USA > Iowa > Taylor County > History of Taylor County, Iowa; from the earliest historic times to 1910, biographical sketches of some prominent citizens > Part 6
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PAUL P. CHAMBERLAIN, Presbytery.
I certify that the above is a true copy of the ordination of John Lambert, of Taylor County, Iowa, this 10. day of June, 1854.
LUTHER BENT, Deputy Recorder. FOR WM. B. CHANGE, Recorder.
Done by J. Lowe, by order of Bent.
LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT.
After the organization of the county, the next step in natural order was to determine and locate a county seat. The strife relative to this important place in the county history had not yet had a beginning when, in the winter of 1853, the general assembly appointed a commission of three persons, Jesse Mager, William R. Robbins and S. F. Snider, to locate a seat of justice for this county. The gentlemen prepared to discharge this important duty by subscribing to the follow- ing oath of office, succeeding which are given all the records pertaining to the matter :
You do solemnly swear that you have no personal interest in the location of the seat of justice of Taylor County, neither directly nor indirectly, and that you will faithfully and impartially locate the same according to the best interests of said county, taking into consideration the present as well as the future population, and make due return of the location of the same to the office of the County Court, of Taylor County, so help you God.
JESSE MAGER, WM. ROBBINS, S. F. SNIDER, Commissioners.
I, John Lowe, County Judge of Taylor County, do certify that Jesse Mager, William Robbins and Squire F. Snider, commissioners to locate the seat of jus-
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
tice of Taylor County, have this day appeared at my office and taken the oath required by law.
Gave under my hand this 14. day of March, 1853.
JOHN LOWE, County Judge.
In obedience to an act of the last Legislature of the State of Iowa passed at the last session of said term, appointing the undersigned to locate the seat of justice of Taylor County, after having been duly sworn, according to law, on the 14. day of March, 1853, and there in the discharge of our oaths, and upon an examination of the locality of said county, and the population and the pros- pects of the future population, and the face of the county at large, we have de- cided on the south west quarter of section 26, township 68, range 34, as the county seat of Taylor County.
Gave from under our hands and seals this 19. day of March, 1853.
JESSE MAGER. WM. ROBBINS, S. F. SNIDER, Commissioners.
I, John Lowe, do certify that the foregoing is a correct copy of the report made by the locating commissioners for Taylor County, returned to my office on the 19. day of March, 1853, and now on file in my office.
Gave from under my hand this 19. day of March, 1853.
JOHN LOWE, County Judge.
At the April, 1853, term of the County Court of Taylor County, it was ordered that the county surveyor be, and is, hereby ordered to survey and lay off the town of Bedford, and make the squares to be laid off 12X12, with a street on each square 66 feet wide, 8 lots in a block, the lots to be 3x8, alleys 12 feet wide, stones at the corners of a portion of the lots and streets, and return a map of the num- ber of lots laid off and their size.
This 5. day of April, 1853.
JOHN LOWE, County Judge.
The following is the record of the sale of town lots in the new county seat : May term, 1853, ordered that Henry W. Baker be and hereby is appointed county commissioner for Taylor County, for the express purpose of advertising and sell- ing the town lots in Bedford, being the County Seat of said County, and said Com- missioners shall give four weeks' notice of the sale of lots, in four places in the County, and some three or four places in the adjoining Counties, the sale to be made by order of the County Court, and on such credit as the Court may direct, and it is ordered by the Court that the County Surveyor make two plats, showing the number of lots and the width and breadth of said lots, streets and alleys ; one for the use of the County Court and one for the use of the Commissioner. And it is ordered that the said sale be on the 4. day of July, 1853.
JOHN LOWE, County Judge.
