USA > Iowa > Allamakee County > History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, Iowa > Part 19
USA > Iowa > Winneshiek County > History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, Iowa > Part 19
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"Where are you going, boys?"
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
"We are going home," called out Willie, without stopping or looking around.
"But are you not lost?" enquired one of the men.
"No. We have been lost, but we are going home, now."
"Where do you live?" persisted the man.
"On the Goss place, and its just ahead," said Willie.
" Then you are lost, for that is seventeen miles away, and this road does not lead past there either."
Reluctant as was Willie to stop, Johnnie had halted and he was now obliged to wait for him to come up.
"When did you leave home?" was the next question.
"Three days ago; but if you will not hinder us, we will go on, and will soon be there."
"But I have told you that this road does not lead to your home. If you will go with us, we will care for you to-night, and will take you home in the morning."
To this proposition they offered a stout resistance, saying that their parents would be uneasy about them, and that it was neces- sary for them to reach home that night.
Just then two other men rode up on horseback, and having heard their story offered to ride on that night, and inform the boys' parents that they were found. But here they entreated to be taken on the horses and carried home.
Seeing how unfit they were for the journey, they were answered that the horses would not carry double, and that they had best go home with the men who had the team, (they living in the cabin whose roof the two boys had seen early in the day,) and remain until morning.
Just then the sound of a horn rang out loud and clear, more than any words could have done, did that sound calm and quiet the excited children? "That is father's horn," they both cried in a breath, "and he is looking for us. Let us go to him."
But now, in a calmer state, they were ready to listen to reason, and were easily persuaded to return with the teams, while the men on horseback rode with all haste to the place where the horn was heard to sound, a distance of some three miles. They found that the boys had not been mistaken. It was their father's horn, and that father was overjoyed at the glad news the men had to to communicate. Then the firing of three guns in quick succes- sion announced to other searchers that the children were found, and after a short time two more guns told that they were alive, this being the signal previously agreed upon. This was responded to by others. And all through the woods firing was heard, and shouts of joy as men began to gather and take their homeward way.
Feeling that the weary wanderers were better for a night's rest before being taken home, they were left with the men who had taken them up, while the good news was conveyed to the anxious waiters at home.
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
I have before said that neither hunger or weariness had been realized by the lost children, but no sooner were their excited minds at rest than both began to grow upon them. They laid down upon the wagon, and by the time they had reached the home of the men were to stiff and lame to walk, and had to be assisted into the house, and never did a meal taste sweeter than the one of corn bread, salt pork, and strong coffee, with which they were provided.
In the morning they were conveyed to their home, where you may be certain a glad welcome awaited them. As friends came out to welcome them, little Johnnie pushed passed all, telling them rather crossly to let him alone. He went into the house, and climbing on the first bed he found, covered his face and re- fused to speak. From that bed it was thought he never would arise. For long days he lay in the delirium of a fever. His limbs were swollen with travel, and scratches and bruises covered his form from head to foot. It seemed evident that had the children spent another night in the woods, their swolen and tired limbs would have refused to carry them further on the next morning, and that only death would have relieved their sufferings.
Years have passed since then. The boys have grown to man- hood, and in the changes and chances of pioneer life, and later on in the war of the rebellion, many trials have come to their lot, but in memory's pictures, vivid and distinct above all others stands out the pictures of those three days' wanderings' alone, and LOST IN THE WOODS.
CHAPTER IV.
Review of Early History: Fort Atkinson; Old Mission; First Settlers; First Settler's Cabin; First Things Reviewed; Coun- ty Organization and County Seat Contest; The Day Family; Judge Reed; Lewiston, Moneek and Decorah; Strategy; Mo- neek's Defeat and County Seat for Decorah; Freeport's Fight for it and Defeat; Land Office and Court House Fixes it at De- corah; Sketch of Moneek; More about Early Settlers; Pioneer Norwegians, who were the First; Protecting Squatter Rights.
