USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > History of O'Brien County, Iowa, from its organization to the present time > Part 8
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William Yaner came to the county in the spring of 1871, and settled in Floyd township. His wife died there some years ago, and Mr. Yaner moved to Wisconsin and died there, the date of his death we do not know. A son, William Yaner, lives in LaCrosse, Wis.
One of the early settlers of Floyd was John W. Wilson, who came from Marshall county. He had known J. F. Stone who was already here, and by him was induced to come. He drove up with his brother in a buggy, and arrived in O'Brien
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
county in November, 1871, selected his claim, did his filing in the land office and returned. He then drove up again in the spring of 1872, and did breaking on the claim that summer, returned to do his harvesting in Marshall county, and come to O'Brien county again in the fall. Sheldon had then started, so that lumber could easily be had, with which he built a house 12 by 16. The following winter he was in Marshall county, and returned again in the spring of 1873. Mr. Wilson has been through all the hard times, has seen the grasshoppers harvest his crops, and knows what it is to struggle with the hardships of a new country. He has been in Floyd town- ship since then continuously, and now resides with his family in Sheldon. He has had experience with two new countries. He came with his father's family to Madison county in 1849, when the county was new, and when the nearest town was Oskaloosa, seventy miles away. Soon after their arrival, the family had the small pox, and were obliged to pull through without a physician. He says the hardships of pioneer life were nothing, compared with those in his Madison county home.
E. W. Bache came from Buchanan county to O'Brien county, in May, 1871. His coming here was from an ac- quaintance and relationship with Z. P. Freeman, who had set- tled in Highland township in 1870. There were with him Selye Stewart and E. C. Brooks. They had originally intended to settle near the Watermans, but not liking the country there, they fell under the guardianship of W. H. Woods, and by his direction came to Floyd township. Mr. Bache settled on the northeast of 26, Stewart on section 24. They did a little breaking, filed at the land office, and returned. While they were on their way, near Parkersburg, Iowa, in July, they came across Leroy Hackett, who had a team which was stuck in the slough. They helped Mr. Hackett out of his difficulty, and then gave him the number of a quarter section in Floyd township, which they recommended to him as a desirable claim. Mr. Hackett then drove up to this township and set-
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tled on the southeast quarter of section 26. He built that summer of 1871, a frame shack and veneered it with sod, then returned, and came back in the spring of 1872. Stewart, Bache and Brooks returned to Floyd township in October of that same year, 1871, bringing their families, except Mr. Bache, who was then a single man. These parties first occu- pied the Hackett shack, while they hauled lumber from Cher- okee for the Stewart house, which was built that fall, and upon its completion was occupied by these parties, who lived there during that winter. Mr. Brooks built on his own claim in the spring of 1872. Mr. Bache purchased Preacher £ Brasheer's shack, moved it on to his claim in the spring of 1872, and used it for his dwelling house. They broke that year, 1872, and put in some sod corn. B. F. Luce, who was also a sort of local preacher, came up from the Waterman where he had been holding down a claim, and settled in Floyd JOHN METCALF. township on the northeast quarter of section 36, in the spring of 1872. Mr. Stewart lives now in Sioux Falls, S. D .; Mr. Bache still resides in Floyd township; Mr. Brooks in South Dakota, and the present residence of Mr. Luce is not known to the writer. Mr. Hackett, who is a carpenter by trade, moved into Sheldon some years after, and now resides in Tacoma, Washington.
RESIDENCE OF W. C. HAGY, SHELDON.
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ZŁ
CHAPTER VII.
John Hart came in 1871, and settled on the southeast quar- ter of section 14. Mr. Hart lived here continuously until 1896, when he moved to Missouri, where he now resides. Michael Burns came in the spring of 1872, and settled on the southeast of 14, also in Floyd township, and still owns the same quarter section, but resides in Sheldon, taking life easy. C. W. Miller came in 1871, and settled on the northeast quarter of section 14. Mr. Miller moved into Ashton, where he was in business for a while, and then moved away.
