USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization. > Part 7
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NEVADA IN 1856-8.
In the summer of 1856, I tramped into the village of Nevada. Then as now, like all western towns, it straggled over more land than it fully oc- cupied. The residences were mostly on the original plat ; but Wood's, Bur- ris', and Stewart's additions had already been laid out. Streets were known rather by the stakes of the surveyor than by any use that was made of them for convenience of travel. The country was open in all directions and those who traveled sought the higher grounds and the shortest routes, and the diagonal, being the most direct, was popular in town and country. Rows of small business houses, framed of oak and covered with linn siding, partially marked the north and east sides of the south public square.
Speaking of "squares," will remind all the early settlers of the earnest contentions that clustered around those open half-blocks called "public
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squares." That on the north was subsequently conveyed to the county and is occupied by the court house; the other is the north half of the park. Both are now matters of pride to all good citizens, but then there was much jeal- ousy and no small amount of bitter rivalry between the partisans of the north and south sides. Officers for the schools, the township, the road districts, and even for the county, were supported or opposed as their interests were supposed to be situated north or south of the great "Mason and Dixon's line," "The Slough" that lies just south of the old town well.
At the time of which I write this slough was in many places an impas- sable bog, and was only to be crossed on a small and narrow bridge on Main (Locust) street south of the old court house. It was for many years thought by some that to make this bog passable on Linn street was beyond the skill of the civil engineer. What wonder then, that anxious mothers and prudent fathers after grave counsels should decide that the proper place for the school house was near the only bridge over this famous Rubicon, and so that location was chosen, though so limited in extent that a portion of the street had to be vacated in a few years to furnish room for additional accommoda- tions. The competing sites were the lots just east of Child's (Lough's) livery barn and the lots on which Mr. (Mayor) Gates' residence now stands. These were rejected as being severally obnoxious to the partisans of the slough contest, and the lot near the old court house, before mentioned, was accepted as a judicious compromise. Readers may smile, but these are sober facts of the period of 1858 and thereabouts.
There was then a log house on the corner occupied by Hon. T. C. McCall (directly east of the city hall), in which Mr. Romaine lived. There was a log house on the lot occupied by the Hutchins House (until it burned). Mr. Alderman's store was then a short distance east of the present site of the opera block. East and north from these buildings were open grounds partly covered by ponds. The residence of Mr. Alba Hall, senior, was then on what is now the site of the furniture store, (Belknap block). The "only first class hotel in the city" was kept by John McLain on the corner two blocks west of Alderman's (Patrick's ) hardware store. It was a log building with a shed for a kitchen, and a half-story above filled with beds. It would be base ingratitude were I to fail to bear testimony to the capacity of that humble hostelry for comfort and enjoyment. Nevada has long had more pre- tentious hotels ; but I venture to assert that Hon. D. O. Finch of Des Moines, Hon. John A. Hull of Boone and such other wayfarers of thirty (fifty-five) years ago as partook of the hospitality of Mrs. McLain will cheerfully bear witness that they have never had more satisfactory treatment in any Nevada public house than they had under the roof that covered the old log building. It was for more than a year my home, and among the regular boarders then were Capt. H. H. Rood, now of Mt. Vernon, Iowa, his brother, Dolph Rood. a man named Bennett, J. C. Lovell, Isaac Walker, Barr Scott, Frank Hunt, Moses Hunt and others. It was often the temporary home of Judge Mac- Farland, General M. M. Crocker, Mr. Wood (the lawyer whom MacFarland
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facetiously christened "Old Timber"), Judge Williamson and many of the older citizens of Boone, Jasper, Marshall and Polk counties.
BEGINNINGS OF NEVADA.
T. E. Alderman was the first resident of the town, as well as the first merchant. He erected the first building, which was on the lot now occupied by Lant Lockwood's home. This was in the autumn of 1853. It was made of roughly dressed logs, with split boards for a roof. The boards for the floor were sawed at a mill on Clear creek in Jasper County, and the sash, doors, etc., were hauled from Keokuk. Esquire Robinson got out and de- livered the logs for this building, which was 16x20 feet. It served as busi- ness house and dwelling; and it afforded space for the general store, post office, parlor, reception room, dining room, kitchen and numerous chambers for sleeping. Within a few weeks another room of the same size and con- struction was added on the west side, with a door between them, affording a partial division of space for public and private uses.
