History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, Iowa, Part 26

Author: Alexander, W. E; Western Publishing Company (Sioux City, Iowa)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Sioux City, Ia. : Western Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 772

USA > Iowa > Allamakee County > History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, Iowa > Part 26
USA > Iowa > Winneshiek County > History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, Iowa > Part 26

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

Lieut. J. F. Nickerson was made First Lieutenant, and was stunned at the battle of Fort Donelson with what was supposed to be a solid shot from the enemy's batteries. From this he never recovered, was sick and ill the morning of the Shiloh fight, but persisted in going out with his company to the front, was taken prisoner, and died in rebel prison at Montgomery, Ala., May 31, 1862. Kind but firm, a noble, brave man, beloved by his friends and all who knew him, a martyr to the cause.

Orderly Sergeant J. E. Simpson was promoted to be Second Lieutenant, but resigned on account of ill-health in 1862, and is now living in Decorah.

A. A. Burdick, Second Sergeant, was made Orderly and then First Lieutenant, and was killed at the battle of Tupelo, July 14, 1864. He was the Quartermaster of the regiment, and had been ordered to the rear with his train; but after seeing his wagons properly "parked" he came to the front, and volunteered to assist in bringing forward ammunition. While thus engaged he was struck by a shell and instantly killed. He died as a soldier would wish to die, with his face to the enemy and in the heat of battle. Lamented and mourned by all who knew him, no better man or braver soldier ever offered up his life that his country might be saved.

Anton E. Anderson, Third Sergeant, became Second Lieutenant, served with credit to himself until mustered out, at expiration of term of service, December, 1864, and died at his farm, some years after the war, near Eldorado, Iowa.

Robert A. Gibson, Fifth Sergeant, became Orderly Sergeant, March 27, 1863, was promoted to First Lieutenant December 2, 1864, became Captain of his company January 23, 1865, and for a time was Captain and Provost Marshal at Selma, Ala., and served with great credit to himself to the end of the war. He was then appointed Second Lieutenant in the regular army, and was killed by the accidental discharge of a pistol at Fort Randall in 1867.

Jacob H. Womeldorf, First Corporal, became Fifth Sergeant, was taken prisoner with his company at Shiloh; was held prisoner for some time, and suffered great hardships that so broke down his health as to compel him to return home in 1863. He was after- ward Sheriff of Winneshiek County.

Nelson B. Burdick was Eighth Corporal, and but a youth at school when he went into the service. He contracted the measles at Benton Barracks, and was never well afterwards. He took part in the battles of Fort Henry, Donelson and Shiloh. Warm- hearted, generous towards all, he became a universal favorite. The hardships endured in rebel prisons were to much for his impaired frame. He reached home and died among his friends.

"He has fought his last battle; No sound can awake him to glory again."

THE ME

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

John Steen, private, became Quartermaster Sergeant in 1864, and his whole term of service to the end was marked with ability and efficiency. Since the war lie has held several positions of re- sponsibility and trust, and is now living at Fremont, Neb.

The regiment was ordered to Davenport for final pay and dis- charge Jan. 25, 1866.

THREE MORE COMPANIES.

In 1863 Winneshiek County again came to the front and con- tributed, for the suppression of the rebellion, three companies in addition to the brave men she had before sent. The companies were, respectively, D, K, and E, and formed a part of the Thirty- Eighth Regiment. Henry A. Cleghorn was Captain of Company E.

Company K was officered as follows:

Captain-Samuel B. Califf.

First Lieutenant-Levi Freeman.

The officers of Company D were:

Captain-George R. Humphreys.

First Lieutenant-Newton Richards.

Second Lieutenant-E. J. Barker.

These companies were mustered into service at Camp Randall, Dubuque, Iowa. From here they were transferred to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., where they spent Christmas and New Years, 1863-4. They were next transferred to Fort Thompson, which they retained charge of nearly six months.

The Thirty-Eighth Regiment was next transferred to the main forces then besieging Vicksburg. In this siege the Thirty- Eighth, including the three companies from Winneshiek County, formed the extreme left of the Union line. Their position was in the very heart of a malarious swamp, and here was contracted the germ of a disease which afterwards carried off these brave men by the hundreds. Within ten days after the surrender of Vicksburg the Thirty-Eighth was ordered to Yazoo City, on the Yazoo River. At Yazoo City the regiment remained about a week. While there the disease bred in the swamp opposite Vicks- burg began to break out, and many men died. The regiment re- turned to Vicksburg. They were next ordered to Port Hudson to aid in the subjugation of that place, but did not reach the scene of action until the stronghold had fallen. The Thirty- Eighth remained at Port Hudson about a month, and while here the disease contracted in the swamps broke out in all its viru -. lence. So universal was the prostration of the soldiers, that dur- ing the month, there were on an average from three to fifteen only in the whole regiment that reported able for duty. Almost hourly the death of a companion in arms was announced to his sick and dying comrades. It was while lying here that the regi- ment met with its severest losses. Here it was they lost their beloved Colonel.

