USA > Iowa > Osceola County > History of Osceola county, Iowa, from its organization to the present time > Part 5
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J MANZ 4 1H1
E. A. BUNKER.
78
HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
Iverson, G. C. Iverson, B. Koolman, I. Kimball, W. Kuhn, P. Keer, F. E. Kennedy, A. Kiser, C. Kreager, A. Lusk, H. Luterman, J. M. Likes, H. Likes, J. Mont, D. H. Morse, S. Newman, T. P. Norman, N. Olson, J. Peters, B. Robert, J. Rain, F. Rubow, P. Rehms, J. Rohger, S. B. Smith, H. Soins, C. Shroder, W. F. Smith, H. Temmenna, T. W. Tarbell, John Tann, S. S. Thatcher, H. Vietmeyer, C. Vink, W. J. Wohleater, A. A. Wyant, T. Wyant, R. Wyant, T. P. Wald- ran, Fred Witt, J. H. Harbets, J. Harbets, W. Harbets.
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CHAPTER XI.
In the fall of IS71 S. J. Cram came from Alamakee County and settled on a part of Section 32, in what is now Wilson Township, and still resides here. W. W. Cram, a brother of S. J., also came in 1871 and filed on a part of Section 14, in West Holman Township. He left here in 1882, and now lives at Butte, Nebraska. A. H. Clark also filed the same year on Section 32, in Wilson Township. In Holman Township at this early day, S. A. Wright settled on a claim, also the Halsteads, father and son, F. R. Cole, O. C. Staplin and the Widow Rosenbury, and Randolph Kinney on Section 28, in Wilson Township. S. A. Wright was Treasurer of the County one term, and now lives at Beatrice, Nebraska. O. C. Staplin still lives in the County on the original claim, and is one of our pushing farmers. S. H. Westcott came from LeMars to Oscesla County and filed on a claim in the fall of IS7I on the southeast quarter of Section 22, Township 99, Range 41. Mr. Wescott has held township and County offices, and now lives in Sibley. In April, 1871, there came from Alamakee County to Osceola Mr. E. Morrison, R. O. Manson, F. M. Robinson, W. W. Cram, Myron Churchill and Thomas Parlan; these came to file on land, and with them to see the country was Mr. McFarland. Mr. Morrison settled on a part of Section 10, in Township 99, Range 42; Mr. Manson on northwest quarter of Section 24, West Holman; F. M. Robinson on , West Holman; Myron Churchill on a part of Section -; and Parlan on - -, while Mr. Cram has heretofore been described in his location. Mr. Morrison now resides in Sibley, having been here since his first settlement, except to return for his family in the fall of IS71. Mr. Manson still resides on the claim originally taken.
After these incoming settlers had got here from Alamakee County, they looked around and decided upon the claims they wanted. A part of them then started for Sioux City to file, while Mr. Morrison drove to LeMars to get some groceries, for there were no provisions left, and it was a long ways to market. When Morrison got to the Huff shack he found that Mrs. Huff was out of bread and no flour to make any; he then had to drive to Orange City, or where Orange City now is,
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HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
before he could get anything for himself or team. In the meantime he had left Robinson, Manson and McFarland at Frank Stiles' habitation. This consisted of an old stage coach, approximating the Deacon's one-hoss shay when it fell to pieces. Stiles had hauled it to his claim and placed it there as a settlement which the law required. At this stage coach Morrison left the three parties above named, they to wait until Morrison returned with something to eat, but hunger got the better of them, so they started on southeast to find somebody, or something to eat, and came across a shack near the Ocheyedan where Mr. Miller lived, but here there was nothing to eat so they returned again to Frank Stile's cottage on wheels. After about forty-eight hours' absence Morrison returned, and by this time Robinson, Manson and McFarland were in about the same condition that Greeley was when dis- covered in the Artic regions. They were handed out some bread, and the loaves disappeared about as fast as water in a gopher hole, they couldn't wait for butter or anything else, but soon the boys felt better with a satisfied appetite.
W. A. Morrison, a brother of E. Morrison, came in July, 1872, and made settlement here, but left the county a few years ago and now resides in Kettle Falls, Washington.
