USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county > Part 8
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he was compelled to accept it, as he prized the letters awaiting him a great deal higher than he did a whole load of melons. A few years thereafter the fondest hopes of both were realized and he was enabled to replant his fair eastern flower in the pioneer home he had prepared for her and now after many years of arduous toil, and as they are both rapidly traveling down the shady pathway of life, they are enabled to sit in their home of plenty and laughingly recount the hardships of their early days.
This is only one of the many incidents that might be narrated, showing the financial straits to which the early settlers of this county were at times reduced. To one looking back over the situation at that time from the present standpoint of progress and comfort, it certainly does not seem very cheering, and yet from the testimony of some of these same old settlers themselves, it was the most independent and happy period of their lives. At that time it certainly would have been much more difficult for those old settlers to understand how it could possibly be that thirty-five years hence the citizens at the present stage of the county's progress would be com- plaining of hard times and destitution and that they themselves perhaps would be among that number, than it is now for us to appreciate how they could feel so cheerful and contented with their meager means and humble lot of hardships and privation during those early pioneer days. The secret doubtless was that they lived within their means, however limited, not covet- ing more of luxury and comfort than their income would afford and the natural result was prosperity and contentment, with always room for one more stranger at the fireside and a cordial welcome to a place at their table for even the most hungry guest.
In the early settlement of the county a great many of the cabins were used as stopping places for travelers and when this was the case the house could well be said "to be crowded to its utmost capacity." On such an occa- sion when bedtime came, the first family would take the back part of the cabin and so continue filling up by families until the limit was reached. The young men slept in the wagons outside. In the morning those nearest the door arose first and went outside to dress. Meals were served in the hind end of the wagon and consisted of cornbread, buttermilk and fat pork and occa- sionally coffee to take away the morning chill. On Sundays, for a change, they had bread made of wheat "tread out" by horses on the ground, cleaned with a sheet and pounded by hand. This was the best the most fastidious could obtain and this only one day in seven. Not a moment of time was lost. It was necessary that they should raise enough sod corn to take them through the coming winter and also get as much breaking done as possible. They brought with them enough corn to give the horses an occasional feed in order to keep them able for hard work, but in the main they had to live on prairie grass. In giving the bill of fare above we should have added meat, for of this they had plenty. Deer would be seen daily trooping over the prairies in droves of from twelve to twenty and sometimes as many as fifty would be seen grazing together. Elk were also found and wild turkeys and prairie chickens without number. Bears were not unknown. Music of the natural order was not wanting and every night the pioneers were
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lulled to rest by the screeching of panthers and the howling of wolves. When the dogs ventured too far out from the cabin at night, they would be driven back by the wolves, chasing them up to the very cabin doors. Trapping wolves became quite a profitable business after the state began to pay a bounty for wolf scalps. One of the peculiar circumstances that sur- rounded the early life of the pioneers was a strange holiness. The solitude seemed almost to oppress them. Months would pass during which they would see scarcely a human face outside their own families. The isolation of these early years worked upon some of the settlers an effect that has never passed away. Some of them say that they lived in such a lonely way when they first came here that afterward, when the county began to fill up, they always found themselves bashful and constrained in the presence of strangers. But when the people were once started in this way the long pent up feelings of joviality and sociability fairly boiled over and their meet- ings frequently became enthusiastic and jovial in the highest degree. It seems singular to note bashfulness as one of the characteristics of the strong, stalwart settlers, but we are assured by the old settlers themselves that this was a prominent characteristic of the pioneers. And some of them declare that this feeling was so strong during the early years of isolation and lone- liness that they have never since been able to shake it off. But there were certainly some occasions when the settlers were not in the least degree affected by anything in the nature of bashfulness. When their rights were threatened or invaded, they had "muscles of iron and hearts of flint." It was only when brought together for merely social purposes that they seemed ill at ease. If any emergency arose or any business was to be attended to, they were always equal to the occasion.
