USA > Iowa > Tama County > History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 49
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Some twenty-five years ago, we were called one night to see an old lady, the wife of Patrick Dowd, a "rale ould Irish gintleman," living about seven miles off; went and found her suffering some from
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
pain and sleeplessness. When we arrived there the old gentlemen came out, bid ns good evening, and says "Doctor alight and come into the castle," which consisted of sod for the lower story, and was covered on the top with boards, which seemed to answer for a hen house. After we had re- lieved the troubles of the old lady by some medicine, and she dropped off into a nice sleep, we were invited to remain for tea, which we did, of course. The old gentle- man said to his son-in-law, John Egan, and his son Frank, "Boys take a fowl off the roost;" they proceeded to do so, went over- head, and after a few moments Mr. Dowd said, "Boys dont take a shank-hi." The fowl was cooked in due time, of which we ate heartily and drank some tea, when we left for home, driving back in the dark and crossing a little bridge made by laying two boards lengthwise for the wheels to run on, and the horse to pass between, across the ditch.
The practice of medicine is hardly as pleasant at the present day, as it was in the early settlement of the county, not- withstanding the great inconvenience of long and lonesome rides, there was less competion and hard feelings, than there seems to be at present. The pe ple seem to be more difficult to get along with. It requires much skill and tact to hold your patient through an attack of disease, pro- vided it should happen to continue a few weeks or months. This is owing a good deal to meddling with the sick by out- siders. No doubt many may mean well, but it is injurious to the patient, and un- just to the physician.
The medical profession is an honorable
one if conducted in an honorable manner. John Quincy Adams said it was the most " honorable of all professions." The doctor certainly feels proud to relieve the pain and distress of his patients ; to soothe the dying pillow, and to comfort the afflicted friends. But the people are some- times imposed upon by pretenders, who claim to cure all the " ills flesh is heir to," and to raise the dead, but we think the days of miracles have passed-are there too many doctors, or has the profession lost all honor? The people seem to be growing weaker and wiser, but at the ex- pense of rigorous health-the system of cramming in school does not fit the young man for a useful life, nor the young wo man to be a good staunch helpmeet. Was the boy bright and elever, that was sutli- cient reason for the forcing and cramming him-so far however as strictly goes, the boys have a certain conservatism about them that prevents them from committing suicide by excessive brain work. The poor girls, with their finer organizations are the unfortunate victims. How often does the doctor have interesting lady pa- tients, who talk beautifully, as they re- cline upon the sofa, but who, when married and mothers of a single child, probably are unequal to the task of a household, or the care of a family.
Our great grandmothers got their schooling during winter months, and let their brains lie fallow for the rest of the year. They knew less of Euclid and the classics, than about . housekeeping, and about how housework should be done, but they made good wives and mothers, and bore sturdy sons and buxom daughters and plenty at that.
Louermikel.
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
From the age of eight to fourteen our daughters spend most of their time, either in the unwholesome air of the recita- tion room, or pouring over their books, when they should be at play, when released from school, within a year it may be she becomes engaged to some unwary youth, who, bewitched by her face, and charmed by her intelligence, sees not the frail body, and butterfly down, he weds her to find she has brought him a a dower of ill-health, with a large outfit of headaches, and spineaches. Unequal to the task, she at first tolerates, and then loathes the domestic ties; the trouble follows, both unhappy whether they remain together or not, or obtain divorces, and change mates, the Doctor being a perpetual witness to the vices and follies and their fatal results. Some may say doctors are opposed to ed- ueation. Not so. But we do not believe in edueating the mind at the expense of the body, thereby producing a weak and effeminate race of people. There- fore less cramming in school, more out-door exercise, and riding on horse- back and walking, also invigorates the body, develops the muscular sys- tem, strengthens the nerves, pro- motes the health, and appetite, and is a great pleasure to the persons so inclined. Planting trees, shrubbery, and otherwise beautifying our homes, than which noth- ing can be more pleasing and satisfactory to ourselves and to those who admire such things-and who does not ?
