USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 4
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
1854 and settled on the Missouri River at the month of the Weeping Water now in Otoe County, being one of the first white settlers in the county. He followed farming but was the first justice of the peace in the county, which office he held continuously for twenty years; was a Baptist minister for a number of years before his death, which occurred on the 18th day of September, 1889.
"My mother was born in Kentucky in the year of 1824, October 25th, died August 24, 1874. To them was born by my mother eleven children. Seven are still living. Their names are John M. Hurst, Wymore, Neb. ; James H., Almena, Kansas : William H., Zincite, Mo. ; Thomas J., Wymore, Neb. ; Isaac N., Wymore, Neb. : Isabelle Hughes, Omaha, Neb. ; Martha M. Bales, Talmage, Neb. Hiram Hurst was married three times; his second wife died before one year after marriage. His third wife was a Mrs. Wood of Lorton, Neb. To them were born four children ; three are still living, Mollie, Edward and Fred, all living in Otoe County, Neb."
THEN CAME OTHERS
lliram llurst was not fated to long remain by himself in this new country, for on the evening of April 24, 1846, two colonies, also from Buchanan County, Missouri, arrived in Madison County and became permanent settlers. The new- comers were the Clanton, Clark and Guye families. The former was made up of the following named persons: Rachel ( Moore) Clanton, widow of Charles Clanton, Sr., her children, with their wives and children, namely: Charles William, wife and children, John, Rachel, Margaret, Lucinda and Elizabeth ; Isaac, his wife, Loraine, and children, Joel, Nancy, William, Wesley, George and Moses : Joel M., his wife, Sarah, and children, William, Frank and Polly ; Ruth Clanton, her husband, Caleb Clark, and their children, Louisa Jane, Rachel Char- lotte, Sarah Ellen, Nancy Elizabeth and Cynthia Ann and Rufus. With this colony were Charles McCray and Gifford Lee, both unmarried, who remained in the settlement but a few months and then returned to their Missouri homes.
The Guye family consisted of Samuel Guye, a widower; his sons, James, George, Frank and Houston; daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, Angeline and Maria. On the evening of April 24th, both colonies went into camp on the banks of Middle River. The Guyes, reaching the river about an hour in advance of the Clantons, crossed over and camped on the north bank, and the Clantons, on that account, and also because night was coming on, camped on the south bank. As each had considerable live stock, this arrangement was a good one, in that it kept the cattle apart. The eller Guye and the Clantons were somewhat acquainted with each other in Missouri.
That night a heavy rain fell, which filled the river too high for fording and it continued to rain during the following afternoon, so that both colonies remained in camp until afternoon, when the Guyes continued their journey into Linn Grove, in Warren County. The men of the Clanton contingent crossed the river in an Indian canoe and visited Guyes and William Hurst. a brother of lliram, whom they had met at Spring Hill, in Warren County, and was informed by him that his brother Hliram had gone westward up Middle River and staked out a claim. From here the men of the Clanton party went out
:
".UNCLE" CHARLEY YOUNG
Came to Madison County in 1853 and lived in Ohio Township. Was a pioneer blacksmith and a Christian preacher. A veteran of the Civil war, being a member of the Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry.
MR. AND MRS. JOEL CLANTON
Came to Madison County in May, 1:46, settling in the (now) Sonth Township about 114 miles west of the present site of St. Charles. Platted Clanton's addition and Clanton's addi- tion of 1885 of St. Charles,
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
prospecting for claims. They struck a southwesterly course and crossing the Warren County line into Madison, arrived in Crawford Township. Here Middle River was crossed near the Hurst claim and seeing a cabin, the prospectors went to it and found Hurst asleep in a hut constructed out of material aban- doned by the Indians the year before. At first Hurst appeared to be frightened but upon learning the object of his visitors, he gave them much assistance in locating their claims in what was afterwards known as Clanton's Grove. This family staked out the boundaries of their new home immediately west of and adjoining the future town of St. Charles, on the 3d day of May, 1846. Ou that same day the Guye family staked a claim on section 7, on the south bank of North River, in that part of the county now known as Union Township.
