USA > Iowa > Washington County > History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. I > Part 35
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Here, between two great rivers lie two hundred by three hundred miles of the best soil in the world, and the population is only some two millions, much less than that of New York city and, perhaps, about equal to Chicago's score. It could easily support five or six millions, on the basis of Henry Wal- lace's estimate that the most profitable cultivation of the soil is about one hundred and fifty-one acres per capita. He thinks it will some near day be one hundred acres, perhaps eighty acres, and that will mean an increase in rural population proportioned to the decrease in the size of farms. The wonder is, that any one ever leaves Iowa, a state so exceptionally rich that it is only the best parts of her adjoining states that abut on her borders-South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois-to keep agreeable company with her, those sister states have to put their best feet foremost, as Wallace says. But thousanads on thousands of restless folk have first and last taken themselves as seed wheat and corn to other states. The Hawkeye club estimates the ex-Iowans in Spokane at three thousand to four thousand. And Los Angeles annually rounds up at the Iowa picnic fifteen thousand to twenty thousand former residents of Iowa. In Oregon our Iowa editorial excursion parties were met at all stations by scores and hundreds of previous citizens of our state. It's so everywhere. If an Iowa tourist of any mark of distinction goes anywhere in this wide western world, he needs to carry himself pretty straight, and cut up no rusties, or he will be spotted, identified, and peached on, very likely, just for fun. Under this subtle espionage, he doesn't have as gay a time as he might, eh? Well, be good, and you'll be lonesome.
Why should no mention be made of a character indeed-Leon Mayer, the pioneer clothier ? He, too, had had a world of fun, like Jonathan Wilson and Rheinart. He had a pleasant, cordial habit of promenading round the square
530
111STORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
every fine morning, smoking, stopping at every store door, and saluting his fellow business men. He had a wonderful capacity for friendship, as, also, had that queen of warm-hearted women, the late Mrs. Simon, mother to Mrs. Sol. Rich.
John Dougherty was an early grocer. When he quit, his accounts were put in a collector's hands. A farmer got notice he owed D. for a bay colt. He came in, wroth, and said, "I never bought no colt of him." "You must, see, here it is down in black and white, 'bay colt.'" The ex-grocer was called. "No, surely not, I never sold him a bay colt-can't you read ?- bag salt, colt." That's the way school children spell salt now-colt.
Our greatest hunter was no doubt Jesse Ashby. So said Michael Wilson, who was probably the best shot in our history. He confirms the story told elsewhere, that Ashby would walk right up to a deer grazing. Just before a suspecting deer lifts its head it twitches its tail, as a squirrel jerks its bush. Jesse would halt and stand rigid and look inanimate when the tail twitched, and the deer took him for a stump, and when the head lowered, he strode swiftly forward, a compact, integral body, no lateral movements, just an upright cylinder of a body that would deceive the very elect among deer. Wilson saw him do that many times. Game was so plenty here, it was a paradise to Ashby and Wilson. Even before they went out to seek elk, deer, turkeys, etc., those animals were already tied to the muzzles of their guns. and all the men had to do, was to bag them. Mr. Wilson came in '40. By '44 he wanted to see what lowa is like. While visiting in Mahaska county, he set out for the headwaters of the Des Moines river, way up in the wilderness Ft. Dodge way, ere Ft. Dodge was. At Des Moines there was only a small fort. He rode a pony, carrying blankets, provisions such a flour, meal, bacon, etc. He fell sick, Indians stole his horse ; he was deathly sick, lay on the ground almost too weak to stir ; mosquitoes were eating him up; he tried to whittle a screen of boughs to fence his face, but still he could literally scrape them off his face with his palms; he realized he must move or perish there alone, and he staggered to the river, carrying his kit, gun, etc., saw a drift, and summoning the last fibers of his waning strength, he pried loose a few poles and bound them together with grape vines, loaded his stuff, and floated away. At evening he saw a log cabin, tied the raft, and approached the man in front, and begged for lodging, and was gruffly denied. His anger nerved him to say, "but I shall stay, I am sick, it is inhuman to turn me away ; you are a cruel man." Drawing his rifle on the brute, "you bring up my things or I'll kill you in your tracks : I'd sooner kill you than a wolf. You're worse than a wolf-start, or I'll shoot you." He obeyed. In the morning his female beast refused breakfast, "we have nothing to eat." "Take my provisions, get
531
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
me a breakfast or I'll kill you both." Stiff bluff for a man who hadn't an ounce of strength left. But it won. "Take my things down to the raft," drawing a bead on the man who asked, "Aren't you going to pay me?" "Not a cent -- I ought to shoot you." He floated to the fort, and was given medical help. Finally, a Mahaska friend, glancing up the river, to a bend, exclaimed, "There comes Mike-he's lost his horse-betcher the Indians stole it." "How do you know it's Mike?" "By the silver plate on his gun shining in the sun."
