, to be voted on at the general election on November 5th, 1895, the question of issuing bonds of the county for the sum of $16,000, the money to be used to erect suit- able buildings for the use of the poor, and a hospital for the incurable insane.
The vote on the proposition is: For-548; against-1.167.
„At the November election, 1800. the Board of Supervisors composed of Isaiah Downs. J. Cal. Duncan and Jacob Lieberknecht, submitted to the people a proposition authorizing the Board to levy a tax "which may produce a sum
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not exceeding $10,000 to be expended in the erection and construction of a suitable fireproof building and improvements on the County Farm, for the proper care of the poor of the county and the incurable insane." This proposition was carried by the close vote of 664 for to 640 against, a great many people not taking the pains to vote on the proposition. The books in the county auditor's office show that the County Improvement Fund tax collected in the years from 1901 to 1904 inclusive, amounted to $18,637.05. However, it seems that about $1,000 or a little over of this amount came originally from the Poor Fund and the County Insane Fund.
The County Farm of Louisa county, together with the building and other improvements is said to be one of the best equipped institutions of the kind to be found anywhere in the state.
RIVER BRIDGES
This county has seven wagon bridges over the Iowa river.
The first one was built at Wapello, in 1873 and 1874; it was authorized by supervisors Andrew Gamble, N. M. Letts and P. D. Bailey. It must be noted, to the credit of Gamble and Letts, that this was at a time when the county seat excitement was very great, and that both these men were strong advocates of Columbus Junction.
This bridge was built by D. H. and C. C. Morrison, and its first cost was $13,453.50. Wm. G. Allen was the commissioner in charge of its construction. The bridge has been added to since then.
The next bridge was the one over the Iowa river at Fredonia, which was finished in 1878. It cost about $20,000, and was, at the time it was built, said to be the longest wagon bridge in the state. The town of Columbus Junction contributed about $5,000 to it. Cyril Carpenter was the commissioner.
The next bridge was the one at Toddtown, north of Columbus Junction. It was finished July 4, 1879, and cost something less than $15,000. Cyril Carpenter was commissioner.
The next bridge was at Yellow Banks, near Oakville, and the contract for it was let on February 21, 1895. It cost $14,860.40.
The next was the Hogback bridge, north of Wapello, the contract for which was awarded May 3, 1898, at $14,150.
This bridge had been talked of for a great many years, but had been bitterly opposed by some of the leading taxpayers of Grandview township, as well as by many others in the north part of the county. Jacob Lieberknecht, J. Cal. Duncan and Isaiah Downs were the supervisors who authorized it, and they did so on the condition that the petitioners would carry, without interest, $6,000 of bridge warrants from March 1, 1899 to March 1, 1900, and secure the right of way to and from the bridge. On January 8, 1898, D. C. Thomas, on behalf of the petitioners, filed a bond agreeing to comply with the conditions made by the board.
The next bridge was the Hoben bridge. This was ordered on April 3, 1889, the supervisors being Barton Garrett, H. M. Letts and S. F. Small. There was considerable controversy among the people in Union and Oakland townships as to where it should be located. Robert Carson, who had been very active in
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securing the bridge, wanted it located in section 16-76-5 ; and on May 9, 1889, HI. M. Letts was appointed commissioner to "contract for an iron bridge on the Iowa river between Union and Oakland townships in the south half of the north- west quarter of section 16-76-5."
Before Mr. Letts was ready to contract, there was a change in the mem- bership of the board, Thomas Newell succeeding Mr. Garrett, and on January 8, 1890, the engineer was ordered to locate the bridge as near as practicable to McKean's old ferry landing, in section 21-76-5; and the bridge was built there that year.
The seventh bridge is in the extreme north end of the county, on the line between Louisa and Johnson counties, and was completed in 1911, at a cost of $9,000, one-third being paid by this county and the remainder by Johnson county.
SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS
We omitted to give the Supervisor Districts in their proper place, and insert them here. On June 3, 1874. the county was districted, for the purpose of electing three supervisors, according to Chapter 39 of the Acts of the 15th General Assembly.
The First District was composed of the townships of Oakland, Union, Colum- bus City and Elm Grove.
The Second District was composed of the townships of Eliot, Wapello, Morn- ing Sun and Marshall.
The Third District was composed of the townships of Jefferson, Port Louisa, Grandview and Concord.
On June 8, 1876, the county was redistricted, the avowed reason being to make the districts more nearly even in population.
The First District was composed of the townships of Columbus City, Elm Grove and Marshall.
The Second District was composed of the townships of Union, Oakland. Concord, Grandview and Port Louisa.
The Third District was composed of the townships of Eliot, Jefferson, Wapello and Morning Sun.
