USA > Iowa > Sac County > History of Sac County, Iowa > Part 29
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The Minder family came to Sac City from Garfield township, Calhoun county, Iowa, in about 1889, lived at Sac City ten years. The father was Fred Minder, an excellent machinist, who ran a shop on the present green- house site, near the Northwestern depot.
AUTUMN FROSTS IN WESTERN IOWA.
The Iowa weather bureau says of the first and killing frosts in western fowa :
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
Month and Day of
Month and Day of
Year.
First Frost.
Killing Frost.
1879
September 8
September 24
1880
September 9.
November 7
1881
October 18
November 9
1882
September 23 November II
1883
September 9.
October 20
1884
October 9.
October 23
1885
October 4
October 4
1886
September 17 October I
1887
September 23
October 24
1888
September 15
September 29
1889
September 16.
September 27
1800
September 13
September 13
1891
September 3.
October 5
1892
September 14
October 9
1893
September 16.
September 25
1894
September 18
October 14
1 895
September 23
September 30
1896
September 19.
September 28
1897
October 9.
October 29
1898
October 14
October 14
1899
September 20
September 29
1 900
September 17
October 8
1901
September 17
October 4
1902
September 18
October 14
1903
September 23-
October 18
1904
September 12
October 22
1905
October 12
October 12
1906
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1
August 27
October 10
1907
September 22
September 28
1908
September 28
October 12
1909
September 23
October 12
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WEATHIER RECORDS OF SAC COUNTY.
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From the records kept at Des Moines by the Iowa weather and crop bureau, with Dr. George M. Chappel as forecaster. under authority of the
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
United States government service, the following is found concerning Sac county weather for the term of years named :
Sac is in what is known as the western central district of observations, and includes the counties of Sac, Ida, Woodbury, Monina, Crawford, Car- roll. Audubon, Shelby and Harrison. The mean average temperature for this district is 47.1 degrees ; average annual precipitation, 29.36 of an inch. Average yield of corn, 31 bushels per acre. In Sac county meteorological records have been compiled at Sac City, Grant City and Odebolt. Altitude of Sac City, 1.278 feet : Odebolt. 1.356 feet. Grant City was first to have observations recorded and their record runs back to 1869. The record at Odebolt commenced in 1898. At Sac City is begun in 1876.
Of the maximum and minimum temperature in Sac county for the years from and including 1899 to 1913, the records show as follows :
The lowest temperature in 1899 was January and February-29 below zero.
The lowest temperature in 1900 was February-17 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1901 was December-22 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1902 was January-21 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1903 was February -- 17 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1904 was January-26 below zero. The lowest temprature in 1905 was February-28 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1906 was February-17 below zero.
The lowest temperature in 1907 was January-16 below zero.
The lowest temperature in 1908 was January-11 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1909 was December-17 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1910 was January-17 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1911 was January-25 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1912 was January-35 below zero. The lowest temperature in 1913 was March-16 below zero.
The highest temperature for the above years was in the order the years run, as follows: 1899, 98 degrees; 1900, 94 degrees: 1901, 108 degrees; 1902, 94 degrees; 1903. 95 degrees: 1904. 94 degrees; 1905, 93 degrees : 1906, 92 degrees ; 1907, 93 degrees; 1908, same ; 1909, 94 degrees; 1910, 96 degrees ; 1911, 100 degrees : 1912, 99 degrees; 1913. 99 degrees above zero.
Thus it will be observed that the lowest temperature since 1898 was, in the month of January, 1912. 35 degrees below zero, while the hottest tem- perature in that period was in July, 1901, when it was 108 degrees above zero.
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
The annual mean temperature for these years has been about 46 degrees above zero: 48.7 degrees was the highest mean temperature for the above period.
RAINS AND MELTED SNOW.
From the tables at hand the following are the figures for the rain and its equivalent in melted snows since 1869 in Sac county. These are totals for the years indicated : 1869, 39 inches ; 1870, 25 inches; 1871, 28 inches ; 1872, 24 inches ; 1876, 40.4 inches; 1877, 29.1 inches; 1878, 31.6 inches; 1879, 20.5 inches ; 1880, 23.21 inches; 1883, 27.4 inches; 1884, 34 inches; 1887, 29.5 inches. Averages. 29.28 inches, up to the last date noted.