We have in previous chapters given particulars of the early settlement of this county, a sketch and history of the Winnebago Indians who (after the Sacs and Foxes who formerly occupied a large part of Iowa, and were removed by treaty, as will be seen from state history,) occupied this territory just previous to the coming of the whites, their traits and characteristics and in-
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tercourse between the two races; also a sketch of pioneer life here, and the incidents in the early settlement of the county. We continue the history of the county by first giving a brief resume of leading events.
The erection of the fort for the military supervision of the In- dians, overlooking the site of the village which now bears its name-Fort Atkinson-was commenced on the 2d of June, 1840. Capt. Sumner, afterward, the renowned Gen. Sumner, being in command. He remained in charge till 1846, when he left to join the U. S. forces in the Mexican War.
After the removal of the Indians, in 1848, the military appearance of the fort was no longer kept up but it was not entirely aban- doned as a post, until some years later. More extended details in regard to it will be found in a succeeding chapter embracing a township history of Fort Atkinson.
It was in the spring of 1842 that Rev. D. Lowery, who had just been appointed an Indian agent, commenced the erection of the mission buildings at Old Mission about five miles southeast of Fort Atkinson, and in 1843, Col. Thomas, his assistant, built the first grist mill in Winneshiek County. The first permanent set- tlement in that vicinity commenced in 1847, when those pioneers and homesteaders, Gotlob and Gotleib Krumm, Charles Kregg, and Francis Rogers arrived at Fort Atkinson in June, Gotlob Krumm coming directly from Germany. Gotlob his wife and two children had for their first habitation a deserted Indian wigwam near a beautiful spring. In a few weeks a log house was built for them in the same locality, being the first actual settlers' cabin in that part of the county.
A. R. Young, who was a soldier in the fort, would be entitled to the honor of being the first settler as he remained and settled after the garrison left, if the time of his coming to the fort could be counted.
Mr. Joel Post, referred to in a previous chapter, was the first actual settler in the reservation. But as his log house, built in 1841, was on the site where Postville now stands, it is out side of our county line, and therefore he cannot be called the first settler in Winneshiek County.
Some authorities say that the Fort Atkinson settlers, named above, did not come until 1848, and that Hamilton Campbell and his wife, who made a claim June 7, 1848, in Bloomfield Township, were the first permanent settlers. The names of the old settlers as they successively arrived, have been given in a previous chapter to which our readers are referred for further detail; and we close this resume of that portion of the history by eecalling a few points of interest.
The honor of being the first white child born in the county be- longs to Mary Jane, daughter of Mr. Jas. Tapper, one of the
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mechanics who built Fort Atkinson, where she was born on the 16th of January, 1841; she married Robert M. Boyce and lives near Monona.
The first church in the county, except the old Missionary Chapel was a Catholic edifice, erected near Twin Springs.
The first public school building was built at the corner of De- corah, Springfield and Glenwood Townships, in 1852.
The location of the first post office has in previous records been given to Jamestown, Frankville Township, in 1851. But there were post offices at Fort Atkinson and Old Mission before that time, as is noted elsewhere.
The first marriage recorded was that of Johannes Evenson to Catherine Helen Anderson, in October 1851, Rev. N. Brandt per- forming the ceremony.
The first death was that of a government teamster named How- ard, who was frozen to death on the 4th of October, 1840, near the present site of Castalia.
The first newspaper was the Decorah Chronicle, published in 1856.
With this hasty rehearsal of leading events, most of them re- corded more fully in other chapters, we take up the county his- tory where it was left in the first chapter; we are now approach- ing an interesting period, embracing the organization of the coun- ty and the successive strifes for securing the county seat which was finally and permanently located at Decorah.
To the Day family belongs the unquestioned honor of being the first settlers in Decorah; and as this became the county capi- tol and has grown to be the most important and influential town, it naturally gives them pre-eminence over other settlers-especi- ally as it is to members of that family to a large extent, that the credit is due of securing the county seat for Decorah as well as the Land Office soon afterward. The Days came to Decorah on the 10th of June, 1849. The family consisted of nine persons, William and Elizabeth Day, Mrs. Day still living, and their sons Claibourne F. Day, Richard V. Day, and John F. Day, being from that time until now prominent and influential citizens. In- teresting particulars in regard to their coming and settlement here, will be found in the sketch of Decorah in a succeeding chapter.