The writer remembers, in the spring of 1872, while driving to Shaw's store in Osceola county with C. F. Butterfield, that we came across Michael Burns and John Hart on Mr. Hart's claim, where they were dressing a steer which they had just butchered, and said they "were going to have something to eat, anyhow." They kindly contributed part of the critter to us, but the recollection of the writer is, that it was a piece of the liver. These parties for fuel would go to the Rock river in Sioux county, for wood, and sometimes to the Little Sioux. Upon their returning from one of these excursions in the winter of 1871-72, they drove by the house of Wm. Lyle, and while passing, were hailed by Mr. Lyle, who informed them that he had just got out of bed, and had been there for sixty-five hours, compelled to do so in order to keep warm, as they were out of fuel except a little which they would now and then use in order to cook some pancakes, which they cooked, and ate them in bed. The boys threw off a log, and left it at the Lyle household.
9
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
J. W. Davis settled in Floyd township in 1871, on the south- east quarter of section 22, and some years after moved away from the county. He was a blacksmith and had a shop on his claim. . Daniel Gress came to Floyd township in 1871, and settled on the northeast quarter of section 2, and his son Wil- liam on the southeast of 2. Mr. Gress lived in the township for several years, fighting grasshoppers, and now resides in Sanborn. Charles Whitsell on section 18, still resides in the county. C. H. Lingenfelter on section 6, moved to Wiscon- sin some years ago. Calvin Hook, the noted music teacher, on the southwest of 36, now resides at Hull.
David Chrisman settled also in Floyd in 1871, on section 2, on the southeast quarter. Mr. Chrisman now resides at San- born.
John D. Butler and his son John H. Butler came to Floyd Township first in 1871 and selected their claims. The first named settled on the northeast of section 22, and the last named, on the northwest of the same section. They wintered near Cherokee, and returned in the spring of 1872, and both built a sod shack. The first election held in Floyd township, was held in John D. Butler's sod shack in the fall of 1872. The writer remembers it as a low roof concern, without any floor except the hard ground. John D. Butler died some years ago, and his son John H. is in the draying business at Sioux Falls, S. D., R. E. Osborn settled in Floyd township in the spring of 1872, and built a good residence. The writer took dinner at his house on that election day in 1872. Mr. Osborn has resided continuously in the county since that time. He is a good player on the fife, and has been brought out on several occasions where martial music was wanted. He was wanted in Sibley on an important occasion, and John Douglass was a committee of one to procure his services, which was done by telegram. Mr. Douglass had forgotten his name, but remem- bered a tune he had heard Osborn play, called Nancy Dawson, so Mr. Douglass wired to Sheldon to the operator, to send Nancy Dawson up. The operator happened to be acquainted
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
with the facts, thereby easily knowing who was wanted, and Mr. Osborn with his fife left on the next train.
The first caucus held in Floyd, was at Mr. Bache's shack a short time prior to the election in the fall of 1872. Mr. Per- kins was chairman, and Mr. Bache, secretary. There were present at this caucus besides these two parties named, R. E. Osborn, John D. and John H. Butler, and S. Stewart. The transactions of the caucus are not remembered by the writer, except that a central committee was appointed, and township officers nominated. When Mr. Bache first came to the town- ship, the impression got abroad that Bache was a doctor, and in the spring of 1872, Geo. Klock went to Mr. Bache to secure his attendance for treat- ment for one of Klock's child- ren, and was surprised when Mr. Bache informed him, that he was not a physician.
G. W. Copping settled on the southwest quarter of sec- tion 14, and E. J. Copping, his WILL WOLF. brother, on the southwest quarter of section 24, both in the spring of 1872. These parties were unable to stand the grass- hoppers, and left the country some years ago.
C. H. Lingenfelter located in Floyd in 1871, and settled on the southeast of section 6 and returned to his former home in Wisconsin in grasshopper time.
Timothy Donaghue settled on the southwest quarter of 36 in 1871. He died several years ago, leaving a wife and sev- eral children, who still reside on the same claim. Mr. Don- aghue had been a school teacher before coming to the county, and was a man respected very much by all who knew him.
E. R. Gregg in the spring of 1872 settled on the southeast
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
quarter of section 24, and at the same time Eliza W. Gregg settled on the northeast of the same section. Both of these parties moved away from the county in the grasshopper days.
P. C. Hicks, a brother of A. B., elsewhere mentioned, set- tled on the notheast of 4 in 1872. Mr. Hicks has lived in the county continuously since then, and now resides at Sheldon.