For the year succeeding, the figures are: 1889, 28 inches: 1890, 23 inches ; 1891, 28 inches ; 1892, 24 inches ; 1894, 29 inches; 1895, 31.5 inches ; 1896, 38.80 inches ; 1897, 22 inches ; 1898, 28 inches ; 1900, 34 inches; 1901, 25 inches ; 1902, 42 inches. From 1909 to present time the figures are : 1910, 15 inches ; 1911, 33 inches : 1912, 30 inches; 1913, 27 inches. Average for last period, 30.61 inches.
Perhaps the heaviest snowfall in Sac county occurred in the winter of 1856-57, when it is said that three feet and seven inches of snow mantled this county on the level and at no time for one hundred days did it thaw sufficient to form icicles. In many places in the ravines the snow was thirty feet deep, and crusted hard enough. toward spring, to hold a loaded sled and team.
The government reports and observations of the snow fall in this lo- cality are in no wise complete. They do show, however, that the greater depths of snow since 1900 were 31 inches in 1901; 21 inches in 1902: 31 inches in 1906; 50 inches in 1911 : 56 inches in 1912. Of course it will be understood that this snow was not all on the ground at one time, as it was in 1856-57.
TIIE GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE.
Among all the hardships put upon the settlers in Sac county in its earlier history, the worst was the great scourge inflicted by the several annual ap- pearances of locusts or grasshoppers, which insects first made their appear- ance in 1875, and continued several years throughout northwestern Iowa, in- cluding Sac county. Much could be written concerning these little "cusses" that destroyed much the farmer tried to raise.
In order to give a better understanding of this subject it has been thought wise upon the part of the author to simply take extracts from the Sac Sun
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA1.
and other papers along that line, just as the events transpired, as such items show how little the people at first knew concerning the grasshopper and how many schemes were tried in order to get rid of the winged pests, which in some cases were so thick, in adjoining counties, that they fell into railroad cuts and filled the space between the ties to such a depth that freight trains were actually stopped in Cherokee county in 1877. The wheels of the engine would slip on the rails beneath the mass of crushed insects, in the same man- ner that they would had the rails been treated to a coat of grease. At times the sun was actually darkened at noontime, so dense a cloud did they make in passing south. They seemed to know which direction they wanted to go and waited till the wind was most favorable, then struck out, the meantime eating themselves full of all kinds of vegetation that chanced to be growing in their pathway. They were an object of legislation on the part of the county, state and nation-but all to no purpose. When they got ready to leave Iowa they simply unfolded their wings and hied themselves away.
The Sac City Sun of August 4, 1876, said : "The dreaded insects are now in southeast Dakota and northwestern lowa. So far they are one hundred miles away, and we hope their distance may be increased. They could not do great damage if they did come now."
August 11, 1876: "Last Saturday the grasshoppers were seen flying south over this town. Some of them settled down about six miles north of town. Monday they were noticed going back north. So far they have at- tacked but a few fields in Sac county and not much damage has been done."
August 25, 1876: "Like the man with the seven-year itch, we've got 'em sure. Friday last a clear sky and a moderately stiff wind from the north brought the locusts in great numbers. The air was filled with them and prob- ably enough passed over to have covered the earth a foot deep had they all alighted. As it is, we have enough to eat considerable grain. If they had come a month earlier it would have been much worse, but our small grains were saved and corn is pretty well along. Farmers and all others looked blue, at first, but this feeling soon gave way when it was found that they were not so dreadful a thing after all. At Uncle Jim Miller's they ate all of his tobacco erop up and then squirted the juice in his face, as he attempted to 'shoo' them away! We notice they do not eat evergreens. Reports say they have reached the Mississippi river. Phil Schaller says they have destroyed ten per cent. of the corn around Storm Lake."
September 1, 1876: "For three days last week the wind blew from the northwest, which carried away most of the grasshoppers, but a few are still
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SAC COUNTY, IOW.A.
with us. The greatest fear is for the damage that may be done next year. They are still hovering over parts of Sac county in goodly numbers."
September 8, 1876: "Last Thursday a brisk wind carried nearly all of the grasshoppers away. Farmers throughout this and adjoining counties should attend the mass-meeting at the court house next Saturday, looking to- wards means of systematic and concerted action against these pests."
