USA > Iowa > Winneshiek County > History of Winneshiek county with biographical sketches of its eminent men > Part 4
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Peter K. Langland and his wife Emma, came to Winneshiek County in August, and settled on the N. W. Q. of Section 10, Pleasant Town- ship.
John Evanson came to Winneshiek County on the 25th of September, and settled on the N. E. Q. of Section 32, Madison Township.
Christopher A. Estrim and his wife Juger Caroline, settled on the S. half of S. E. Q, of Section 5, on the 3d of September, Frankville.
John Fredenburg settled, the 20th of October, on the N. W. Q. of Section 6, Canoe Township.
William Padden and wife, settled the 25th of November, Section 28, Frankville township.
John Rosa, came to Winneshiek County with his father, and settled on Washington Prairie.
Jacob Duff, Frankville.
Edward Tracy, Decorah.
Walter Rathbun and his wife Welthie, came to Winneshiek County in March, and settled on the N. W. Q. of Section 16.
The following is a partial list of the pioneers who came to the county in 1851 :
E. C. Dunning and wife, settled on Section 16, Decorah Township, June 20th.
Geo. Blake, April, Bloomfield Township.
Russell Dean, April, Bloomfield Township.
E. E. Clement, Springfield, settled March 1, on the S. W. S. W Q. of Section 1, Springfield Township.
D. D. Huff and his wife Anna, settled April 26, on the S. E. Q. of Section 29, Hesper Township.
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
Peter E. Haugen, came to Winneshiek County on the 12th of May, and settled on the N. W. Q. of Section 31, Decorah Township.
Simeon M. Leach and his wife, settled the 12th of May, on the S. W. Q. of Section 17, in Canoe Township.
A. V. Anderson and wife, Permelia, settled the first part of June, on the N. E. Q. of Section 24.
Torkel Hanson and his wife, Sophronia, came to Winneshiek County about the 15th day of June, and settled on the N. E. Q. of Section 25, Decorah Township.
Christopher Evans, settled the 15th of June, on the N. E. Q. of Sec- tion 32, Glenwood Township.
Iver G. Ringstad and wife, settled in Madison Township, on the 30th of June, on the S. half of Section 29.
Herbrand Onstine, settled in Madison Township.
Helge Nelson Myran, settled in Madison Township, on the S. W. S. W. Q. of Section 9.
Ole M. Asleson and wife, settled July 12, on the N. E. Q. of Section 8, in Madison Township.
William Birdsall and his wife, Mary, settled on Section 28, Frank- ville Township, on the 13th of August.
Gulbrand Erickson Wig, settled in September, on the S. E. Q. of Section 36, Madison Township.
Gulbrand T. Lommen, settled on Section 33, Decorah Township.
Ole Kittleson and wife, settled on Section 17, Decorah Township.
Philip Husted.
W. L. Iverson, Pleasant.
Isaac Birdsall, Frankville.
Ole Tolefson Wig, and his wife, Thora, settled on Section 31, Deco- rah Township.
George. V. Puntey, settled on Section 30, Burr Oak Township.
A. K. Drake, Decorah.
Erick Olsen Bakke and wife, settled on Section 5, Frankville Town- ship.
Nathan Drake, settled on Section 7, Glenwood Township.
Rolland Tobiason and wife, settled on Section 10, Springfield Town- ship.
It cannot be claimed that this chapter is spicy, and it may not be as interesting to the general reader as those which have preceeded it; but for historical purposes it is one of the most important that could be given.
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
CHAPTER V.
POLITICAL HISTORY.
County Organization-County Seat Struggle-First County Officers- Fudge David Reed-Township Organization-The Election of 1852 - First Representative-Hon. Fas. D. McKay-A. H. Fannon -Ninth Election-Results of the Various Elections down to 1854.