In June, 1871, Rev. Smith Aldrich arrived in the county and settled on Section 30, west Holman. When it became known that Aldrich was a preacher, it was thought best to have services the following Sunday, so E. Morris and some others went around to what few there were and gave out the notice. The preaching was in Morrison and Churchill's shack. There were about twenty-five present, and this sermon, no doubt, was the first preached in the county, though W. W. Webb claims that some other was the first. In the fall of 1871 Mrs. Aldrich, wife of the reverend gentle- man, died on their claim. This was the first death in the county, and at that time the undertaker's shop was far away, so that Mr. A. M. Culver made the coffin and Mrs. John Douglass stained it with grape juice. The simple services at the funeral were impressive, for Mrs. Aldrich was a woman much respected. Her body was removed east some time after its burial here, and Mr. Aldrich himself went away after remaining here a few years.
Mr. Wallace Rea came here in the spring of IS72 and settled on the southeast quarter of Section 14, Township 99, Range 41. He is now at a Soldiers' Home. At the first school election held in the Rea district there were only three
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W. H. NOEHREN.
1
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HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
present -Rea, O. C. Staplin and J. S. Reynolds. Staplin was Chairman, Rea the Secretary and Reynolds the people. A ballot was taken, and the vote stood: Rea, I; Staplin, I; Reynolds, I. On the second ballot Staplin was elected. Reynolds declares that on the first ballot he voted for Staplin, and Staplin for Reynolds. At that time there was much eagerness for the establishment of a school, and it was all right in that feeling of personal anxiety for a fellow to vote for himself as school officer.
Of the early settlers in Township 100, Range 41 (now Wilson Township), but few remain. Will Thomas still owns the original claim, and in this township he still retains his residence. On Section 26, in this township, are two early settlers. Mr. John Klampe took the northeast quarter about twenty years ago, and still occupies it. On the southeast quarter, Benj. Davis settled in 1872, and has borne the burden and heat of the day from that time to the present, farming the same piece of land. Mr. R. S. Eakin also came to this town- ship about twenty years ago, and first settled on Section 8. He now owns 240 acres on Section 28.
On the southwest quarter of Section 14, Mr. Jacob Wid- man has lived since about 1873. He has made very fine improvements, and on his place there is a spring of very nice water, which we believe is the only spring in the township.
On Section 32, lives C. P. Reynolds, who settled there in 1872, and has lived there continuously since. He has good improvements, and has been a member of the County Board of Supervisors.
The north tier of sections in Wilson, as in other town- ships on the north bordering the Minnesota line, are clipped off, or rather the surveyors run out of land when they reached the line; or, as some one with bar-room proclivities remarked, "they were lost in the shuffle." The absence of this north tier of sections has been the cause of trouble to some, as well as a loss of money, and has brought others to grief. Some years ago several sharpers, who were of that class of men constantly seeking opportunities to perpetrate a swindle, actually made conveyance of some of these quarter sections which had no existence to innocent and unsuspecting parties, who took the deeds all right and paid for the land, only to soon find out they had bought nothing, and couldn't buy what the deed described if they wanted to. Some of these villianous grantors were apprehended and made to languish in the pen- itentiary, and to suffer punishment for the crime which was involved in this method of conveyance.
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IIISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
Allen Cloud filed in 1872 on the northwest quarter of Section 34, and lived there until he died in January, 1884, and was buried in the Wilson Township Cemetery. His widow now lives in Sibley.
The only old settlers still living in Wilson Township are Will Thomas and W. A. Cloud.
Mr. C. E. Yates, on Section 10, went there about ten years ago; James Zweek, on Section 14, about five years ago, and Mr. H. A. Cramer, on the same section, two years ago. The Makee boys, on the northwest quarter of Section 15, have been there some time.
Mr. Joseph K. Shaw, on Section IS, was reasonably early in settlement, as he filed on a claim and made final proof in 1876, and still resides there. On this same section resides Fred Theise and Mons Sorem. On Section 22, the northwest quarter, W. J. Miller filed, and still owns the land. The balance of this section belongs to the Thomas family, with Clifford Ling as renter. F. J. and J. D. Engle are living on the west half of Section 23, and on the northeast quarter John Ackerson resides. Other parties in the town- ship, and among Wilson's best farmers, not before mentioned are Terkark Benezek, on Section 24, and F. A. Klampke, on Section 25. Mr. Klampke has 320 acres, and has lived there about 14 years. The east half of Section 27 is owned by Claus Klepka, who has lived in the township about two years. Mr. Comstock lives on the southwest quarter of Section 29; also, on the same section is H. S. Lindsey.