C. W. Beach settled on the southeast of 36 in 1872. Mr. Beach died several years ago. Lyman Kellogg located, in the spring of 1872, on the northwest of section 6, and after living in the county several years returned to Wisconsin. In the spring of 1872, Stephen Bull settled on the northeast quarter of section 6. He died several years ago. H. H. Hawley set- tled on the southwest quarter of section 22, in the spring of 1872. Mr. Hawley was a local preacher, and left the county some years ago. On the northeast quarter of section 32, Robt. J. Cliff settled in 1872, and left the county a few years after. Also on the same quarter on the east half, J. M. Van Kirk set- tled the same year. These two last named parties did not settle, until the Sioux City & St. Paul R. R. reached the town- site, when there was somewhat of a strife for land.
When Van Kirk took his claim, there were several parties who wanted the same piece, and there were four of them started for Sioux City at the same time. They reached Sioux City on the same train, and there was nothing left by which to decide the success of one of these claimants, but a foot race, and this they all vigorously entered into, but Van Kirk was the fleetest and entered the Land Office first, yelling at the top of his voice "I want to file on the east half of the northeast of 32 in 97, 42, and, mingled with the last of his words, was a chorus of the same from the rest of them. The Land Office thought that they were besieged with a bevy of lunatics, but Van Kirk being the first in point of voice, was recognized as the first in point of time, and his filing was taken. Isaac M. White settled on the southeast quarter of section 32 in 1872. Wm. Witsell on the southeast of 36 in the same year. Mr. Witsell still resides in the county. On
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HISTORY OF(O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
the northeast of 28, John M. Wood settled in 1872, who now resides in Sheldon. On the southwest of section 28, John F. Walters in 1872, who died a few years after. Charles Witsell on the northeast of section 18, who afterwards lived in Sheldon and left the county some years ago. Edward Wells on the southwest of section 4, he also left the county several years ago. On the northwest of section 18, L. S. Stone settled in 1872. He planted a very nice grove which made rapid growth, so that Stone's grove was known all over the country. Mr. Stone left the county some years since. W. J. Anderson on the northwest quarter of section 4, located in 1871. Mr. Anderson left the county some time in the '70's. George H. Brooks was on the northwest of section 24, and he ceased to be a resident of the county some years ago.
Thomas Robinson was the first settler in Floyd, who came in May, 1870, took his claim, the east half of the southwest of section 30, broke three acres on it that summer, and put up a sod shack. He wintered elsewhere the following winter, re- turned in 1871, and cross plowed the three acres. He brought his family in 1871, and lived here continuously until the time of his death in 1882. Mr. Robinson was a man of much thought, and origi- nal in his ideas, was a clever writer and could maintain a position with good argu- ment. He was a very con- scientious man, and his aim was to do right with every- body. He had seven children, David who lives in Sheldon, Columbia who also resides in Sheldon, Lovie who married Mr. A. HANSON. Blanchard, residing in Lyon county, Iowa, Mattie who married Rev. Gates, and Lizzie who married and resided in Boyden,
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
where she died in 1891. There were also two other sons, George and Henry. George is the oldest, and resides in Corning, Kansas; Henry was a Free Methodist preacher, a conscientious Christian man, who died in 1884. Mrs. Robin- son now lives in Shenandoa, Iowa. The Robinson family were good neighbors, and were always considered very up- right, honest people, the best of all recommendations. There were really no actual settlers in Floyd in 1870, although several came that year, and located claims and did their filing.
Three of the Potter boys, sons of Warren Potter, came in the fall of 1870, these were Lyman, William and John. They · drove through from Wisconsin with their own team, from where the family were living, and landed in Cherokee, having stopped awhile in Buena Vista county. They had some re- lations in Cherokee who advised them to look O'Brien county over, so that in the fall of 1870, with Mr. Sprague to guide them, they landed in Floyd township, Lyman selected the south half of the southwest quarter of section 8, and John F. the south half of the same quarter. William was not old enough to file. They returned after making selection, to Cherokee, and from there to Sioux City and made filing in the land office. In the spring of 1871, they returned, built sod shacks, and became actual residents. Warren Potter, father of the boys, came in the spring of 1871. Mr. Potter settled on the south half of southeast quarter of section 8, and Eugene, another son, on the north half of the same quarter. In the year of 1872, the Potter boys raised some corn on the land broken the year previous, which was a very fine crop. In driving up from Cherokee they stopped at Capt. Tifft's in Center township, to feed and eat their dinner. Water was scarce, and Mrs. Tifft directed them down the run which they followed for a long distance, but this afforded them but little consolation, so far as water was concerned, and John finally said it was nothing but a " dry run," which name has clung to it ever since, for its now known by all of us as " Dry Run." The Potter boys still live in the county, as also does
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
their aged father and mother. Warren Potter, the elder, and his wife are very estimable people, and the boys are good citizens.