There is no portion of history more difficult to write than the political history of a people. Especially is this so when the active participants in the various political struggles of the past are still living. Each one interested has an opinion of the issues of the contests in which he was engaged, and which are generally the opposite to those of his opponents. In interviewing many who buckled on the political armor in days gone by, I was astonished by the many strange versions given me, of political affairs of early days, and which, if published as told by the different authors, would furnish little more than a medley of contradiction. Such being the difficulty of gaining information, I refrain from entering into extended details concerning the various political contests that have ag- itated the county, and rest content with publishing the plain, historical facts, so far as ascertainable.
In order to do this acceptably, I shall quote quite extensively in this first chapter of political history, from an historical address delivered by Mr. A. K. Bailey, on the 4th of July, 1876, before the Old Settler's As- sociation of Winneshiek County, at a meeting held in Steyer's Opera House.
In that address Mr. Bailey said :
" Five hundred and seventy pioneers in 1850! No wonder they were thinking of getting under the pale of the law. That winter some of the residents began to feel as though they were able to take upon themselves the dignity of an organized county. Judge Price, of Clayton, was up taking the census, for state purposes, the previous fall, and being the representative of this entire Northeastern Iowa, he offered to attend to the matter for them. Accordingly, January 15th, 1851, an organizing act was approved by the governor, and became a law. It constituted Winneshiek an organized county, and after March Ist, 1851, appointed John L. Carson the organizing sheriff, and directed him to set the stakes, one at, or near Louisville, on the Turkey River ; another at, or near
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
Swainey's mill-meaning McSwain's-on the Turkey River ; and a third at, or near Decorah, on the Iowa River, as points that might contend for the location of the county seat, at an election to be held on the first Monday in April. On the first page of the first record of the county, I find this brief certificate as the only result :
STATE OF IOWA,
WINNESHIEK COUNTY. I hereby certify that at an election held in the County of Winneshiek, and State of Iowa, on the 7th day of April, A. D. 1851, Decorah was duly elected to be the county seat of said county.
In testimony whereof, I have set my hand the 14th of April, 1851. J. L. CARSON, Organizing Sheriff.
"This is all the record says, but there is a story behind it which has been told me under the strongest injunctions that it must not go into print. The county seat location has ever been the bone of contention and bitter strife in new counties, and Winneshiek was no exception. I may say that Decorah was not probably the choice of an actual majority of the settlers. Had all the votes been fairly polled, and especially had the election returns been correctly made, and properly certified to, Moneek would have unquestionably been chosen ; but why it was not so, is a story to be told ten, fifteen or twenty years hence. Decorah was legally designated, at any rate, and here the capital has remained until this day. But it has not been a peaceful abiding place. From that day until 1856 or 1857, the question of re-location was an ever present issue in individual schemings and all elections. It was the hidden spring behind all plans and outside appearances-the point of attack and defence. Moneek, it is true, soon gave up its claims, for its prosperity began to wane in 1852 or 1853. Louisville never got beyond a name, and a paper existence- if, indeed, it ever arrived at the latter stage-through the quarrels of its proprietors, Francis Rogers and Lewis Harkins. Both these embryo cities gave way for another rival, in the town of Freeport, where a few enterprising, pushing men had settled. This rivalship culminated in the year 1854.
" And this resulted in the passage of the law, which has ever since created much difficulty in the matter of a re-location of a county-seat. I refer to the law authorizing a vote on petition of a majority of the electors polled at the last preceding election. Under this law, in 1856 Freeport appeared as an applicant for a vote on re-location. In the fall before 420 votes were polled. Their petition was signed by 400 peti- tioners; but it was met by a remonstrance bearing nearly 800 signa-
1
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
tures. The Court, our venerable friend Judge Reed, presiding, decided to grant no vote. The July following another petition of the same tenor was presented, it being signed by 451 names. Another remon- strance was forthcoming, signed by 715 persons. In both cases the petitions and remonstrances were certified 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 history of the selection of the county capital. I may add that perhaps at no time in the history of the county has there been any more desperate struggling or any harder work done than in the caucuses and elections which preceded and culminated in these contests. From the best information I can gain, I am strongly of the opinion that notwithstanding the affidavits as to actual citizenship which accom- panied the petitions and remonstrances, Freeport labored under the disadvantage of being off the main line of immigration 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 "shenanigan " 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 conclusion 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-built manu- facturing and commercial young city, situated in the center of a dense population, draining a section unrivaled for its agricultural wealth.