Previous to the sale in July, and subsequent to the above rendered order, the county surveyor made his report on the streets and blocks in the embryo city. His report is as follows: In obedience to an order of the County Court of Taylor County, made at the May term for the year 1853, appointing Mr. Jacob Ross to lay off the town of Beadforde, it being the County seat of taylor and on the
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
sw. qr. of sec. 26, and of Range 34, and of town no. 68, I commenced on the south of the Public square and ladee of Block No. 10 and II, and 12, thene ladee off Block No. 13, and 14, and 15, and 16, thene ladee off Block No. 4, and 5 and 6 and 7 and made & lots in East Bloke and planted corns at the Blocks, the Number of the Block at the East corne stone, the lotts is numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6. 7, 8. in each block. Beginning at the S. E. corn of the lot at No. I Beeing West. The lots is 66 feete in front and Ran back 126 feete, with 12 feete ally. The streete is 66 feete wide and are Ran at 12 degrees variation. The lots 96 ladd off in number. The Publick Square is the Block North of the B. No. 10. The streete East of the Square is Water Strete and the Strete west of the Square is Grene Streete; the seccond stret west of the square is Madison Strete and the strete S. of the square is Jefferson streete ; the second streete S. of the square is Mane Streete; 3 strete S. of the square is Washington streete; the 4 strete S. of the square is Jackson Streete ; the second strete E. of the square is Dodge Streete, the strete N. of the square is pearle Streete.
In testimony I have set my name this the I. of July, 1853.
JACOB Ross, County Surveyor. for tyler Co, iowa.
On August, 25, 1853, Judge John Lowe, who, by the way, had been one of the chairmen during the survey, certified to the correctness of the report of the county surveyor.
Three days after the above report of the county surveyor was made, July 4, 1853. the first sale of lots took place. To quote from an old article written by. Ed- win Houck :
"No person attended the sale except the farmers of the county. A barrel of whisky was on the ground, and after they had drawn freely, the sale commenced, and most of the lots surveyed were sold at prices varying from ten to twenty dol- lars, but not a single lot was paid for, or title or title bond given, and if any record was kept of the sale, it is not to be found among the records of the county. It is but just, however, to say that these sales were regarded by the parties con- cerned, as binding upon themselves, and were so treated in nearly every instance."
In this manner was the county seat of Taylor county located. The subse- quent history of the town will be found in its appropriate place.
RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE.
Iowa's agricultural resources and inherent wealth are marvelous, due not only to its richness of soil, but also to the fact that its lands were appropriated by intelligent, progressive men. The state has a very small percentage of waste land. Its many advantages place it among the foremost of the western states. It is truly a grand state and well may its inhabitants be proud to call it home. The magnificent, but wild and unsubdued prairies of southwestern Iowa occu- pied by the Indian hunter and trapper, with an occasional adventurer or traveler, have been, transformed into the cultivated and civilized region of the present day by the unfailing energy of an enterprising people. Add to these the prosperous cities and towns with important religious, educational and business interests and
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BEDFORD
BAPTIST CHURCH, BEDFORD
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
the result is a transformation which is worthy of pride and delight to all con- cerned.
Agriculture as a vocation is becoming elevated and ennobled by broader and more scientific education. The large number of students from our farms who are graduating from the splendid school of agriculture and mechanic arts, at Ames, the manifest interest in lectures on agriculture given at chautauquas and farmers' institutes. all evidence the purpose of improving methods and equip- ment for this leading industry. As has been previously shown, the greater part of the county is exceedingly rich in the elements necessary to plant growth, and doubtless the remarkable increase in amount and value of our agricultural prod- ucts is largely due to the fact that it lies in the great corn belt and compares favorably with other portions of the state, and perhaps with any equal area in the United States. There has been an evolution from prairie grass to corn, from corn to oats, wheat, timothy and clover, and again to corn. The possibilities of this section, as a corn producing county, are difficult to estimate. It depends largely on the intelligence and labor used in its cultivation. The first crop, after breaking up the sod, yielded from thirty to fifty bushels, and this yield held up for years. After this, fertilizing and frequent rotation of crops resulted in a yield of sixty, seventy-five and even one hundred bushels per acre; the heavier the fertilization, the heavier the crop.