A. B. Hicks came in 1870, and settled on the southeast of section 18, in Floyd. He started the first grove in the township. He resided here for several years, then moved to the Pacific coast, where he died. Ben Jensen settled on the northwest of section 32 in 1870, put up a sod shack that sum- mer, and lived here with his family until 1876, when he went further west. Swan Peterson also came with Jensen, and set- tled on the northwest of 32, and he also went west in 1876. He had a shack partly of sod with frame addition. He was an ingenious fellow, and the latter years of his residence here, was at work on a machine with which he expected to discover perpetual motion. When he went away he left the machine behind him, and to the neighborhood, it was quite an affair, with its complications of wheels and pulleys.
There were quite a number of settlers in 1871. Among them was a German by the name of John Meyers. He was an intelligent and industrious fellow, and settled on the east half of the northeast quarter of section 18. When the grass- hoppers came in 1873, the poor fel- low's heart was broken, and he was tired of life. In October of that year he committed J. C. SKINNER. suicide. He stood up before a glass in his shack, and where he could have full view of the act, placed the revolver at his forehead and fired; his position as he fell indicated this. He
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
also, upon a wide board, had drawn the profile of a man, and through the board, in the forehead of the profile, was found a bullet hole, so that it was clearly deliberate; it was " One more unfortunate weary of breath." A coroner's jury was impan- elled, with H. C. Lane acting as coroner, who held an inquest at Meyer's shack, and decided the death as a case of suicide.
J. A. Brown located on the northeast quarter of section 8 in Floyd township in 1871. He moved into Sheldon soon after the town started, and was landlord of the Sheldon Hotel for several years. He represented his district in the legisla- ture for one term, and was a man quite prominent in the county. He died in Sheldon, leaving his wife, who still resides in Shel- don with her son. Mrs. Brown is a lady very much respected.
A. Bloom settled in Floyd township in 1872, also Seymour Shryock, Mr. Carey, William Lyle and family, and Isaac Clements and family, Mr. Bloom retired from a farmer life a few years ago, and resides now at Ashton. Seymour Shryock went farther west, as also did Mr. Carey. Isaac Clements was elected county recorder, and has since resided in Prim- ghar, where he is now engaged in the mercantile business. Mr. Clements is widely known in the county, as a man of honor and business integrity. William Lyle and family landed in Floyd township in April, and went through that April bliz- zard of 1871, with the banks of the Floyd river for shelter, under a wagon box cover, with a large family of children, one an infant, and getting along with the inconveniences best they could, they weathered it through, and came out alive. Mr. Lyle and wife, their children, now men and women grown, still reside in Floyd township. James Glenn came from Powesheik county, Iowa, in 1871, and settled on the southeast of section 34, in Floyd. He came permanently in the spring of 1872, and in addition to his farming, had a blacksmith shop on the claim before Sheldon started. Being a good mechanic, his shop was very much appreciated and patronized, although he had to do considerable trusting out. Sometimes there was quite a gathering of homesteaders there, and as society was not
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HISTORY ,OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
fully established, there was of course not much gossip, but the topic of conversation would be the glories of the county, and the great future there was in store for them.
The first settler in Franklin township was William H. Dummett, who settled there on the northwest quarter of section 8, and is still living on the same quarter. He was the only settler in the township, when J. H. Wolf formerly of the Sanborn Pioneer became a resident of the township, in the spring of 1873. Mr. Wolf was residing in Washington county, Pennsylvania, among the vine clad hills of the Quaker state, and came to O'Brien county first in 1872 to look the county over, and particularly to look at eight hundred acres of land in Franklin township, owned by his father-in-law. He was pleased beyond measure, and purchased a quarter section of this 800 acres for $4.00 per acre, a good price then. There were only two quarters of Government land in Franklin town- ship, the one taken by Mr. Dummett, and a quarter on section 34, taken by Ira Brasheers. Mr. Wolf brought his family here in 1873, built a house on the land, and became a western farm- er in every sense that the word implies. Mr. Wolf had been in the printing business in for- mer days, and the time came when there was an opening to indulge his newspaper ambi- tion, which he did, by the purchase of the San- born Pioneer. He has remained with the paper ever since, and his ready C. F. OWEN. and facile pen has established his reputation as a newspaper man, from the ground up. In 1896 Mr. Wolf purchased the
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
Primghar Bell. He has recently leased the Pioneer and removed to Primghar where he now has exclusive control of that paper, assisted by his sons Fred and Will who are also thorough newspaper men.