The second building erected was the before-mentioned McLain hotel. This was built by John McLain early in 1854 and it was, of course, filled with guests at once. Isaac Walker was one of the first. He made his home in that house for several years, and meantime improved the farm where he now lives, the Shugart & Fawcett farm next east of the Nevada corpora- tion.
Dr. V. V. Adamson was one of the earliest arrivals in 1854 and his description of his first appearance on what was for several years his stage of action is worthy of insertion here. The doctor was then about twenty years of age, five feet five inches in height, weight not much over one hun- dred pounds, but with heart, soul and courage enough for a man twice his size. Who remembers the big bull snake he caught on the prairie and bottled alive and that was long conspicuous in his show window in after years? The doctor's quaint description of the opening scene was as fol- lows :
"On the first day of May, 1854, at about four o'clock p. m. a two-horse wagon might have been seen approaching the new town of Nevada, Iowa, from the southeast. As it drew near it was seen to have two occupants, one an aged man engaged in driving the team; the other a young ÆEsculapius fresh from medical school and seated upon a large box in which was stored most of his worldly goods, while he led from the rear of the wagon a sad- dle horse. This young man, V. V. Adamson, was seeking a home as well as patients in a new country town. The team was guided to the door of the only occupied building in town, which was found to be the home of T. E. Alderman. The house was constructed of logs and was built in the shape of a capital letter L. The western and smaller portion was used as a dwelling and hotel; the eastern room was used as a general store. Mr. Alderman was merchant, hotel-keeper and postmaster, and when trade was dull he did not hesitate to do an honest day's work with his trowel. The
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young man secured board and lodging at the hotel Alderman, while the mer- chant Alderman furnished office room, allowing the young doctor to display his meager stock of drugs and medical appliances on a shelf beside some patent medicines. In payment for this privilege and that he might sooner become acquainted with those who came to trade with the merchant he was to assist in dispensing prints, teas, coffee and soaps; but being a stran- ger it was necessary to show up assets before engaging board. All things being listed, the schedule was as follows: one horse, saddle and bridle, a small lot of drugs, a smaller medical library, and nine dollars and ten cents in cash. The nine dollars were paid in advance for board and the ten cents expended for smoking tobacco. As there was no stable, at night the horse was tied to a post, while during the day his halter-strap was made fast to an empty dry goods box. This box he drew after him as he wan- dered over the site of the 'future great,' cropping the tender grasses as he went. The young man sat down to wait for patients. These did not put in an appearance until the September following. The waiting was weari- some and would have been more so but that the town was coming into notice. Settlers began to come in and houses began going up over the town-site. It is true they were of a primitive character; but they housed men and women that were not only true to themselves but also to each other."
About the same time Capt. George Child arrived. He built for a resi- dence the house now owned by Mr. Warrick and on lots adjoining Mc- Lain's hotel on the south (the Christian church lots). Mr. Child also set about building a frame house to be used for mercantile purposes. This was located just east of the present opera block and faced south. An . tensive and valuable line of goods was opened in this building within a few months by Mr. Child and his brother-in-law, S. S. Webb. These goods were hauled by ox-teams from Davenport and Rock Island. A portion of the lumber for the Child & Webb building was drawn from a sawmill on Four Mile creek in Polk County, and the remainder from Webb's mill near Iowa Center. The sheeting on Child's residence, the Warrick house, was hauled from the saw- mill on Four Mile and is good black walnut lumber. The floor of this house was from the first logs sawed in the Josiah Chandler mill just north of the bridge over the channel at Cambridge. George went after it on Sunday, crossing Skunk at the old bridge a mile below Cambridge, and got it as far that day as a slough west of Tom Hemstock's farm, where he left it for the night. Next day he brought the precious white-oak boards to their destination. There was no road, not even a track, and oxen made the only practicable teams for such work. Meantime a stranger had em- ployed Mr. Alderman to erect a business house on the corner east of the Child & Webb building; but the man failed to appear and occupy it. In fact he never reported, nor was heard from by those interested.
Before this building was finished, even before it was "chinked and daubed," the first district court for Story County was held within its walls.
