USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
The second house was built in the following spring by John Melain. It was located two blocks west of the Main street of Nevada, at the corner of Chestnut street and First Avenue north, and it was intended for the ac- commodation of the traveling public, being more commodious and better adapted to the purpose than the Alderman home, which, indeed, had never been intended for hotel purposes and had been used as such only as necessity absolutely required. From the building of the MeLain home, the business of the town was divided, Alderman continuing as the merchant, and Mclain carrying for the transient public.
At this time, it should be noted that Nevada, with its two houses, was not only the principal town of the county, but it was the only town of the county, having as yet no rivals anywhere, and having apparently all the prospects which could be desired for the metropolis of the prairie on which the people were locating about as rapidly as they could conveniently locate. Both houses and business establishments were on the north side, and the spirit of cooperation dominated the whole community. No county seat fight had developed, no railroad was in prospect for the county seat, or for any other place in the county. The rivalry between the east and west sides, which had been developed in the initial election of 1853. had died down when the trail had been established across the county, incidentally to the Lowell trial or indictment, and whatever there was of municipal aspiration or hope or endeavor in the county pertained to Nevada. It is not therefore an injustice to any other portion of the county to treat Nevada for the next few years as symbolizing the great part of the development of the county apart from the fact that into the southern half of the county and into the northwestern portion there was a steady stream of settlement resulting in due time in the establishment of lowa Center, Cambridge. Fairview. Bloom- ington, New Albany and perhaps other villages, which had smaller hopes, but did not in any wise, that is recorded, antagonize the county seat. As is always the case with a rural community, the bulk of the population was out on the farms, but the theatre of interest, where the connection is much the easiest to follow, was in the town; and for the next few years, therefore. the history of the county is in great part. the history of Nevada.
This condition must be the justification for giving in the next few chapters, an undhuie prominence, perhaps, to the History of Nevada.
TOWNSHIPS.
But, before taking up more particularly the development of the county scat in its pioneer stages, a little more detailed attention should be given to the outside townships. The first definite division of the county into town-
47
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
ships was made by Judge Evans in June, 1853; or, at least, in his entries upon the county records, he recognized them as certain townships then ex- isting. These townships were Franklin, comprising the present township of that name, and the west half of Milford; Washington, comprising the present township of that name and the west half of Grant; Union, compris- ing the present townships of Union and Palestine; Lafayette, comprising the present townships of Lafayette and Howard; Indian Creek, compris- ing the present townships of Indian Creek and Collins; and Nevada, com- prising the present townships of Nevada, New Albany, Sherman, Richland, and the east half of Grant and Milford. The area now included in the townships of Lincoln and Warren was without inhabitants, and was not recognized in the original division, but was later, by order of Judge Evans, attached to Nevada Township. The first township to be set off from this original division was Collins, which was set off from Indian Creek in 1857, and New Albany, which included the present townships of New Albany and Sherman and the eastern portion of Nevada, and perhaps Richland also followed in 1858, as did Milford in 1858 and Palestine in 1859. The next township to be set off from the others, as a separate township, was Howard, which was in 1860 constituted a township separate from Lafayette. Con- cerning this action, tradition, which is supported by the record, is to the effect that the new township was first designated Norway, in honor suppos- ably of the people who were already settling there and have since been its most numerous inhabitants. The plat upon the record still bears the name of Norway, but in the order for the erection of the township the original name has been very carefully erased and Howard inserted in a different hand and with different ink. In June of 1858 a strip two miles by nine miles off and north side of what was then Union Township and extending to the west line of the county had been attached to Washington Township; but when in the next year Palestine was set up by itself this strip appears to have been restored to the townships to which it naturally belonged. The final arrangement of the townships of the central and northeastern parts of the county, according to the congressional survey, was not effected until well along in the sixties.
