USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > History of O'Brien County, Iowa, from its organization to the present time > Part 3
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
into the fold, and become a member of the gang in spirit, as well as name. But Mr. Waterman would n't affiliate, his con- sciencious principles of right, would not endorse the acts of the administration, so that he was forced into resignation, and did resign the offices December 11, 1860.
These original county organizers, were also a part of the early history of Clay county, and of Buena Vista.
The county seat of Clay county was established at Peterson, three miles distant from the county seat of O'Brien, and that of Buena Vista at. Sioux Rapids, twelve miles away, so that the manipulations in each, could be readily at- tended to.
When any contract was desired whereby funds could be raised, it was made in something of this order by the board of supervisors :
" Whereas, the board is satisfied that the bridges will be built, therefore resolved that warrants issue."
JOHN CHRYSLER. The four years following the organization, created largely the debt of the county, at about the end of which time, warrants were worth only twenty- five cents on the dollar, so that purchases by the county were obliged to have their prices multiplied by four. This depre- ciation continued until 1868, when they raised slightly, in 1877 were worth forty cents, and not long after were at par. In 1877 an organization was started in the county for the purpose of repudiating this old debt. The question became a subject of much discussion, and the organization in favor of repudia- tion, was called the " Tax Payers' Association."
Some of the principal movers in it were A. P. Powers, W. H. Woods, Ralph Dodge, W. S. Hitchings, T. J. Steele, C. W. Inman and Joseph Rowland.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
Many of the best men in the county, and whose honesty has never been questioned, took an opposite view of that of the association.
They felt, that under all the circumstances of prospective litigation, and for the credit of the county, that it would be better to pay than to repudiate, although corruptly contracted. Some of these men were: William Oli- ver, J. H. Wolf, Thomas Holmes, T. J. Alexander, J. L. E. Peck, Wm. N. Strong, Frank Derby and Mart Shea.
The result of it was, that the board unanimously rebond- ed all of the debt, on the 4th day of Jan- BYRON DONAVON. uary, 1881 at seven per cent interest. Soon after this, there was paid on this debt $30,000. In 1886 the balance of the debt was rebonded at five per cent interest. It was after- wards conceded that the county acted in this matter, with a sense of honor, and was just to itself, although its early offi- cials had perpetrated an injustice.
O'BRIEN COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
CHAPTER III.
Some of the readers of these pages, may not know the method of taking government land, upon which the settlers at that time located.
Upon this land originally, the Indians had a right, but all of their title was extinguished by the government. During the administration of Abraham Lincoln, this vast area of land was thrown open to settlement, upon which there could be filed homesteads, pre-emptions or tree claims.
The pre-emption laws were changed by congress several times, but substantially it required a settlement and residence upon the land for a certain period, when the pre-emp- tor could make final proof, and obtain title from the government, by paying $1.25 per acre.
The homestead laws, re- quired five years' resi- dence upon the land in order to obtain title, but the law was afterward changed, perinitting the homesteader to make final proof, upon payment of $1.25 per acre.
H. P. HOLYOKE.
The law required strictly, that the settler should have his home on the claim, it must be his residence, so that the first act on the part of the settler was to establish his residence. This was done sometimes by building a house, no matter how
44
HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
unpretentious; it might be done by starting a cellar, or run- ning the lines, it must be something, to show that possession had been taken. So that it will be seen, that these incoming settlers selected a quarter .or an eighty where they desired, made some show of improvement, then made their filing at the land office.
People coming to a new country are generally without means, and the first settlers of O'Brien, were no exception to the rule.
Any kind of a habitation would do on the start, unless the settler was able to build extensively. Very many were naught but a shack or shanty, and this would seem to be ex- clusively a western institu- tion, at any rate it was the settler's castle, and a shack was generally 8 by 10 with a shed roof, and tar paper covering. If any one doubted the continuous residence, the shack was pointed out, as the mute but convincing evidence of settlement. A stove pipe also projected through the roof, and this useful orna- ment would remove all doubt of the settler's good W. E. WEI.CH. faith. Occasionally, when some shack was too long neglected, some mischievous or ma- licious fellow would appropriate it to his own use, and the settler if he returned, would find his evidence .of settlement removed.