At that time the first district had a population of 4,013, the second, 3,999. and the third, 4,487. The districts have not been changed since.
FIRST THINGS
First white men to land on Iowa soil, were Marquette and Joliet, in Louisa county.
First white child born in Louisa county was probably Carvalho Killough, son of Thomas D. Killough, born in Port Louisa township in August, 1836. This honor has been claimed for several; first, we believe, for Mrs. John P. Walker, who was born in December, 1836; next it was claimed for "Jack" Mc- Cleary, who was born in October, 1836; then came James Higbee, at one time president of the Old Settlers' Society, who was born in Marshall township in September. 1836. But now, on the authority of Mrs. McDill, it seems quite probable that Carvalho Killough is the very first. It has been claimed that one
BRIDGES OVER IOWA RIVER AT HOGBACK NEAR WAPELLO
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of William Milligan's boys was born in Eliot township on January 7, 1836. We have not been able to get satisfying information as to this.
The first permanent settler in the county was probably Christopher Shuck, early in 1835.
First land plowed in the county was by David Morgan, for Christopher Shuck, in 1835 in Jefferson township.
First Banking House-kept by Bird, Brown & Keach, in the building now used for a jail.
First Whig convention in Iowa was held at Wapello in 1840.
First Agricultural Society was held in Louisa county.
First County Medical Society was in Louisa county.
First Welsh sermon preached in lowa was by Rev. David Knowles, on Long creek, west of Columbus City.
First mill in Louisa county was probably put up by Wm. Kennedy in Port Louisa township, although the mill of Thomas L. Rose, in section 14, 73. 3. on Honey creek was one of the earliest.
First clerk, Z. C. Inghram.
First sheriff, Samuel Smith.
First court, held by David Irvin. April 22, 1837.
First treasurer, Z. C. Inghram.
First recorder, Z. C. Inghram.
First member lowa Territorial Council, James M. Clark.
First member Iowa Territorial House, Levi Thornton, Wm. L. Toole.
First postoffice, Black Hawk, May 27, 1837.
First postmaster. Wm. L. Toole.
First county seat, Lower Wapello.
First school taught, in Toolesboro. 1839.
First schoolhouse, built in Toolesboro, 1839 or 1840.
First school teacher. J. W. Ferguson.
First wedding, was of Henry Long and Nancy Layton. Their license was the first issued in the county, and was issued on June 2. 1837. The marriage is claimed for both Jefferson and Grandview townships; the return on the license shows that it was solemnized by Wm. Milligan, J. P., but does not say where. The best opinion is that the marriage was celebrated in Grandview township.
James Erwin, a native of Ireland, was the first person to be naturalized in Louisa county. This was at the June. 1839, term of the district court,-Judge Joseph Williams being the judge.
First resident lawyers,-Francis Springer and E. H. Thomas, settled in Wapello, December 28, 1838.
It is probable that J. W. Brookbank was the first doctor; he was certainly the first doctor in Wapello.
The following article taken from the Columbus Gazette is worthy of preser- vation, especially because it relates to a part of the county that was first settled. It is written by Mr. O. I. Jamison, and is but one of the many good things which he wrote in his effort to get up a county history :
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A 11ISTORIC ROAD
"Ever drive from Wapello over to Toolesboro? It's not the nicest drive in the world, especially about this time of the year, but it's historic. You strike historic ground the minute almost you get on the river, if it is right to call the river ground. The foundation of the second pier of the bridge was put in for the old Philadelphia, Fort Wayne & Air Line railroad. This was probably as early as 1855. Nearly twenty years after, the foundation was utilized in building the first bridge across the lowa in Louisa county. This was in 1872, and the bridge was a combination affair, since replaced by steel with one or two additional spans on the east side. Going on east less than a mile you come in view of a part of the old grade of that old road, close to where 'Old Cooper' lived, and Carpenter, who was connected with the Estep-Koontz crowd. Near this point, south of the road is where young Davis was killed twenty-five years ago by a tree falling on him; while in east of that, where the road turns to the south, John Keever cut Silas Ruby to pieces .with his jack knife, one night. Then through the brush a mile and you will come to the Brendle homestead. It, at one time, belonged to the Guest estate but was first occupied by Henry Warnstaff, Henry, we think it was. Here it was that Sam Chaney got his wife, who was a daughter of Warnstaff. This was in territorial times. Ile came sauntering along one fine Sunday morning with his rifle on his shoulder, as was his habit. She went with him for a walk. They went down to the river, got in his boat and floated and paddled down the Iowa to its mouth ; down the Mississippi to the Missouri line, where they were married. They rowed themselves back, his rifle furnishing them the most of their food during the entire trip. This was one of the romantic weddings of the time. Just east of the old Warnstaff place was at one time, the Widow Morris' homestead. Mrs. Morris and all her folks were thrifty and a good class of citizens. She had several daughters, among them twins, Henrietta and Marietta. But these folks all had the nerve. We think it was when Perry Keever married one of the Morris girls that a party from Wapello went out to charivari them. They were invited in to take supper, but this did not suit their fastidious tastes. They preferred money to buy a keg or two of beer. or they would roast chickens on the premises. Mrs. Morris could hear her chickens squall and so could the girls. One of the twins went to the door and told the fellows that when the chickens began to squall again she proposed to begin to shoot. Of course they didn't believe she meant it, but when the next batch of chickens raised a racket. she was as good as her word and the shotgun was brought into play. That ended the banquet for the boys. Her aim had been good. and several carried away in their legs and bodies souvenirs of the occasion. One of them, we think it was Johnny Owens, had the doctors picking bird shot out of him for a day or two. Very fortunately no one was seriously injured. Some of the boys caught a brother of the girl who did the shooting in Wapello once, and pounded him up pretty thoroughly.