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

D. H. Hughes was commissioned Colonel of the Thirty- Eighth Regiment by Gov. Samuel Kirkwood. He was born in Jefferson County, New York, September, 1831, and died Aug. 7, 1863. He died from the disease which carried almost universal death to his entire regiment. Col. Hughes graduated at the Al- bany Normal Institute in 1853. In 1854 he was employed on the Prairie Farmer, Chicago. He married Adaliza Matteson, in Watertown, Jefferson County, N. Y., in March, 1855, and imme- diately thereafter came to Decorah, engaging in the practice of law. Col. Hughes was a man of commanding stature, fine pres- ence, the soul of honor, and became a lawyer of considerable re- pute. He was a Democrat in politics, but was elected County Judge of Winneshiek County in the fall of 1859, notwithstand- ing the county then, as now, was of strong Republican complex- ion. He was the candidate of his party for State Senator in the fall of 1861, and only failed of an election of nine votes. The Colonel was a War Democrat from the outset, and pending the consideration of a petition of prominent Republicans and Demo- crats to become an independent candidate for Judge of the Dis- trict Court of the Tenth Judicial District, hearing the cry of his country for more troops, Judge Hughes promptly cast aside his political opportunity to enter upon a patriotic duty; and, warmly espousing her cause, made a stirring canvass of the county in that behalf, and thus drifted into the army.

Col. Hughes, while stationed at New Madrid, was called to St. Louis as Judge Advocate in some trials then pending, and from his bearing on that occasion, and the ability he displayed, upon the conclusion of the trials the Court (and it was a Court of strangers to him, too) unanimously recommended his promotion to Brigadier-General, which document, however, he would not al- low to go forward, alleging as a reason his brief experience as a military commander, and that there were already lives enough under his charge. Such was his modesty and noble character. Col. Hughes died respected and beloved by all his soldiers, and not more universal was the mourning in camp over the death of their commander than that of his host of friends at home.

The Thirty-Eighth took their departure from Port Hudson for New Orleans, where they remained about three months. It was next transferred to Point Isabel, on the Rio Grande River. After leaving Port Hudson Company E was without a commissioned · officer for nearly a year. The regiment was next sent to Browns- ville, Texas. While here Quartermaster T. R. Crandall was made Captain of Company E, and Walter Green was made its First Lieutenant.

August, 1864, again found the regiment in New Orleans. From here it was sent to Morganzie Bend. While at Morganzie Bend the Thirty-Fourth and Thirty-Eighth were consolidated, and afterwards known as the Thirty-Fourth. The new regiment

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

numbered 1056 men. Company E, of Winneshiek, and Com- pany F, of Fayette, were likewise consolidated, and afterward known as Company K. Capt. Rogers, of Company F, and Lieu- tenant Green, were relieved of duty, and T. R. Crandall made Captain. H. T. Shumaker, of the original Company F, was made First Lieutenant, and O. J. Clark made Second Lieutenant. Companies D and K were likewise consolidated. The Thirty- Fourth participated in the siege of Fort Gains and Fort Morgan, on Mobile Bay, and here it remained until these forts capitulated. The Thirty-Fourth was also present at the charge on Fort Fisher. The regiment was engaged in the last battle of the war, which was the taking of Fort Blakesly, the day before Lee's surrender. In this engagement, in just eighteen minutes, over 1,500 Union soldiers were slain and wounded. The regiment was mustered out of the service at Houston, Texas, but did not disband until it reached Davenport.

COMPANY D, 6TH IOWA CAVALRY.

Company D, Sixth Iowa Cavalry, was the last company donated to the Union cause by Winneshiek County. Although the men composing this company enlisted with the intention and expecta- tion of fighting rebels, they were transferred to other fields of duty-which was even more undesirable-that of fighting In- dians. The company was mustered into the United States ser- vice in February, 1863, with the following officers:

Captain-T. W. Burdick.

First Lieutenant-Sherman Page.

Second Lieutenant-Timothy Finn.