There was a peculiar sort of free masonry among the pioneers. New- comers were made welcome and ready hands assisted them in building their homes. Neighbors did not even wait for an invitation or request to help one another. Was a settler's cabin burned or blown down, no sooner was the fact known throughout the neighborhood than the settlers assembled to assist the unfortunate one to rebuild his home. They came with as little hesitation and with as much alacrity as though they were all members of the same family and bound together by ties of blood. One man's interest was every other man's interest also. Now this general state of feeling among the pioneers was by no means peculiar to this county, although it was strongly illustrated here. It prevailed generally throughout the west during the time of the early settlement. The very nature of things taught the settlers the necessity of dwelling together in this spirit. It was their only protection. They had come far away from the well established reign of law and entered a new country where the civil authorities were still feeble and totally unable to afford protection and redress grievances. Here in Page county the settlers lived for quite a time before there was a single officer of the law in the county. Each man's protection was in the good will and friendship of those about him and the thing any man might well dread was the ill will of the community. It was more terrible than the law. It was no uncommon thing
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in the early times for hardened men who had no fears of jails or peniten- tiaries to stand in great fear of the indignation of a pioneer community.
The first nine years after Page county was settled it was in the earliest stages of pioneer life. All that can be known of this period is drawn solely from tradition. The county was yet unorganized and there is not a page of record of any kind to be found of the history of the county during this time. Most of the men who lived here during that time have departed and the few that remain have their memories obscured by the mist of thirty-five years. People in those days took very little, indeed we might truthfully say, no pains to preserve history. They were too busily engaged in making it. Historically speaking, those were the most important years of the county, for it was then the foundation and corner stone of all the county's history and prosperity were laid. Yet this period was not remark- able for stirring events. It was, however, a time of self-reliance and brave, persevering toil, of privations cheerfully endured through faith in a good time coming. The experience of one settler was just about the same as that of others. They were almost invariably poor, they faced the same hardships and stood generally on an equal footing.
In Page county the people were fortunate in having a mill built at a very early day, more fortunate in this respect that the early settlers of most other counties, in that the first mill built anywhere in the country was in their own borders and a distance of not more than thirty miles from the farthest point in the new settlement. They have, therefore, had few of those experiences of going seventy-five miles to mill. For a long time all the meal, flour and lumber used, not only in Page county but in all the adjoining counties as well, were manufactured here, and being the only mill in all these parts as a consequence it was crowded night and day with anxious customers, each desiring to get his grist done first so as to return home. Going to mill in those days when there were no roads, no bridges, no ferry boats and scarcely any conveniences for traveling, was no small task where so many rivers and treacherous streams were to be crossed and such a trip was often attended with great danger to the traveler when these streams were swollen beyond their banks. But even under these circumstances some of the more adventurous and ingenious ones in cases of emergency, found the way and means by which to cross the swollen streams and succeed in making the trip. At other times again all attempts failed them and they were compelled to remain at home until the waters subsided and depend on the generosity of their fortunate neighbors.
