USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, and representative citizens > Part 4
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
There was no lack of game in the days before the white man came; there were herds of buffalo ranging on the prairies and count- less herds of deer and elk ranging between Ottumwa and Eddyville. In the forest there were wild turkeys in great numbers, on the prairies and near the groves were prairie chick- ens. Occasionally a black bear would waddle down to the river and then go back to its den in the woods. This is a picture of the county and its natural conditions prior to the advent of the white man, when the wild animals and the wild men were the only occupants of the soil. This is the picture as described by okl Jim Jordan, who was a trader at lowaville in the days when Black Hawk was still alive and after he gained his great victory over the lowas a few miles below Eldon. This is the picture as described by army officers, who, with their dragoons, occasionally scouted the coun- try between this place and the Raccoon Forks. It was this wild but beautiful country that in- vited the adventurous settler to a home, on the first day of May, 1843. Before night of that day there were not less than 2,000 persons ac- tually inhabiting the county. The most of these had been squatted along the line of the county, in Jefferson county, preparatory to passing into Wapello as soon as midnight ar- rived. The greater part of these early set- tlers were engaged the last half of the night of the 30th of April and the ist of May, 1843. in marking out their claims. This was done by setting stakes in the prairie and blazing trees in the timber. These claims embraced from 80 to 320 acres each.
As might be expected, the work of locating and defining these claims, much of it being done in the night, was very inartistically done. Many of the boundary lines were crooked, dis- jointed and encroached the one upon the other. This inevitably led to many disturbances called "claim difficulties." It must be quite apparent that these difficulties must find some peaceable means of adjustment. To meet this necessity the earlier inhabitants organized what were called "Claim Committees." A claim. when bona fide made and held, was as sacredly protected as are homes and lands of the pres- ent inhabitants. The judgment of these crudely organized, though necessary, tribunals were enforced by summary process. This process was generally a plain, written state- ment of the opinion of the "Claim Committee." setting forth the right of the injured party and the wrong complained of, and an order to the wrongdoer to abide by and submit to the judgment of the court, in default of which the power of the county was invoked to carry out and enforce, on the spot. the judgment. From the judgment of these "Claim Committees" there was no appeal or stay of execution.
In the year 1874 llon. 11. B. Hendershott. who was himself one of the early settlers and the first clerk of the District Court, was in- vited to deliver an address at a meeting of the Old Settlers Association. That address has never been equaled by any similar effort, and. inasmuch as it contained the truth of history. it would not be wise to do anything else than to draw largely from it rather than to attempt to improve upon it. It is a valuable historical
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
production and should be inserted entire in | Joseph Hayne, Demps Griggsby, Thomas Fos- ter. Daniel Dennison and Green B. Savery.
these pages, but space will not permit. We, therefore, quote that which seems indispen- sable in making a complete record of import- ant events that have transpired since the first settlement.
Judge Hendershott, in the course of his ad- dress, said: "AAmong the very earliest settlers in the county of Wapello are the following : In Competine township. Joseph Leighton ( fa- ther of .A. C. Leighton). Mahlon Wright, Jesse Scott. Dr. Lewis. Alexander Smith and others.
"In Pleasant township. George Harmon. John Henderson, James Hill. John Murray. John Huffstutter. James T. Coleman, Lewis F. Temple, George Hanna, Thomas Larwood, Samuel McGee, Thomas Brumsy ( father of Samuel Brumsy. Esq. ). Manley Blanchard. John Philips, Calvin Carson, Hiram Fisher, John McDowell and Templin McDowell.
1
"In Agency township, James Weir (sub- sequently Judge of Probate, and father of Dr. Weir. of Agency City). James Stevens. Charles F. Harrow, S. S. Dwire. William H. Cogswell. Joseph Myers, Maj. John Beach, William B. Street, Alexander Street, J. H. D. Street ( sons of Gen. Street, the Indian agent ). Reuben Myers, Jesse Brookshire and H. B. Hendershott.