REMINISCENCES IN 1859 OF STORY COUNTY,
Concerning these earlier townships, we are so fortunate as to find an almost contemporaneous record, in the Story County Advocate of Septem- ber 21, 1859. The editor of the paper undertook to publish such facts and items of interest as he could gather up of the early settlement of Story County, and to that end he gave a brief summary of the record of the sev- eral townships as he was then able to ascertain it to be. The summary is valuable, not only for what it tells, but for the illustration it affords of the difficulty, even when one is close to the time under consideration, of getting a straight story concerning almost any matter ; which, at the time it actually
48
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
occurred, was not of a nature to be written up carefully and accurately. This review was written only seven years from the time when the first set- tlers, in any numbers, began to drift into the portions of the county about Indian Creek and Squaw Fork; yet, we are able to find in the matter some errors, now known to be such. The county was, in fact, organized in 1853; although, as before related, elections were held here in 1852, in which year, this review says, the county was organized. It is stated further that the county seat was located by Joseph Thrift, and no mention was made of Johnson Edgar, who was associated with him. The statement that J. P. Robinson was the first settler in Nevada Township, needs the explanation that at the time the statement was made, what is now the eastern portion of the township, including Hickory Grove, was attached to New Albany Township; and similarly, W. W. Utterback, who settled on Christmas, 1852, on the extreme eastern edge of what is now Nevada Township, is credited to New Albany, and the date of his settlement given two months later.
The village of New Albany, which is mentioned in connection with the township of the same name, was a mile or so east of the Utterback farm. and about perhaps two miles southwest of Colo, and we know that twenty- five years ago or so, it was marked with an apple tree; but the review in question is undoubtedly the first attempt by any one to set down facts about Story County in the way of history ; and not being very long, it deserves to be reproduced here in full. The editor of the Story County Advocate says : "Story County .- The county was organized in the year 1852.
"The county seat was located by Joseph Thrift, of Boone County, and named Nevada by Judge E. C. Evans. It was the intention of the county officials to have entered the town site in the name of the county at the county land office, but on examination it was discovered that Dr. J. W. Morris, of Des Moines, had already entered the land. After some consultation Dr. Morris gave two-thirds of the tract up to the county, when it was laid off into lots and two public sales had of the lots.
"Nevada Township .- The first settler was J. P. Robison in 1853, on section -. T. E. Alderman was the next. Mr. A. settled in Nevada village, October 14. 1853. being the pioneer on lot five, block seventeen and erected the first cabin in the place. Thomas Turtle settled on section 29. township 84. R. 22, December 20, 1855. Township 84 was attached to Nevada and has remained so up to this time, for all township purposes.
"New Albany Township .- The eastern portion is all prairie, of a good quality for agricultural or stock purposes, and rolling enough to be easily managed, the western portion is finely timbered and skirted by East Indian Creek. John Cox settled on section 13. township 83. range 22, about the year 1849, and sold out in 1835, and moved out of the county. Wm. W. Utterback settled upon the above described land in February, 1853, and has since resided thereon. He spent the winter previous in Indian Creek Town-
49
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
ship. He had to go to Oskaloosa to mill, as did all the first settlers, and to Newton or Des Moines to trade.
"The village of New Albany is situated in this township.
"Indian Creek Township-This township is watered by several small streams and Skunk river, East and West Indian creeks. It has a splendid body of timber and rolling prairie of a rich quality. George Kirkman settled in section - January 14, 1852. Wm. K. Wood moved upon section 16, 82, 22 in April, 1852, and Adolphus Prouty, about a month afterwards moved nearby.
"Iowa Center, a thriving village, and the second in size in the county, is situated about a half mile east of East Indian Creek, and is surrounded on the north and west by timber. There are two steam saw and grist mills there. About one half mile west of the village is the camp ground of the Methodist Episcopal church at which yearly meetings are held.
"The Dunkards have a thriving settlement southeast of Iowa Center,, where yearly meetings are held.
"LaFayette Township .- Jesse R. Smith settled on section 18-85-23, Feb- ruary 25, 1853. Mr. S. built the first and second cabins ever erected in the township. The first was built in the month of July of the previous year to the above date and was burned by the prairie fires during the fall and winter, so that when he arrived with his family he was necessitated to raise another. While hunting on the banks of the creek now known as Bear Creek, March 10, 1854, he killed a bear, the only one ever shot in that re- gion, and from which occurrence the creek received its name. Samuel Smith and Daniel MI. Prime, were in the company of first settlers also. Fairview is the name of the principal town. Smithville was laid out once for a town but has since been abandoned and is now a farm.
"Union Township .- The first settler was Josiah Chandler, who arrived about the middle of March, 1854, and located on section 28, 82, 23, and built a house. Mr. C's. family arrived in the month of April following.