The people owe certain duties to the physician, and the physician owes certain duties to the people. We rememember once sleeping on a few boards in a cabin loft, as they were generally
called, for a few hours after being up all day and night, we had to be pushed up through a small hole, kept our overcoat on, and when somewhat rested we sprang down through the opening to partake of some food, when we started for home. We lived well in those days ; did not, of course, have many of the modern delica- cies such as canned fruits, but we had good substantial food, such as corn and wheat bread, pork, eggs, beef prairie-chiek- ens, which were very abundant in those days, and venison, as deer were plenty. There was also an abundance of wild fruit, such as plums, crab-apples, cherries and other varieties, which our good wives prepared for their families. We think such a diet was more conducive to health, not troubled so much with those modern diseases as dyspepsia and indigestion.
TOLEDO REMINISCENCE.
By T. Brown.
You request me to write you a letter as one of the old settlers in Tama county. I promised I would. I shall have to delve among the memories of the past, go back to the days of boyhood and hunt out for the stored up treasures written upon the tablet of the mind, covered with the col- lections of twenty-nine years of active business life, to find material.
In the spring of 1855, I entered Tama county. The smoke of the wigwam of the savage, and log house of the pioneer min- gled together. The prairie was then with few exceptions, one immense field, shortly before the pastures of the buffalo and wild deer. It then appeared like nature's gar- den, covered with a teeming growth of herbage and flowers in summer to be mown
19
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
down by fire in the fall. I well remember the morning I arrived at Toledo, a little town springing into business life. I met that evening John Connell, John Zehrung, T. J. Staley, Lou Merchant, D. D. Appel- gate and some others, all young men, there at Mr. Wadley's. I looked them over and formed my opinion. I am not positive that Merchant was there. They formed their opinion of me probably. Staley was county treasurer and recorder of the county, the custodian of the cash and titles. Some thought him a little vain. Ile hired me to record deeds for him. I always felt flat- tered when he gave me instructions, he did so in such a condescending tone that seemed to flatter me to think I was ad- dressed by him. He did it himself with- out communicating through an agent, and I felt for him, when I thought of the humility he took upon himself to address one who was a laboring man, and his house had blinds and panels and a door-yard fence and a front-yard and trees, all of which showed wealth, and to some, extravagance. I have seen no change in John Connell, a polite, courteous, good fellow, any one eould approach; always a gentleman, never excelling or falling below himself. There was Appelgate, the clerk, all know him; kind and genial, a little set in his way, with his own notions of right and wrong, and not easily convinced against his will, and the less he said about a thing the more certain he was, he was right. Then there was Lou Merchant, the very antipode of Appelgate; a little Frenchy in manners, address and appearance, only lacking a mustache to make a Frenchman. A charm- ing ladies' man for the parlor, or an escort, possibly less courted as a husband. 1Tis
classical countenance not angular enough for a nun, clear enough for a woman, and if those luxuriant, dark brown locks had hung on a head a little finer made, and a chin-dimpled and had it been banged, he could have been changed into a woman in a giffy. Lou was the great debater of all moral questions, fastidious in his dress and manner as a daneing-master. His face resembling a piece of rare statuary from an old master, and as passionless as a twelve year old boy at a dancing school.
Ile was a great theological student. All instructive mothers pointed him out as a sample to their boys when they were old enough to go in company, particularly if they showed evidence of precociousness. The girls all admired him, but still had some doubts. They did not know just what he laeked, but there was a secret, intuitive something that they could not clearly determine, that crept over a heav- ing bosom and loving heart that demand- ed hesitation. . Lon never married. The bar had but two lights when I came to Tama county-Phillips and Noah Levering. Soon all doubt was expelled. (. J. L. Foster, N. C. Wieting, and T. W. Jackson came, who, with myself, were sufficient to satisfy the legal desires of the people.
Foster delivered a Fourth of July ora- tion in 1855. I shall always remember that magnificent peroration when he said, "There is something so grand in the loca- tion of lowa, situated between the rolling waters of the mighty Mississippi, and bound on the west by the placid, clear and sparkling Missouri-the unlimited prairie covered with flowers between-something so pure in the air we breathe, sweetened by the rays of a western sun that soon
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
becomes ethereal and eastern pigmies spring to western giants."
We all cheered when he closed.
There was Thomas A. Graham, that always felt he was not fully appreciated by a good people, and felt regret that they were blind to the many kindnesses he was willing to bestow when he offered himself as a sacrifice to save them. Ile was a kind man at heart, with rather an inquring turn of mind. Tom Murray was sheriff ; always the same Tom Murray he now is, and so well known that any words I may say would be novel.