September 22, 1876: "Grasshopper Meeting-Last Saturday at the court house only a few persons were present. An organization was perfected. with Washington Allen as its president, and vice-presidents as follows : Douglas township, George Dobson ; Delaware township, H. A. Pierce; Eden township, C. E. Lane: Eureka township, A. B. Holmes; Boyer Valley town- ship. William Cory; Wall Lake, A. E. Forsyth; Clinton township, C. L. Sherwood; Sac township, Basler: Viola township. William V. Lamoreaux ; Levey township, James Taylor ; Wheeler township, John Bruce. The president was instructed to procure posters warning persons against set- ting out prairie fires, under penalty of the law. It is expected of the vice- presidents that they effect organizations in their respective townships and endeavor to carry out this resolution, as set forth in the following words:
"'Resolved, That we petition the county boards of supervisors of Sac. Ida and Crawford counties, to enact a fine of fifty dollars in addition to that imposed by the state, and if prairie fires are set before May 15, 1877, or at the most suitable time to destroy the grasshoppers.
".Resolved, That we petition the government to appropriate money to pay bounty for destroying the grasshoppers.
" 'Resolved, That we urge upon the good citizens of the above named counties to take steps to enforce these regulations, concerning the burning of prairies before another spring.
"Steps will be taken by the grasshopper brigade to watch the prairies this fall to see that no one sets fire out, and if so that the parties so doing will be punished. Also that 'we will not kill prairie chickens, or any other kind of birds that eat grasshoppers, and that we forbid all parties from killing on our premises.' "
September 15, 1876: "Daniel G. Lane, who has lived in the West Indies, writes to prevent grasshoppers destroying vegetation, 'burn one pound of charcoal in the center of the field.' Also to prevent potato bugs, plant two grains of flax seed in each hill, as the bugs will not go near the flax."
February 23, 1877: "The opinion of people regarding grasshoppers and the time when fires should be set out to kill most of the eggs, differs greatly.
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
Some favor an early burning, in order to kill the most. Others think it should be later so as not to kill the chances for a good hatch of prairie chick- ens. Of course the chickens would destroy hoppers and be good to use for food, but to take chances is hardly prudent. The trouble is it cannot be de- termined what time the insects really hatch out themselves. We can only wait and see. But in the meantime, some may be burning, and to do this all should burn at once. Will it not be a good plan to have a meeting of the owners of farms-the association that was formed last fall; we believe Judge Early was president of the association. It will not do to remain idle. Now while the ground is frozen we may lull ourselves into a fancied security and think it will all come out right. The fact is we must get ready to fight the enemy."
March 30, 1877: "Washington Allen, one of Sac county's best farmers, has invented a machine for catching grasshoppers by the wholesale and, from what we have seen of it, believe it the best yet conceived of. It is easily made, consisting of a long box, resting on low runners, like a sled, to be drawn by two horses. In front, sloping down to the ground, is an apron upon which the hoppers will alight as they may be scared up from the earth, and from that they are carried to the back part of the machine, where they fall through sloping holes into a box. When this is full they can be stupified by throwing cold water upon them, and then shoveled out and destroyed. Mr. Allen has applied for letters patent (later he received one) and will make the machines and sell township rights. He is well-known and trusty, and we advise none to purchase elsewhere till first they have tested this machine. If every farmer in Sac county and adjoining ones should provide themselves with such a machine and go to work when the time comes, something might be done to destroy them."
Later an advertisement appeared for this machine, which was known as "Allen's Grasshopper Exterminator." Another party here claimed he was the inventor of some part of this machine and trouble arose as to the rights of the two parties.
May II, 1877: "Burning Prairie-Monday was the day set for com- mencing to burn off the Sac county prairies to kill the grasshoppers and the eggs of the same. It was rather damp and not good to set fire, but Tuesday was better and we hope that 999.777,555-333, 111 grasshoppers were killed, but we hardly think they were!"
May 11, 1877: "There is no disguising the fact that in spots grass- hoppers in Sae county are exceedingly thick. We urge upon everyone inter- ested to exterminate all they possibly can. They seem gathered in local
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
bunches and by spreading straw at such points they can be collected at night and then burned in the early morning. If there was a concerted action in this matter, there would not be enough left to eat up an onion patch. It is all right to pray God to send them away from us, but he works by means, and after you are done praying, go to work with all your might and fight them with the sword of fire and hew then from Dan to Beersheba. Then we may enter the proud land of milk and honey."