In 1871 John Chrysler settled with his family on the north- east quarter of section 8, in Liberty township. His daughter Dana taught the first school in Liberty township, and another daughter Manda also taught in the county several years. His son A. B. Chrysler lived on the farm for several years, was in business at Primghar and afterward at Hartley, has been county superintendent of the county, and now resides at Lake Park, in the newspaper business, and is also Postmaster. Another son J. G. Chrysler who taught school in the county, is now in the land business, also at Lake Park. A daughter Nell now resides at Mason City.
Other early settlers, are J. C. Doling and Ralph Dodge,who settled on 18, in Liberty township. Both of these men were quite prominent in the county, and were always on the side of the people. Mr. Doling was at one time treasurer of the county, and still resides on the same quarter he originally set- tled upon. Ralph Dodge was an active member of the board of supervisors at one time, and now is in business at Paullina.
Another early settler in Liberty township, D. C. Fields, settled on section 26, and is now in business at Calumet. Geo. Nelson, who settled on section 12, still resides on the same quarter; also, T. B. Nott, an early settler on 14, is still three. Charles Peaker, who settled on 8, is now in business at Suth- erland. I. L. Rerick, who settled on 28, resides in Paul- lina. Among other early settlers in Liberty township were Joseph Alexander, on 14; J. H. Alexander, on 34, and T. J. Alexander, on 34. T. J. Alexander was treasurer of the county, and was a man whose honesty never was questioned. D. R. Barmore, on 24, was afterwards postmaster at Sheldon, and now resides in Chicago. Aaron Brown, on 34, was promi- nent in politics, and left the county some years ago. T. J. Fields, at one time a member of the board of supervisors, set-
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
tled on section 26, and C. H. Fields on section 20. Other settlers who entered land, were J. Bresee, on 12; L. C. Bough- ton, on 14; J. N. Burroughs, on 20; W. M. Breyfogle, on 20; W. M. Bunce, on 22; J. Cowan, on 24; W. W. Campbell, on 30; Thomas Downing, on 18; J. B. Davis, on 26; P. A. Em- ery, on 10; David Harkness, on 2; J. C. Hillyer, on 6; H. E. Hoagland, on 26; O. Higbee, on 28; J. M. Hickman, on 20; E. Hiatt, on 36; Horace Hoag- land, on 36; J. B. Judd, on 6. Nathan Miller, who settled on section 4, and Joseph Manley, on 7, died several years ago. W. B. Morse, on 22; P. J. Nel- son, on 18; Joel Rugg, on 4; James Rogers, on 10; T. Regby, W. O. WOODBURY. on 12; H. C. Sperry, on 2; W. J. Stewart, on 20; E. A. Scho- field, on 36; N. S. Tobin, on 4; Daniel Tuttle, on 28; Sidney Viers, on 28, were also original settlers. C. A. West, who was a physician and practiced in the county several years, was an original settler on the southwest of 2. Other original set- tlers were W. H. Wiltse, on 4; M. D. Wheeler, on 8; H. C. Wheeler, on 8; J. H. Wright, on 10; L. C. Washburne, on 28; H. H. Webster, on 32; H. Worden, on 34, and E. M. Young, on 36.
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RESIDENCE OF H. M. WALDSMITH, SHELDON.
CHAPTER VIII.
GRASSHOPPERS.
It might be well enough at this time, to diverge from the general run of settlement, and say something of grasshoppers, and other calamities.
O'Brien county, along with other portions of Northwestern Iowa, was vexed with the grasshoppers. We call it the grasshopper, because there was no other name then, among the settlers, but the books gave it the name of " Rocky Mountain Locust." The natural home of these insects was on the barren table lands, along the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. There, they deposited their eggs every year. In Wyoming Territory, Western Nebraska, Texas, the Indian Territory and New Mexico, the broods were annually hatched. In their native haunts they attained an enormous size, many specimens being three inches in length. Scientific men, who have studied the habits of grasshoppers, state, that each suc- ceeding brood degenerates in size, and after three or four gen- erations, the weaker are obliged to swarm and seek other quarters, being driven out by the larger and stronger insects.
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