Noah Myers was school fund commis- sioner, and the great business man of the county. I cannot describe him; I have no tact. Ile was a man of considerable energy and activity. He is gone, and I will not attempt to say more. John C. Vermilya was county judge, a man of good ability and thoroughly honest. He was charged with not being firm, but it was an error- unless kindness led him away. I under- took to defend a counterfeiter, upon whose person a large amount of spurious money was found. I tried to raise some technical questions and avoid the facts, but the Judge kept his eye fixed on the money, and that unexplained faet of guilty posses- sion was a silent, but potent witness that no skill of mine could overcome. It was justice he wanted, and I never knew his thoughts to go beyond the strict line of right.
I always meet the old settlers of Tama county with pleasure. It seems a sort of home yet. I have written already more than necessary, and close.
Yours, etc., T. BROWN.
HOW THE COURT GOT ACROSS THE 10WA RIVER.
In 1856 Judge Ilubbard, of the District Court, and T. Walter Jackson, a lawyer from Toledo, were on their way, at one time, from Toledo to Montezuma, then the county-seat of Poweshiek county. The water was high, and there was no bridge over the Iowa river. Unless they could get aeross by some means, they would be obliged to go to Marengo, which would add nearly seventy miles to their journey. "The Court" enquired at Toledo how they were going to get aeross, and was told to go to J. HI. Hollen, and he would get them across if any one could. Finally they arrived at Hollen's, and "Harvey" told them "Of course he could get them over."
Accordingly J. II. Hollen and his brother W. T., secured some ropes, and they with the Judge, Jackson and the horse and buggy, repaired to a point on the river just south of where Tama City now is. The Hollen brothers, then took an old log which had been hollowed into a trough, and in this they crossed to the other side of the river, carrying one end of the rope The other end was then tied to the buggy, and in a few minutes it was pulled across the stream. The current was so strong that the buggy was kept whirling over and over until it struck shallow water. J. H. Hollen then swam the horse across. It was an ugly beast, and this was acom- plished with much difficulty. Then for taking "the Court" and Jackson over. They were both made to strip stark naked and lie flat in the bottom of the log to keep it balanced, and the Ilollen's towed them over in safety. As will be
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
imagined, it was a langhable sight to see the dignified Judge lay flat in the bottom of an old trough ; while with Jackson, he was a young, stylish fellow, lately from New York, and at that time a member of the Legislature, and it must have been amusing to see him lay aside his fine gar- ments, and red-top boots to assume a like position alongside the Judge. Thus the old saying came, "How Hollen got the Court in a hollow log."
REMINISENCE OF THE EARLY DAYS IN
NORTHERN TAMA.
By Daniel Connell.
At a re-union of the old settlers at Traer, in 1875, Daniel Connell delivered an address, which was full of historical data. The following was gleaned from it and is presented as a reminder of days gone by :
There is a time in the life of a man- also of a woman-that is of great interest to him and to her. The time when they leave the home of their birth and child- hood, their parents and all the pleasing associations of life, The emigrant, how- ever much he expects to better his for tunes by emigration, parts from the land of his nativity with misgivings and reaches his destination in sorrow and fear. Par- tienlarly is this the case if the person seeks a new country ; there is something about it undefined and the mind pictures hardships and dangers. When at last the emigrant overcomes all privations, when success has crowned his efforts, there are few more pleasing thoughts than the ret- rospective, and one of their delights is to gather together and rehearse the incidents of-to them-old times.
Annual meetings of old settlers are be- coming common in the west since the old settlers became able to enjoy themselves, and nothing is more interesting to them at these re-unions than a recitation of the history of those old days, at that time, days of strife for life and comfort; but now days of case and prosperity. Men never tire of the oft-told tale of early days. There is no reading so pleasant as history, little that men are as much inter- est in. We are interested in reading the history of the world, of our country and of the community we helped to create. Here we are deeply interested. Who was the first man that came here, when did he come, who made the first land entry and when, who were first married and when, what did the bride wear and who perform- ed the ceremony? The first birth and the first death are of interest, the first meeting and the first school, the first election and how many votes were polled and who was elected, the establishment of the saw and grist mills, the long trips to market and the enjoyment of those trips ; the political division of the settlement ; the methods of recreation of those early settlers. As the years glide by, the first settlers one by one will pass away and there will be none left to tell our story, so I proceed to gather up the fragments and weave them together that they be not lost, but preserv- ed for our children and theirs.
