USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, from the earliest historic times to 1907, Vol. I > Part 3
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The winter of 1854-5 was a remarkably mild one, much of the time like Indian Summer, so much so that on Christmas a party of young people were starting out from the Robinson House for a horseback ride. when it came to a sad end by one of the young ladie- being thrown from her horse, which resulted in her death in a few hours. Years afterward, old timers, in speak- ing of the mild winters, would refer to this as the Aun Floyd winter, that being the name of the lady.
During the preceding year a number of substantial people arrived and bought ont claims and became permanent residents, among which were D. B. Clark, A. J. Bump and J. J. Johnson, who went into farming ex- tensively from two to four miles east of the city, while another number settled a few miles northeast. convenient to the Wicks mill.
Some of these were Mormons, but remained after the exodus. Among
FIRST COURTHOUSE-PURCHASED OF THE MORMONS. WIIO USED IT AS AN ASSEMBLY ROOM.
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PUBLIC LIENARY
ST, 2. LFS TON VLNLA
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
1
these were William and Henry Garner, George Scofield, Simeon Graybill, Alex Follett and Alexander Marshall.
These all secured good farms and became wealthy. \ mail route was now established between Des Moines and the Bluffs, the mail being carried in a small two-horse hack that made the round trip once a week. The first station east being at Silver Creek, the second at Wheeler's Grove, the latter being kept by Noah D. Wheeler, and the third just cast of the county line at a little settlement called Indian Town.
Up to this time there were but three voting precinets in the county, those being Council Bluffs, Wheeler's Grove and one in what is now Rock- ford township.
The first marriage of gentiles in Kanesville was that of M. D. Hardin and Miss Harriet Joiner, January 26, 1852, by Rev. E. E. Rice. This was appropriate, Mr. Hardin, son of Davis Hardin, being the first white boy to locate permanently here. Mrs. Hardin is still with us, Mr. Hardin hav- ing died in 1893.
The marriage of James A. Jackson and Miss Henrietta Cook soon fol- lowed, also that of William H. Robinson and Miss Mary Ann Lafferty.
Nebraska was rapidly settling up and although this history relates to Pottawattamie county, it is so closely interwoven with that of those ad- joining, both in Iowa and Nebraska, that we are compelled to step over the line occasionally. Claims were being made constantly by persons from this side, frequently resulting in violence and bloodslied. A case of this kind occurred at the old site of Fort Calhoun. A party consisting of Hadley D. Johnson, Addison Cochran, A. J. Poppleton, Jas. C. Mitchel. J. P. Casady, H. C. Purple, A. V. Larimer, and a number of others of Council Bluffs. all prominent men, had made a claim for a town site. Sherman Goss, of Rock- ford township, was also associated with them. Word came that their claim had been jumped. It has never been legally determined which claimant was in the right, but it was true, another party was in actual possession of the cabin, and was making improvements, and it was resolved to dislodge him, peaceably if possible. forcibly if necessary. and. organizing themselves into a little army, well armed, with Mr. Goss for their captain, they took up the march. Arriving; they found they had been correctly informed. The fortress was occupied, but the strength of the garrison was not known, but chinking had been removed from between the logs, forming good embrazures. HIalting within a few rods of the cabin, a command to surrender was made, to which, after a parley, the commandant refused. whereon an order to charge was made, and as the storming party got within a few feet the gar- rison opened fire and Captain Goss fell dead, with two shots in the brea. and Mr. Purple lost an arm; and a spectator declared the retreat was the most masterly previous to that of Bull Run. A little later Council Bluffs parties had a conflict over a claim over on the Elkhorn in Nebraska. The claimants were R. P. Snow on the one side and Jesse Winn on the other. They met in the cabin and a quarrel ensued, in which Mr. Snow was severely cut and Winn killed. The Snow side of the story is, that Winn cut him with a knife and his father-in-law, Mr. Tabor, shot Winn in defense of his.
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
son-in-law. Winn being dead, his story could not be heard, and their cause has long ago gone to a higher court than any here, as all the parties have passed over.
A. J. Poppleton. mentioned in connection with the Fort Calhoun affair, came to the Bluffs in 1854 from the state of New York. He opened a law office here and boarded at the Pacific House, where he formed the acquaint- ance of Mis- Sears, a relative of the proprietor, which resulted in their mar- riage in 1856, after which he moved to Omaha, where he rose to the head of his profession and when the Union Pacific road wa- built he became its general solicitor.