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At this time there were but two families permanently settled under their own roofs in the town, those of Mr. Alderman and of Mr. John McLain. The latter kept the hotel. During one night of the term of court it rained heavily and Mrs. Alderman was compelled to open her doors and give shelter to as many as could lie side by side on the floor of her house. They piled in as close as sardines in a box, not having room to pull on their boots in the morning until someone had vacated the apartment. The tem- porary court house was removed within a few months by a man named Harris, one of the early merchants, to a site directly west of the northwest corner of the park, and afterwards formed a part of the old Helphrey house, a tavern known to some as "The Terrific."
During the fall of 1854 a tailor named Hockley built a cabin just south of Will Moran's (P. E. Shugart's) residence, which latter is on the site of Judge Evans' home of thirty (fifty-five) years ago. Other families which came in about this time were those of T. J. Adamson and Isaac Romaine. The former built on the site now occupied as a home by Dr. Charles Hoag, (the Geo. Robinson lots), while the latter took the corner, where the Hon. T. C. McCall now lives (east of city hall). Dr. V. V. Adamson, who was the first physician, had come in the spring of 1854 and still boarded with Mr. Alderman. Mr. Romaine's family also housed with Mr. Alder- man while his, Romaine's, house was building. This was during November and December, 1854. Mrs. Romaine gave birth to a child during this period, and one of Mrs. Alderman's children died. This was the first death within the limits of the town, being the daughter named Nevada, who was also the first child born here. The second death was that of the infant born to Mrs. Romaine, while the third was that of an infant of Mrs. George Child. During a portion of this same fall in addition to the cares, labors and casualties mentioned, Mrs. Alderman in her limited and crowded space nursed four patients sick with typhoid fever, all being down at the same time. Old man Helphrey built a story and a half hewed log house south of the Slough, to which the unused business building before mentioned was added and which was known as the "Helphrey House." The house at first did a good business, in fact, was crowded until the proprietor conceived the idea that buying second class food for his tables, his boarders would not eat so much, his grocery bills would be less, while his profits would be larger. The result was that he drove the most of his boarders away from his house, and he was finally compelled to close his hotel.
T. J. Adamson erected the second frame building in the town. It was a small store room erected south of the Slough on what was then known as "the south square." The building was on the northeast corner and faced south. This lot is the home of Mrs. Gillespie (J. F. Gillespie).
BUILDING THE TOWN.
The year 1855 witnessed a notable increase in the population of the vil- lages and house building in the same ratio. A. C. Barnum built a log cabin
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on the northwest corner of the lots now occupied (until her death) by Mrs. Sarah Boynton. This house was set near the alley where the stables now stand, while in front of it and extending into the street toward Mc- Lain's hotel was a nice pond on which the wind raised waves till the white- caps covered the shore with froth. Mrs. Barnum died in this cabin in the spring of 1856. During this year and early in 1856 David Child, E. G. Day, J. W. Cessna, Wilson Daily, Mr. Compton, Dr. Kellogg, Mr. Jonathan Statler, James D. Ferner, Russell and Frank McLain, Tom Larcum, Thos. Westlake, Israel and George Helphrey, James Moore, J. C. Lovell, Austin Prouty, Judge Evans, Ellis Armstrong, John J. Bell, Abner Lewis, James Hawthorn and others were added to the population of the town.