Previous to the spring of 1853, Tama county was attached to Benton county for political and judicial purposes. Before this date the population of Tama, was sparse ; according to the United States census of 1850, there were but eight white inhabitants. They were all or nearly all
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
in Riehland township, near Anthony Wilkinson and family, who are there now after twenty-six years sojourn.
There has been some uncertainty as to the date of the first arrival (in Northern Tama) on this part of Wolf Creek-known by nearly everbody at that time as Big Creek. This uncertainty arose from the fact that those first settlers have long since departed, and their present residence is unknown. There is little doubt that the first settlers here were Norman Osborn, David Dean, and his adult sons, Ira and Lewis. These parties arrived here on the Ist day of January, 1852, Mr. Osborn taking possession of the land now occu- pied by the heirs of George Kober, then moved to the land now owned by Ira and Giles Taylor. Mr. Dean settled upon Twelve Mile Creek, on land now owned by A. Austin and J. Kingley, in Bneking- ham township. His sons settled on land now owned by G. Jaqua, Esq.
The summer and fall of this year brought important accessions to the settle- ment. Mr. Dunkle, who settled upon the Kober land, buying from Osborn, Nelson Usher on the Horace Hartshorn farm, Volney Carpenter who did not remain long, Pat Casey and John Con- nelly, of unsavory memory, settled near where Clarks mill was afterward built.
On the first of July arrived John and Joseph Connell, Jonas P. Wood and Wm. D. Hitchner. Later in the summer came Josua C. and L. E. Wood, Wesley A. Daniel, Daniel Connell, Senior, Robert Connell, and his sister Margaret, now wife of Jonas P, Wood, also Mr. Story, who sold to William Gordon. These all settled on the west side of Wolf Creek,
around the village of Buckingham, which was soon afterward laid out. These were all the settlers during 1852.
A few additions were made in 1853, viz: . The brothers Ira and Giles Taylor and their families and a Mr. Spade, re- garding whom I can learn but little, and V. Helm. The same spring the first opening was made in Geneseo by Mr. Ilil' and several adult sons, Harrison, Mark and William, who settled near the east side of Six Mile Grove, and William is still occupying the old homestead. John Riley came about the same time and still remains on his first purchase, a quiet nnobstrusive man whom the writer has never yet seen.
After this, emigration increased more rapidly. The year 1854 witnessed the arrivals of Geo. Root on the 16th of Jan- uary, P. Nungesser, llenry and Jacob Daniel, the two Yays, Il. A. and Q. D. Hartshorn, Mr. Horton and son, who were drowned two months after their arrival Mr. Baker, Alfred Wood, Frederick Church, G. Jaqua, Willard Snow and Rob- ert Granger, Henry Van Vliet, Rolf and Whitney : Henry, better known as Yan- kee Smith. West Wilson and Nelson Felter, entered land in Crystal, this year. Mr. F. remained, but Mr. Wilson did not bring his family until the following year. Leander and Theodore F. Clark, William Gordon and family, Nathaniel and New- ton Spencer and his son, who was killed by lightning in 186-, H. C. Green, Nor- man Rice, Nathan Fisher, Mr. Fee, Mr. Powell and .Jonathan Hardin settled in Carroll on the south branch of Salt Creek.
These comprise all the arrivals during 1854. At this time the settlers were
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
widely scattered, mostly in uncomfortable log cabins, not a frame house, not even a board one in the settlement. Until this year there was no saw mill to make boards, and it was a long distance to the nearest mill, so puncheon floors, shakes, split and sawed shingles for the roof; after the first cold snap mud was used to fill the chinks, (as no lime could be got,) which the first rains in the spring washed out, leaving plenty of circulation. Sometimes the roofs were so constructed as to enable the occupants of the chambers to study the geography of the heavens before sleep.