But among settlers it was regarded, if the claim was taken in good faith, as the sacred habitation, the legal improvement of him who placed it there, and it was not well either to molest or disturb it.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
Ofttimes the habitation consisted of a sod shanty, and some- times a dug out, which was an excavation in the ground, a hole large enough to live in, covered to shed the rain. As the settler prospered, and as he possessed thrift and econ- omy, he would " catch on," and his pioneer structure would be succeeded by some- thing more commodious. If a claim was too long neglect- ed, it would often be taken by another, jumped as we called it, but jumping claims was a disreputable, and sometimes a serious business, unless the settler had entirely neglected his duty, and paid no atten- tion to the requirements of J. K. M'ANDREW. the law. One shack 8 by 10 with a gable roof, was used to prove up three different claims in Floyd township, and which afterwards was moved into Sheldon, and when the town started, used for a meat market. If the settler was in time to do breaking that season, he generally did what he could, and often put in corn on the sod which sometimes would be a good yield.
These early and unpretentious habitations of the first set- tlers, have entirely disappeared, and the places that once knew them, will know them no more forever.
" Good-by, old shack ; time's relentless rigor Has ground you up at last to shapeless dust ; But faithfully have you performed your trust, And sheltered manly worth, and moral vigor."
As will be seen, the first legitimate settlers in O'Brien county after Mr. Waterman, were D. W. Inman and his brother Chester W .; Archibald Murry and some other of the organizers cultivated a little patch of ground near town, in
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
order to convey the idea, that they were tillers of the soil; yet Archibald Murry must be called a settler as he held land, and died here.
In 1869 there came W. H. Woods, Ed. Nissen, L. A. Worth and George Bell. W. H. Woods was permanent after he came here, and settled upon his claim in locating new comers. He was a surveyor, could find the lines of sections, and was quite useful to those seeking a home. His wife, Roma W., is a lady of re- finement and education, and a very clever and scholarly writer. She has taken very prominent part in the affairs of the county, and in whatever would HON. S. R. HARRIS. tend to better society. She was the prime mover in the establishment, and the progress of the Baker library at Sutherland.
Her son, H. C., commonly called " Bub," was known to all the settlers twenty years ago. He was a bright fellow, and when a little past his majority, was elected justice of the peace at Sanborn. He died a few years ago, and left many friends here, who sincerely shared the sorrow of his death, with his afflicted parents.
Aside from the early organizers, and Mr. Waterman and his family, the real first settlements of the county were in 1870, 1871 and 1872, they were
" The first low wash of waves, Where soon would roll a human sea."
The people of Iowa, and other sections of the country, began to know that the government was contributing to those who cared to take it, the finest of agricultural land. B. F.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
McCormack came to the county in April, 1870, from Illinois. He brought his family, consisting of his wife and one child, his boy Frank, but left them at Iowa Falls which was then as far as the Illinois Central had built. B. F. himself, then took a construction train as far as Pomeroy. He walked to Cherokee, where he met Wm. Baldwin and David Fanning, who were loading lumber for the pur- pose of building a ferry boat for use in crossing the Little Sioux River. After a conversation with them, he concluded to go with them to old O'Brien, which he did. The road up was almost impassable in places, and much trou- ble was had getting across C. F. ALBRIGHT. the sloughs, and having no " grub," at one place they got some stale bread and raw pork. At 10 o'clock at night they arrived at old O'Brien, where Mr. McCormack put up at the only hotel, which was then kept by. R. B. Crego. This hotel building heretofore mentioned as kept by C. W. Inman, was built by Mr. Inman in the spring of 1869, the lumber was hauled from Dennison in Crawford county, and cost $5,300 which could now be built for $1,500.
Soon after Mr. McCormack got there, he was ushered into the treasurer's office, in charge of J. R. Pumphry, deputy to R. B. Crego.
It was up-stairs in the Crego hotel, in a fair sized room. An early settler, Allen, (called at that time " peg leg Allen," he having but one leg,) had a cobbler's bench in one corner, while Pumphry presided over the finances of the county in an- other part of the room, the intervening space occupied by loaf-
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
ers, and the room filled with tobacco smoke from an array of cob pipes.
Mr. McCormack being a practical surveyor, at once went to work, and about a month after his arrival, went to Fort Dodge for his family.
