USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 49
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All along the stage line the stage coach was a pleasing feature to the people, and any family felt quite "sot up" if the stage swung up to their gate with a package or message. The whole family-to the last dog and cat-came out with smiling greeting. It broke the monotony of their life. We were not flushed with amusements in those days.
The arrival of the coach took on greater interest during the war. It was watched for, and as it neared the postoffice, from every direction came people, many of them women whose husbands were in the army. They came through the fields, along the wayside and road, often with babies in their arms, leading an- other, while one, two, three or four followed, trotted ahead or ran a race with the coach. It was a pathetic scene after the stage had gone. There was always some sonorous-voiced man who delighted to read a late paper to the gathering. He often stumbled over the big words, but the listeners were too interested to note small defects if they sensed it. No wonder that this country is so patriotic! They inherited it from both parents.
I am sorry an old stage coach cannot talk. What interesting tales we'd hear!
There came a time when the coach was loaded to its limit with men all in blue, who, without a quiver, went to face death for home and native land. Later, many a wife and mother received their wounded and sick soldier from the same stage coach. He hadn't been crowded on his return trip. The pompous agent was as tender as a woman. The driver couldn't have been hired to crack his whip. Long stops were made for the sick soldier to rest. The long grass on the sixteen- mile prairie made a downy couch. The mail on time? It was not considered.
406
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Uncle Sam's mail took the second place to Uncle Sam's boys in blue. That soldier boy was to them the whole United States.
THE EVOLUTION OF FENCING
( Read Before the Madison County Historical Society by Sidney Wilkinson.)
The mode of fencing has passed through several changes since this county was settled. The reason for this was, first, the failure of the native supply of material, and then the advance of civilization and arts created a desire for better conditions than prevailed in the days of "Auld Lang Syne."
The first fencing in this country, as everyone knows, was the old-fashioned rail fence, but when well done made a very formidable barrier against unruly. stock. The timber was first cut into logs usually ten feet long, then split into rails and afterwards hauled to the place where needed and built into fence. Rail- splitting was pretty hard work; a good hand in fair timber would cut and split from one hundred to two hundred rails in a day. Some extra hands woukl do considerably better than that, while the timber was unculled and they had the pick of the trees. The speed in rail-making depended to some extent on the time of year-the timber worked better in the fall and spring than when the frost was in the trees. A fence eight rails high, staked and ridered, provided it was four and a half or five feet high and the lower cracks about four inches, was considered a lawful fence. The rail fence was all the fence used for several years, until the sawmills came in, then there was some board fences made, but the board fence was not much used until the railroads began to bring the pine lumber from the pineries, and by that time the supply of rail timber of the county was pretty well exhausted.
The board fence was always an expensive fence to build, and when it began to break it was not as easily repaired as the rail fence ; consequently it was never as popular as the rail fence was in its time, as a common farm fence. A lawful board fence was five six-inch boards to the panel, nailed on to good posts with lower cracks about four inches-height of fence at first fifty-four inches, after- wards forty-eight inches.
Just before the Civil war they began to plant osage for a hedge fence, and a few years after the willow fence was introduced, neither of which made a satisfactory hedge fence.
A short time before 1860 the people of this county became interested in a more economical mode of fencing, and the hog law, as it was called, was voted on, and the winter before the first vote on the hog law the question was pretty thoroughly discussed in the little lyceums at the schoolhouses in the county. I remember in one instance one man, in his argument against the law, said they had a hog law in Indiana, where he lived, and that a man was liable to a fine for allowing his hogs to run at large. He said his hogs broke out one time and he was afraid to inquire for them for fear some of his neighbors would inform on him and have him fined, and some one on the other side that knew claimed he was just as popular with his neighbors in Indiana as he was in Iowa. But the idea of a hog law was very unpopular at that time and when the vote came it was defeated by a large majority and once or twice afterwards it suffered the same fate, but each time with less opposition.
407
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
About 1870, or may be a little later, most of the counties of the state being very largely under herd law conditions, especially in the west and north, the legislature passed a general hog and sheep law. This law came into force about the time the barb wire fence was introduced and in a few years the three-barb-wire fence became the most common fence of the county and it has been many times asserted that it has killed and crippled enough stock to pay the expense of fencing the whole county with a better type of fence. Soon after the hog law was passed a large part of the people became interested in a general stock law, but they were not able to get a majority in its favor until shortly after the year 1890.