TIIE KANSAS-NEBRASKA BILL.
We have now passed the occupation by the Pottawattamies, and also that of the Mormons, for. although many still remained. they were in the minor- ity. The great California emigration had subsided. when another great move- ment was looming up in which Pottawattamie county would be largely interested, viz: organizing the Territory of Nebraska.
In the winter of 1853 General A. C. Dodge, one of the Iowa senators, was traveling through Fremont county on horseback on a tour of investiga- tion of the condition of western Iowa, its settlement, and the character of the country west of the Missouri. He became impressed with the importance of organizing all the country now included in Kansas and Nebraska as Nebraska Territory, and on his return to Washington he introduced such a bill. When it came back from the committee on territories, of which Sena- tor Douglas was chairman, it was so amended as to provide for the organizing of two territories, one to be called Kansas and the other Nebraska. The passage of this bill was the most momentous event in its consequences since the purchase of Louisiana, if not since the Declaration of Independence.
It was conceded from the first. that whatever the result in Kansas, Nebraska would become a free state and only a few -laves as house servants were ever brought into the territory. During the perilous times of the con- test in Kansas, a person on coming up the river through Missouri would feel a sense of relief when they began to breathe the glorious free air of Iowa and. Nebraska; and although Pottawattamie county was at that time strongly democratic and believed in the doctrine of squatter sovereignty. these demo- crats would have been quick to exercise it in excluding slavery from among themselves. In fact, there were a few men that went to the other extreme to the extent of aiding slaves to escape. Of this class was one Calvin Bradway. in the castern end of the county, that for a long time kept an underground station and constructed a large cave cellar in his corn field, and when enough were received for a load he would take them to the next station, which was at or near Lewis, in Cass county; and although his neighbors did not approve of it. he seemed to like to show his hatred of the institution by sometimes taking them through boldlly by daylight. Ile was violent and fanatical in other ways, and killed a man named Fairstein over business trouble, fled the country and, after some three or four years, returned and gave himself u' to Sheriff Field in open court. Judge Day presiding, and after being in
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
custody two or three days, and no probability of finding any witnesses, his case was dismissed on motion of the prosecuting attorney. Ile finally met his death while sitting in the house of a neighbor in the evening by a shot through the window. His slayer was never known.
With the organizing of the Territory of Nebraska, it became a matter of importance to the people of Council Bluffs that the capital should be located at Omaha and after a pretty brisk contest it was accomplished, although a majority of the population was south of the Platte river and made an effort to take it there, but influence was too strong for them, and for a short time the government of Nebraska though nominally in Omaha was actually in Council Bluffs.
Omaha continued to hold it for years, notwithstanding the majority of the population as well as representatives in the legislature were south of that river, and it was currently reported that sufficient South Platte representa- tives had to be fixed at each session to hold it. Bo this as it may, Council Bluff's had men well versed in making locations, as appeared a little later when two of her leading citizens were largely instrumental in locating the lowa capital at East DesMoines, in which. even at that early day, graft was suspected of playing a conspicuous part.
OTHER SETTLERS.
Among the men that came to Council Bluffs during 1854 and 1855 were Jolin Hammer and J. P. Williams, both large contractors and builders. The buildings constructed by them during a long series of years would make a pretty respectable town of it-elf. They also took an active part in public affairs, were members of the city council more tornis than any, except J. B. Lewis, since the organization of the city. The former. in connection with F. T. C. Johnson, built the brick courthouse in 1858, the Ogden House in 1869, of which he (Hammer) was one-third part owner, Burhop's Hall, besides other public and private buildings too numerous to mention; while Mr. Williams has done an immense amount of building, has filled the office of sheriff, which he resigned during the war and raised and commanded Company A of the Twenty-ninth Towa Infantry, and, the best of it is, that at this writing they are both with us, well and hearty in their eighty-third year.