" The question of organization was settled by the selection of a county seat, as we have seen. It remained to put in motion the machinery which should perfect the work. If I am rightfully informed, the resi- dents came together some time in July following at the log cabin of Nelson Johnson, Esq., in the southeast corner of Decorah township, and held the first caucus. As a result of their deliberations, when election was held, on the fourth day of August ensuing, the following persons were chosen :
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
David Reed over J. R. Morse, as County Judge.
George Bachel over James F. More, as Sheriff. Francis Rogers over William Vail, as Supervisor. John N. Kline over R. G. Nuvland, as Surveyor.
Daniel Kuykendahl over P. Morse, as Recorder and Treasurer.
E. W. Aldrich over D. Bender, as Coroner.
Isaac Underhill, F. Joseph Huber and Joseph Brown served as Judges of Election, the first two certifying to the result as Justices of the Peace, whether by appointment, or as elected in the spring, is more than I can say ; 82 ballots, all told, were cast, and Mr. Huber, still a citizen of Washington Township, is with us to-day to personally attest the validity and fairness of the first vote. In April following John Mckay was elected School Fund Commissioner, and W. F. Kimball Clerk of the Courts. In my researches I almost came to the conclu- sion that salary-grabbing was not a latter-day invention, for, at the very first I found the Judge, Clerk and Treasurer coming together at stated intervals, each reporting the fees he had received, and dividing the them between themselves impartially. The Treasurer would then report the cash in the treasury, and this would also be divided with equal impar- tiality, and then the County Judge would issue county warrants to each one for the balance found due. This system, however, lasted only until taxes were levied and collected, and then ceased.
" David Reed was the first County Judge. He was born in June, 1799, and consequently was 52 years of age when first elected County Judge of Winneshiek County. His regular term of service covered four years-years, too, of the stormiest character, in which, as the autocrat of the county, he could share the responsibilities with no one, and shirk no duties. Of course his conduct was sharply criticised, and in his time he bore his share of public obloquy. Judge Reed held the office of County Judge by the suffrages of the people, continuously, from 1851 until 1855.
"We, at this day, would decide promptly, that at most only the vote of Bloomfield township should have been thrown out. The court de- cided to set aside the entire election, as to judge, and declared no one was elected. One of the assistants has explained to me, that instead of being satisfied with this, there were some who 'cussed the court like pizen,' because they did not declare the entire election void. The result was to continue Judge Reed in office for two years more, during which time he built and left as his legacy, the (for the times) splendid court house, which is only now becoming too cramped for public use.
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
" George Bachel, the first sheriff, is still an active, influential citizen of Jackson township. The duties of his office were not very burdensome, and he is to-day as hale as many a younger man."
Francis Rogers, the first supervisor, was one of the oldest residents of the county, and was noted for the many litigations he had with his neighbors.
Daniel Kuykendahl, the first recorder and treasurer, had his office at his home, which was a log house situated under a bluff near a large spring, about a half a mile out of Freeport, on the Lansing road. The duties of his office at that time were not very arduous, and his mode of keeping the records was somewhat primitive. He had not even a decent desk at which to write. It was his custom to record his deeds,
. and then pigeon-hole them between the cracks in the logs.
Information in regard to the history of these first officers is very meagre.
The number of votes cast at these early elections is one of the best indices of the incoming of early settlers, and a few words will give these data. At that first election there were, as has been stated, 82 votes cast ; in April following, there were 180; in August, 1852, 150; in April, 1853, 224; in 1854, 280; in 1855, 521; in 1856, 816; in August, 1857, 894; in October, 1858, 1,288; in the Presidential election of 1860, 2,162 ; in the Presidential election of 1876, 4,100.