"In Washington township, John Priest, Gideon Myers, Joseph H. Flint, S. M. Wright, Silas Garrison, Thomas Ping, James Acton. John Acton, L. A. Myers, G. D. La Force,
"In Keokuk township: Joseph Melntire, Seth Ogg. William C. Mentire, J. J. Seaman, Benjamin Young, William Kendrick, Robert 11. Ivers. Curtis Knight, Jesse Wallace and others.
"In Green township were: D. H. Michael (once sheriff of the county and now member of the board of supervisors ). Benjamin Baum, Richard Jackson, Ezekiel Rush, Benjamin Powell, Isham Higdon and _A. J. Redenbaugh (once clerk of the board of county commis- sioners, a good officer and honest man ).
"Passing on around to Adams township, we find: James F. AAdams ( for whom the township is called ). Theophilus Blake, Cyrus Van Cleave, Lawson Bradley, the Brocks, Drapers, Ralstons and others.
"In the western part of the county, then not organized into townships as now. were: Joseph Gardner. Moses Baker, Frank Bates, James Sales, Abram Butin, Samuel Webb, Bird Pritchett. Noah Dofflemeyer, Lewis My- ers, George F. Myers, L. L. Denny. L. Stump, Samuel Bush, J. P. Eddy, John Kavanaugh, Abner Overman, James Baker, Walter Clem- ent. William R. Ross. Joseph Roberts. Stephen Roberts. Lorenzo Roberts, William Black, Richard Butcher. Henry Segur. Michael Welch and D. Campbell.
"In Richland township: T. M. Kirkpat- rick, Dr. Kirkpatrick, David Whitcomb, John Baker. J. G. Baker (Uncle Gurley, you know). Isaac Fisher. William Brim. James B. Wright,
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John D. Bevens, the MeGlassons, A. J. Spur- lock, John Kirkpatrick, William .i. Winsell, John M. Spurgeon, Hugh Brown ( once a clerk of the District Court and always a good citi- zen ), Thomas Hardesty, Hill and Bayliss.
"In Highland township: J. W. Carpenter, George Godfrey, William Evans, James West. Jedediah Scott. William Harris, Washington Williams, George Robinson, James Van Win- kle, M. W. McChesney.
"In Dahlonega township: Joseph II. Hod- rick. Peter Kitterman, Elias Kitterman. Mar- tin Koontz, James Woody, W. B. Wordy. Benjamin Brattain, Jehu Moore. N. D. Earl. N. H. Gates, Peter White, John and Joseph Kite, Alvin Lewis, John W. Caldwell, Lewis Cobler.
"In Center township: James M. Peck. Farnum Whitcomb, Richard Fisher, J. C. Fisher, Peter Fisher, Henry Huffman, Nason Roberts. John .Alexander, Reuben R. Harper, J. M. Montgomery (settled out north), Phi- lester Lee. John Clark, James Langshore, Dr. Hackleman, Thomas H. Wells, Jerry Smith. Sr., and Clark Williams in the eastern part of the township; Dr. C. C. Warden. Hugh George, William Dewey, Paul C. Jeffries, Da- vid Glass, David Hall, Rev. B. A. Spaulding, S. S. Norris, Sewell Kinney, David P. Smith, John Myers, David Armstrong, H. P. Graves. William H. Galbraith, Levi Buckwalter in Ot- tumwa: Jink Vassar, George D. Hackworth, Arthur Eakins, Ammon Shawl, John Over- man on the south side of the river: John C. Evans, Thomas Reveal, John Humphrey, Syl- vester Warner, Paris Caldwell, G. A. Roemer,
William Harris, William Crawford, Alexan- der Crawford. Thomas Crawford, Nathaniel Bell in the western part of the township.