Another one worthy of notice who came here in 1855 was Dr. Seth H. Craig. He, like all great men, was born in Ohio, in 1825, worked his way west. was in the Mexican war one year, studied medicine, came to Van Buren county in an early day, volunteered in time of boundary dispute with Mis- souri, was elected sheriff of Pottawattamie county on the democratic ticket in 1859 over HI. H. Field, republican, and George Doughty, independent, re- ceiving more votes than both of them. He was holding this office when the war broke out and resigned, raised Company B in the Fourth Iowa, served in that capacity until detailed on staff duty, when his first lieutenant, Kins- man, became captain and afterward colonel of the Twenty-third, and finally fell at the Battle of Black River, Mississippi. After the war he became
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
warden of the penitentiary at Fort Madison, later postmaster at Wymore, Nebraska; moved back to Council Bluffs and died August 1, 1905.
About this time a great temperance wave that was sweeping over the country struck Council Bluffs and resulted in organizing a lodge known as the Sons of Temperance, with Thomas Tostevin as its chief officer, and it had among its membership Judge Frank Street and Thomas P. Treynor. The latter now commenced forging to the front. He held the office of city recorder for six years, was appointed postmaster and served during the Grant administration, became associated with the Nonpareil. was county commit- teeman and as such became a power in western Iowa. His sons appear to be following closely in his footsteps, one having succeeded him as postmaster through two administrations, another was connected with the Nonpareil in different capacities for more than a quarter of a century, while a third studied medicine, built up a large practice and has been coroner for two or three terms.
The first lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons was constituted July 21. 1855, under the name of Bluff City Lodge. No. 71. Its first master was L. L. Brown, the other officers were Dr. P. J. McMahon. Judge Samuel H. Riddle, Samuel Ruepper, A. W. Hollister, J. C. Fargo and Dr. S. W. Wil- liams. Among the earliest members were Joseph Weirich, W. W. Maynard. Judge A. V. Larimer, John Keller, Judge W. C. James, Guy Benton and Leonard Sears.
Among the buildings erected this year was the Phoenix Block, a three- story brick on Upper Broadway, in which a large stock of goods were kept by Babbitt & Robinson, the former being the owner. The United States land office was in the second story, with L. W. Babbitt as register and L. S. Hills his deputy.
.Another old citizen that must not be overlooked was Judge A. S. Bryan'. Ile came here during the Mormon occupation and. although not a Morno, himself, was very popular with them, as well as with everyone that knev him. a- was also his wife, Aunt Puss, as all her friends called her. This venerable couple lived for several years after their golden wedding. They had no children. As early as 1852 he was elected to the legislature by tl Mormon vote, though, as before stated, he was not one himself. His invest ments proved profitable. He became quite wealthy, built two hotels at dif- ferent times, became interested in stores, laid out and platted Bryant and Clark's addition to Council Bluffs. and was also interested in a stone quarry in Sarpy county, Nebraska. Although from Missouri, he was strongly anti- slavery. and when the republican party was born he cast his lot with it and. continued to act with it to the end of hi- days.
The winter of 1855-6 was much colder than the one preceding it, and a Mr. Barret, of Crescent township. being overtaken by a storm on the open prairie, was frozen to death.
In the spring of 1856, at the city election, D. W. Price, democrat was elected mayor: J. E. Johnson, J. B. Lewis, James Orton, J. T. Baldwin W. C. James, J. D. Test, Patrick Murphy and G. A. Robinson were coned. aldermen; city recorder, F. E. Welch; marshal, HI. D. Harl; treasurer 1. B
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
Stutsman; engineer, Samuel Jacobs; assessor, David DeVol; city attorney, R. L. Dougla -.