For five years running, Mr. Wilson took first prize in Ohio squirrel shoots just before corn ripened. They were in such numbers, they destroyed the crop. Often he would kill one hundred and fifty a day. His son Charles J. saw him shoot the head off a turkey at one hundred and twenty-seven paces, when his gun was out of fix as to the trigger, and he had to draw back the hammer with his hand and let fly. No hawk on wing could escape his unerr- ing bullet, so accurate was his judgment as to distance, speed of bird, and calculated aim. He brought down everything he aimed at, except the stars, sun and moon, but really he did not expect to get them. One could make a readable Buffalo Bill book, describing the hunters and their feats in our pioneer period.
As I see my finish, I regret no dates can be fixed for the origins of many things, as, when were finger bowls and napkins introduced into this provincial county ? And who first exposed to "showers," with only a lap and no um- brella, girls about to be led to the altar without a halter, as they would not stand without hitching? And when was it? What married couple had the first receptions at the homes of either parents? Who gave the first lap sup- per, and when? Who first said it was bad form to ask for a second helping of soup, when folks are bored, teazed and bully-ragged to be helped to every- thing else a dozen times? And who has a picture of the idiot who set the fashion of sipping soup from the side instead of the end of the spoon, without an accompaniment of sound like "sloop" and tilting up the dish to get the very last drop? Who made it a misdemeanor to eat with a knife and compel the awkward Rubes to use a fork? Who forbade, and when, turning hot coffee and tea into a saucer, and swallowing the cooled contents with a sound like many waters? Who exiled a man for eating pie out of his palm? Who gave the first party, and when was it? that people did not want to go to, and stand around and smile and let on that they were having a gay and festive time while bored within an inch of their lives, and eat a lot of unwholesome stuff they did not care for, at an hour that would ruin the digestion of an alligator, and wake next morning with woolly caterpillars walking over their tongues? Who was the first Ananias or Sapphira who, at the door, at last, when the host and hostess were speeding the parting guests, got off the
532
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
whopper. "We've had a perfectly delightful time?" One would like to fix the dates of all such things.
In the grave-yards, when did the first liar trace something preposterous in carved letters on the stones? We can make a pretty good guess as to the dates marking the progress of sculpture on the headstones. In the earlier catacombs there was engraved a dove, or a lamb whose fore legs were bigger than its body, and growing bigger toward the hooves. At a later time angels superseded bird and lamb-it was hard to give up wings altogether ; but finally an interesting youngish widow appeared on the stones, in hoop-skirts, standing under a weeping-willow tree whose foliage resembled carded wool. Her right elbow rested on the top of the stone, and a handkerchief concealed her eyes, except as she lowered it to wipe her also tearful nose. Mortuary art was "progressive," like euchre and reform politics, etc. Sobs shook her cork- screw curls, and sympathetic single men organized expeditions to relieve her grief.
I have spoken of the renaissance in building pretty houses and making charming lawns and flower gardens, inspired by the construction of the court- house. That esthetic influence reached still farther. Ladies began at once to live up to that building by dressing more elegantly. The dress train appeared, and it took as long to cure the men of fright of it as to teach country horses not to shy at automobiles. Men were a long time in drill not to step on that crawling thing, either on a level or in going down stairs. When their awk- ward feet made a rip, they reddened in the face and said "pardon me," and she sweetly replied, "certainly," but really was mad enough to bite off his nose. Gentlemen, too, flowered out in evening suits. The swallow-tail coat came in, and the decollete vest, and broad expanse of shirt bosom so glairy a fly would slip up on it, and cuffs and collars that caused a deal of profanity, and sleeve buttons and white kids, opera hats or silk tiles. Gems flashed, and a sort of shame made men nervous in the unwonted costume, and they fidgeted, and sneaked around, knocking down vases of flowers and bumping into people and saying "Oh, pardon," ill at ease and sweating more copiously than there was need of. The courthouse is responsible for all that. At one time there were some twenty-five young bloods of lawyers, doctors, editors, clerks who split their coat-tails and hair in the middle, and affected a nonchalance and chestiness and self-possession they did not feel. There was never an- other such building as that courthouse for influence. It was spermatic, and shed its fructifying pollen on every breeze.