Upon his return, he moved into a house in old O'Brien be- longing to R. B. Crego and occupied by Mr. Parsons, his wife and one daughter. Mr. Parsons and wife now reside in California, being over ninety years of age; the daughter mar- ried George Youde some years ago.
The summer of 1870, Major Inman secured the contract to build four school houses. He had a large number of men employed, who were useful as voters at the election that fall. Ed. Parker was foreman of Inman's men. That summer, there were settlers only in Waterman, Grant and Liberty townships. Henry Miller towards fall took a claim in Center township.
The first convention for the nomination of officers, was held in the fall of 1870. It was a mass con- vention and was free from politics; it was only a strife between factions. Capt. A. J. Edwards and A. Murry, were contest- W. W. JOHNSON. ants for the nomination of auditor, which resulted in favor of Murry. Hi Parker secured the nomination for clerk of court, and C. W. Inman as super- visor against J. W. Kelly. There were nominated at this con- vention for supervisors, B. F. McCormack, McAllen, Green, and Joel Gibbs. This convention was held in the school house at old O'Brien-A. J. Edwards was chairman, and J. R. Pumphry, secretary.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
An independent ticket was put in the field, and there were I27 votes cast. Against those who were finally elected, there was a petition signed by ninety of the voters who opposed them, but the manipulations in politics know no bounds, there was some inducement, by which enough of a part of that ninety was secured, to finally elect.
In the year 1870, the law in regard to electing members of the board was changed, so that they were no longer elected by the county at large.
In the fall of 1870, when McCormack, Field and Inman were elected, they drew cuts to decide the length of term. Three slips of paper of different length were put into a closed book; McCormack drew first and drew the longest, which meant a term of three years. Inman drew the next longest, which meant a term of two years, while Field was left with the shortest slip, which was a term of one year.
In 1871, B. F. McCormack and J. R. Pumphry conceived the idea of a news- paper for old O'Bri- en, and acting upon this, established one. The matter was pre- pared in old O'Brien, sent to Robert Buch- anan in Cherokee, publisher of the "Times," printed and returned for distribu- tion. Mr. Pumphry was proprietor of the paper, with McCor- mack as editor and manager,who receiv- ed two-thirds of the JAMES ROBERTS. profit as his compensation. The paper was called the "O'Brien Pioneer," and the Pioneer family was not always at peace. Mc-
4
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
Cormack, in his slashy comments of some of Pumphry's friends, offended the proprietor. In the fall of 1872, L. B. Raymond, now of Franklin, Iowa, and one of the prominent men of the state, negotiated for this paper, put in an office at old O'Brien where the paper could be printed at home, and placed it in charge of A. H.Willits, who after- wards purchased it. In the fall of 1871, R. B. Crego, who was then treasurer of the county, went to Sioux City to sell some horses. The snares of the metropolis CLAUDIUS TIFFT. were too many and en- ticing for Crego. He indulged too much in the wayward vices of the city, and remained away so long that he was finally de- posed, and his deputy, J. R. Pumphry, was appointed in his place. Crego, upon his return, raised the question of his right to the office in the courts, but was defeated. He was short in his funds $4,000, but afterwards made it good. Mr. Mc- Cormack is now publisher of the Sanborn Sun, Mr. Crego is in Oregon, and J. R. Pumphry is in the real estate business.
THE FERRY BOAT.
If there is one thing more than another that should go down in history, and should float over the memories of old settlers and be transmitted to their descendants, it is the ferry boat which navigated the Little Sioux in 1869. You can imagine a group of " land lubbers," not one of whom ever, in the ver- nacular of the sea, went "before the mast," discussing the building of this boat, its size, capacity, and particularly its shape. There were J. W. Kelly, Maj. Inman, Hank Smith, Ed Parker, B. F. McCormack, W. C. Green, and several
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
others who had a hand in the architecture of the ferry boat, and their various ideas were debated, until all the plans and speci- fications of its building, were finally decided upon. The boat as at last constructed was twelve feet by twenty, its deck was level, its sides were straight up and down, but the ends sloped, or, rather, to fully express it, the bottom was five feet shorter than the deck.