At that time the land in the county was all fenced up and the stock in the lanes had become such a nuisance that the general stock restrain law was voted by the people by a large majority. Some types of fence appeared in the evolution of fencing in this county that were not of such magnitude as to call for an extensive mention here. In different parts of the county we found a very little stone fence and on a good many farms the picket or slat and wire fence appeared some years ago, about the time the woven wire fence was first introduced.
The woven wire fence is the best fence for the money we have ever had and is destined in a short time to supplant most of the former types as a farm fence. I do not know what the law is in regard to woven wire fence, but if we take almost any of the different kinds found on the market, say from thirty to forty inches high or more, and have our corner posts well set in cement or otherwise to make them perfectly firm in the ground and have them well braced, then stretch our fence well and staple it on to good posts set about one rod apart and supplement the woven part with from two to four barb wires on top properly spaced, I do not think our neighbors will complain of our not having a lawful fence.
The prevailing scarcity of material for fence posts is becoming a serious problen1.
The destruction of the old hedge fences in the county of late years has sup- plied a vast number of excellent posts, but that supply will soon be exhausted and some other means will have to be found to supply the demand.
The cement post is now on trial, and from present indications the cement post is destined, in a great measure, to become the fence post of the future.
INDEX
A
A. F. & A. M.
Model Lodge, No. 315. . 264
Madison Lodge, No. 568 328
Ivy Lodge, No. 483.
359
Evening Star Lodge of Winterset
376
Afton Bridge Mill, The.
153
Agriculture, Indian
15
Agricultural Society of Madison County 244
Officers of
246
A. O. U. W., Winterset Lodge, No. 71 .. 381 Appraisement of Lots. 46, 47, 48, 49, 55 As a Boy Saw It. . 281
Attorneys, County, from 1887 to 1915 ..
72
Auditors, County, from 1869 to 1915 ...
71
B
Backbone Mill, The 153
Bank of Earlham. 327
Bank of Macksburg 353
Baptist Churches.
95, 354
Bar, The
Early Members
108
Present Members 110
Barker Mill, The
154
Barney, Village of
312
Barrow Mill, The Seth
151
Battle of Union Township
128
Bedsteads, Pioneer
159
Bench, The
104
Bertholf Mill, The Andrew 153
Bertholf Mill, The James 153
Bethany Limestone, The. 5
Bevington, Village of.
303
Bishop, Rev. J. G., Reminiscenees of. 396
Black Hawk, Chief. 19
Bluff ,Road, The Famous. 171
Bountiful Crops in 1846 24
Breaking out a Farm. 158
Bridges
172
Bridge Warrants
173
Buffalo Mill, The ..
152
Buffalo Mills
284
Burials, Early
163
C
California Trails
166
Call for Vohmteers, Civil War
185
Campbell Mill, The.
152
Camp Meetings, The First.
91
Carboniferons Age, The.
4
Carpenters and Joiners, Early
162
Catholie Churehes.
94, 346
Cement
10
Cemeteries, Indian
15
Census, The First, in 1849
399
Chautauqua Association, Madison County 218 Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad 175 Chieago, Roek Island & Pacific Railroad 173 Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Rail-
road
174
Christian Churches
.95, 359
Church of Christ Churches .. 97, 261, 298, 328
Church, The First
90
Churches
Baptist
.93, 354
Catholic
. 94, 346
Christian
.95, 359
Church of Christ
.97, 261, 298, 328
Episcopal
94
Friends
98, 223, 226
German Lutheran
340
Methodist Episcopal
.92, 261, 353
Presbyterian
.93, 261
United Brethren
97
United Presbyterian
96,
259
Cirenit Court, Abolishment of ..
Citizens National Bank of Winterset
373
Citizens State Bank of Earlham
327
City Hall, Winterset
370
City Park, Winterset
371
Civil War Period
Call for Volunteers
185
Enlistments
188
409
410
INDEX
Madison County Acts .. 186
Roll of Honor. 190
Claim Club, The Madison County 126
Clanton Family, The 22
Clark's. Caleb, Stories. 292
Clayton County Comes to Madison 225
Clerks of Commissioners' Court. 70
Clerks of Distriet Court from 1849 to
1915
Coal Measures, Middle River Valley 4
Combs Mill, The 151
Commissioners' Court
First Meeting 36
Clerks of 70
Proceedings 36
Second Meeting 35
Commissioners, Board of County 69
Company G. Fifty-fifth Regiment, N. G. 1. 220
Coroners, County, from 1849 to 1915. ..
Country Club, Winterset.