And, perhaps, the "Central House," that introduced side dishes, made the first stroke at abolishing rude table manners, substituting fork for knife, teaching the gentle art of wiggling the soiled fingers in a bowl without drink-
533
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
ing the contents, and wiping them on napkins instead of breeches'-legs, silenc- ing the boisterous tones of deglutition, and regulating the motions of the Adam's apple. It was noticed that men began to cease bathing their mus- taches in soup and accumulating frescoes of egg on their goatees.
About 1866 Sam Maloney organized a circus here, and those interested in it were Ben and Clay Welch, Jim Beatty, Henry Sanford, Chris Hartman, Chas. Hebener, John Evans, Ned Knickerbocher, Buck Gardner and Zed Rexrode, who was treasurer. The performance given was creditable, and con- sisted of tumbling, trapeze and horizontal bar work, vaulting and trick pony stunts. The band of Richmond accompanied the circus, and after about a week or ten days' tour of towns in adjoining counties brought up at Brighton, five hundred dollars in the treasury to the good, when Rexrode absconded without paying performers. hands or incidental expenses. The circus went into liquidation, leaving everyone who had anything to do with it in the hole, except the treasurer, who has never been heard of since.
Jesse Harvey is probably the oldest man born in this county, James Bailey, father to Marsh W. Bailey, is a native of the county, dating from June, '42. Joe Huston was born in Crawford township in the early '40s. James Farrier has, perhaps, lived here longer than any other survivor of the true pioneer period. He is eighty years of age, born in Ohio, September 23, 1828, and came with his parents to Brighton in 1839, the year the county was organized ; and after some years they moved into Franklin township, and just lately he moved into this city. His father's was the first family to go north of Skunk river and west of Indian creek, unless Joe Long beat him by just one day. The Longs did not tarry long, pushing into Keokuk county, where in some unexplained way his gentle mooley cow killed his wife while she was milking. His father was George B. Farrier, a shoemaker, making slippers for twenty- five cents, shoes for fifty and boots for six bits. Hides were on the free list. James' wife was Mary Todd, and she is twenty-one days older than he, and is spry and well preserved ; they were married in this county. Her father was Abel Todd, and they came about 1845. The late Daniel Anderson's wife was her half-sister. James and Mary had ten children, and seven sur- vive. They belong to The Brethren or Dunkards. His gray hair is thick and long and parted in the middle, and he has not out-grown it, and his whiskers are long, but his teeth are gone. Why are white folks' teeth the first thing to go, while the last with the red people? The patent to his forty acres was signed by President Millard Fillmore, March 10, '52. He says only eight died of cholera in the Brighton epidemic, and Tom Purcell and Dan Powers were two of them. Rank vegetation, rotting, caused the early ague. His playmates in boyhood were red kids, and they never scrapped.
534
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
The Indian children were amiable, ever good-natured, and playful as cubs. All the Reds were kind and helpful. The Sacs and Foxes did not tattoo, nor practice polygamy, except that the chiefs were allowed the privileges exacted now by white aristocrats and millionaires. The first thing a get-rich-quick man does is to accumulate a harem. Farrier never knew here but one squaw who had an illegitimate child, and that was by a white man. She did not value that asset, and offered it to Farrier for his "fist."
Here, on the thirteenth of July, 1909, the Chicago publisher cries, "Halt. Advance and give the countersign," which is Finis.
Iowa, Iowa, beautiful land! And Washington county and Washington city right up to the front, with her fair, good women and her brave, canny men. What's the matter with Iowa, and Washington county and city? Indeed, they're all right. So say all of us.
And now, gentle reader, if that fabled creature still exists, we have walked together from the year 1803, and specially from the year 1835 to 1909, our path laid in two goodly centuries. We have studied, and speculated, and gossiped, and laughed together along the way. Here let us part in good will, and go in peace our several ways. Good bye, and God bless you !
ILLUSTRATIONS
Territorial Map of Iowa.
9
Nathan Littler 13
Irving A. Keck. 13
Group of Indians. 25
Chief Black llawk
31
Chief Keoknk
31
Indian Relics. (From Collection of Col. Charles J. Wilson.)