J. N. Robinson, on the northwest quarter of Section 30, owns the land, and has lived there about six years. On Section 31, Mr. W. C. Connor owns the northeast quarter, and on this same section lives Charles Hoffman.
Mr. A. B. Evarts is the owner of a part of section 32 and has lived there seven years. W. A. Cloud is on section 33. This gentleman has been in the township seventeen years, and would pass for an old settler. On the northeast quarter of section 34 lives E. A. Beaston, while the southwest is owned by J. W. Kaye of Sibley, and upon which there lives at present, Mr. H. S. Lindsey. Mr. N. W. Williams who settled in O'Brien County in 1871, has recently purchased the northeast quarter of section 36 and will soon be a resident of Wilson. In 1871 W. N. Bull settled on the northwest quarter of section 26. Mr. Bull still resides in the county at Sibley.
CHAPTER XII.
There ought to be the strongest ties of feeling between the old settlers of a country who have remained with it and borne the burden and heat of the day, and there is. By reason of the weakness of human nature there may be some- times a hostile feeling over some petty and insignificant affair between neighbors, but, as a rule, the surviving settlers of a new country whose experiences run back a quarter of a century are attached to each other; it would be unnatural to be otherwise. Age may bring upon us its infirmities; it may palsy the limbs, and gather the crows' feet insidiously about the eyebrows, but as long as the faculties remain we shall ever retain a feeling of fond recollection of the scenes and incidents of other days, and of those who shared with us its experiences, its joys and sorrows. And then again, people who bear the same misfortune together become united in each others interest and are bound together.
Every new County has to wrestle in the throes of doubt and difficulty. The incoming population are generally of moderate means, and come for the purpose of building a home and acquiring a competence. The first acts of settlement are liable to absorb the little that was brought with them, and for a time it is a struggle with hardship, and sometimes for the necessaries of life.
Their manner of living was not in commodious dwelling houses, but in what was called a shanty or a shack. A set- tler's shack, or shanty, was an exclusive western institution. It was the first castle of the settler, was of generally uniform size, 8xIo, with a shed roof and tar paper covering. If any- one doubted the continuous residence, the shanty was referred to as the mute but standing witness, and the doubter became silent under this avalanche of proof. There was also provided a stove pipe, projecting through the roof, and this, added to the shanty, emphasized the good faith of the settler. Occa- sionally when the shack was left too long to itself, some mis- ' chievous or malicious fellow carried away some part or all of it, and the place that once knew it, knew it no more forever; but among settlers themselves it was regarded as the sacred habitation, the legal improvement, and everybody was warned
J
CHARLES M. BROOKS,
86
HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
neither to disturb nor molest it. Sometimes, instead of this kind of a habitation, the settler had a dugout or a sod shanty. A dugout consisted of an excavation in the ground, a hole large enough to live in, with a covering to it of some kind, sufficient to shed the rain and enclose it; or, if the opportunity was had, it was built into a knoll or the side of a hill. One room served all the purposes of the homesteader and his family. If he prospered for a season he would add to the front of his abode by erecting walls of sod on the sides and putting in a new front; the old would serve as a partition between the two rooms. You would often, upon entering such an abode, be surprised, for once you got through the narrow hole, called a door, to get into it, you would find elegant furniture, left over from the former residence, and an organ with an imposing cathedral back, towering high in one corner of the room.
Sometimes a settler's claim would be jumped, as they called it, but jumping claims was a very disreputable and sometimes a serious business. It was expected in those cases where a party entirely neglected his duty as a settler and paid no attention to the requirements of the homestead or pre-emption law, that some one who could comply would take the land and earn it with a continuous residence. But where the settler was performing his duty to the best of his ability, and was faithful to his claim, with good intentions, then he who undertook to deprive him of it was a miscreant, and the neighborhood would sit down on him with a determined vengeance. Any person of character and respectability would not jump a claim without the surest and safest of reasons, and where a claimant abandoned his claim without actual settle- ment, and with continued neglect, then it was the duty of any seeking government land to take it, and let the other party lose his rights by his delay. They did not blame anyone for jumping a claim where the claimant showed bad faith, but where good faith was exhibited, then the act was repre- hensible.