"But I cannot tarry longer to name all those who first settled in the county. Nor can I take up your time with biographical sketches of those named ; suffice it to say that a nobler set of men, of large hearts, of generous im- pulses and true courage. never lived. And when I call to mind the many times 1 have shared your hospitality, old settlers, have been sheltered by your humble roofs, and protected from the pitiless prairie storms and parching summer suns-when I look back and am re- minded of the many kind friends Ihave found in you when i was but a youth, poor and a stranger in a wild, strange land, I would not if I could, and cannot if I would, suppress that 'God bless you' which springs up in my heart made glad at meeting you this day. Poverty, adversity and pluck brought us together in the olden times ; a happy present and hopeful fu- ture have brought 'us together to-day. . And while our main purpose in this reunion is to talk over the early days and to rejoice together. I must be pardoned if 1 tarry in the shades of the lamented dead, and with you shed a tear on their venerated graves. John Humphreys, Joseph Leighton, George Harman, Lewis F. Temple, John Huffstutter. James Weir. James Stephens, S. S. Dwire, William II. Coggswell, Joseph Melntire. Robert II. Ivers, Curtis Knight. Benjamin Baum, Theophilus Blake, Abraham Butin. Abner Overman, Charles Overman, Walter Clement. Michael Welch, William Black. John Baker, Isaac Fisher,
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
James B. Wright, John D. Bevans. A. J. Spur- lock. William Evans. Jedediah Scott. Richard Fisher, Rev. B. A. Spaulding, S. S. Norris, Jerry Smith, John Priest, John C. Evans, John Myers and .A. D. Whipple-these among the early settlers. . And coming down a little later, Aaron Ilarlan, Albert Mudge, James Hawley. A. D. Wood. Nathan Tindall, John Stout, James Il. Nosler, James Gray, William Lotspeich, James D. Devin. Thomas Devin, Charles F. Blake, Sr., John Myers, Thomas C. Coffin, Thomas C. Ogden, William Ham- mond, Allen M. Bonnifield and Capt. C. C. Cloutman cannot be forgotten.
"In naming the earlier settlers in the dif- ferent parts of the county, it will be seen the list does not embrace those who have been in the county only twenty-five or thirty years. My purpose is to mention only those who came in on the heels of the departing Indian, and, of course, I have omitted very many who were of the first to reach the county.
"As the Indian took up his march toward the setting sun, you, old settlers, more favored than he, came in from the east. Many of you who are here to-day were here to see the red men of the forest, with their squaws and papooses, draw their blankets in sadness around their naked forms and with sullen and reluctant march take up their way to the set- ting sun and give way to the more favored wards of the Government.
"The inquiry may arise in the minds of many who are rejoicing with us to-day, how the first settlers provided the necessaries of life during their first season, as they came on the
Ist of May, and found nothing but a wild, un- cultivated country. Hard enough! But there were fewer necessaries needed then than now ; the inventory of necessaries was exceedingly brief. We had not then learned the lesson of extravagance. A pone of corn-bread, a slice of fat meat, spiced with its own gravy. furnished a most gracious and palatable re- past. Many and many is the happy meal, old settlers, you have taken under your humble roof, prepared by your cheerful and constant wives and daughters (God bless them!) of nothing but bread and meat.
"Then there were no mills in the county. You had to go to distant mills to get your flour and meal. Some went to Moffit's mill, on Skunk River, at .Augusta, in Des Moines county, 75 or 80 miles distant ; others went to Meek's mill, in Van Buren county. 40 or 50 miles; some went to one place and some to another. Some used an old farmer's coffee- mill with which to grind their buckwheat for cakes. Peter Kitterman has one of these mills, and promised to bring it in to-day so that I could show you the very mill, but he neglected to do so, informing me that his most excellent wife would not consent because no one would give credit to the story. But you who know Peter Kitterman know that when he says anything it is true.
"Six and eight days were frequently spent in these milling trips ; and when you returned with meal and flour and found any of your neighbors destitue you sent them word to come and get of your store. Yours were generous hearts and open hands. No destitution was
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permitted in your respective neighborhoods that you could prevent. You were then all partners; what one had the others owned. These were cordial, generous, happy days-no selfishness, no exclusion. You, okl men and aged women, will remember when your last pound of meat, your last peck of meal or bushel of potatoes was generously divided with your needy neighbors.