Caleb Clark, the husband of Ruth Clanton, located on the hill west of Clanton Creek and north of Steele Branch, but soon sold out and located on a tract of land north of and adjoining Joel M. Clanton's, in section 14, now owned by W. S. Lindsley. Thus these two colonies were simultaneously and collectively considered one colony, whose members were the second settlers of Madison County.
It is said that Henry McKinzie settled in this county in the fall of 1846, but this has been disputed, the date of his arrival being made as in the spring of 1847. However that may be, he was among the first comers and settled with his sons, Abner, Daniel, Thomas, Aaron and Gabriel, in Scott Township, where he remained until 1855 and then left for Texas. From Texas he went to Douglas County, Kansas, where he died.
Ephraim Bilderback married Malinda McKinzie, daughter of Henry McKinzie, and came to the county with his father-in-law. He settled on section 9, Scott Township, and later sold to Abner Bell. Bilderback then went up on the South Coon, where his father lived, the latter having built a mill. Ephraim finally went West and died there.
Lemuel Thornbrugh came to Madison County in May, 1846, and settled in the Guye neighborhood, where he built a cabin on the land later owned by William Gentry, and still later by George Hornback. Thornbrugh returned to Missouri in August after his family, and coming back, was accompanied by his brother James and family, all of whom lived on Lemuel Thornbrugh's claim on the Cedar, until Lemuel sold out and moved away in 1849. James Thorn- brugh left the claim on the Cedar in the spring of 1847 and went south on Middle River, where he took up another claim on the south side of the river in the timber. Here he grubbed a patch of land and with one yoke of oxen put out a small crop. He was the first settler on Middle River bottom. He built a cabin on the land, which was burned down on May 4, 1861.
About the Ist of September, 1846, James Fidler, with his wife and unmar- ried children, and James Thornbrugh, his son-in-law, and wife, migrated from Weston, Buchanan County, Missouri, to Madison County. He lived with his son-in-law and was the first person to die in Madison County. He had taken a claim and got a cabin built in the edge of the timber on section 29, in Union Township, but died early in October, a little over a month after his arrival.
It is said that Felt Johnson, a son-in-law of IIenry McKinzie, came with him in 1846 and settled on section 8, in Scott Township. He soon afterwards
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
sold to Samuel Casebier and went over on "the Clanton," where he lived a few years, disposing of his possessions to Wheatley Harper, and returned to Mis- souri, where he died.
James Brown and family, with his brother Hezekiah, a single man, and Vincent and family, also Lebben Shelton, wife and three children, all came together from Buchanan County, Missouri, in 1847. James Brown first settled and long lived on section 30. in Jefferson Township. Vincent Brown settled on section 12, in Union Township. Hezekiah Brown, the unmarried brother, made his home alternately with his brothers James and Vincent and went to Kansas a short time before the Civil war.
John Wilhoit was one of Madison County's pioneers of 1847. He first settled on the south half of section 35. in Jefferson Township. This he sold to William Schoen in 1852.
Two Mendenhall brothers, one of them named Charles, both unmarried, with two llinshaws, relatives, migrated from Missouri in the fall of 1847 and settled on section 32, in Jefferson Township. The Mendenhalls stopped only two or three years and then went to Kansas.
Silas and William Hinshaw had with them their widowed mother. William Hinshaw married a sister of William Ludington. A few years after his arrival here he went to Kansas and while hunting buffaloes on Smoky Hill River. he was killed and scalped by Indians. Some time in the '50s Silas Hinshaw went from here to Sioux City, lowa, with the avowed intention of killing every Indian he met. While near Sioux City two Indians came to his cabin, when he picked up an ax and killed one of them. The other escaped. The third day after this occurrence Silas was found dead at his home, with all his fingers and toes cut off. No other wounds were discovered and it was presumed he bled to death in the presence of his murderers.