392
County Buildings
County Fairs
244
The First. 244, 218
County Farm, The. 65
County Government, Systems of. 31
County Judges
70
County Officials The First 30
From 1849 to 1914 69
County, Organization of. 29
County Seat, Selection of 31
Naming of 33
Courthouse, A Bit of History 62-65
Courthouse, Dedication of .. 61
Courthouse, The Old Log 57
Courthouse, The Present. 60
Crawford Township
300
Creston, Winterset & Des Moines Rail-
road 175, 355
Daughters of Rebecca
Crown Lodge, No. 360. 351
Hawthorne Chapter, No. 350 355
Marguerite Lodge, No. 233 329
No. 469, of St. Charles. 264
Des Moines, Winterset & Southern Rail-
rond 1:4
District Court, The First
104
District Judges
The First 106
Those that Followed. 107
Douglas Township 258
Douglas Township, The Land of Poetry. 294
Drake Ford Mill, The .. 153
E
Earlham Academy . . . . . 326
Earlham, City of
Electric System 325
Financial
327
Fraternal
328
Incorporation 324
Park
326
Religions
327
Schools
326
Waterworks
325
Early Acts of Madison County, Civil War 186
Early Settlement, Reminiscences of. .... 396
Early Settlers, The ...
22, 24. 27, 228
Early Settlers from Clayton County. . 229
Early Transportation, Ineidents of. 401
East Peru, Village of
309
Reminiscent
311
Echo, The Earlham
116
Educational
78
Elections
Early
25
The First. 25, 66
The First in Center, South and Union Townships 6%
Enlistments, Civil War 186
Episcopal Churches
94
F
Fairs, County
241
The First.
244, 248
Farmers' Institute, Madison County 2443
Officers of
243
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company
242
Fencing, Evolution of 406
Fidler, Cemetery
274
Fife, Samuel. Recollections of 265
Fifteenth Infantry
195
Fifth Cavalry 213
Fight between Guye and Jones 130
Fire Department. Winterset 371
First Bank in Winterset, The 367
First Cavalry 209
First Census, The 399
First Decade, The 365
First Marriage in the County, The 25
First National Bank of Winterset 372
First Settler, The. 20
First Settler in Winterset, The 365
First Steam Mill. The 393
Formations, Geologienl 3
Forty-eighth Infantry 209
Forty-seventh Infantry 206
Fourth Cavalry 210
Fourth Infantry
191
Friends thurche
98, 223, 226
411
INDEX
G
G. A. R.
John Miller Post, No. 158 263
Pitzer Post, No. 55. 383
General Assembly, Members of, from
Madison County 74
German Element in Jefferson Township. 333
German Lutheran Churches 340
German Settlement in Penn Township .. 395
Gilpin, Judge, Reminiscences of. 110
Glacier Age. The. 7
Good Roads Association. 220
Gordon Band, The. 299
Grand River Township. 349
Gnye Family, The ..
14, 22
Guye Schoolhouse, The
273
H
Ilartman Mill, The. 155
llawkeye. The St. Charles 116
Hiatt and Brown Mill, The 154
Highland Nobles
Glencoe Castle, No. 16 382
Historical Society, Madison County. 217
Hockenberry Mill, The. 154
Iloosier Prairie
282
Horseback Riding in the Early Days 167
Huglin Mill, The .. 152
Hurst, Hiram, The First Settler 20
I
Incorporation of Winterset. 368
Indians
Agriculture 15
Cemeteries 15
Chief Blackhawk 19
Religious Views
19
Method of Burial
17
Removal of
13
Treaty of 1842.
13
Villages. 12, 13, 14, 16
1. 0. 0. F.
St. Charles Lodge, No. 416. 264
Madison Encampment, No. 146. 264
Earlham Lodge, No. 546. 328
Grand River Lodge, No. 406. 355
Macksburg Encampment, No. 186. 355 Madison Lodge, No. 136. 381
Rock City Encampment, No. 63 381
Irish Settlement in Crawford Township 302
Irish Settlement in Lee Township. 345 Growth of 348
Jackson Township 341
Jail, The First. 58
The Present 60
Jefferson Township 330
Judges, County
70
K
ʻ
K. and L. S.
Winterset Council, No. 219 382
Kansan Drift, The ..
Kentneky Colony in Scott Township. 280
Keokuk & Western Railroad.
175
K. O. B., Backbone Tent, No. 54. 381
K. P.
Truro Lodge, No. 330 359
Lotus Lodge, No. 48.
381
L
Lee Township
344
Legal Profession, The. 108
Light Artillery 214
Limestone
10
Lincoln Township 296
Loess, or Topsoil, The.
9
Log Houses, Pioneer
156
Raisings
157
L. O. M., Winterset Hive, No. 32
381
Lot Sale in Winterset.