37
Buffalo Robe and Indian Weapons. (From Collection of Col. Charles J. Wilson) 43
Scene on the Skunk River 49
Scene on Main Creek 49
Publie Square in 1909 55
Newhall's Map of Iowa, 1841 61
Timothy Brown Monument 67
Pioneer Transportation
73
Log Cabin in Which First Court Was Held 73
Old "Elm" Schoolhouse
73
Old Bunker Mills 73
William H. Jenkins. 79
Margaret Reister Jenkins 79
Joseph Sommer
79
Elizabeth Sommer 79
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Young
83
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hayer
83
Mr. and Mrs. Simpson Goble 83
Margaret Morrison Young.
87
Samuel Robert Palmer.
87
Margaret Munce Palmer 87
W. W. Kendall.
91
A. H. Guzeman. 91
Samnel Conner
91
Hugh Smith
95
Jonathan H. Wilson
95
Michael W. Wilson 95
Mary W. Ashby, First Teacher
101
Washington Woolen Mill.
107
Caleb S. Cleaves
113
Jesse Ashby
113
R. W. MeElroy
113
Samnel Bigger
113
Citizens' Savings Bank and West Side
of Public Square ....
117
Masonic Temple and North Side
Public Square
117
Courthouse in Public Square, Washing- ton 123
Anson Moore
130
William G. Israel 130
Renben Israel 130
Israel H. Friend
130
L. B. Fleak.
130
George W. Forman.
130
Young Cabin in Cedar Township
133
Pioneer Sod House. 133
Clay Congregational Church
.137
Old Clay Schoolhouse.
137
Clay Cheese Factory 141
Courthouse, Washington, Iowa.
17
Benjamin Meacham
145
Jehiel Meacham 145
Seymour Meacham 145
Marcellus Meacham
145
Alfred Meacham
145
Allen Meacham
145
David Bunker
149
Thomas B. Dawson ..
149
John Thompson Anderson
153
Saralı Baxter Anderson. 153
Jesse, Boyd.
157
Three Oldest Settlers of County:
Amos Moore
161
Simpson Goble
161
William Moore
161
Coppoek Mill
165
Brighton Mill
165
Mr. and Mrs. John Mather
169
Mr. and Mrs. William Goble. 169
First Two-story Frame House in Wash-
ington, Iowa
173
Log Cabin Built in the '40s by John
Rowan
.173
Bird's Eye View of the City of Wash- ington 178
Infirmary on County Poor Farm ..
183
Iowa
House, Washington's
Famous
Hostelry in War Times
189
Courthouse and Public Square of Wash-
ington in the '60s ..
189
Graham Opera House, Washington.
195
Old Everson Opera House, now the Tem- ple Building 195
Main Street, Washington, Looking East
from Public Square.
201
Bryson House .
207
Henry B. Anderson House, Washington
Township
.207
Great Railroad Celebration.
215
One of the Group of Elms in West
Washington under which First Com-
munion was
held
in
Washington
County
223
Second United Presbyterian Church ... 229
Rev. T. H. Holmes.
233
Rev. John O'Laughlin 233
Rev. C. J. Greenwood.
233
Rev. Benjamin Eicher.
233
Moravian Church at Grace Hill.
237
George C. Vincent.
241
First United Presbyterian Church
245
First Place of Worship
.245
Third Place of Worship.
245
Second Place of Worship
.245
Rev. Abijah Conner
249
ILLUSTRATIONS
lor Robert Hunter 249
Res. Charles Thompson .2.19
First House of Worship, Second U. P. Church .253
Eureka Methodist Episcopal Church. . . 253 Baptist Church .257
Presbyterian Church and Parsonage. . 257
St. Mary's Church, Riversde, Iowa. .
.261
Methodist Episcopal Church, 1909.
.265
Methodist Episcopal Church.
.265
High School, Washington County
273
Old High School Building of Washing- ton 273
Brick Schoolhouse Built in the '40s and Torn Down to Give Place to lligh School .277
Prof. W. P. Johnston 281
D. W. Lewis 281
Prof. S. E. McKee 281
J. R. Doig
251
Brick Schoolhouse South of Washing-
ton 285
Jackson Center Schoolhouse .255
Washington Academy .289
Heights School 293
Centennial School. Washington
.293
Pioneer Merchants :
D. J. Norton. Sr. 299
J. II. Stewart. .299
George Brokaw
209
Robert Fisher
299
Jane A. Chilcote .303
Jane A. Chilcote Free City Library 303
Pioneer Business Men:
William E. Chilcote .307
John A. Henderson
307
E. T. Hobener. 307
James A. Thompson 307
Edwin Cadwallader .311
P. T. Wilson.
311
11. F. Stock .311
J. Albert Williams .311
William Wilson, Jr 315
Charles Evans
.315
John Wiseman
319
A. S. Bailey
319
W. N. Hood. .319
A. R. Wickersham .319
Norman Everson .327
Samuel A. Russell.