James Brewer was also a settler of 1847, coming from Missouri. He first settled where Jacob Bennett afterward lived, having entered a part of section 22. About 1854 he returned to Missouri and from thence to Kansas. These were the only settlers in Madison Township that year. John Evans and John Butler settled in the Guye neighborhood either in the latter part of 1846, or early in 1847. In looking for claims, it is said. they were amazed to find other persons in the township ahead of them.
BOUNTIFUL CROPS IN 1846
The year 1846 treated the pioneers bountifully. The weather was fine and seasonable and without storm or flood. The Guyes got in thirty acres of corn, in an old Indian field that produced some fifty bushels an acre, and quite a patch of potatoes yieldled well. Joel Clanton got out seven acres of corn, by deadening trees in the edge of the timber west of St. Charles. Others here early enough to plant late crops had good yields. MMtogether there were planted sixty-one acres that averaged about forty bushels. About two hundred bushels of potatoes were grown and very little of anything else. Wild hay of course was abundant. Deer and wild turkeys were numerous and all this wooded region literally flowed with the honey of wild bees. No family that came that year moved
25
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
away until in later years. A few single men, or those who came without their families and only to look at the country a few days, returned to their former homes. The following winter was a moderate one and there was no suffering among the settlers. Flour and corn meal were scarce with some at times, owing to the long distance from sources of supplies. No event of unusual interest occurred in the county in 1846 save the first settlement of this region. The settlers were too poor and consequently too happy to have any troubles.
FIRST MARRIAGE IN COUNTY
The first marriage that occurred in Madison County was about June 1, 1846. The father of the bride was John Butler, who first settled about one mile north- west of the schoolhouse east of Winterset some two miles, on what was afterward known as the Anon James farm. It required some time for him to get up a cabin ; but why should not two more people make a home on their own account? The colony brought along a preacher, but the license was only to be obtained somewhere on Des Moines River. That was not so far away, however, so Daniel Chenoweth and Betsey Butler were married before her father got his cabin up, out in the timber, by the first preacher in the county, Elder John Evans, the famous "Hard Shell" Baptist, who distinguished himself in church work in the early days. Chenoweth entered land of the Government on section 6, in Scott Township, and on section 1, Lincoln Township, in the year 1850. He remained here at least several years.
EARLY ELECTIONS
During the first year of the settlement of the county there was no provision whereby settlers could vote within the county. But at the state election, to determine the adoption or rejection of a constitution, upon which depended the admission of Iowa as a state, held August 3, 1846, five settlers from Madison went by horse team in a wagon to Fort Des Moines to vote. No other question was asked them touching their qualifications than where they lived. Des Moines, even that early, was prospectively a candidate for the state capital, and therefore all the people in this part of the state, very few as there were, favored the adop- tion of any kind of a constitution that would hurry the admission of the state into the Union.
On the morning of August 1, 1846, pursuant to previous arrangement, the following persons were at the cabin of John R. Beedle, who then lived about a quarter of a mile northwest of where Greenwood schoolhouse, in Union Town- ship, now is: George W. and James Guye, Samuel Casebier, John Chenoweth and John R. Beedle. These five persons were the pioneer voters of Madison County. Casebier's claim was a portion of the east part of Winterset, the Guyes lived in Union Township. Other settlers were expected to make up the party, but failed to be present. The voting contingent arrived home August 5th. being absent five days.
During the following year, 1847, Madison County was made a separate voting precinct by the commissioners of Marion County, to which this county had been
26
IHISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
attached for all purposes. Madison County was officially designated as "Black Oak Grove precinct," under the misapprehension by the board that the prevailing upland groves were of that variety of oak. John Butler's house was designated as the place for holding the first election. It stood on section 29 in (now) Union Township, about a mile northwest of the present schoolhouse between Winterset and Tileville. The building actually used was a new log stable just built and had not been used for any purpose. Although the state constitution required that all voting should be by ballot none had been printed and no paper was at hand on which to write names of those voted for. Each voter therefore announced, orally, his choice and the clerks tallied his vote on the poll books. As the poll books were constantly open for inspection all day every one present might know from vote to vote how the result stood, but little interest was mani- fested and the little there was lay in the claim of those living south of Middle River for one justice and one constable, while those north of that stream also wanted a man elected for each position. In early days that stream was a political Rubicon, and continued so up to the final location of the county seat. With that question settled Middle River ceased to be much of a political factor.