This was a boom year. The great rush for California and Salt Lake was over, but quite a large number were moving in for permanent settle- ment. The counties adjoining us were settling up, as well as those aeross the river. Boats arrived and departed almost daily, while the Great Western Stage Company ran a tri-weekly line of four-horse coaches to and from Des Moines, and there was a like line to and from St. Joseph, and a two- horse hack line to Sioux City, while H. D. HIarl ran a line of four-horse buses to and from Omaha, going west in the forenoon and back in the afternoon. Fare, fifty cents each way. These ran in connection with the steam ferry boat Lizz Bayliss. Buyers came in from within a radius of sixty or seventy miles, and trade was good. The building up of Omaha had necessitated an upper landing, giving us two, as the lower, where Manawa now is, was still used. What would strike a stranger on arriving was the inferior class of buildings. Lumber was scarce and dear, and people were compelled to make those vacated by the Mormons do, although a few brick buildings were beginning to be in evidenee. The city was moving west. A brick three-story block was just completed. This consisted of four store- rooms. which were being filled with large stocks of goods. This was called the Empire Block and occupied the ground on the south side of Broadway, between Main and Pearl streets. Two of these firms had been in business up town for years. Offieer & Pusey had built a one-story frame on the corner of Main and Broadway and had opened their bank. Thus a nucleus of business was formed near the Pacific House and a great rivalry was the result between up town and down town, which became so fierce as to affeet the people socially and resulted in up town and down town parties, balls, etc. Horace Everett had opened his real estate office on the southwest corner of Broadway and Pearl and the banking house of Green, Ware & Benton was located about a hundred feet west in a brick two-story building, Dr. Enos Lowe, United States receiver, having his office in the second story. Finley Gusman had opened a drug store west of Offieer & Pusey's bank and Dillin & Doughty opened one during the summer next to the Pacific House, and Henn, Williams & Houten had started a bank next west of it. Also a dry goods store was started on the corner of Scott street by B. B. Brown, Casady & Test had opened their office at the angle where Hamilton Shoe Store now stands. The business was divided nearly enough equally to make the rivalry quite interesting, while between the two there were about two squares of neutral ground without stores and but few dwellings. The Phoenix bloek on Broadway. near First street. had been built and was oceu- pied by Babbit & Robinson with a large stock of goods. The postoffice, court- house and land office were up town. Council Bluffs at this time contained perhaps about three thousand people, but was doing the business of towns of eight or ten thousand. There were five banks, and a tenderfoot on seeing a little frame or log shanty with BANK in large letters would feel like laughing, but if he went in he would see a big safe open and displaying more gold and silver than he could carry. Similarly in passing an old log .
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
house a feeling of compassion would steal over him for the poor inhabitants of the wretched abode, but what would be his surprise on seeing elegantly dressed ladies leaving, and as the door opened disclosing elegant furniture and carpets, and perhaps hearing the notes of the piano. of which there were now three or four in the city.
But, owing to lack of building material, it was the best they could do, and most of them seemed to really enjoy it. The house first occupied by General Dodge, and where his first child was born, was one of this kind. . A six-foot man could not enter the front door without stooping. the floor was of puncheons, the roof of shakes, and for inside finish it was lined with cheap muslin, and it is quite probable they enjoyed it as much as any they have since occupied.
We will start from the postoffice, a story-and-half log house, with the Bugle office on the upper floor and Dan Carpenter working the old hand press. This was on North First street, where Ex-mayor Vic Jennings now lives, and going south the next house is the Yankee Notion, a kind of res- taurant, then two or three dwellings, the grocery store of Mr. Clough and some warehouses and the bookstore of Sanford & Craig, where the Zaller store now is, brings us to Broadway. Crossing, we come to the Ocean Wave Saloon, and, although the glory of California emigration times has departed, it is still a pretty hard proposition, and the waves ran pretty high at times. Next to the Wave is the jewelry store of Charles Luemler, the drug store of N. T. Spoor, the general store of R. P. Snow, the stove and tinware store of R. D. Amy, a ball alley and the large log boarding house of Mrs. Amy brings us to Pierce street, and from here south are only dwellings. Go another square south and cross over to the west side and we come to the old log courthouse and cottonwood jail. then the Union Hotel, a huge log partly weatherboarded, and kept by W. L. Biggs. A dozen or so of dwellings bring us back to corner of Broadway, where we find the store of Thomas Henshal. Going west on the south side we come to Sam Perrin's real estate office, the Phoenix Saloon, store of Iluntington & Pyper, -tove store of Milton Rogers, county judge's office, real, estate office of Louden