The young farmer of to-day, who prepares his ground and plants and har- vests his crop with modern implements, can hardly realize the primitive methods employed forty years ago. A study of those methods will show the rapid prog- ress made in this county along all lines of human activity. Improvements in farming methods and in farm machinery have kept pace with improvements in other industries. First came the breaking up of the prairie, which was done in the spring or growing season, while the roots were tender and would rapidly decay. The breaking plow has long since disappeared. It was of peculiar de- sign and perfectly adapted to the work of turning over the tough sod of the prairie. Ox teams were often used, and many men made a business of break- ing prairie in the early days. Often corn was planted the first year by cutting through the sod with an ax or spade, and in the opening thus made the corn was dropped, and the opening closed by pressure of the foot. This was called sod corn, and received little or no cultivation. By the next season the sod was suf- ficiently rotted that after the plowing it could be torn to pieces with a harrow. Then the ground was marked off with a sled-like marker and the corn dropped by hand and covered with a hoe. As settlers increased their acreage there arose a demand for a faster method of planting corn, and under the spur of necessity the corn planter was invented, which planted and covered two rows at a time. This in turn called for better methods of cultivating the growing corn and the single and double shovel plows were brought out, which cultivated one side of the row at a time; this in a short time became too slow, and in obedience to the law of evolution the cultivator was invented, which did double the work of the former, and did it much better. The original corn planter, which required two men to operate-one to drive and one to drop-has been improved until we now have the check-row, and the stirring plow and cultivator have been improved until we have the modern sulky plow, which obviates the laborious walking neces-
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
sary with the old machinery. It is said that by the improvements in the farm- ing tools now used, a saving of more than ninety per cent of the physical labor is effected over those employed no more than three decades ago.
It is an established fact that corn is one of the great pillars upon which rests the fabric of our national prosperity ; that at harvest time and earlier, one of the questions uppermost in the minds of the banker, the packer and the railway mag- nate, as well as of the farmer and feeder, is, "What of the corn crop?" Yet comparatively few fully realize the vast importance of this source of wealth, and fewer still, perhaps, recognize the rapid strides that have been made during the past decade in the science and practice of corn breeding.
Iowa has been a leader in corn improvement. The exhibits at the corn palaces and carnivals held at different points of the state, and the railway seed- corn specials in charge of specialists from our agricultural college attest the general and vital interest in corn production. It is a great credit to the farmers of this county that they have had a part in this work and are receiving a share of the benefits.
Oats, rye, barley, hungarian millet, timothy, clover, blue grass, sorghum, potatoes and all kinds of garden vegetables are sure crops and the yield is up to the average of the best agricultural states in the Union. It is conceded that wherever blue grass grows almost all the grains, fruits and vegetables will grow.
It is a common saying that southwest Iowa produces an average crop every year. It is a country of "sure crops." There has never been a year of total failure. Short crops there have been, it is true, but no year since the settlement, away back in the forties, has there been a total failure. The soil wears well, pro- ducing a good yield each year and shows but little signs of exhaustion, and re- sponds readily to good treatment. Improved methods of farming shows corre- sponding increase in results. The early settlers, perhaps, never dreamed that their land might wear out and the later comers saw no immediate use of hauling out manure so long as their crops were good. Now, however, better methods are coming into vogue, and the average yield is on the increase. A school in charge of professors of the State Agricultural college, who give instruction in the selection of seeds, the preparation of soil, and the rotation of crops, prom- ises to largely increase the annual yield. The old method of sowing, reaping and threshing small grain is obsolete and only a memory. The sickle was crowded out by the cradle, which was followed by a man to rake and another to bind the sheaves. This in turn gave place to the reaper, with a man standing on the plat- form and with a rake, removing each sheaf, followed by from five to seven men to do the binding, and two men to do the shocking. This is now all done away with by the self binder, which not only simplifies the work, but saves the farmer and his wife the expense and care of many men during harvest time, for this machine cuts, binds, and drops the sheaves into convenient piles so that one man is able to do the shocking.
The old process of threshing grain used by the early settlers of the county was the primitive one of tramping, or beating it out. Now, with a modern threshing machine, driven by steam, the band-cutting, feeding, threshing, win-
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
nowing, measuring the grain, and stacking the straw, is one combined process, and hundreds of bushels a day are threshed.