.327
lliram Scofield
.327
J. F. MeJunkin 327
L. F. Sherman.
333
Antis H. Patterson .333
J. F. Brown.
333
J. R. Lewis. 333
Bunker Mill after Hail Storm Which
Killed So Many Fish. 339
James Dawson's Elevator 339
Judge A. R. Dewey .345
G. G. Bennett. .345
Washington's Famous Band. .355
J. R. Richards. 369
Joseph Keck 369
J. H. Young
Pioneer Bankers: 369
.1. W. Chilcote 373
R. R. Bowland .375
Shep. Farnsworth
.375
Currency Chocks 381
William MeGanghy
at
Ninety-seven
Years of Age .389
Enoch Ross, Member of Constitutional
Convention of 1844-5.
.389
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick Bailey
.. 395
Mrs. Almon Moore-Mrs. Jesse Ashby . 401
Washington City Park, Looking South-
west
407
Artesian Wells Water Works.
413
James Dawson
419
Abijah Savage 431
William Said
441
John W. Prizer
441
William Wilson
441
Horace 11. Willson
447
John P. Huskins.
447
D. B. Parkinson
447
William B. Lewis 447
Col. Henry R. Cowles 455
Maj. S. E. Rankin.
455
Gen. N. P. Chipman. .
455
Rev. S. F. Van Atta.
461
Mrs. S. F. Van Atta.
461
Officers of the Rebellion:
Col. Benjamin Crabb 467
Col. D. J. Palmer
467
('ol. William B. Bell.
467
Towa National Guard Encampment at Washington .473
Company D. Fiftieth lowa Infantry, April 26, 1898, En Route to Des Moines 473
Officers of the Rebellion:
Gen. T. II. Stanton. 479
Gen. Hiram Scofield
479
Company D. Fiftieth lowa. returning at
Close of Spanish-American War. ..
497
Members of the Crack Rifle Team:
Charles Hebener 503
D. S. Cole. . 503
J. J. Kellogg .503
Alex Coffman .503
.I. G. Hise. 503
Mart Whitcomb 503
6. J. Wilson. 507
A. A. Rodman 507
Phon Sheets
507
W. R. Mccutcheon 507
Thomas Teller
Pioneer Doctors: 507
Dr. Joseph Mckee 511
Dr. J. R. Burroughs 511
Dr. William McClelland 511
Di. William Rousseau
511
Dr. Samuel Marshall
511
Dr. W. F. Rodman 511
Dr. O. IT. Prizer 515
Di. Nelson Van Patten 515
Dr. A. S. Cowden 515
Dr. J. D. Miles 515
Dr. D. Scofield
515
J. C. Conger
519
Fair Grounds
on
Brinton's
Airship
Day
.. 525
INDEX
Chapter I. Evolution of Washington County 7
11. Our Predecessors 23
Chapter Chapter III. Indians and Mound Builders 41
Chapter Chapter
IV. Still Farther Back. 59
Inventory of the Pioneer Period. 71
Chapter
VI.
Getting On Land. 105
131
Brighton
131
Cedar
139
Clay
144
Crawford
147
Dutch Creek
148
English River
152
Franklin
155
Highland
156
luwa
160
Jackson
Lime Creek 163
164
Oregon
168
Seventy-Six
168
Washington
171
Chapter VIII.
County Offices and Finances.
179
Chapter IX.
Roads Territorial. County and Railroads
199
Chapter XI.
Schools - Education 271
Chapter XII.
Informal Educational Institutions 297
Chapter XIII.
Court. Bat. Crime and Accident 325
Chapter
Banking. Insurance, Etc. 367
Chapter
How Would You Like to Go Back There? 387
Chapter XVII.
"Where Are We At ?". 405
Chapter XVIII.
Polities. Campaigns and Elections 439
Chapter XIX. Washington County in War .. 453
Chapter
Omnibus Sketches, Etc. 501
Chapter
Churches- Religion 221
Chapter XIV. Fraternal and Other Associations, Etc 353
Marion
136
Chapter VII. Townships in Detail.
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