364
Macksburg, Village of
Financial 353
Fraternal 355
Incorporation 352
Railroad
355
Religious
353
Settlement of 351
Madison County State Bank of Winterset 373 Madison Township 320
Madisonian, The Winterset. 114
Marriage, The First 123
Marriages, Early 123
Mayors of Winterset, List of. 369
Medical Profession, The. 99
Medical Society, The Madison County .. 102
Method of Burial, Indian. 17 Methodist Episcopal Churches .. . 92, 261, 353 Middle River Valley, Geological Struc- ture of 4
Mill, The First. 150
Mills and Mill Sites.
150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155
412
INDEX
Miscellaneous Enlistments, Civil War .. 214 Monroe Township 360 M. W. A.
Camp No. 2890, of St. Charles 264
Earlham Camp, No. 2162 320
Evergreen Camp, No. 4133. 355
Truro Camp, No. 9823. 359
Winterset Camp, No. 302 381
News, The Winterset 115
News. The St. Charles 116
Newspaper, The First 114
Newspapers
Echo. The Earlham 116
Hawkeye. The St. Charles 116
Madisonian, The Winterset 114
News, The St. Charles. 116
News, The Winterset 115
Record, The Macksburg 116
Reporter, The Winterset 115
Watchman, The St. Charles 116
Ninth Cavalry
213
0
O. E. S.
Model Chapter of St. Charles 264
Earlham Chapter 328
Winterset Chapter, No. 180. 381
Officials, County, from 1849 to 1914. 69-74 Ohio Township 356
Old Settlers' Association.
262
Organization of the County
29
P
Patrons of Husbandry 240
Patterson, Village of 304
Penn Center Picnic 319
Penn Township 316
· P. E. O .. Chapter A. G., of Winterset.381, 382
Petitions, Early Road. 170
Phipps Mill, The 155
Physicians
The First 99
Pioncer 99
Present Day 102
Those That Came Later 100
Pioneer Life 15G
Pioneer Merchant and Store 392
Pioneer Merchants of Winterset 366
Political 66
Political Meetings, Early. 2.15
Population
248
Postmaster, The First .. 117
Postoffice, The First . 117
Postoffices
Bevington 11S
Discontinued 118. 119. 120. 121, 122
Earlham 118
East Peru 118
Macksburg 122
Patterson 118
St. Charles 118
Truro
122
Winterset 117
Prairie Fires 165
Prairie Grass, Harvesting 162
Preacher, The First
90
Preeincts
. 66, 67
Presbyterian Churches 93. 261
Press. The
114
Primitive School, A 255, 290
Publie Library, Winterset 373
Q
Quakers, Contention and Division 226
Quaker Meeting Houses. 223
Quaker Settlement in Madison County. 221
Quakers, The First.
221
R
Railroads
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy . . 175
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific .. 173
Chicago. St. Paul & Kansas City 174 Creston, Winterset & Des Moines. 175. 353 Des Moines, Winterset & Southern .. 174
Keokuk & Western. 175
Rathbone Sisters
Winterset Temple, No. 105 3×1
Recollections of Samuel Fife 2265
Record, The Macksburg 116
Recorders, County, from 1849 to 1915 .. Reeves War. The. 134
Reigle Mill, The ..
150
Religious Organizations 90-98
Religious Views of Indians 19
Reminiscences of Judge Gilpin . . 110
Reminiscences of Rev. J. G. Bishop 396
Reminiscent, East Peru. 311
Reminiscent, South Township ..
251
Reporter. The Winterset 115
Republican Party. Organization of in Madison County 75.77
Roads. Early 169
Road Petitions, Early 170
Rock City Cemetery, Winterset
Roll of Honor
Fifteenth Infantry 195
413
INDEX
Fifth Cavalry 213
First Cavalry 209
Forty-eighth Infantry 208
Forty-seventh Infantry 206
Fourth Cavalry
210
Fourth Infantry
191
Miscellaneous 214
Light Artillery 214
Ninth Cavalry 213
Sixteenth Infantry 196
Tenth Infantry
194
Third Infantry
190
Thirty-fourth Infantry
206
Thirty-ninth Infantry
201
Twenty-third Infantry
196
Veteran Corps, Tenth Infantry
208
Roll of Honor, Civil War
190
Removal of the Indians, The
13
Royal Neighbors
Earlham Camp, No. 2439. 329
Juniata Camp, No. 1428, of Winterset 381
S
St. Charles, City of
Financial 258
Incorporation 257
Location
256
Religious
259
Schools
259
St. Charles Park & Improvement Asso- ciation 262
St. Charles Savings Bank. 258
School Laws, Early 79
School, The First
78, 233
School Districts, The First.