June 15, 1877: The county supervisors passed resolutions to allow cer- tain bounty or reward for all grasshoppers destroyed in Sac county, but be- fore the resolution went into effect it was recalled or repealed. The Sun, in speaking of this feature, remarked: "They acted well, but not wisely, and so they had better recall the act. First, it was illegal. The board had no au- thority to pay out funds for such purposes. Second, it would have done but little good for one county to act alone in the matter. Third, there would prob- ably have been claims presented to the amount of fifty thousand dollars. County warrants would have been issued at fifty cents on the dollar, thus yielding the farmers twenty-five thousand dollars and those who bought the warrants another twenty-five thousand dollars. The county would have had a debt of fifty thousand dollars and five thousand dollars a year interest, run- ning possibly ten years."
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CHAPTER XX.
REMINISCENCES BY LOCAL WRITERS.
-
THE SAGACITY OF A DOG.
By C. Everett Lee.
During the fall of 1868 two men, whose names we cannot now recall, came to Sac City from Illinois and put up at a hotel operated by C. E. Read and located on the ground now occupied by the Fox hardware store. They had left their home state with a view of putting in the winter trapping and after looking over the ground decided to locate on the Maple, nearly due west of where Alta now stands. They proceeded to buy lumber, provisions and traps and hired a party to take them to the place where they had decided to locate for the winter.
After getting their "dug out" about completed and needing more mate- rial and provisions, they decided to pull out on foot for Sac City with a view of buying enough of the necessaries to do them until spring, their only compan- ion being a large black and white spotted dog which they had brought with them from Illinois. The morning they started out the weather was beautiful and gave promise of a pleasant trip for them, but, after passing over the dividing ridge, a blizzard, such as was seldom seen even in those days, came sweeping down from the northwest and before they hardly had time to realize what had happened they were completely bewildered, and wanderers on a bleak prairie. They continued to travel until some time in the night when, for protection, they dug a deep hole in the snow and, with the dog, crawled inside and let the snow drift over them. Some time next morning the one who owned the dog shook the other and told him to get up and try and find a place of safety. He, not crawling out at once, suddenly awoke with a start to find himself alone, the partner and the dog evidently having crawled out when he spoke to him. He immediately crawled out and, after calling for his partner several times and getting no answer. pulled out alone. He traveled all day and when darkness set in discovered a light in the dis- tance and started for it as best he could. but before reaching the place he
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
fell down and was compelled to crawl on his hands and knees for nearly a mile before he got near enough for his call to be heard by John T. Alexander, who had settled on the prairie about nine miles north of Sac City the year before. He was carried in and cared for by Mr. Alexander, but was quite badly frozen and eventually lost several of his fingers and toes.
The second day after the blizzard had cleared up, several men were sit- ting in the hotel in Sac City when someone opened the door and in bounced the dog belonging to the man who had a short time before gone to the Maple to trap. He rushed up to Mr. Read and getting him by the coat, commenced to whine and pull towards the door. Mr. Read, not at first realizing what dog it was, went to the door and kicked the animal out in the street. The conversation then turned upon the dog and as soon as those present realized what dog it was, they were sure something had happened his master and that he had come for assistance. Mr. Read then put on his coat and, starting out, followed the dog until he came to the home of Addison Lee, the farm where Frank Howard now lives, when he saw Mr. Lee in his barnyard doing his chores. Mr. Read called him out to the road and informed him what the dog had done and to whom he belonged. Mr. Lee saddled one of his best saddle horses and as soon as he rode out in the road, the dog, which had been trying to get Mr. Read along with him by pulling on his coat, immediately started north with Mr. Lee after him. At this time there was but one trail leading from Sac City to Storm Lake and that went north on the east side of the river until it reached what is now known as the Low farm, where it crossed the river and took a northwest direction to the west end of the lake where the inlet came in and where all the camping and fishing was done. When the dog came to the river he crossed and struck the trail at a pretty swift gait. Mr. Lee, who was a brother of the writer, not knowing how far he would be compelled to go with the dog, slackened his pace after crossing the river and when the dog would go down in a hollow out of sight he would turn back and run to the top of a knoll and jump up to see if he was still being followed. This gait was kept up until the west end of Storm lake was reached and the man found lying in the snow, frozen to death, and with a path beaten around him where the faithful friend had probably walked around the body a thou- sand or more times before giving up and going to Sac City, twenty-eight miles. for assistance.