Mr. Compton built a house on the lot (the Geo. M. Barnes' lot) north of Mrs. Letson's (Mrs. Waldron's) place, and afterwards built on the Letson (Waldron) lots. A Mr. Wilson built the Mrs. Brigham place. Judge Evans built where William Moran (P. E. Shugart) lives. A house for Mr. Barndollar was built just north of Mr. H. Boynton's (F. A. McLain's) place, in which Mr. Statler lived while building his place on the corner south of Ross Wakeman's place; and Dr. Kellogg had lived in the Barn- dollar house before building where Theodore Worsley now lives, (O. B. Alderman property, south of F. A. McLain's). The old Barndollar house is now Mr. Boynton's stable. J. D. Ferner built the Wakeman house. Russell McLain built where Mr. Earl now lives (east side of Addison lots). James Moore on the south side of Mr. Gillespie's lots (Mrs. Nancy N. Robinson's home lot). Austin Prouty where Mr. Ringheim (E. A. Faw- cett) now lives, John J. Bell on the corner northeast of the park. Abner Lewis next, (the Addison corner) south of Austin Prouty. James Haw- thorn, where he (his son Isaac) now resides. David Child's first residence in Nevada was on the site now occupied by S. E. Briggs' (Sam'l White's) residence. S. S. Webb lived on the Waldron corner. Bob Hockley lived in the house recently torn down on the site of the new (and the much newer) Adventist church. Ed. Schoonover afterwards lived in the same house. R. D. Coldren built and occupied the house now (and still) owned by Mrs. Dr. Cook. Adolphus Reed built and occupied the house north of George Child's present (old time) residence. Mr. Stoneking built and sold to Abner Bell the Fitchpatrick dwelling, (not including the square upright). William Aldredge built the house now owned by John Storm, (Dr. Jeffrey). Mrs. Kellogg built the house (O. I. Spencer's) west of her present home, and her husband had previously built and died where Theodore Worsley lives, (on O. B. Alderman lots). Frank McLain and his sister, Mrs. Lar- cum, lived in the house next south of Dr. Kellogg (the Handsaker corner). Ellis Armstrong kept a store in the building that is (since) now part of his stable when it stood facing the east side of the park. His residence was in the same locality and was the first house erected on the east side of the park. It consisted of a square log building which afterwards had a front of boards added with large windows. Major Hawthorn was at work on
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this building when he was told that a bolt of lightning had killed his daugh- ter and also a daughter of Henry Bailey in the house that stood east of the Gallup residence. Fortunately Miss Jane Hawthorn, afterwards Mrs. Gar- rett, by prompt measures for restoration was saved; but the other reported death was a sad fact.
When T. J. Adamson built the house recently torn down to give place to Dr. C. E. Hoag's (Geo. Robinson's) new residence, he had the largest and most pretentious home in the town. John J. Bell built a hotel on the M. M. Ross (Mrs. Lowrey's) corner. This was looked upon at the time as a valuable addition to the town. It was afterwards removed by Mr. Welton to the site of the Hutchins House and sold to and remodeled by Mr. Waring. Judge Mitchell's first residence, built by himself, was the house (the Finch property) immediately north of the west end of the lots he now occupies (Mrs. Mitchell). C. D. Berry built the house long occupied by J. C. Mitchell, but now by Mr. Lyman (Frank Pouge). W. E. McNight built for his residence a part of the Vincent house and after- wards added to it for hotel purposes (Vincent lot north of the garages). John L. Dana built his present (long time) residence in 1856, and Mr. Bils- land built the house on the west side of the street in 1857. Mr. Alderman, in 1856, built the house now occupied by Treasurer Mills (south of the Mills home) and lived in it until he changed to his present home (home- stead corner of Oak and Second avenue south). When Levi Schoonover built on the site of Mrs. Bates' place (south of M. C. Allen's), a block east of Mr. Hall's (the Belknap corner, and beyond the ponds, it was regarded as quite out in the country. The present (late) residence of Mr. Purkhiser was built by J. P. Robinson, the old "Squire," on lots that are now a part of the south half of the park, and removed first to lots west of the north- west corner of the park, where they served for a store building, and sub- sequently to the present site. The first building on the Homer Boardman (Dr. Smith) lots was a carpenter shop occupied at different times by J. M. Tanner, W. K. Smith, Chas. Schoonover, Nelson Cox and others. David Child removed this building to his farm. Another building was afterwards erected on the same lots and was used as a furniture shop and store. It was occupied as such by John Barr. Thomas C. Davis added to this building and occupied the place as a residence while he was county treasurer. W. S. Garrett lived when first married in the Ross Wakeman house and afterwards in a part of the first house built by Alderman. At this time and previously a part of this old house had been occupied by Isaac Evans, a brother of the judge. In 1857 William Margeson built the place now owned by Mr. Peck on Scott's addition. In this house I passed the winter of 1858-9. It then stood on blocks and comprised only the two front rooms. About this time John Hail built the Mrs. Butt place (on the Frank McKim corner and recently removed to outlots, south of Wood's addition), and John Hammond built the Beatty place (not the Beatty homestead, but in the same block on Pine street). Cottonwoods were planted on both
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places, but several of them have been cut down. John Stephens built the same year. In 1859 I built on the lots I now occupy (the Patrick home) and planted the first trees the following spring. I brought some apple trees from the James Smith nursery near Des Moines, which were planted east of my house. The only apple tree of that planting still living is the old tree near the culvert on Linn street on the place (once) now occupied by Dr. Smith. It was set there in compliment to the printer, Mr. Thrall, who then lived there. The soft maples on my place and those on Mrs. Stephens' place came from the grove planted by Milton Evans in Milford Township. I got the sugar maples north of Ontario and picked up many varieties of trees in the neighboring groves. The large golden willow is from a cutting taken from the old tree that stood on the east end of Mrs. Letson's place and which was cut down by Mr. Letson.