"Skunk river traverses this township and is skirted with timber. The prairie is very fertile.
"Cambridge is the village of this township. There is a water saw mill and a very large steam flouring mill-one of the best in the state, in the town."
THE EARLIEST EDITORIAL STATEMENT.
Kindred to the foregoing statement as to the townships but more con- prehensive of the general situation is an editorial view, published in the earliest number extant of the Story County Advocate, January 29, 1857. We have sometimes supposed that this statement was written by Col. Scott, who was already here, had had editorial experience and was doubtless most familiar with the subject, but he refers to the article in his centennial oration as being an editorial of Mr. Thrall. The article states :
50
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
"Owing to the fact that for several years after this part of Iowa was opened for settlement those in search of homes kept along the larger streams, the counties on the lowa and Des Moines rivers were better known, and more thickly settled. The great California route across lowa was through the tier of counties lying south, and many settlers were influenced by the importance of the travel on that route to settle in its vicinity. Those seeking homes in lowa as early as 1849 and for some years later, usually started west on some one of the California roads, and left it at some point of note, such for in- stance, at Ft. Des Moines. When such was the case they would naturally keep near the Des Moines river timber rather than cross the prairie to the Skunk river, or the groves of Story. In this manner we find that Boone County had a considerable population while Story was yet untouched. Fi- nally in 1851 and 1852. the few who had settled the previous year were sur- prised and delighted to find that they had a prospect for neighbors in great plenty. The fame of the soil, timber and water of Story County began to be noised abroad, and many were diverted from the route up the Iowa across the prairies and creeks, and by the spring of 1854 the population numbered about eight hundred. Now it is more than three thousand.
"During this time many excellent and valuable farms have been operated and cultivated ; good and comfortable dwellings erected ; valuable stock in- troduced and bred; school houses built and youth taught therein ; a good court house erected for the use of the courts and county offices ; saw and grist mills by water and steam power, in various parts of the county to the number of not less than fifteen have been erected and put in operation ; other things of like character, tedious to mention, but which the reader's imagination will supply have been conducted on a similar scale of progression. All these labors and expenses have yielded a highly remunerative return to the laborer and capitalist, where the business has been conducted with even a moderate share of business capacity; which fact is encouraging others to embark in similar enterprises.
"Nevada, the county seat, and oldest and most populous town in the county, is pleasantly situated near the center, on an elevated undulating sur- face, near the head of the West Indian creek timber. It can be seen for several miles from nearly all directions, and begins to present quite an in- posing aspect. It was laid out in the fall of 1853 and the first house was erected in January, 1854. But little improvement was made until the fall of 1855, when a steam saw mill was erected which furnished the necessary lumber for the erection of the many neat and substantial buildings the town can now boast. The greater number of these have been erected within the past year. There are two public squares, a feature rather unusual in west- ern towns, and this fact. in connection with a partial division of the town made by a slough which crosses from east to west near the center. gave rise to some rivalry ; but this has given place to a more healthy sentiment of re- joicing on the part of all that both parts are destined to make a town of which all may be proud. Arrangements are now making for the building.
51
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
during the next summer, of from seventy-five to a hundred buildings. Prop- erty is rapidly appreciating in value, and lots offer a good per cent. to capi- talists. Population about four hundred.
"Iowa Center, Cambridge and New Philadelphia, are thriving places, at the respective distances of eight, ten and twelve miles from Nevada. They each possess the reputation of being business places, for their several neigh- borhoods have mills, stores, shops, etc. Prairie City, Fairview, New Albany. Bloomington and Defiance have been more recently laid out, and are mostly in the future. Some of them may be made very pleasant villages. A colony of Norwegians in the northwestern part of the county is in a very thriving condition, being composed of industrious settlers. They expect a considerable addition to their numbers in the coming spring. The county is accessible by good roads usually well bridged. up the Iowa river via Ma- rengo, Indiantown, Marshalltown and Marietta ; or from Newton and at Des Moines on the south and southwest. The roads and bridges in all parts of the county are now or soon will be in good condition. The market for all kinds of produce is now and has always been too good for the best in- terest of both buyer and seller. Corn is now (January, 1857,) sold at seven- ty-five cents per bushel at the farmer's crib! Other things in proportion.