.79-84
School System, Free, Beginnings of.
234
Schools, Development of.
84-89
Schools, Earlham 326
Schools, Early 233
School, The First in Union Township
272
Scott Township
279
Sensational Wake, A
274
Settlers, Early
228
Settlers, Early, from Clayton County .. 229 Settler, The First 20
Sewerage, Winterset 370
Sheriffs, County, from 1849 to 1915. 70
Shoemakers and Repairers, Pioneer. 161
Sixteenth Infantry 196
Snake Hunt of 1848
236
Societies, Fraternities and Clubs
A. F. & A. M. .264, 328, 359, 376 A. O. U. W. 381
Chautauqua Association 218
Company G, Fifty-fifth Regiment, N.
G. I. 220
Country Club, Winterset 382
Daughters of Rebekah .. 264, 329, 355, 381
Farmers' Institute 243
G. A. R ...
263, 383
Good Roads Association 220
Highland Nobles 382
Historical Society 217
I. O. O. F 264, 328, 355. 381
K. & L. S 382
K. O. B 381
K. P.
.359, 381
L. O. M.
381
Madison County Agricultural Society 244 Madison County Medical Society. 102
M. W. A.
264, 329, 355, 359, 381
0. E. S.
264, 328, 381
Old Settlers' Association 220, 262
Patrons of Husbandry 240
P. E. O
381, 382
Rathbone Sisters
381
Royal Neighbors
329, 381
Woodmen Cirele
382
W. O. W
381
Woman's Club of Winterset. 382
W. R. C.
355, 358, 384, 387
Yeomen
265
Soldiers' Monument
215
South Township
250
Speculators' Lands 133
Statement of Lots Sold and Funds on Hand, 1851 53
Stone Quarry in Madison Township.
321
Street Paving, Winterset
370
Sugar Groves
180, 181, 182
Sugar Trees and Camps.
179
Sulgrove Mill, The.
151
Superintendent of Schools, County, from 1849 to 1915. 71
Supervisors, Board of County, from 1861 to 1915 72
Surveyors, County, from 1849 to 1915 .. 71
Swamp Lands, Sale of .
138
T
Taxpayers in 1850. 256
Teacher's Certificate, An Old. 88
Teachers' Institute 88
Tenth Infantry
194
Third Infantry
190
Thirty-fourth Infantry
206
Thirty-ninth Infantry
201
Townsites, Lost and Forgotten 144-149
Transportation
169
Transportation, Incidents of Early 401
Treasurers, County, from 1865 to 1915. .
Treaty of 1842
13
.
414
INDEX
Truro Savings Bank
Truro, Village of
Financial 358
First Settlement 358
Fraternal 359
Religious 359
Twenty-third Infantry 196
U
Underground Railroad, The. 183
Underground Station Agents .. 183
Union Township 269
United Presbyterian Churches 96, 259
United Brethren Churches 97
Veteran Corps, Fenth Infantry. 208
Vigilants, The 134
Villages, Indian . 12, 13, 14, 16
Walunt Township 307
Warrants. Bridge 173
Watchman, The St. Charles 116
Waterworks. Winterset 370
Webster Mill, The 154
Webster Township 313
Webster, Village of. 314
Weller Mill, The 152
When the Stove Came 160
Wild Animals
176
Wild Fruits and Nuts 178
Wild Turkeys 177
358
Winterset, City of
City Hall 370
City Park 371
Clubs and Societies. 382
Financial
372
Fire Department 371
First Decade 368
First Settler 365
First Steam Mill. 393
Fraternal 376
Incorporation 368
Location 363
Mayors, List of. 369
Pioneer Merchants. . 366, 3>9
Public Library
373
Rock Ilill Cemetery
372
Sale of Lots. 364
Sewerage 370
Street Paving 370
Waterworks 370
Winterset in 1864. 389
Winterset Savings Bank of Winterset .. 373 Woman's Club of Winterset 382
Woodmen Circle
Boxelder Grove, No. 72 382
Wood's Mill. The.
151
W. O. W., Madison Camp, No. 100 .. 381
W. R. C.
Pitzer Corps, No. 117. 3×4
John Miller Corps, No. 242.
387
Jonathan Roby Corps. No. 341 358
Samuel Irwin Corps, No. 344 3×7
J. D. Craven Corps, No. 322 353, 387
Yeomen, St. Charles Homestead, No. 200, 265
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