In 1855 a large addition was made to the population, and this is as late as I am able to name them, and I cannot now name them in the order of their arrivals. This year came the Stoakes family, who in point of numbers have ever been an important part of the community. Orig- inally from Ohio, they settled in Van- Buren county, and during the spring men- tioned arrived here. At the same time- with them-eame II. T. Gaston, Esq., and L. S. Cope, who were connected with the Stoakes' by marriage. This family by the marriage of their sons and daughters, have made extensive ramifications. About the same period eame the Klingman family-Stephen, George and Hiram -- bringing Mertz, James Hamilton and several others with them. J. A. Stewart, A. Wilbur, George Kober, E. Murdock, George Lyman, Nathan Harman and Mr. Kibbe, settled on Salt Creek. John MeKune, Mrs. Morton, the family of West Wilson, and Mr. Buchanan at the east side of Crystal township. David Torrence became the solitary settler of Clark. Mr.
Greenleaf, Lyman Cody, George Sloss, G. McMillan, and John Wilson and his family, remarkable for their numbers and intelligence, a family who have had a mark- ed influence in the community for good, although they did not arrive this year. Yet I may here add that the Wilson family have been the means of inducing more settlers to the place than can well be counted, who on their arrival settled as near each other as they could, until now Scotland, from a southeast to a northwest direction from their meeting-house extends fifteen miles. F. B. Kile, his mother, brother, and sisters, of the latter one was the first wife of J. C. Wood and one of H. A. Hartshorn. John Tedford Joel Haywood, the Hansells, Joseph Guernsey, II. W. Beach and the Slade family, settled in Geneseo township. J. T. Ames and William C. Reed, A. Boy- lan, D. C. Ladd, Henry Beaty, D. Higgins, Charles Loop, J. W. Southwick, J. L. Moore, Peter Greenlee, and C. Hester and his sons, who laid out the village of Charlottsville, now West Union, and opened the first store in the settlement in the fall of this year and went to Kansas the following year, or in 1857. A Quinn settled in Four Mile Grove, and Joshua Hull on the east side of Spring Creek township. T. R. and S. B. Shiver, John Byworth, and Patrick Emett. October 19, of this year the writer eame with his family, and the first winter was deputy treasurer and recorder ; during that period I collected all taxes and recorded all the deeds and mortgages with plenty of spare time. I mention this to show the great difference in the county business now and then.
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
As it is a matter of interest to some to know who were the first parties married, I have taken pains to learn for the satis- faction of sneh. In the fall of 1853 Mr. Knott and Miss Martha Taylor, daughter of Ira Taylor, by Rev. S. W. Ingham. These parties removed to Kansas, and Mr. Knott died there this past summer.
The second parties were Rev. S. W. Ingham, who officiated at the first named marriage, and Miss Cynthia Taylor, a sis- ter of the first bride, which event happen- ed in the spring of 1854; the ceremony was performed by Rev. Mr. Pettefish.
The third contracting parties were Har- rison Hill and Charlotte IIelm, in the fall of 1854. John Connell, Esq., performed the ceremony. It is said that at the mar- riage the groom was coatless, and the guests had a good time generally.
The fourth, and last that I will mention, occurred in the fall of 1854, and was John Zehrung and Miss Mary Connell, the cer- emony being performed by the Rev. Mr. Pettefish, a pioneer through these parts, preaching the gospel to all who would hear.
The first birth was in the family of W. 1). Hitchner, and was a daughter-Amer- iea P .- born December 1, 1852, and died in December, 1856.
The first death was a child of Mr. Spade, aged 14, who died during harvest time, 1853. The second was a child of Mr. Usher, five years old, in the fall of 1853. About the same time a child of Mr. Car- penter, some four years old, died. In the spring or early summer of 1854 a Mr. Morton and his son were crossing Wolf Creek, at Indian Ford, on the land of J. B. Green, were drowned, and on the 10th
of September of same year Joseph Con- nell, who had been to Benton City for grist, was returning home, some three miles west of Vinton, was taken with severe cramps. Ile was laid on the ground while a messenger was dispatched to Vinton for aid, and was removed to Vin- ton, where he died the same night in great pain. Ile was aged 26 years-just 21 years ago. At the time it was gener. ally supposed to be a case of Asiatie chol- era. In the death of Joseph Connell the infant settlement lost an industrious, up- right young man. Cheerfully -he bore the privations which the isolation of the set- tlement imposed on the inhabitants. When affairs looked dark his disposition and faith enabled him to see light beyond. In the season of 1854 typhus fever in a malig- nant form prevailed to a considerable extent considering the number of inhab- itants. It was particularly severe in the family of Ira Taylor, who lost by its rava. ges three sons and one daughter.
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