Mr. John Hayes, ex-president of the Iowa State Agricultural fair, an old resident of the state, a man of large affairs, and of keen observation, well states in a newspaper article, published some time ago, the wonderful transformation that has taken place in the last fifty years :
"Fifty years ago the fertile prairies of Iowa were largely a part of the national domain, the titles rapidly passing from the United States by preemption, by cash entry, by land-warrant locations, and by railroad land grants.
"Forty years ago, the better part of Iowa remained untilled and vast areas were still called inaccessible, no railroads having penetrated its western portion.
"Thirty years ago western Iowa was in the full flush of development. With the advent of the railroad in 1868, a new era came to this section of the state, and during the ten succeeding years the almost limitless stretches of native sward were broken; the luxuriant grasses and beautiful flowers of the prairie dis- appeared."
The county enjoys the distinction and advantages of being situated in the most famous blue grass region in the world, rivaling the famed blue grass re- gion of Kentucky. In this section, wherever the soil has been sufficiently firmed down by the hoofs of grazing herds, and the native grasses pastured closely, blue grass takes possession and forms a tough, dense, compact sod. It may be found everywhere, on the prairie, in the open woodland, by the road side ; every- where the land has been undisturbed for a short time.
The soil of the blue grass region is peculiarly adapted to the growth of all the approved tame grasses prized by farmers for pasturage and hay. South- western Iowa is the natural home of all the tame grasses. A good stand may be obtained in the course of two or three years by pasturing closely, and scattering the desired seed, without any further preparation whatever. This method is not practiced by farmers, however, but mentioned for the purpose of showing the adaptability of our soil to the tame grasses. To secure a blue grass pasture it is not necessary to even sow the seed. Close pasturing for a few years is all that is required. The prairie grass will disappear and in its place will appear a perfect stand of blue grass, the most succulent and nutritious of grasses. As a plant food for growing stock it is too well known and generally recognized and appre- ciated to require proof. It is largely to its muscle and bone producing qualities that Kentucky has so long led her sister states in the rearing of horses, unrivaled for suppleness, symmetry of form, fleetness and endurance and in being the home of the Kentucky "Short-Horns."
The blue grass is the pioneer grass of spring, starting with the first warm days, before the frost is fairly out of the ground and furnishing good pasture for stock several weeks before timothy and clover begin to grow.
While the blue grass is thus valuable in shortening the feeding months by furnishing early spring pasturage its chief value lies, in this climate, in its un- excelled qualities as a grass for winter pastures. Farmers and stock growers have abundantly proven the great value of winter pastures. There is that about the climate of this region which preserves the nutritious qualities of the tame grasses far into the winter season, but all recognize the blue grass as admirably adapted
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
to this purpose. The practice is to turn the stock of the tract designed for the next winter's pasture, about June 1. By the following November the surface will be covered to the depth of from four to six inches with blue grass that has grown to the height of from two to four feet and fallen down completely cover- ing the ground.
Owing to the favorable climate this grass retains nearly all of its strength or nutritive qualities until the new growth in spring takes its place. Usually there is not enough snow to prevent cattle from feeding off such pastures most of the winter. Horses live and thrive on it with no other shelter than the brush, if on woodland or a shed under which they may seek shelter from the worst storms, if on the open prairie. While it is not claimed that it is well to rely wholly upon winter pastures without shelter for stock, it is wholly within the record to say that it is possible to raise horses entirely on pasturage in this county, and the feeding reason for cattle and sheep may, by proper attention to pastures seeded with different grasses, be confined to a period varying from thirty to sixty-five days in each year. Our grasses furnish pasturage the year around, and cured as hay find a ready market. The peculiar climatic and soil conditions produce hay of excellent quality. Much of our hay is sent south. In St. Louis, Vicks- burg, Memphis, Nashville and many other southern cities, southwest Iowa hay is so highly prized that it is asked for by name.