"I have thus far spoken of the men of the olden times, of the wild and early days of Wapello. I must not. 1 cannot, forget the mothers and wives and daughters of those days. The cheerfulness, joy and grace with which they made these wild and crude homes happy are not forgotten. You, who in better days and more abundant lands had vowed to love, honor and obey, did not. in your hard and rugged homes, forgot those vows.
"You, like those noble men whose ambi- tion and pluck brought them west, stood erect in that lofty womanhood which makes you helpmeets indeed, and adds glory to your sex. Never heard to murmur at the fate which brought you here-God bless you for the good you have done and the many kind offices you have filled and pass you in your advanced and declining years in joy to the close!
"Wapello county, which had been attached to Jefferson county, was organized in 1844. The territorial legislature passed an act, ap- proved February 13, 1844. the first section of which declares: 'That the county of Wapello be and the same is hereby organized from and after the Ist day of March next' (March I. 1844). This act declared that the clerk of the
District Court of the county, aided by the sher- iff of the county (this latter officer appointed by the act itself), should be the organizing officers. The duty of the clerk (he who now addresses you) was to appoint the judges and clerks of election ; fix the places of voting ; re- ceive, open and canvass the returns; declare the result, and issue certificates of election. James M. Peck, who is yet among us, an hon- ored, worthy and influential citizen of the county, residing some two miles north of Ot- tumwa, was the sheriff whose duty it was to post notices of the time and places of holding the election, deliver to the judges and clerks the poll books, etc.
"The first election was held April 1. 1844. The judges were: David P. Smith, Peter Barnett, Jacob Daily, Min Lewis, Nason Roberts. Lewis Cobler, James T. Coleman, John Huffstetter. James Acton, William Mil- ler, Willoughby Randolph, William R. Ross, Jonathan Davis, William C. Melntire, John W. Caldwell. J. P. Eddy. James Weir. Jeffer- son Redman, Daniel Dennison, James Broherd, Josiah C. Boggs, Nelson Wescoatt. N. B. Pres- ton, John Miller, William Kendrick, Robert H. Ivers, James F. Adams, Gimliel Belknap. Lawson Bradley, Reuben Myers, Demps Griggsby, Mahlon Wright, Mevander B. Smith and Joseph Leighton. The clerks were. William A. Houghland. A. C. Logan, James R. Fisher, James Hilton, Thomas Wright, N. D. Earl, William S. Campbell, Hiram Lam- bert. Thomas J. Linnard, William B. Street. William Newell, George Wilson, Samuel J. Warden, Lewis Kenney, David F. Parrott,
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
George H. Gow. James P. Bradley. Thomas Ping, R. V. Holcomb, Joseph Myers, Jonathan Hodson and Curtis Knight.
"At this first election James M. Montgom- ery. Lewis F. Temple and Charles F. Harrow were elected county commissioners; Charles Overman, commissioners' clerk : Paul C. Jef- fries, judge of probate: Joseph Hayne, sher- iff ; James Caldwell, assessor : Thomas Foster. treasurer ; Milton J. Spurlock, recorder ; Hugh George, surveyor, with a goodly number of justices and constables.
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"For some time after the county was first settled the inhabitants in the southeast part got their mail matter from Keosauqua; those in this and most other parts of the county got their mail from Fairfield. We generally sent down a special messenger for our mail once each week. If we could hear from Washing- ton once in two weeks we felt that we were especially fortunate in getting news so quickly. News which we received from Washington was more usually three weeks than two in reaching us; and, if I am not mistaken, our news from Europe was from four to six months in reaching us; and as for news from any other part of the world. that was never looked for.