Orderly Sergeant-W. H. Fannon.

The United States forces, in which was Company K, had several engagements with the Indians, each time coming out victorious, with great loss to the Indians and small loss to themselves.

CHAPTER VIII.

Record of Events from the First Settlement of Winneshiek County to the Present Time Chronologically Arranged.

This chapter will be devoted largely to a brief review or chron- ology of prominent events in the history of the county, bringing them down to the present; omitting, however, the records of elec- tions and the officers elected in the county each year. as they are given for each successive year in Chapter V. We also omit some other things of which a regularly yearly record [is made in other

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

chapters, but give a general chronological record of events of special prominence, going into details in matters not already des- cribed in other chapters.

The Winnebago Indians, who occupied the territory now em- bracing Winneshiek County, when the white settlers first came in, and the Sacs and Foxes who precede the Winnebagoes, are sufficienty referred to in previous chapters of this volume. This chapter will take up the record from the time of the incoming of the whites.

In 1840, Fort Atkinson was erected to provide headquarters for the supervision of the Winnebago Indians and to protect them from predatory bands from other tribes. The fort was commenced June 2, 1840. Details of its erection and history are given in the sketch of Fort Atkinson in another chapter.

In June, 1842, Old Mission, about four miles southeast of Fort Atkinson, was established for the education of the Indians.

In 1840 a government teamster froze to death between Joel Post's and Fort Atkinson.

In 1841 Joel Post built the first log house at Postville, just out- side of our county limits. This cannot be properly received as the settlement of the county, but is given because of its close contiguity to us.

The first events here briefly recorded, are generally given in more detail elsewhere in preceding or following chapters.

June 6, 1841, the first white child, Mary Jane Tupper, was born at Fort Atkinson.

In 1843, first grist mill, erected by Col. Thomas, of Old Mission.

In 1846, Capt. E. V. Summer, afterwards General Summer, who commanded at the fort from the first, left to join the United States Army in the Mexican War, and Capt. James Morgan, of Burlington, succeeded to the command of the infantry, and Capt. John Parker, of Dubuque, to the command of the cavalry.

In 1847, Capt Morgan's company was mustered out, and Capt. Parker given charge of the fort till the Indians were removed in 1848,

In 1847, Gotlob and Gotleib Kruman and others are said to have come and settled near Fort Atkinson. Details are given else- where. There seems to be a little doubt about the exact date of their coming.

In 1848 the Winnebago Indians were ordered removed, although some of them strayed back here, and the permanent settlement of the county commenced; for details of which, see earlier chap- ters and the township histories in succeeding chapters.

Fort Atkinson was abandoned as a military post in 1848, but it remained in charge of the Government until 1853, when it was sold at auction.

1n 1849, first settlement of Decorah by Wmn. Day and family- a notable event in county history.

241

HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

Wm. Painter came here in 1849 and commenced running a small grist mill at the present site of the Spring Mill, or Dun- ning's mill, Decorah.

First settlers at Moneek in July, 1849.

The same year quite a number of other families settled in the county, as will be seen by records in first chapter.

1850.

Settlements were made in what are now Decorah, Bloomfield, Springfield, Glenwood, Canoe, Pleasant, Madison, Frankville and Military townships.

Burr Oak was probably settled at about the same time; for in the fall of 1851, Judge M. V. Burdick visited the place and found where the village of Burr Oak is now located, a hotel, a store and a blacksmith shop.

Judge Burdick also found, in 1850, at the present site of Spill- ville, Mr. Spillman to be the only settler; while at what is now Twin Springs or Festna, then, there was a saloon.

The same year, 1850, the federal census was taken, showing a population of 570.

First immigration of Norwegians took place this year.

1851.

An act of the Legislature, organizing Winneshiek County, was approved Jan. 15, 1851. It appointed John L. Carson, Organiz- ing Sheriff, to assume duties March 1st.

April 7, Decorah was elected to be the County Seat. [Interest- ing details of the fight with Moneek are given elsewhere.]

In 1851, the first Post Office in the county, excepting those at Fort Atkinson and Old Mission, was established at Jamestown, in what is now Frankville township, James B. Cutler postmaster. His commission was dated Sept. 15, 1851.

On Oct. 5, 1851, occurred the first marriage in the county- Johannes Evenson to Catharine Helen Anderson.

Aug. 4, 1851, David Reed, who had come to this county in 1848, was chosen County Judge, and held the position till 1855.

Geo. Bachel, first County Sheriff, and other county officers elec- ted, as recorded elsewhere.