For the purpose of advertising to the world the advantages of this section of the state a "blue grass league" was organized, embracing the following coun- ties : Adams, Adair. Appanoose, Cass, Clark, Decatur, Fremont, Lucas, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Wayne and Warren. Its membership consisted of representatives from local organizations in each county. The organization was effected March 1, 1889, and the same fall a "blue grass palace" was built at Creston. The building was one hundred feet square with four main towers at the corners, a principal tower ninety-two feet high in the center, the summit of which was reached by a spiral stairway, and a castle or battlement tower near the front entrance. The different counties representing the league had exhibits in their own separate booths, and a spirit of good natured rivalry was manifest among the exhibitors. The exposition was formally opened by Gov. Larrabee, who was accompanied by his official staff in uniform. Gov. Thayer of Nebraska, and his staff were present and partici- pated in the opening exercises. Each day had its program of speaking, music and other interesting features. Many speakers of national reputation were secured, among them Dr. H. W. Thomas, Chicago, and Dr. Lyman Abbott of Brooklyn, two of the most noted divines of the country. A finer exhibition of fruits, grains and grasses has never been seen in the state, and from the liberal adver- tising, it drew visitors from all over the country, many of whom, no doubt, have since removed to this section. Three exhibitions were given, the first 1887, second 1890 and the third and last in 1891. It has been said that the citizens of this section themselves never realized what wonderful resources this country possessed until they held this exposition. Here could be seen and easily followed the mar- velous progress made by our people in a quarter of a century. Besides bring this section into notice and advertise the boundless resources of this section, but it led to an increased interest in all lines of agriculture among the people of the va-
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
rious counties. The horticultural products are not usually spoken of in connec- tion with the resources of an agricultural region such as ours, but all fruits pe- culiar to a temperate climate thrive here. Apples, peaches, pears and every variety of small fruit, are produced in abundance and excel in quality similar fruits grown in California.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
It will be remembered that the county was organized in 1851, and it was not long until the more thoughtful began to speak of fairs. In 1855, 1856 and 1857 many new settlers came, and among them were men of broad culture and opinions whose wisdom and influence is manifest in the progress that has attended the county in its moral and material interests, so in 1857 the agitation which was com- menced by the settlers who came first, was made to assume the appearance of success by the aid of those who arrived later. October 7th of that year, "a meeting of the citizens of Taylor county" was held at Bedford, for the pur- pose of organizing an agricultural society. Daniel Hoover, of Jackson town- ship, was made chairman, and D. Dale, secretary. Jesse Evans, E. W. Fouts and D. Dale were appointed a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws. It was resolved that a county fair be held at Bedford that same month-October 3Ist-and also, that on that day a meeting be had for the purpose of perfecting the organization of an agricultural society in the county. A committee of five was appointed from Benton township (which then embraced Bedford), to make the necessary arrangements for the fair. It was styled a "central committee," and consisted of Dr. Luther Bent, J. C. Roy, D. Dale, Dr. P. I. Cox and John Camp- bell. A committee from each of the then existing townships was named to act in conjunction with the above mentioned "central committee," as follows : Dr. R. S. Baker, Clayton township; J. R. Foster, of Dallas township; Dr. J. R. Stand- ley, of Jefferson township; D. Hoover, of Jackson township; Mr. Stockton, of Polk township; J. W. Wood, of Washington township. Saturday, October 31, 1857, the citizens met at Bedford for the purpose of holding a county fair, and the record says: Whereupon, without any previous arrangements the following were exhibited.
"By William Booker, one bull, two years old (white) ; by William Booker, one mule, one year old; by Stephen H. Parker, one bull, two years old; by Ste- phen H. Parker, one sucking calf ; by William A. Wysong, one sucking colt ; by A. Dougherty, one jack; by John Derrickson, one colt, two years old (black) ; by William Nash, one yearling filley."
Following this exhibition of stock, the meeting elsewhere mentioned for per- fecting the organization was had. D. Hoover was chairman and E. Heuck, secretary. The committee on constitution and by-laws reported. The constitu- tion was adopted without change, and the meeting proceeded at once to the elec- tion of officers. Jesse Evans was chosen president; Thomas Cobb, vice-presi- dent; D. Dale, secretary and R. S. Baker, treasurer. The by-laws were then taken up, but failed of adoption. The record then says: "Further proceedings were postponed for want of time, and the meeting adjourned until the Satur- day between Christmas and New Year's following," and strictly to the day a meet-
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