"Just about a quarter of a mile east of the Morris home, under the hill, stood a shanty, years ago, beside a spring, now and for many years known as the 'Snake' spring. A lady reader of the Gazette writes of this spring as follows :
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"'The Snake spring, situated on the farm now owned by Mrs. Korn, is still called by that name. The woman who killed the snakes was Mrs. Dan Cooper. She and her brother, Will Kominsky, killed seven hundred and eighty-three in one day, so says Mrs. John Wehmeyer, who lives about one mile west of the spring. L. K. Potter says he went to the place one warm day and the snakes began to come out by the hundreds, so it seemed to him. They were all blue racers.'
"Farther down this road about half a mile still stand the remains of a little building, long occupied by 'Daniels,' or McPherson. McPherson was a very peculiar man but his neighbors all liked him for his honesty and accommodating ways. But a man must deal fair with him. It is his son who is now serving a life sentence at Fort Madison for killing the Morning Sun marshal.
"At this place you go up the bluff and the first house you come to was, for a number of years, the home of James Erwin, still frequently referred to as the Widow Lowrey place. She was a daughter and partly inherited the place from her father. Next to this and only a few hundred yards south is the ol 1 Billy Clark place. This family is well worthy of mention, as Mr. Clark and his wife came here in a very early day, in 1835; his family a year later. They came from Lafayette, Indiana, and first settled in Wapello at the place now occupied by M. Carrigan and wife. There were seven children by the first wife. Of these, Mrs. Jane C. Vanloon was the oldest and only daughter. She lives in Wapello. James B. Clark is dead, as is also Samuel. John, William, R. B. and Daniel are still living, or were recently. James and Samuel both served in the Mexican war ; William and Daniel in the War of the Rebellion. John and William live in Oklahoma, R. B. lives in Wisconsin, but for a number of years lived in Minnesota. There was a preacher, Clark; an uncle of William M., who came here in a very early day and helped lay out the original town of Wapello. William Clark entered the old Clark place in Jefferson township when that country was very new. They were great hog raisers, the bottoms in those days being well calculated for that business, but it took a stake and ridered fence, and a good one, to save the crops from their depredations. We hear it hinted that dogs, rifles and shotguns were often pressed into service as supplemental fences. Will- iam Clark was the last of the boys to occupy the farm. He sold it out and went southwest near twenty years ago. Frank, a half brother. still lives in Jefferson, the only one of the family of that name in the county.
Next to the Clark place is the old Willard Mallory home, which is now owned by Mrs. D. D. Parsons ; then the old Judge Coe and Harmon Mallory places, all settled about seventy years ago. George Hook's son George, and young Erwin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam T. Erwin, occupy these places. They are two of the very few in Jefferson township who bear the old pioneer names. As you go on, about the first house in the village of Toolesboro was the one built and long occu- pied by William L. Toole, a prominent character in that community long before Iowa became a state. In the yard surrounding this building, in an early day, occurred the first murder, probably. committed in the county after its settlement by the whites. This puts you on the main business street of Toolesboro, the only village in the township, though there was an 'Iowa Town' up the river above Yellow Banks, platted at one time. But it was only a paper town. This historic road, however, did not always stop at Toolesboro. It was the main. in
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fact, the only thoroughfare leading to the historic Burris City, which flourished about 1855, 1856 and 1857. We are told that hundreds and hundreds of dollars were expended on this road between Toolesboro and Burris City. This must have been a great convenience when it came to moving the empty houses away from the town site after the boom burst and the town became tenantless. All the houses were eventually torn down and taken to other places to be rebuilt. There is not a stone nor timber left of the town, though the old historic road continues in good repair in most places."
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