Hesper and Highland townships were settled this year.

In Sept., 1851, the first County Court was opened at the log house of Wm. Day, Decorah. There being no business, it ad- journed to the first Monday in October, when the first marriage license was granted.

The Heivly water power was improved by Mr. Painter and "Uncle Phillip" Morse, who arrived here in 1851, and built the saw mill, some of the ruins and the race which are to be seen be- tween the present Arlington House and the old stone grist mill.

In July the first lawyer came to Decorah.

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

This year also saw the first mercantile firm in Decorah, Aaron Newell and his partner, named Derrick. They opened their goods in the smoke house on the premises of the Winneshiek House, afterwards removed to a slab shanty, and soon built the first frame building in town-a store known as the Pioneer Store, which has since burned. It stood on the present site of the store of C. N. Goddard, on the southwest corner of Washington and Water Streets.

This same year, 1851, came to Decorah the first minister of the gospel, Elder Bishop, preaching here monthly on a circuit de- scribed elsewhere. A few weeks afterwards a Congregational min- ister, A. M. Eastman, came and established monthly meetings at the log tavern. From these spring the Methodist and Congrega- tional churches of Decorah.

The first mails came to Decorah in June, 1851. C. Day, post- master, and Lewis Harkins, mail carrier.

1852.

Lincoln Township was settled during this year.

At the April election 180 votes were cast in the county; at the August election 150.

March 8, 1852, the County Court ordered elections to be held at three precincts; 1st, at the house of Wm. Day, Decorah; 2d, at the house of Francis Rogers, Lewiston, in the southwest part of the county; 3d, at the house of John DeCow, Moneek. For fur- her and later divisions of the county, see a preceding chapter.

Moneek was surveyed and platted in January, but the plat was not recorded till November.

The Pioneer Store building in Decorah commenced in 1851, was completed in 1832, a public hall, known as Newell's Hall, be- ing in the second story.

In August and September, there was built by Philip Morse, the first frame dwelling in Decorah, the one now occupied by Mr. Bonstell, not far from the Arlington House.

The first term of District Court for this county was held in Decorah on Friday, July 9, 1852, Thos. S. Wilson, Judge. The first indictment found by the Grand Jury was against Francis Teabout, for gambling; the second against Philander S. Baker, for selling intoxicating liquors; the third was against James T. Moore, for gambling. Each were held to bail to the next term of court in the sum of $100.00.

1853.

The number of votes cast in the county in April, 1853, was 224; and the number steadily increased in successive years, as will be seen by the record elsewhere.

The present city of Decorah was surveyed and platted in Au- gust of this year.

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

The village of Frankville was surveyed and platted in October.

This year Ammon & Co. came to Decorah and were the first to add steam power to our water power, finally resulting in their foundry, machine shop, and wagon manufactory.

The government property at Fort Atkinson was this year sold at auction and Mr. Cooney, who was in 1852 appointed to take charge of the old fort and government buildings, found his "oc- cupation gone."

In the winter of 1853-4 the first Bohemian settlers came in and settled not far from Fort Atkinson. To those settlers the present village of Spillville largely owes its existence.

1854.

The village of Freeport was platted in May.

The first building in Calmar was erected this year; and the vil- lage of Calmar was platted in November.

The Decorah House was built this year, and also the Tremont House, which was burnt in 1857, and which stood on the site of the present Arlington House, Decorah.

The famous Decorah hotel, the Winneshiek House, was built in 1854-5, and a part of it, rejuvenated and repaired, still remains as our popular hotel of the same name.

1855.

Early this year Ossian was platted as a village, and the plat re- corded April 30th.

Decorah, which had become quite a village, received an addi- tional impetus by the Land Office being established here, the office being opened the day before Christmas, 1855. It was removed the following year, but much of the business which it brought remained.

In the winter of 1855-6, there were nine banking houses in Decorah, two of which, the First National and the Winneshiek County Bank, are the outgrowth.

1856.

This year witnessed the famous but unsuccessful fight of the then flourishing and enterprising village of Freeport to take the county seat from Decorah; this contest is told in detail elsewhere.

A county loan of $6,000 was also voted this year to build a Court House at Decorah, the tax to be levied in the years 1857 and 1858.

A special election was also held October 10, and the county voted $100,000 in bonds to aid in the building of the Northwest- ern Railroad: there being 926 votes cast for the tax, and 505 against it. As the road was not built the county was not bur- dened with the tax.