The election board was organized at 9 o'clock A. M. by those present choos- ing Philip M. Boyles, Lemuel Thornbrugh and William Gentry, Sr., judges, and Thomas M. Boyles and Ephraim Bilderback, clerks. The following persons voted in the order given: Leonard Bowman, David Cracraft, David D. Henry, Andrew Evans, Doctor 11. Whited, Robert Deshazer, Absalom McKinzie, John R. Beedle, George Myers, Amos Case, Claiborne Pitzer, D. J. Casebier, J. M. Clanton, Isaac Clanton, Samuel Crawford, J. C. Casebier, William Combs, Jacob Combs, George W. Guye, James W. Guye, Valentine Johnson, Asa Mills, Samuel B. Casebier, Henry W. McKinzie, James Thornbrugh, John Butler, Samuel Guye. Lemuel Thornbrugh, David Bishop, Philip M. Boyles, William Gentry, Sr., Thomas M. Boyles, Ephraim Bilderback-total 33.
Philip M. Boyles carried the election returns to Knoxville, county seat of Marion County, to which this county was attached, on an Indian pony. After some trouble he found the clerk of the board of commissioners, who afterwards became a noted politician-Lysander W. Babbitt, of Council Bluffs. Before returning Boyles got the vote canvassed and brought back with him the certificates of election for the successful ones.
Following was the vote of that election : Justices of the peace, David Bishop (elected ). 23; John Butler ( elected), 22; Samuel Guye, 14. Constables, James Thornbrugh (elected ), 21 ; Samuel B. Casebier (elected), 19; William Combs. 17; William Bishop, 1.
Justice David Bishop and Constable James Thornbrugh lived south of Middle River and Justice John Butler and Constable Samuel B. Casebier lived north of that political stream. This was the first election, the first of the county seat fights and the result was a draw.
It is not the purport of this chapter to give in detail the names and locations of all the settlers who came to the county in the first years of its existence, for the reason that a chapter will be devoted to the history of each of the townships and necessarily the first settlers of these particular localities must be mentioned. Therefore, in order to avoid any repetition the narrative of the pioneers from
PHILIP M. BOYLES
Arrived in Madison County, May 11, 1846. First com- missioners' clerk of county, elected January 1, 1849. Took an active part in the pioneer life of Madison County. Second sergeant of Company A, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
this on will be treated in the townships in the chapter assigned to the township in which they are located. However, this chapter can be fittingly brought to a close by a partial list of names of the men and women who settled in Madison County during the first ten years after the arrival of Hiram Hurst, as appeared in the semicentennial edition of the Madisonian, published November 1, 1906:
1846-Mrs. Elizabeth (Clark) Smith, Rufus Clark, A. C. Beadle, C. F. Clanton, W. W. Clanton, Mrs. Polly (Clanton) Souders, Mrs. Angeline Guye Vanwy, W. G. Dorrell; 1847-William Thornburg, Lewis Thornburg, W. W. Gentry, Henry Evans, Mrs. Sarah (Clark) Smith, Mrs. Luey A. Fife, Mrs. R. M. J. Collins ; 1848-George W. Smith, W. S. Wilkinson, Lucinda James, A. W. Wilkinson, Mrs. Margaret Stinson, John Stinson, Mrs. Maranda Hubbard, Mrs. Permelia Kerms, Asa B. Smith, S. S. Guiberson, Mrs. Katie Guiberson, Caleb Rollings, Andrew Snyder, Mrs. Andrew Snyder; 1849-Chal Danforth, W. R. Danforth, William Brinson, W. A. Chase, Amos Fife, Samuel Fife, Samuel Snyder, Daniel Vancil, Mrs. George Ratliff, Mrs. Mary Farris, W. S. Allcock : 1850-G. W. Poffinbarger, J. I. Guiberson, Joshua Clark, Mrs. Mollie Roberts, Abner Bell, Mrs. Mary Shoup, Mrs. K. Carter, Mrs. Lorinda Taylor, J. C. Thornbrugh ; 1851-James L. Bertholf, Mrs. Nancy Speer, Mrs. Adela Carter, J. A. Rhymo, F. M. Bruce, R. P. Bruce, L. M. Bertholf, Wesley Coch- ran, J. H. Farris, Mrs. Martha Tidriek, Mrs. Barbara Shaver Clanton, Mrs. Joel Childers, John M. Runkle, Mrs. Mary Dehaven, Mrs. C. F. Clanton, John Bruce, I. M. Clanton, S. L. Johns; 1852-J. W. Leinard, Jeff Wheat, J. H. Moore, J. N. Gordon, W. I. Gordon, T. A. Duer, S. G. Ruby, William Schoen, Mrs. J. C. Clark, Samuel Walker, Mrs. Belle Smith, Mrs. Sarah Archer, Mrs. D. Guilliams Close, B. C. Guilliams, Mrs. Rosa Walker, Alfred Brittain, Mrs. Julia Brittain, Pleasant Brittain, S. W. Barrow, Mrs. MePherrin, Mrs. Katherine Bean, F. M. McDaniel, A. H. McDaniel, Michael Iams; 1853-W. R. Shriver, D. G. Ratliff, William Hartsook, Mrs. Samuel Myers, Capt. E. G. Barker, Milton Boyles, Andrew Macumber, Christopher Wilson, Isaac Reager, Lewis Crawford, A. S. Speer, S. S. Morgan, Stanislaus Baur, Mrs. Theresa Baur, Daniel Reigle, John F. Johnston, L. A. McCumber, J. W. Smith, C. H. Young, John MeNeley, J. A. Macumber, Alex Macumber, John Faurote, Mrs. W. G. Dorrell, Mrs. Lizzie Clifton, Henry Macumber; 1854-I. C. Walker, D. K. Getchell, Minerva Nicholson, Mrs. Mary Evans, B. F. Bowlsby, William Fennimore, John Brown, Mrs. Artie McCrea, Mrs. Lucy Walker, Martha Egy, J. S. Egy, Hiram C. Smith, Mrs. Hiram C. Smith, Mrs. Andrew Gaekle, Mrs. l'olly Bradshaw, George T. Darnall, Mrs. J. W. Crossley, Mrs. William Scrivener, Mrs. Mary C. Nichols, John Reed, John Creger, David Bradshaw, W. S. Porter, Mrs. Nancy E. Porter, Mrs. Mary A. Reed, M. M. Gilleran, Mrs. R. J. Creger, J. M. Allen, Mrs. Mahala Arnold. Samuel Lathrum, Mrs. Julia Arnold, Mrs. Mary J. Creger, Mrs. J. V. Kirk, Mrs. Fannie Baker; 1855-J. C. Foster, Mrs. M. Hockenberry, Mrs. Amanda Davis, Reuben J. Foster, Rollen Walker, Samuel T. Johnston, Mrs. Frank Rundall, Mrs. R. J. Foster, Mrs. Sarah J. Brokaw, Mrs. Albert Johnson, Eli Arnold, John M. Downs, Mrs. Marilda Witt, Joseph Cunningham, C. E. Huglin, P. J. Cunningham, S. D. Ford, F. L. Bissell, Mrs. Fannie Anderson, F. G. Bissell, Thomas Early, Josiah Banks, Mrs. S. T. Johnston, Alex Cregmiles, B. F. Conn, W. S. Conn, N. P. Pomeroy, Mrs. N. G. Baugh, C. A. Roberts, A.