Another early settler who was a prominent factor in deciding the county-seat contest, was the late ex-Judge David Reed, whose family settled in the northeast quarter of section 25, in Bloom- field township, in August, 1848. Mr. Reed was born in 1799, was elected County Judge at the age of 52, and held that office from 1851 to 1855. Himself and family are referred to more at length elsewhere in this history.
Of the naming of the county, and of the territory it occupied and other matters before its organization, Mr. A. K. Bailey in his historical sketch, read before the old settlers, July 4th, 1876, said:
11
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
"I am compelled at the outset to admit the weakness of my his- tory by telling you that I can give no account whatever, why, when or where Winneshiek derived its name. Tradition says that Hon. Eliphalet Price, one of the pioneers and strong men of Clay- ton, selected the name, as he did that of Allamakee. No doubt this is the truth; for what could be more proper than that this former home of the Winnebagos should bear the name of this most distinguished of chiefs of that tribe? Be this as it may, I find the existence of the county recognized in the earliest records of the State. In the first arrangement of Senatorial and Repre- sentative districts by the Constitutional Convention of 1846, no mention is made of either of the four counties in this northeast- ern corner, except Clayton. But in the session laws of the First General Assembly, Winneshiek is twice designated in such a manner as to show its prior existence. An act defining the limits of the second Judicial District, includes by name, Fayette, Winne- shiek and Allamakee, but the times for holding courts therein was left entirely to the will of the Judge. This district then com- prised all the territory north of the southern line of Winneshiek County and was bounded on the west by the west lines of Cedar, Jones, Buchanan, Fayette and Winneshiek. A little later that year I find in the apportionment of State Sena- tors and Representatives that the territory known as the Third Congressional District of Iowa, now containing a population of 160,000 souls was given two Senators, and to Clayton, Fayette, Winneshiek and Allamakee, were acorded one Representative. This was in 1849. The dividing line between Iowa and Minneso- ta had not been made, and the territory west of us was still in the hands of the aborigines. The Winnebagoes had been re- moved, but it was enforced removal, and they were frequently re- turning in large bodies to what was once their choicest and hap- piest hunting grounds. The hardy pioneers had only just begun to enter upon these lands, and their homes were only claims, to be perfected into titles whenever the territory should come into the market." From the time of first permanent settlement there must have been a rapid influx, for by the Federal census taken in June, 1850, there were five hundred and seventy persons found and enumerated by the census taker."
Of a rumored "oldest inhabitant," Mr. Bailey said. "We learn that there is now living in Canoe Township a Norwegian named Lars Iverson, who came to the county in 1845 along with Govern- ment Surveyors, and who after the latter had finished their work. 'kind er stayed around' and has been a resident ever since. If this be so-we have not had time to confirm it-it may be as with the Norske pioneers to America-a Norwegian the first real comer, although not the first 'settler' in the full sense of the term. So far as I have been able to learn, he was the only one who remained as a settler. I know not whether he has responded to this invi-
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
tation which has called us together to-day; but I was in hopes to be able to introduce him to you as that wonderful person so often talked of but seldom seen-the oldest inhabitant. James Dan- iels of Ossian was also one of the volunteers at Fort Atkinson, but he returned to Clayton County after his company was disbanded. I know not the date of his return."
COUNTY SEAT CONTESTS.
As early as the fall of 1849, some of the settlers began to agi- tate the question of organizing a county and to take steps to that purpose. Judge Price, of Clayton, was then here taking the census for State purposes, and as he represented all northwestern Iowa,the agreed to attend to the matter for them. An organizing act was passed by the legislature and on the 15th of January, 1851, was approved by the Governor and became a law, constituting Winne- shiek an organized county. It embraces 468,000 acres, is bound- ed on the north by Minnesota, on the east by Allamakee county -the only county between it and the Mississippi river-on the south by Fayette county, and on the west by Howard and Chicka- saw counties.
This organizing act appointed, on and after the first day of March, 1851, John L. Carson, the organizing sheriff, and direc- ted him to set stakes for points that might contend for the coun- tyseat, as follows:
One at or near Louisville on the Turkey river, another at or near Swaney's (or McSwain's) mill on the Turkey river (the site of Moneek,) and the third at Decorah, on the Upper Iowa river; the elections to be held on the first Monday in April.