We will conclude this chapter with an experience of W. R. Boling: Mr. Boling came to Osceola in the fall of 1872, and left papers for filing on his claim in Horton Township, where he now resides. He returned and remained that winter in Powshiek County, and came back to Osceola in the spring of 1873. While traveling out, he was joined by Ol. Hem- menway and John Wood, who were pointed for Sheldon, and settled there. Boling's trip was uneventful until he
87
HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
reached the Little Ocheyedan, about ten miles south of now Ocheyedan Town, and was then on his way to Sibley. The river from heavy snows that winter had become quite a stream, but the ice was still underneath in some places. Boling had a span of mules, a covered wagon filled with the requirements of a settler, and the difficult task of crossing the Ocheyedan was before him. He took a long pole, walked in sounding the bottom to decide the question of safe crossing, and satisfied himself that he could make it. He got aboard the wagon, started up the mules and ventured to cross. When he was about eight feet from the opposite side, the mules went into the water out of sight, also one of the front wheels, leaving the wagon partly tipped. Boling jumped into the stream to try and right things, but had a narrow escape from drowning and only by desperate effort reached the other side, and with- out time to worry over the fix he was in, went to work at once to save the outfit. One mule was completely under water, and the other had his head just out of it; finally Boling got one mule out and hitched on to the other one and pulled him out upon the bank more dead than alive. A mule's existence does not always require soft bedding and a palace barn, and this one's experience demonstrates the fact that a mule can be pretty well drowned and still live. Boling waited until both of them got life enough to travel, then rode one and led the other about eight miles to a settler's cabin, where he staid all night, and, returning next morning with assistence, rescued the wagon and its contents and renewed his journey.
CHAPTER XIII.
The blizzard of January 7, 1873, was a fearful one, and considered as the worst this country ever experienced. These storms are generally disastrous for the reason that they come up suddenly. The morning may be fine and clear, causing people to start out on the prairie, and in a sparsely settled country where houses are several miles apart, a sudden blind- ing snow storm makes it almost impossible to find a shelter, and is extremely dangerous to any who are out. On the morning of January 7, 1873, the sun rose bright and warm, giving promise of a beautiful day. There was then a stage line between Spencer and Rock Rapids, the stage driver being Peter Baker. He started out from Sibley in the forenoon with one passenger, Mr .. A. K. Jenkins, and when ten miles west from Sibley they encountered that terrible blizzard out on the unsettled prairie. It continued warm and pleasant until about noon, when the treacherous northwest wind commenced blowing and a dark cloud hovered in the western horizon. The snow commenced creeping and sifting over the ground in the peculiar insidious style so well known to every dweller on our broad and unprotected prairies. In a very short time the storm king was holding high carnival, and the air was filled with flying snow, driven by the force of the wind into the minutest apertures and piling it into drifts wherever it en- countered an obstacle.
The storm raged with scarcely an abatement until Thurs- day morning, when the thermometer indicated 22 degrees below zero.
As above stated, Mr. Jenkins, in company with Mr. Baker, the stage driver on the Spencer and Rock Rapids Stage Line, left Sibley for the latter point named; when about ten miles distant from their destination the storm struck them in all its fury, so completely hemming in their horses that they soon yielded to the influence of the cold and sunk down in a deep snow drift and soon died. Mr. Jenkins tried to keep his blood in circulation by walking, but to the contrary, he became so helpless from the effects of the cold that even with the help of his companion he was unable to regain his seat in the coach. After eighteen hours insane from suffering he laid down before Mr. Baker's eyes and died.
E. R. HAZEN.
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HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
Meanwhile, Mr. Baker was conscious that he was losing the use of his limbs, and could render his companion no further assistance. Mr. Baker was found frozen to the knees on Friday afternoon about 3 o'clock, about one-half mile from the stage road; he was taken to the nearest house and cared for until the next day. He was then taken to Sibley. Soon after, both his legs were amputated, and on the 25th day of May, 1873, he died.