Parties were sent out from Sac City who brought the body there and buried it, Mr. Lee retaining possession of the dog, which he kept until he died from old age.
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
STORM AND FLOOD-PIONEER BOY'S REMINISCENCE.
[The following is from the pen of a Methodist minister, Rev. H. P. Dudley, who at the time was living in Carroll and whose father was one of the pioneer ministers in Sac county, residing at Grant City. This article was published in the Sun in 1913 and is full of enough interest and merit to be preserved in the annals of the county. ]
The principal natural event in the western hemisphere during the year 1869 was the total eclipse of the sun in the month of August. I saw with my own eyes for one awe-inspiring moment the polar streams and the magnifi- cent corona of the sun. This seems to fix in mind the date of more local and less important natural phenomena of the memorable year. It was in Grant City, the little inland village that nestled beneath the great oaks and elms on the banks of the Coon, in the southern part of Big Grove, Sac county, Iowa. Here, as a child we listened to the mournful mourning of the woods, or the deep diapason of the ceaseless roar which betokens a tempest. The rush of the waters over the rapids, the liquid notes of bobolink and meadow lark, the evening call of the sad noted whippoorwill, the rain crow and turtle dove, the drumming of the large flocks of prairie chickens, the pounding of the swift- winged pheasant and the pilating call of flocks of wild geese and other birds of passage were all familiar sounds. Yes, the place had its own peculiar music. For Big Grove, composed of some thousand acres of fine forest, was surrounded on all sides by a wide stretch of unoccupied prairie. A few small farms skirted the timber, but settlements were few and far be- tween. In all directions one could drive for many miles over virgin soil and not meet a human being, or pass the habitation of a fellow man.
Grant City was at this time, relatively speaking, quite a city. The popu- lation were mostly tradesmen, woodsmen, hunters and trappers. Elk, deer, otter, beaver, mink and muskrats were so plentiful as to make hunting and trapping a very profitable, as well as an exciting occupation. The river abound- ed in a fine quality of fish. There was no doubt as to the fisherman's luck, for fine pickerel eould be taken at any time with hook and line, weighing from three to fifteen pounds. Wright's mill dam had raised the water and set it back many miles, and it furnished a place for splendid boating, and here, too, in winter time, the sturdy pioneer boys and girls met in coasting and skating parties, that still make those sparkling winters memorable for mirthful joy.
In the month of August, following the opening of this narrative, I was sent as a lad not yet in my teens, with Hugh Traner, as a counciling com-
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SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
panion. to freight some machinery and provisions to my father's ranch, thirty miles west of Grant City, at Badgertown, on the Boyer river, in Crawford county. Mr. Traner was a small. nervous, little man, a fluent talker. in knowing relationship to all the life of those early days. He had a good work team and hauled the heavier load.
My team consisted of a bay mare and a black horse of the Mohawk family, known as "Dick." a notable, noble animal. He was purchased in Ohio by my father, after a long search for the best known horse he could find. irrespective of price. He was game. fast and fearless as a roadster and came to have a reputation among prime horsemen from the foot-hills of the Alle- ghany mountains to the shifting sands of the Missouri river. He brought our family from West Virginia to Iowa in 1856, and had served my father as an essential adjunct on several circuits, besides conveying him many miles each year to attend annual conferences, where he was greatly admired. I see him now with his glossy coat, silken mane, arched neck, fine head, large full eyes, graceful outline of body, splendid limbs, high, proud carriage, tre- mendous energy and noiseless feet of frictionless action.
The afternoon was an ideal one for our long drive, and as I had the fastest team it was thought best for me to lead off. Mr. Traner's dog. "Shep." a mongrel collie, ran ahead of my team and searched the roadside along the way for game. In the early part of the afternoon he encountered a badger. an animal of little value, but cunning and treacherous in fighting. When at- tacked, a badger invariably turns upon his back. A dog will usually nab him by the back of the neck, while the badger proceeds with his long, knife-like claws of his fore feet to almost cut the dog into shoestrings! A terrible con- flict ensued, but the dog conquered.
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