"The Western Stage company is now considering the advantages of carrying their through passengers from Iowa City to Ft. Dodge and Sioux City via Marietta and Nevada to Boonsboro. If this line should be es- tablished it would at once improve our condition and prospects immensely."
CHAPTER VI.
REMINISCENCES BY COL. SCOTT.
Mention has heretofore been made of the fact that to the pains taken at one time or another by Colonel John Scott to set down in preservable form matters concerning the early history of the county which it is desirable now to know but which otherwise might be unknown now or much more difficult to find out about, we are indebted for much that we are in fact able now to tell concerning carly events and conditions. His centennial oration which was given at Nevada on July 4th, 1876, is a mine of information ; but even more available for our present purpose is a series of articles written by him in 1888 and especially devoted to an elucidation of pioncer matters in and about Nevada. To a reproduction and review of these articles the four fol- lowing chapters are devoted. The matter has been rearranged and edited ; but the substance is as the colonel wrote it and in his words. In the matter. however, will be found a large number of parenthetical notes. These notes represent the efforts of the present-day editor to bring down to the present day allusions which were entirely lucid to the reader of 1888, but which now are liable to be more or less obscured amid the mists of the intervening twenty-three years. The colonel's recollections follow, their original title having been: "Olden Times in Story County."-
The old landmarks are passing away, and so are those who have knowl- edge of them. Tradition is not always to be relied upon, and the memory of man is treacherous. The ease with which men may be honestly mistaken as to facts is often shown in our courts, where those equally credible differ in statements made under oath. The incidents here narrated are given from personal recollection, or as told by others. In some cases they are accord- ing to a preponderance of evidence, and in others from the recollection of a single witness. As they are given more to satisfy curiosity than to establish important interests, their grave discussion may be indulged without appre- hension. Something is due to the men and women whose acts are here dis- cussed. Some of their trials and hardships may be inferred from the facts here given. They were the pioneers of a civilization which will either curse or benefit mankind as those who follow may or may not do the duties devoly- ing on themselves. If those of the present and the future shall address them- selves to the work and duties of life with but a share of the courage, per-
52
COL. JOHN SCOTT
53
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
severance, cheerfulness and self-abnegation that characterized the advance guard, the county need not despair. Some of those who participated in these events are still here. It is a delicate matter to write of these, and of their individual work. One is open to the suspicion of "fear or favor" in such a case. Others still live but have homes elsewhere. Some have already joined the majority, and their resting places in the cemetery are objects of our pious care. To each and every one of these, to the persons of the living and to the memories of the dead, we can all afford to give kind and grateful thought. They have done much towards making possible in the wilderness happy and comfortable homes in the present, and a hopeful prosperity for all future time. As time passes they will be remembered more and more with dutiful thought, regard, gratitude and affection, or be wickedly and ungrate- fully forgotten. Let each for himself choose in which class he shall be found.
In the pursuit of such facts as are attempted to be embodied in this story of the pioneers, it is found that abstracts of title do not show all the owners. It was a frequent occurrence in transferring title to lots that deeds were made in which there was no grantee's name inserted. Such deeds duly acknowledged, were often passed by mere delivery, like the transfer of a promissory note payable "to bearer." When such a deed came into the hands of a party who cared to place it on record, it was then necessary to fill in the name of the last holder as grantee. Thus we are left to tradition in many cases; and where, as has happened in a few instances, even the oldest inhabitant fails to remember, or where memories do not agree, the real facts may be lost, or involved in doubt.
Meantime let the difficulties be accepted as apology if unintentional er- rors are found. After the lapse of a period more than equal to that of a whole generation, the difficulty of making a connected, complete and accurate story of such events is very great. Therefore asking your forbearance and kindly criticism of these disconnected notes, I proceed as requested to jot down some.
NEVADA IN I856-8.
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
54
HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY
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 Ilon. T. C. McCall (directly east of the city hall), in which Mr. Romaine lived. There was a iog house on the lot occupied by the Hutchins House ( until it burned ). Mr. AAlderman'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 Jolin Melain on the corner two blocks west of Allerman'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 1 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. llon. John A. Hull of Boone and such other wayfarers of thirty ( fifty-five ) years ago as partook of the hospitality of Mrs. Melain 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 oldl 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, lowa, 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
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.