The year 1848 was generally a fruitful, prosperous one for the county. Careful preparation and faithful efforts had been made during this and the previous year by almost every one present for securing a crop for the har- vest of this year, which would be at least sufficient to supply all the settlers and their now increasing stock with all the essentials of living and if pos- sible, have some to spare for those coming in, so that the community would be supplied with breadstuffs and common home products, without going so far from the settlements to secure these necessaries at high prices and with great difficulty of transporting. For this faithful labor and careful prep-
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aration the settlers were bountifully and almost universally rewarded with a fruitful harvest and with an excellent quality of grain and other products raised. This was of course a great source of encouragement as well as com- fort to those in this new country and gave them sufficient assurance that they could very readily be able not only to comfortably support themselves, but could raise quite a surplus to sell to the newcomers for cash, with which to purchase the groceries, clothing and other essential articles for family use and farm improvements. By this means also emigration was encouraged and greatly increased, which brought in more or less money, created a demand for more and more supplies such as could be raised abundantly by any and every settler, increased the number of settlements and made quite an ex- tensive and encouraging home market for the surplus of all that was raised. During this year, 1848, the population of the county was more than doubled and the amount of civilization and improvement was more than trebled, greatly increasing the convenience and comfort of the settlers. Small stocks of goods, consisting of the essential commodities, were being brought in and pioneer stores or common supply posts were beginning to be estab- lished right at home. Schools and church privileges were being talked of and the necessary steps taken to secure them in due time, and, taking it all together, the year 1848 was one of the eventful years in the early settlement and history of Page county. And it was fortunate indeed that the harvest of 1848 was so bountiful and the general advancement in improvement so great, for the winter which followed was a fearful one and brought one of the heaviest snow storms that had ever been known here. Without the preparation and plentiful product of the past year, that winter would have been the sad occasion of a great deal of suffering in these parts and all along the frontier.
The snow commenced early in November, before the ground had be- come frozen, covering the earth with a heavy coat of white and continued at a depth of nearly three feet on the ground until toward the last of the following February. It came in heavy, driving storms, after intervals of a few days' cessation off and on all winter, often coming with such drift- ing, driving force as to render it impossible for the settlers to venture out or to get from place to place without danger of being lost or frozen to death. There being yet comparatively few settlers in the county and not a great deal of marketing to be done, or foreign trading to be transacted, travel was not sufficient to keep the ways open or form a beaten track in any direc- tion. And if anyone found it necessary to venture out any distance from home, the driving winds on those great unobstructed prairies only filled up his tracks with the drifting snow almost as fast as he made them, so he was unable to follow the same track in return. The inhabitants of the pioneer cabins were completely snowbound all winter, never venturing out only in cases of absolute necessity and then it was at the peril of their lives, or at least frosted ears and toes, especially if they had any great distance to go. It afforded splendid opportunities for enjoying the in- estimable blessings of home life to those who were fortunately favored
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MAIN STREET, LOOKING WEST, SHENANDOAH, IN 1873
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HOOD & BUR
SHENANDOAH IN 1885
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
with any such earthly luxuries but to those who were not thus favored it was certainly a terrible winter.
It was no unusual thing to make several unsuccessful attempts through desperate blockades of snow drifts in order to reach a mill with a few bushels of corn as a load. Many still relate with delight, and yet with an air of triumph and astonishment at having endured such trials, how they had made three or four such vain attempts successively to carry off a grist or haul a load of corn from another neighborhood but each time became so overwhelmed in the snow drifts that they found it impossible to go farther on their errand and were compelled to dig their way out of the drifts and retrace their track as best they could to their humble cabins, which were nearly covered in the drifts and scarcely visible to the wandering traveler at any great distance from home. The settlers generally aimed to take ad- vantage of the milder weather to go to mill and get their extra provisions and mail matter and other necessary errands, always clubbing together as much as possible on such occasions, and allowing the stronger, hardier ones, who were the best fitted and perhaps the most delighted to undertake such an excursion, to go on these distant errands for the neighborhood, while the more feeble and dependent ones remained to take care of matters at home. This all worked very well, with comparative comfort and satis- faction to those who had been fortunate in raising a crop during the past summer and exercised forethought and precaution enough to lay in a supply ahead during the better days to serve them through the stormy, blustering weather. And though the heavy snow banks did block