It was built on the bank of the river, of lumber hauled from Cherokee, and much interest was manifested as the work progressed from day to day. When the boat was completed, the next thing was the launching. It has been the custom from time immemorial, when some splendid specimen of nau- tical skill, some sovereign of the seas, was to be launched, that a bottle of wine was suspended from the bows, and at the right time, a young lady selected for the occasion, would break the bottle and spill the wine. We know not where the custom origi- nated, but it still exists. This custom in the details of its usual observance was dispensed witlı, and if there had been wine, it might be safe to say that it would not have been wasted on the prairie. The usual beverage of the locality, vinegar bitters, was used as a matter of auxilliary R. C. TIFFT. enthusiasm for the occasion, and the eyes of the gathered few were delighted, when the ferry boat bade farewell to the land, and sat like a swan upon the beautiful waters of the Sioux. The next thing was a name, and several were suggested. Ed. Parker thought the " Sleeping Beauty " would be nice; McCormack suggested the " O'Brien Belle," and Clark Green the " Dar- ling Prairie Flower," while John Kelly thought it ought to be
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
something more rugged, and he suggested the " Leviathan;" and we presume if it had been a few years later, it would have been named the " Grasshopper." As it was, they finally com- promised on "Jennie Whipple," which we understand was the name of some comely maiden of Waterman township, the daughter of a settler. The means of propell- ing the boat back and forth, were by taking hold of a tightly-stretch- ed rope, which was fastened on each side of the river. When a team and wagon were to cross, the team was taken over first, the boat then returned, and took the wagon over. Once when a yoke of oxen was being ferried across, and when the ENOCH PHILBY. boat was in the middle of the river, the oxen moved forward enough to tip the boat down at one end, which caused the oxen to slide into the river. At another time, when the wind was blowing unusually strong, the boat was lifted considerably on the windward side, and dumped several head of cattle in the stream. The Jennie Whipple served her time, and at last outlived the days of her usefulness, and was finally used as a support for a pontoon bridge, then thrown aside, and is now no more.
The ferry was used until 1871, when Mr. Kelly was em- ployed to make a pontoon bridge, which he did by using the ferry boat and building over that. This bridge was used until 1872, when the iron bridge still used, was put up by the Ohio Bridge Company, of Cleveland. The Little Sioux which this bridge crosses, was quite a stream in early days, and is
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
something of a stream yet. The bridge is 325 feet long, the main part being 85 feet. Several spans have since been put in where others washed out. The bridge building of the county was done after this, mostly by Adam Toberman, an old homesteader and a practical mechanic. His son, J. D. Toberman, one of the best men in the county, now has charge
.
RESIDENCE OF ENOCH PHILBY.
of the bridges in the county. This bridge went out in the spring of 1897, but was soon replaced.
H. A. Sage was one of the earliest settlers of old O'Brien. Mr. Sage was a prominent citizen of the county, very much respected by his fellow citizens. He was living at Sutherland
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
of late years, was a justice of the peace, and died there in 1895.
The first store in O'Brien county, was started in old O'Brien, the county seat, by W. C. Green, in October, 1869. Mr. Green, and he was then as he is now, called "Clark," came to the county in 1869, and landed at the county seat on the 22d day of August. Dennison, in Crawford county, was then the nearest railroad station, and at that point he met Archibald Murry, who was soon to return to old O'Brien, and he induced Clark to go along with him. They drove up with a span of mules and an ordinary farm wagon, and had along' with them a railroad contractor, by the name of Martin. This man Martin had with him $7,000 in currency, and being a stranger to the other two, manifested some nervousness for fear that in some mys- terious manner, his money might take wings and fly away.
FRANK FRISBIE. But neither Clark nor Murry knew he had it. When this traveling trio got to the Maple river at Mapleton, the river was impassible, as there was no bridge, and the river high. There was no house near, so they camped out in a wheat field, and slept on the wheat shocks. The second day Murry was taken sick, and as there was no doctor to diagnose the case, nor remedies to apply, Clark began to rack his brain for a remembrance of something his mother did for him in the days of his youth, but at last, having nothing to give the patient, but some stimu- lant from the Denison drug store, and an encouragement on
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
the order of faith healing, he freely administered these, and Murry pulled through.