Louisville, or Lewiston, as it was called, from the first name of one of its proprietors, was regulary laid out between Fort Atkin- son and Old Mission, on the farm of Lewis Harkins, as more ful- ly detailed in a previous chapter. It was never more than a paper town-the quarrel between its proprietors, Lewis Harkins and Francis Rogers proving fatal to its hopes. It is not necessary to tell where Decorah was and is, though it made but little show- ing then; its history is given elsewhere. Moneek, now almost as much forgotten as Lewiston, was then Decorah's most formid- able rival. Moneek had a site in a beautiful valley on the north side of Yellow river, high, well wooded bluffs surrounding it, and was located on the southwest quarter of section 1, in Bloomfi ld township. It was originally settled by Canadians, but some of them had been in the west long enough to get posted in the ways of pioneer speculators, and figured for a booming town from the first. But we will proceed with the county seat contest, and give a history of Moneek further on.
The county documents do not tell much of the story of the ex- citing contest. All they have is embodied in the following, from the first page of the first records of Winneshiek County:
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
STATE OF IOWA-Winneshiek County :
I hereby certify that at an election held in the County of Winne- shiek, and State of Iowa, on the 7th day of April, A. D. 1851, De- corah was duly elected to be the county seat of said county.
In testimony whereof, I have set my hand the 14th of April, J. L. CARSON, Organizing Sheriff.
1851.
As we have said, the above does not tell the whole story. In point of numbers, Moneek had most undoubtedly and most decided- ly the advantage. But victories are sometimes won by strategy. While there was no doubt, a "full ballot" all around, Moneek's champions could hardly call it a "fair count" for their whole bal- lot was thrown out when it came before the county "returning board." In fact Moneek's returns were not in legal form, nor were they sworn to as the law directed. The story of how it hap- pened to be so, we will briefly relate, leaving out the unwritten history of how a regular poll book, intended for Moneek, never happened to get there. Previous to election day, poll books were dispatched to the several voting points named. Somehow the one intended for Moneek was miscarried and what became of it, who can (or will) tell. The Canadians there had no form for a poll book, did not know how to make one, nor how to make returns correctly; nor were they sharp enough to find out. As a result, a lot of names were written down on a large piece or pieces of pa- per in such a way that had the document been found in the road no one could have told what it meant or was intended for. It had no regularity and did not conform to the legal "red tape" require- ments. In fact there was no way of telling whether the names were those of legal voters or not. And so Decorah was declared the county seat of Winneshiek County.
But Decorah's fight was not yet over. Freeport had been set- tled by enterprising men who thought that broad valley the place to drop down the county seat, if they could get it away from Decorah, which they certainly had strong prospects of doing. The fight in this case had points in resemblance to that with Moneek, though the result did not so entirely wipe out Decorah's rival town.
By the old law, in order to get a vote on the question of the re- location of a county seat, it was necessary to obtain an act of the legislature authorizing such vote. In the election of a member of the legislature in 1854, the county seat question was made an issue. Decorah had for its candidate, we are informed, a Mr. Moore, and the candidate of Freeport was James D. Mckay, who was elected by an overwhelming majority. The purpose of Frec- port was to secure from the legislature an order for an election on the question of re-location of the county seat, and the friends of that locality were consequently jubilant. But Decorah did not give up the contest. It happened that Mr. Claibourne Day, then, as ever since, an active and public-spirited Decorah man, had oc-
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casion to visit Des Moines during the legislative session of 1854- 5. He had good friends among some of the old legislators from other parts of the state, and before the session was over, was pret- ty well acquainted with every member. It cannot be doubted that he was alive to the interests of Decorah, whether in daily converse with members of the bench or bar; or in the social gath- erings which those early legislators were wont to have. It has been hinted that a temperance gentleman from Freeport who at- tempted to do missionary work in the legislature, did not help the cause of that town-but that may be only rumor. At all events the election was not ordered. But to meet this and similar cases elsewhere, the present law was passed. And here let us digress and say that Mr. Day also did good work for Decorah in that leg- lature in another respect. He got the names of most of the mem- bers to a petition to congress, dividing the Dubuque land district and establishing a land office in Decorah. This was done by the succeeding congress and helped to more permanently establish Decorah as the commercial as well as political capitol of the county.