them in from getting to mill for several weeks, they could live at home in comparative happinesss and contentment on their abundance of boiled corn and hominy, or exercise their genius and skill in trying to invent some new plan of grinding or grating their corn and preparing their home products for a palatable diet. But for those newcomers who had arrived late in the fall and especially for those who had come in just before the heavy fall of snow came so that they had no time nor opportunity for making prep- aration for the approaching storm and cold weather, this winter was a most terrible and gloomy one. They could not get away any distance to supply themselves with corn or any of the necessaries of comfortable liv- ing, on account of the heavy snow and driving winds, and as a general thing they had no great supply of these things on hand. Their only hope and relief in this extremity was to depend on their generous and more fortunate neighbors who had been there long enough to have raised and harvested a crop, both for supplies for their families and their stock. And in all such appeals in cases of emergency, those seeking aid and relief seldom, if ever, failed to have their requests granted abundantly, with cheerfulness on the part of their more favored neighbors and most gen- erally without remuneration. One of the greatest difficulties and severest trials these newcomers had to undergo during that hard winter was that of procuring the necessary food and shelter for their stock which they had brought along with them to make a comfortable commencement on im- provement during the coming year. This stock necessarily suffered a
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great deal during the cold and stormy weather from want of sufficient food and shelter, and much of it died from hunger and constant exposure, causing serious loss and inconvenience to the owners. In the absence of hay, corn, stalkfields and straw piles, in this extremity the settlers were obliged to cut down lind and elm trees in the most convenient and sheltered places from the tops and branches of which the hungry stock could browse, as a substitute for the more nutritious food, and behind whose bushy tops the poor animals could find a partial shelter from the chilling winter winds. In this way many of the settlers who came in late succeeded in bringing the most of their stock through the hard winter but could not have endured the siege much longer, as they found in the spring that there was not much more vitality and locomotive power than was absolutely necessary on the part of these dumb brutes to enable them to get around and graze upon the new grass sufficiently to recruit their diminished strength and wasted bodies.
Even many of those who had been here for a longer time, having pre- pared in the summer and fall what they supposed would be sufficient fodder for their stock through an average winter, and not looking for such a fearful siege of snow and storm, were glad to resort to the browsing system also and cut down trees plentifully near their stock yards in order that the animals might fill up on the twigs and branches and thus get along on a smaller quantity of the prepared fodder, lest the supply should fail before spring set in. Many such ingenious plans were resorted to in these cases of necessity in order to "winter through." From all accounts of those who were compelled to endure it on the frontier, it was certainly a desperate winter, thoroughly fitted to try the hearts and test the powers of endur- ance of those who were obliged to battle with the trials of pioneer life in the west. Such a winter, coming even now, when people are thoroughly fixed for it, with fine houses and barns, and food and shelter for man and beast, and with all the conveniences and comforts and provisions that could reasonably be desired, would be considered a "stormer," which must cause destitution and suffering on the part of very many. No wonder then that the early settlers still living, who endured it here with meager prepara- tions, ever remember and refer to it as the "hard winter of 1848-49."
The fearful winter referred to gradually began to loosen its hold in the following February and before the month of March was gone the snow had all disappeared, except occasional remnants of massive drifts that had existed on the north side of high banks and hills, where the sun had not been permitted to shine so powerfully, and the spring of 1849 was ushered in quite early, with a kindly welcome, bringing encouragement and hope to many anxious hearts, as well as comfort and warmth to many needy. suffering homes. The heavy snow lying so constantly on the ground during the previous winter had not allowed the ground to become frozen very solid or deep, so that the stock could take care of themselves quite comfortably during the latter part of March and until grass began to start in the sloughs and bottom lands in sufficient quantity to furnish feed in abundance. Everything seemed most favorable also for producing an
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early growth of vegetables, as if to recompense for the want and suffering of the past winter. By the time the snow was melted the frost was nearly all out of the ground, so that the constant rays of the sun soon produced warmth enough in the earth to start the growth of grass and hurry the much wished for pasture along and furnish food for the famishing herds. This was indeed an inestimable blessing to all those who had settled here late in the previous fall and had not been enabled to procure either food for their stock or sufficient food and comforts for themselves and families.
The felling of trees for the browsing and shelter of stock had proven a good thing in time of need but all were heartily glad that the time had at last come when this custom need no longer be pursued and when stock could take care of themselves, leaving the owners to go about spring work and improvements.