Mullen, jewelry store of Mr. Harris, and we come to the Robinson House, another huge log partly weatherboarded and kept by G. A. Robinson, a clothing store, drug store of Emanuel Honn. Daguerrean gallery of Job Damon, Broad Gauge Saloon. This brings us to the Chronotype office. A few small dwellings brings us to the City Hotel, another log, with long porel in which is a huge triangle for calling guests to meals. This is where the Ogden House now stands. Crossing. we come to the residence of A. C. Ford. We now strike the neutral belt, in which we find the law office of Judge A. V. Larimer, some small buildings, one of which had been used for Rev. Rice's mission, and find Thomas Tostevin's office on the angle formed by Broadway and Fourth, or. as it was called, Baneroft. Crossing over. we are supposed to be down town. Ilere, where the ten-eent and two or three other stores were, was the lumber yard of Keller & Bennett. and one or two shops bring us to Guittar's Indian store, where the Pieree shoe store now is. Crossing Main, we come to the Elephant store of Tootle & Jackson in the Empire block
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IHISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
the store of George Doughty, hardware store of C. J. Fox and general store of MeBride & Bowen brings us to Pearl. Cro-sing, we find Horace Everett in a one-story frame where the cigar store now is. the offices of Addison Cochran, R. L. Douglas and J. M. Palmer, bank of Green. Ware & Benton, residences of Joseph Bayliss and W. H. Robinson, Washington Hotel and some small houses bring us to Sixth. Crossing, on the corner is the residence of Samuel Jacobs, next the little briek of Enos Lowe. This is one of the claimants for the distinction of being the first brick building. Both of these were torn down to make room for the postoffice. Keeping west, we find the resi- dence of R. L. Douglas, a story-and-half house, and on southwest corner of Eighth street a little brick built by Moses Shinn brings us to the end on that side. We will now return to the northwest corner of Broadway and First, and take in the north side. On the corner is the brick store of Stnts- man & Donnel, still standing and having a good trade; next Babbitt & Rob- inson, with United States land office in second story, store of C. Voorhis, a long frame sometimes called the Rope Walk, meat market of Debolt & Ponder, bank of Baldwin & Dodge, barber shop of Robert Russel. bank of Pegram & Riddle, a dry goods store, drug store of J. Hann, grocery store of Patrick Murphy, a saloon. II. D. Harl's bus office, harness shop of J. B. Lewis, grocery store of John Poolman; Woodbine saloon and one or two small shops bring us to Second street. Crossing, we come to the Nebraska IIall saloon, Beebee's hall and dwelling, Meridith's novelty works, Hepner and Graves liv- ery stable, Noak's liquor store, S. N. Porterfield's furniture store, Stein's res- taurant, Oliver's tailor shop. We now come to the neutral belt with the dwelling of Mrs. Brown and her daughter, Mrs. Perry, who is one of the claimants for the distinction of bringing the first piano. A dwelling, and car- penter shop of James Larue, bring us to the down town boundaries. Here we strike the law and real estate office of Casady & Test, a saloon of James Orton, another hard proposition, on the corner where the State Savings Bank now is, and we come to Main street. Crossing. we take in the bank of Officer and Pusey, jewelry store of Lafferty and Back, drug store of Dillin and Doughty, a shoe store of Samuel Knepper, drug store of Finley Gusman, and we reach the Pacific House, John Jones, manager. Western stage office, bank of Henn, Williams and Hooten, dry goods store of B. B. Brown, which ends the business.
Continuing on are several dwellings, among which are those of Thomas Officer. S. N. Porterfield. Mr. Kellogg, and Broadway degenerates into a erooked trail through a sea of prairie grass and sun-flowers for three miles to the ferry, and upper steamboat landing. The residence portion of the city was bounded substantially by Washington avenue on the north, by Frank street on the east, Bloomer street and Fifth avenue on the south and Ninth street on the west. There were a few dwellings beyond, but not enough to notice. Only a few warehouses, the Waverly House, an unsightly hotel, and a half dozen small dwellings were the extent of the improvements on South Main, with about as many on each of North Main and Pearl streets. The church was not very aggressive at this time. The Congregationalists had built a small brick church on Pearl street, about where Peregoy & Moore's
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
wholesale store is situated ; the Methodists a small frame on Pierce street. back of where the Ogden now stands, while the Presbyterians worshipped in a room in second story of one of the rooms in the Empire block.
During this year quite an amount of improvement was made. Broad- way was only a crooked mud road with some of the houses jutting from six to ten feet into the street. These were ordered moved back and Broadway brought to its present shape. The city mill at the corner of Bryant street and Washington avenue was built by a man by the name of Jackson, but - was sold by him to Baldwin and Dodge, and by them used in manufactur- ing flour. which was shipped by ox teams to the government forts and reser- vations for some years, then sold by them to Officer and Pusey, and by them to J. C. Iloffmayr during the '70 -.
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