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IHISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
M. Benge. J. L. Benge, Malissa Lyon, Lydia Danforth, Israel Hoover, Mrs. William Thornburg: 1856 John HI. Smith, Luke A. Smith, Margaret Moore, Hannah Moore, Sarah Young. J. T. Young, W. C. Young, George W. Young, Eudora Preble Benge, T. J. Hudson, Mrs. A. W. Wilkinson, William Ell-berry, John Cox. H. J. B. Cummings, Mrs. C. P. Lee, Andrew Crawford, E. F. Con- noran, Isaac Holmes, James Gillaspy, I. S. Longnecker. Mrs. Sarah Brittain, Mrs. K. McCloskey, Alfred Souders, William Ludlow, Mrs. Elijah Hliatt, Arch Holmes, A. B. Moorman, Mrs. A. B. Moorman, Mrs. Irene Connoran, Mrs. N. J. Young, R. M. Young, W. H. Black, John Roy, Joseph Rippey, H. D. Moor- man, Mrs. R. A. Moorman, Mrs. S. J. Turner, Mrs. J. S. White, Mrs. Melvina Lake, Leroy McMains.
CHAPTER IV
MADISON COUNTY ORGANIZED
Madison County lies in the south central part of Iowa, in the third tier of counties north of Missouri. North of it is Dallas County, while to the cast is Warren; to the south are Clarke and Union, and to the west, Adair. In form it is an approximate square, and includes sixteen congressional townships : Townships 74-77 north and ranges 26-29 west. Owing to errors in the original survey, the area is only 566.4 square miles, instead of the customary 576. This county was originally known as the "Three Rivers" country, owing to the pres- ence of three rivers which flow within and through its boundaries, furnishing abundant drainage and some water power, and having along their banks lux- uriant growths of timber, all requisites and attractions for the settler.
On the 13th of January, 1846, the Legislature passed an act establishing the County of Madison. This measure, among other things, provided for the holding of elections to perfect the organization of the county, and, furthermore, the boundary lines were described as shown below :
"That the following shall be the boundaries of a new county, to be called Madison, to wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of Warren County thence west to the northwest corner of township 77, north of range 29 west ; thence south to the southwest corner of township 74, north of range 29 west ; thence east to the southeast corner of township 74, north of range 26 west; thence north to the place of beginning."
At the time Madison County was created twelve other counties were formed by the Legislature and Madison was attached to Marion County, for taxation, election and judicial purposes. Early in 1847, the commissioners of Marion County ordered that all of Madison County constitute an election precinct, to be known as Black Oak Grove precinct. The first election held in the newly established precinct was in the fall of 1847, with polling place at the house of John Butler as heretofore related. This was the first election held in the county.
The county of Madison continued attached to Marion County until the year 1849. By this time about three years had elapsed since the coming of the first settler in the community and quite a number of farms had been opened. Men of good character, energy, determination and thrift made up the first contingents of that army of homeseekers soon to follow them, and they had gotten far enough along. in the way of establishing homes for themselves and families, as to become alive to the importance of having an established form of government for the unorganized county in which they had chosen to set their stakes. There were now something like one hundred voters within the boundary lines of Madi- son County and through the efforts of certain of their leaders the Legislature
29
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IHISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
passed and approved an act on the 27th day of December, 1848, providing for the hokling of an election, at which officers for the county government should be chosen by vote of the electorate. The measure also nominated and named Thomas Butler, of Dallas County. George Gillaspy, of Marion County, and Isaac Cooper, of Polk County, a commission, to locate the seat of justice for the new county.
Previous to the election and in pursuance of the provisions of the act of 1846, Ephraim Bilderback, organizing sheriff, and his deputy. . A. D. Jones, divided the county into three election precincts, namely, North, Center and South, and at these places the election, completing the organization of Madison County, was held on the first day of January, 1849.
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