The year 1856 also gave the county its first newspaper, the De- corah Chronicle. It was edited and published by a man named

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

Tracy, but very soon Judge M. V. Burdick became the editorial writer. It had its ups and downs, and the Decorah Republic of to-day may be considered as its successor, Wesley Bailey and son buying out the establishment, and issuing it as the Decorah Re- public. in 1860, and afterwards changing the name to Decorah Republican, published by A. K. Bailey & Brother.

1857.

The Court House was commenced this year and finished the following year. It is fully described in a preceding chapter.

This year witnessed the burning of the Tremont House,. De- corah, then a well-known hotel.

This year, also, Decorah became an organized town. A meeting for incorporation was held on the first Monday in April, and at the election of officers on the 30th of June, E. E. Cooley was chosen President.

The Legislative act of incorporation was not passed till 1871.

1858.

The plat of the village of Hesper-the township having been first settled in 1851-was recorded on the 25th of February, 1858, the plat having been drawn Dec. 27th of the preceding year. The township of Hesper was also organized in 1858.

The county had grown so that the number of votes cast in Oc- tober of this year was 1,288.

On the 18th of April, 1858, the first County Superintendent was elected, Dr. H. C. Bulis was chosen.

1859.

A prominent historical event of this year was the resurrection. of the alleged bones of the famous Indian Chief Decorah, after whom the county seat was named. The grave was at the inter- section of Main and Winnebago streets, and must give place to travel necessitated by the growth of the thriving little city. The story of the removal is told in a preceding chapter. It was considered an important event, and observed with due solemnity. The bones were again resurrected in 1876, in order to improve the Court House grounds, and before their final interment some of the Indian relics found with them were stolen.

The close of this year brings us up to the commencement of a de- cade which opened with some changes in the manner of county government, made necessary, or at least desirable, by the increase of population and the prospective growth and importance of the county. By the census of 1850, the population was 540, while it was now by the census taken in 1860-the following year- 13,942. We will not, however, anticipate, but briefly note the important events as they occur.

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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.

1860.

During this year a change was made in the management of county affairs, up to this time administered by the County Judge. A Board of Supervisors, consisting of one from each township, was elected, the change taking effect on the 1st of January, 1861.

In April, 1860, the firm of Bailey & Son. consisting of Wesley Bailey and his son, Ansel K. Bailey, purchased the Decorah Re- public, succeeding B. F. Jones, as publishers of that paper. The first number under their management appeared April 13th.

In the first issue are notices of Decorah's institutions as fol- lows: "Population of Decorah, estimated, from 1,600 to 2,000. It has a brass band, 17 stores, 3 harness shops, 6 blacksmiths, 5 cabinet makers, 3 wagon makers, 2 plow and horticultural imple- ment manufactories, 2 jewelers, 2 milliners, 2 tanneries, 1 lum- ber yard, 2 bakeries, 1 daguerreotype artist, 2 meat markets, 1 distillery, 1 brewery, 1 gunsmith, a dozen lawyers, 3 doctors, 1 dentist, 2 barbers, a Methodist church in their own building, and a Congregational church, holding services in the Court House, their church not yet being completed."

Hesper has a literary society that meets one a week.

May 3, five prisoners escape from the County Jail, one in for horse stealing, one for counterfeiting, and the others for minor offenses.

April 29, the house of Postmaster Stanberg, of Calmar, was burned.

May 18, Mr. Mckinney left Fort Atkinson for Pikes Peak, with N. Otis, of Decorah.

May 17, a Norwegian celebration of their national anniversary occurred at Peterson's trading post, B. O. Dahly delivering the ad- dress.

Postmaster Kimball, of Decorah, improves his post office and store.

In June, the Landers residence on Broadway was commenced, also the Francis residence on Broadway, now owned by A. Bradish.

Fourth of July was celebrated in Decorah, the orator being Douglas Leffingwell.

By the census then being taken the population of Decorah township and city was given as follows:

Population of Decorah .. 315

904

Population of West Decorah. 706 Rest of township.

Total 1,925

August 7th, Wm. Day died at the Winneshiek House, in the 69th year of his age. He came here in 1850, was a liberal, honest, public-spirited man. He built the first house, for some years the only hotel, and afterwards built the Winneshiek House.

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History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, Iowa, Part 26

Author: Alexander, W. E; Western Publishing Company (Sioux City, Iowa) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Sioux City, Ia. : Western Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 772

Author: Alexander, W. E; Western Publishing Company (Sioux City, Iowa)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Sioux City, Ia. : Western Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 772