Great preparations were made on all hands during the spring for securing as good and large a crop during the coming harvest as possible. Every available acre and square foot of ground that was at all arable and fitted for receiving the seed with any chance of producing a reasonable growth of grain or garden stuffs was seeded or planted with the utmost care and diligence. During that spring quite a large crop was planted, con- sidering the age of the settlements and the great disadvantages under which the citizens labored for making improvements, and again their faith- ful labors were rewarded with a fruitful harvest. Quite a large increase of emigration also came into the county during the spring and summer, almost doubling the population of the county before the end of the year. As one who was present and witnessed the scene of progress says of it: "The year of grace, 1849, was crowned with an abundant harvest and witnessed the incoming of many emigrants within our borders, who were greeted with a hearty welcome by all."
No doubt those coming in during the year did receive a hearty welcome from all those who had preceded them and found the way opened with far more encouraging prospects than those did who first made permanent set- tlements in Page county. It was in general a summer of peaceful prosperity, many of the newcomers bringing in more or less money to be distributed to some extent among those already living here, who had been fortu- nate enough to have something left from last year's crop to sell for the supply of others. During the early years of the county there were two heavy floods that have never been equaled since. When the immense banks of snow that covered the earth in the winter of 1848-49 began to melt, it caused a heavy flood to sweep down the bottoms and ravines into the rivers. The melting of the snow began about the first of March and continued under the increasing power of the sun's rays, to swell the rivers until far beyond their banks and well up on the bluffs of either side, thus rendering it impossible to cross them and shutting the settlers in from communication with those living on the other side, for weeks and months. A great many heavy rains also came during that spring and kept the flood raging from March until July of that year. There was very little getting to mill, or any place else, while that continued, if the desired trip
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was to be made across a stream or two of any considerable size and under such circumstances the settlers must still remain contented with their allotted apportionment of "hog and hominy" until the "floods of water" subsided so that crossing could again be accomplished.
Sometimes very risky and generally fruitless attempts were made at crossing during the high waters by the more adventurous and daring ones. A temporary raft was made of logs or homemade canoes and dugouts fastened together, on which the grist and wagons were taken across piece by piece and then the oxen caused to swim to the other shore, when all things were again put together in running order and the mill goers moved onward on their journey. But not very many of the settlers chose to risk such a hazardous undertaking and sometimes those who did under- take it found more on their hands than they were able to manage and were glad to get back safely to shore with all their effects and wait until a more convenient season. As a general thing the citizens were content to remain near their homes, attending to the work to be done during high waters and make the best of the circumstances, living on just such as they had and could get near home. Again in 1851 there came another flood. This time it was not caused by melting snow but by an unprecedented rainfall. The rain continued to fall without cessation for weeks and even months, apparently. All the streams were swollen imntensely and great damage was done. In some places the prairies seemed like lakes or other large sheets of water. All the pioneers remember the great floods of 1849 and 1851. Of the old settlers some are still living in the county, in the enjoyment of the fortunes they founded in the early times, "having reaped a hundredfold." Others have passed away and many of them will not long survive. Some of them have gone to the far west and are still playing the part of pioneers. But wherever they may be and whatever fate may betide them, it is but truth to say that they were excellent men as a class and have left a deep and enduring impression upon Page county and the state. "They builded better than they knew." They were of course men of activity and energy or they would never have decided to face the trials of pioneer life. They were almost invariably poor but the lessons taught them in the early days were of such a character that few of them remained so. They made their mistakes in business pursuits like other men. Scarcely one of them but allowed golden opportunities for pecuniary profit at least, to pass unheeded. What are now some of the choicest farms in Page county were not taken up by pioneers, who preferred land of very much less value. They have seen many of their prophecies fulfilled and other come to naught. Whether they have attained the suc- cess they desired, their own hearts can tell.
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