The first winter Judge Mitchell passed in Nevada, that of 1856-7, he lived in a small office north of the west end of the court house lots, after- wards long occupied by Jimmy Green. He thinks Jimmy lived at that time in the cabin south of the Judge Evans house, now Moran's (Shugart's). Joe Tanner wintered in the log cabin originally built by George Helphrey for a smithshop, opposite Mrs. Butt's place (McKim's), but at the time mentioned standing near where Henry McIntosh now lives. Helphrey had moved it to this point and had occupied it as a smithy. It is said also that Helphrey built the old shop on Mrs. Sanders' lot just north of Mrs. Let- son's home (Mrs. Waldron's) and sold the place to Wilson Daily, this being Daily's first residence and shop, in 1855. Daily built a residence within a year or two on the lots (the tennis court) facing west in front of the old Alderman residence (south of) where Mr. Mills now lives, and which was rebuilt and extended by Henry Boynton, who sold it to Otis Briggs. Moses Hunt built the John R. Hays house (Mrs. Clara McCall's lot) and presumably planted the old cottonwoods about the time he and Mrs. Larcum were married. Mr. Hunt afterwards built and lived on the A. K. Banks (Mrs. Confare's) place. Mr. Rhoads in 1857 built on the lots now occupied by Mr. Gretsinger. In this dwelling his daughter, the widely-known Mrs. Laura A. Berry, and his sons, Jut Rhoads of Jefferson, Iowa (later of Col- orado), and Halsey Rhoads of Colorado, passed a number of their earlier years. Both boys learned the printing business with Mr. Thrall. A. D. Shaw, an attorney and prairie breaker, came with two brothers late in the fall of 1856. One of them wintered in a shanty just east of the McGloflin residence (west of McCutchin's), the other in the cabin house of Cal- houn's house. J. H. Talbott built a two-story business house on the cor- ner now (and still) occupied as a residence by the W. P. Payne family. Major Hawthorn sold goods therein for several years. This building is now near the old McHose brick-yard (south of the Short Line).
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ISAAC S. FRENCH, COLO. A Resident of Story County for Sixty Years
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CHAPTER VII. REMINISCENCES BY COL. SCOTT-(CONTINUED).
MORE EARLY BUILDINGS.
In the latter part of 1855 Mr. Harris occupied the "Old Terrific" prop- erty west of the park, sold goods there and kept the postoffice. In 1855 T. J. Adamson built a store room on the corner facing the park now oc- cupied as a residence by Mrs. Gillespie (J. F. Gillespie). On the corner across the street (the Addison corner) were the office and residence of John J. Bell, school fund commissioner. This is the place now occupied by Mr. Billings as a residence, and it is sometimes called "the Rodearmel cor- ner." It has been the site of drug stores, jewelry shops and postoffices and was at one time the best business location in the town. It was on this corner that the genial Date Ballard kept a drug-store at one time and liquors for sale under a law restricting the purchase to medicinal, mechanical and culinary purposes. A customer entered and in apparent urgency called for a pint of whiskey "to be used on a horse's back." The obliging drug- gist filled the order in haste and was struck dumb by seeing the man, who was so intent on being merciful to his beast, climb into the saddle and pour the contents of the bottle down his own miserable throat.
There was a small log house directly south of Helphrey's near the alley, built and occupied by Mr. Fitch on the west half of the lots now owned by Mrs. Bailey. This old building was removed to the east end of Mr. Beatty's lot by Mr. Hammond when he built on and occupied the Beatty lot. Mr. Fitch lived there until he improved the farm now owned by Sutherland. Charlie Schoonover afterwards built on the site from which the old house was removed. This latter building was recently torn down by Mrs. Bailey. The house next south of Mr. Ballou's place (now the rear part of the Dr. Jeffrey house) dates back to 1855 or early in 1856 and was built by Allen Bell and afterwards occupied by his brother Abner. It was for some years occupied as a Methodist parsonage in the early days before the church building (the old church) was erected.
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