After the river had fallen, a small dugout, with a wire stretched across the river with which to propel it, was used as a species of navigation in order to get to the other side. Clark Green, Murry and the railroad contractor got safely aboard, with a rope hitched to the mules with the wagon, in order to swim the mules over after them. These ambitious navigators were fearful that something would happen, and the railroad contractor was particularly nervous, for to be drowned with $7,000 in one's pocket would surely be fearful to contemplate. Just before they reached the opposite bank sure enough, over they went, and each one was soon floundering in the water. Martin swam to a tree on the edge and climbed even to the top; Clark Green soon reached some boughs and pulled himself out, while poor, sick, but convalescent Murry at last crawled out upon the bank. The mules J. H. WOLF. · and wagon were soon got over, and the boys dried their clothes and pursued their journey.
L. C. Green, a brother of Clark, and who now lives in Lake Park in Dickinson county, came to the county soon after the ferry boat episode, and did the teaming in hauling from Den- nison Clark's stock of goods shipped from Chicago, with which he opened the first store. He first opened in an addi- tion to Murry's residence, and in the spring of 1870, erected a building with native lumber from the Peterson saw mill.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
The first postmaster at old O'Brien was C. W. Inman, with J. R. Pumphrey as deputy. Clark succeeded Mr. In- man in 1870. Mr. Green's store was the general rendezvous as long as it remained in old O'Brien. The gathered few would sit around on the ends of barrels, smoking clay pipes, and if we had a record of their sayings and the stories told, it would be an entertainment of itself.
This was not in the days of prohibition, and, of course, this gathered coterie of early settlers had the legal right to soar into the realms of imagination, through the aid and influence of a bowl of the ardent. Archibald Murry, at that time and for some years previous, was to old O'Bri- en, what Joan of Arc was to France, she was France, and Murry was old O'Brien.
Clark Green removed to Primghar upon the re- moval of the county seat, and afterwards to San- born, where he now re- sides and is in the dry J. F. STONE. goods business. He is re- membered by the old settlers as one who was ever ready to lend a helping hand, and too much for his own good, trusted out his merchandise, signed bonds, and helped those who needed help, and the word selfishness was unknown to him.
Although these early O'Brienites were somewhat ungodly at times, yet not long after the starting of the town, they had religious opportunities and a chance to hear the gospel preached, such preaching as it was. The preacher, however, was soon taken into the "ring," which must have dampened his ardor in presenting the doctrine of Christ's sermon on the Mount. The writer knew one preacher who, in later years,
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
and after the western part of the county began to be settled, would come up among us with tales and stories of boodle, then return and take his share with the rest.
The first established minister in old O'Brien was Rev. Sey- mour Snyder, but his charge extended from Peterson into Minnesota. He was a Methodist, and claimed then to be preaching in two states and seven counties. Along with his bible he carried a rifle, and could not only preach, but could shoot.
BELL DDO FELLOW BLOCK
SANDERS-CO. STK.
BELL ODD FELLOW BLOCK, PRIMGHAR.
CHAPTER IV.
In 1867, Rev. W. W. Mallory became the pastor; in 1868, Rev. Thos. Whitely; and in 1869, Rev. C. W. Clifton. Rev. Clifton stated, that in one year he traveled three hundred miles, and preached over one hundred sermons. H. H. Waterman, a man of consistent Christian life and practical piety, was licensed to preach in those early years, as was also R. B. Crego, but Brother Crego fell from grace so much, and so often from the true line of piety and soberness, that he was compelled to withdraw.
The first sermon ever preached in the county, was by Rev. James Bicknell, who still resides at Peterson. The first church ever built in the county, was on section thirty- three in Center township, which was built in the spring of 1871. It was constructed out of the pure virgin sods of the prairie, upon which had shone the gentle rays of the sun, for so many years. T. J. HARTENBOWER. The homesteaders had what we called a " bee," and with their breaking plows turned out a large quantity of tough slough sods, which was soon formed into a structure for religious purposes.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
On the 4th of July of that year, a celebration was held in this church building. The outside world was full of glory and enthusiasm, the air filed with noise and pyrotechnics, and the voices of American orators were sounding the distinguished valor and heroism of our cannonized ancestors, but this little band of county settlers met together with a Quaker quietness, comparatively speaking. They had their lunch baskets and were socially agreeable, but the cannon, the firecracker and the fireworks were conspicuously absent. That evening all hands went to Capt. R. C. Tifft's residence, and wound up the day with a jolly dance.
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