The above law, regulating county seat re-location, which still ex- ists, and under which there have been frequent strifes ir various parts of the State, authorizes a vote for re-location on a petition of the majority of the electors, the votes polled at the preceding election being taken as a basis. In February, 1856, the Freeport people presented a petition to Judge Reed, asking for the election, and signed by the required number, as the votes at the previous elec- tion had been 420. But Decorah was not idle. The stumbling block of a remonstrance was resorted to. Wm. Painter was offered the honorable and flattering position of presenting such remonstrance to the judge and swearing to the same, the getters- up of the remonstrance telling him that they would get the names, and that he need not have any trouble about that. And in a very short time a petition with 800 signatures, remonstrating against the election, was placed in the hands of Mr. Painter, who, while his coadjutors stood back, or perhaps were not near the presence of the court, swore that the petitioners, so far as he knew, were residents of the county. No doubt they were-so far as he knew them. It is not very probable that he knew everybody, and indeed it is not probable that any one man knew the ma- jority on that petition. On the other hand, it is claimed that the Freeport petition was not wholly bona fide. And now it be- hooved Judge Reed to decide whether he should grant the elec- tion in spite of the remonstrance. The case was argued by law- yers on both sides for a day and a half, (Levi Ballis being attor- ney for the petitioners, and E. E. Cooley for the remonstrants), and the county seat was saved for Decorah by the judge's de- cision to grant no election. It was, and is still, asserted that nad Judge Reed not been a firm friend of Decorah, Freeport would
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
have been the victor. However this may be, all further attempts to secure a vote or to reverse decisions denying such vote, were abor- tive, and the securing of the land office here, as previously re- ferred to in this chapter, and the building of the court house-a loan of $6,000 for the purpose having been voted in 1856,- permanently settled the county seat at Decorah. Further details of the contest are given in the sketch of Decorah, and in the following from an address of A. K. Bailey before the Old Set- tlers' Association in the Opera House, at Decorah, July 4th, 1876:
"Under the law authorizing a vote on petition of a majority of the electors polled at the last preceding election, in 1856, Freeport appeared as an applicant for a vote on re-location. In the fall be- fore 420 votes were polled. Their petition was signed by 400 pe- titioners, but it was met by a remonstrance bearing nearly 800 signatures. The Court, our venerable friend Judge Reed, presid- ing, decided to grant no vote. The July following another peti- tion of the same tenor was presented, it being signed by 451 names. Another remonstrance was forthcoming, signed by 715 persons. In both cases the petitions and remonstrances were cer- tified to by affidavit as containing only names of actual residents. The last appeal met with a fate similar to the first. The case was removed to the District Court on a writ of certiorari, and was ended by a decision of Judge Murdock, affirming the decision of the County Court. In the Following year the erection of the court house at Decorah began, and Freeport gave up the struggle. Such is a short his- tory of the selection of the county capital. I may add that per- haps at no time in the history of the county has there been any more desperate struggle or any harder work done than in the cau -. cuses and elections which preceded and culminated in these con- tests. From the best information I can gain, I am strongly of the opinion that notwithstanding the affidavits as to actual citizen- ship which accompanied the petitions and remonstrances, Freeport labored under the disadvantage of being off the main line of im- migration which was pouring in, and through to the west, as well as Minnesota. There are stories still told how money was used and promised, but from the best knowledge I can acquire, I think this is not true. If sharp practice was played, and "She- nanigan" was used, we to-day, looking back upon those times, cannot say that evil has come of it. The result was to prevent the county seat from getting upon wheels, and when a settled con- clusion was reached, the work of building up and improving began immediately, and has been pursued so steadily that every resident of Winneshiek feels it a matter of pride that his county town is excelled by no other of equal size in the entire State. He knows that it has a repute far and near as a bustling, enterprising, well-
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