"On an examination of a very ancient rec- ord I find the following entry, and I can vouch for its correctness, for 1 made it myself." [ Here was exhibited about half a quire of very common foolscap paper, stitched together with white thread and covered with a very coarse kind of paper, as the first record book fur- nished by the United States, in which to enter
the proceedings of the court, from which was read :]
And now, on this day, to wit. the 16th of September, A. D. 1814. the day on which, according to law, the District Court of the l'nited States, within and for the county of Wapello, and Territory of Iowa, was to have begun and held its first or September term, at the court house, in the county-seat of said county. There being no judge present, the time for the commencement of said court is adjourned until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.
Tuesday morning, 9 o'clock, September 12, 151l. - And now on this day there yet being no judge present, the time for the commencement of said court is further adjourned until tomorrow morning.
And now, on this day to-wit . Wednesday, September 18, 1844, being the adjourned day For the beginning of the September term of the District Court of the United States, for the county of Wapello and Territory of Iowa. Present, the Hon. Charles Mason, Judge.
[Here follows an entry showing the or- ganization of a grand jury as well on the part of the United States as the Territory of Iowa. ] "Thus we have, on the 18th day of Sep- I tember, 1844. a District Court opened, bothi on the part of the Territory of lowa. to ad- minister the laws of the Territory, and on the part of the United States to administer the laws of Congress.
"This court was opened and held in a log house situated on the lot where the First Na- tional Bank of Ottumwa now stands. The first judicial act which the court did after its organization had been completed, as shown by the record. is the following :
Josiah Smart, Agent, who sues for the use of S. S. Phelps vs. Elias Orton, assumpsit. Damages, $500. And now, on this day, this case came up for hearing. Where- upon, by the consent of parties, it is ordered by the court here that this case be dismissed at the cost of defendant, taxed at $7.52 14.
"I find, on looking over the record, the first
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jury trial had in the court was in the case of James Woody vs. Demps Griggsby; verdict for defendant.
"J. C. Hall, of Burlington: 1. W. Lewis and James H. Cowles, of Keosanqua : George May and W. H. Galbraith, of Ottumwa, are shown to have been in attendance as attorneys of the court. On the last day of the term 1 presented to the court my resignation in writing of the office of clerk, and thereupon John W. Ross, Esq., was appointed. The law, as it then stood, conferred upon the judge of the court the power to appoint his own clerk. Judge Mason had conferred the ap- pointment upon me, but with the express un- derstanding that an election should be held, and that the candidate receiving the highest number of votes should have the office.
"It may be a matter of interest to know who preached the first sermon in the county. I have sought in vain to ascertain this fact with certainty. The honor lies between J. Il. D. Street, Joseph H. Flint, Silas Garrison. T. M. Kirkpatrick, Milton Jamison, B. . 1. Spaulding and Joel Arrington. I think, how- ever, that the palm must be borne off by T. M. Kirkpatrick, of the Methodist Episcopal church, who, as I am informed by Seth Ogg. preached on the Keokuk prairie, on the south side of the river, just below Ottumwa, in an Indian wigwam, made of bark, early in 1843- just at what time Mr. Ogg could not inform me. I know that B. A. Spaulding. of the Congregational church, a good citizen, kind neighbor, honest man, able preacher and most exemplary Christian, preached in 1843 at
Agency City and Ottumwa, but at what time I have not ascertained. He, however, preached in a log cabin where Union Block now stands, and Kirkpatrick preached in an Ind'an wig- wam made of bark. I think the presumption is in favor of Rev. Mr. Kirkpatrick, of the wigwam.
[ Mr. Spaulding came in November, 1843. Mr. Kirkpatrick preached the first sermon .- EDITOR. ]
"I have endeavored to ascertain who taught the first school in the county. The credit lies between Ezekiel Rush, now living on the south side of the river, and Mr. Tansey, who taught a school at Dahlonega, with the presumption in favor of Mr. Rush.