George Hamilton was out in the same blizzard, and a man of less nerve and endurance would have certainly per- ished. Mr. Hamilton started in the morning to go to Milford, and while only about four miles from home crossing the prai- rie the storm struck him. To face the storm and try to re- turn would have been the height of folly. So that all Mr. Hamilton could do was to go with it. This he did, and kept on traveling until he came to a corn field, where the snow had formed in large drifts, and into one of these his horses got down. Mr. Hamilton worked with his horses until they were on their feet again, and then as night was coming on, he un- hitched and after having shovelled the snow away from the front end of his wagon tied his horses there. Here he spent the night, with that terrible storm howling in its fury, with no shelter and really without sufficient clothing, for the storm wasn't looked for. He kept at work shovelling the snow away from where the horses stood and twice lay down near the horses feet and got into a dose, and each time a horse stepped on him, just enough to wake him up and he went to work again. It is only a wonder that he didn't go to sleep never to wake again, and probably such would have been his fate, only for the horses feet. Finally morning dawned and Mr. Hamilton feeling that he was near somebody's place, hol- lered as loud as he could and there came a response. By this communication of voice the parties living near by came to where Hamilton was and himself and horses were gotten over
to the house, it being where Smith lived. The horses were placed under shelter and soon Hamilton was in the Smith shack which had the comforts of a stove, red with heat- ing. Mr. Hamilton found that his clothing was not proof against the driving snow, for it had drifted through in consid- erable quantities next to the skin. He staid at the Smith hab- itation two days, then when the storm was over made his trip to Milford and on his return found parties searching for him, supposing, of course, that he could not be otherwise than lost. This narrow escape which George Hamilton had in this April
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HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA.
blizzard shows how easily a man of caution and of excel- lent judgment can drift into danger, and where the chances of living are against him, but a blizzard on an open prairie, comes sometimes so unexpected and unlooked for that it is not a lack of caution nor an error in judgment to be caught out where life becomes suddenly in danger. Mr. Hamilton's claim, as will be noticed elsewhere, was then on Section 30, in Fairview Township. Mr. Hamilton believes that his deliverance was providential; that it was there on the prairie he made his first original prayer which God gave him then and there the as- surance that it would be verified.
In this same storm a resident of Fairview Township lost his life. There was then a postoffice on the Spirit Lake and Worthington route, about a mile south of where the town of Round Lake now is. It was kept by William Mosier, and Mr. Wheeler, whose claim was on Section in Fairview, was at the postoffice in Mosier's house when the storm came up. Wheeler started for home and unable to find his house, he wandered with the storm and at last exhausted, benumbed with cold, lay down and died. He got nearly to West Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County. He was found soon as the storm cleared up by Mr. Tuttle, whose house was not far away from where Wheeler perished.
Some others were out in the blizzard, but not far from home so that these got home safely.
One other death occurred in the county, that of Peter Ladenberger. After the storm he was missing and no trace of him could be found it was concluded that he must have perished. He was still unaccounted for until the 29th day of November, 1873, when the account of his being found, given at the time, is as follows: When Fred Krueger, while out hunting in the valley of the Ocheyedan fifteen miles south- east of Sibley, found the remains of some person, they proved to be those of the unfortunate Ladenberger. Mr. Krueger did not inform any person of the finding of the re- mains until Sunday, when he related the facts to Mr. S. S. Parker. Early Monday morning Mr. Parker came to town and informed the proper authorities, who immediately sum- moned a jury, consisting of Messrs. McCausland, Parker and Warren; these gentlemen with the acting coroner, Mr. Tur- ner, Dr. Mellen and some witnesses to identify the remains, started for the spot to determine, if possible, whose the re- mains were. The party proceeded eastward to the Parker settlement, where Krueger joined them; then going southeast
92
HISTORY OF OSCEOLA COUNTY. IOWA.
they crossed the Little Ocheyedan, the rolling prairie, and de- scended into the broad valley of the Ocheyedan. When near the junction of the Little Ocheyedan with the Ocheyedan, the party separated, and going to the southwest Mr. Parker soon discovered the remains. Tbe dead man was lying-probably as he fell-breast down, with right arm thrown back. The skull lay a few feet from the trunk. At his right foot was a hole, and it is possible that the surface of the snow was on that account uneven and caused him to stumble. A pipe, a car- penter's pencil, a silver ring, several pocketbooks, cap and pieces of clothing were found. The remains of the body were placed in a coffin and taken to Sibley. The pocketbooks were thawed out, and furnished conclusive evidence that the dead man was Peter Ladenberger. On Tuesday the remains were buried. Mr. Ladenberger was a carpenter, and the last work he did was to put up the liberty pole on the court house. He came from Sheboygan County, Wis., and had no relatives in the county.
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