"Sabbath-schools were organized at an early day at Agency City, Eddyville, Ottim- wa. Dahlonega and some other points. 1 think, from the most reliable information re- ceived, that the one organized at the house of Rev. W. A. Nye, near where Chillicothe now stands, in June, 1845, mainly through the efforts of G. F. Myers, was the first Sabbath- school organized in the county. There was one organized in Dahlonega in 1845, with J. W. Hedrick as superintendent, assisted by N. 11. Gates and J. H. Given.
"The first death in the county of which I have an account was that of Miss Mary Ann Hall, who died in the summer of 1843: and the first birth was that of Mary Ann Smith, daughter of David P. Smith, early in 1843. [This is correct as far as it relates to the actual settlers. On the authority of Major Beach, we give the first death as that of General
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
Street, and the first birth as that of William Street Beach, son of the Major. ]
"The first young lady who settled in Ot- tumwa was Samantha Shaffer, in honor of whom the street of that name in Ottumwa was called. She was not, however, the first young lady who came to the county, as I can myself aver and prove ; for I know that James Weir, Paul C. Jeffries, William Brim. James B. Wright and Joseph MeIntire brought a bevy of interesting daughters with them to the coun- ty in May. 1843, or very soon thereafter.
"The first instrument of any kind recorded in the county is a lease from Charles F. Har- row to his son-in-law, Jesse Brookshire, of the Baker farm, one mile cast of Agency, in con- sideration of $79.50, and that the family of said Harrow should live with and form a part of said Brookshire's family, and be supported by him until December 20. 1844. This paper was acknowledged before Green B. Savery, justice of the peace, witnessed by George May. and is dated April 29. 1844.
"The first mortgage which appears on rec- ord, is one from Joseph MeMullen to J. P. Eddy & Company, on a half section of land lying on Gray's Run, in Kishkekosh county,
secure the payment of $50, in one year, and contained the usual covenants of warranty. It would seem that lands in those days were not esteemed very valuable when a mortgage was required on a half section to secure $50. The only interest which McMullen could then have had in the land was a claim right, al- though he warranted the title.
"The book of original entries shows that the persons who first acquired titles to lands from the United States in the county were James Longshore, who purchased, September 16, 1844, lots 6, 7 and 8 and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 4. township 71, range 13, and John Caldwell, who purchased on the same day the east half of the northeast quarter of section 25, township 72. range 13.
"The first physician who settled in the county was either Dr. C. C. Warden, Dr. F. W. Taylor or Dr. C. W. Phelps. My im- pression is that Dr. Warden may justly claim that distinction. Ile came in 1843. Though young, he was skillful and attentive, and he is now honorable and fair as a merchant in (t- tumwa.
"The first lawyer who settled in the county was William H. Galbraith. Dewey, Burkhal- ter. May and Chapman were close after Gal- braith. Then, very soon, came Ives. Baker, Allison and myself. Then Jones. Colonel Summers, Brumfield, Lane and Devin.
"It is fitting that in mentioning the early immigrants to the county I should not forget now Monroe. This mortgage was given to ! the Ottumwa Courier and Des Moines Repub-
lic. The Courier was the first newspaper pub- lished in the county. The first number is dated August 8, 1848, and it was then called The Des Moines Courier, and was published by Joseph H. D. Street and R. H. Warden. If there is one paper in this whole country that has, more than any other, advocated Whig and Republican principles, the Courier is that pa-
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per. Whether under the control of its found- Democratic Mercury, E. L. & S. 11. Burton ers, Street & Warden, or under the control of proprietors, the former being editor. The forcible and spicy pen of the Mercury's editor, 1. 1. Burton, made that paper one of the best in southern lowa. that veteran, J. W. Norris, or General Hed- rick and Major Hamilton, or Hamilton &- Warden, we always know where to find the Courier on political issues. Through the re- verses of Whiggery and Republicanism, and in the triumph of its party in county, State and nation, it has always been able to get out the very biggest rooster in the land. At all times. and under all its proprietors, it has wielded an influence in the State of no mean proportions. The opposition always felt its blows.
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