We have seen that there were three distinct points recognized at the very commencement as having claims to prominence in the county. Polls were held for each of these three first elections at these places only, and they were called precincts. It was not until 1854 that even a single name appears on the records to show that any other title than that of precinct was given to them. March 8th, 1852, it was ordered by the county court that elections should be held in the ensuing April, at the following places :
In Precinct No. I, at house of Wm. Day.
In Precinct No. 2, at house of Francis Rogers.
In Precinct No. 3, at house of John DeCow.
This is our only information as to the first division into what we have since known as townships. Their boundaries we can only infer from subsequent entries. In July, 1852, the division line between precincts 2 ' and 3 was changed, and made to run between ranges 7 and 8, thus throwing, as the record says, one more tier of townships into the third precinct. From this I infer that the 3d precinct originally consisted of what is now known as Bloomfield and Frankville townships, and was six
5
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
miles wide, east and west, and twelve long. Precinct No. 2 covered three times as much territory, and was eighteen miles wide, and twelve long. This left all the remainder of the county-now comprising twelve organized townships-in precinct No. 1. March 1, 1852, the latter was so divided as to make what is now Canoe, Bluffton and Or- leans townships, with the townships north of them, precinct No. 4. February 5, 1854, what are now Military and Springfield were divided from Washington (now named for the first time) and created township (not precinct) No. 5.
March 6, 1854, Township 98, range 7, was separated from " Decorah Precinct," and was called Township No. 6. It is now known as Glen- wood.
March 11, 1855, " Burr Oak Precinct " was divided, and the entire tier on the north line of the county was called Burr Oak. The remain- ing part of the precinct was named Canoe. At the same session of the county court, township 99, range 10, was set off and given the name of Pilot Grove.
On the tax list of 1855, proper names are given to each of those precincts. Precinct No. I had become Decorah, Glenwood, Canoe, Burr Oak and Pilot Grove; township No. 2 appears as Bloomfield and Summit (now Frankville), and No. 3 had been divided into Military and Washington ; but no record other than I have quoted appears upon the court minutes as to these and subsequent changes. According to the tax lists, in 1856 Pleasant township took its name and place; in 1858 Summit had become Frankville, and Pilot Grove, Orleans; Springfield had been separated from Military, Calmar and Sumner from Washington, and Hesper and Fremont from Burr Oak. In 1860 Madison was taken from Decorah, and Highland divided from Pleasant; and in 1862 the symmetry of all the townships was completed by the division of Lin- coln from Sumner, and Jackson from Washington.
The curious in matters of nomenclature might wish to pause here and ponder on the derivation of these names, but the space that speculations would occupy on this subject can be more profitably used otherwise, and I pass on to the several elections held in the county.
The second election held in the county after a permanent organiza- tion had been effected was, April 5, 1852. The total number of votes polled at this election was 180. This election, as the records show, gave the county its first School Fund Commissioner and District Clerk. The successful parties who first bore the honors of these offices were, respectively, N. S. Gilbert and W. F. Kimball. Out of 180 ballots
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
. cast for School Fund Commissioner, N. S. Gilbert had 4 majority over his opponent, John D. Mckay. There were 156 votes cast for the office of District Clerk, of which number W. F. Kimball received 88, and his opponent, James B. Schenck, 68. Kimball was declared elected by 20 majority. The vote for Coroner stood as follows: J. B. Chase had 66 votes, and his opponent, Wm. Painter, 44. James B. Chase was elected Coroner. At this election, for the first time, the new county helped elect a District Judge, and it showed its steadfast faith and high appreciation of Judge T. S. Wilson, by giving him 162 votes.
As a result of the third election, held in August, 1852, the following offices were filled :
M. B. Derrick was elected District Clerk by 18 majority. H. K. Averill was elected Surveyor. James D. Mckay was elected Prosecuting Attorney by 29 majority.
James D. McKay was born in Livingston County, New York, on the 24th of February, 1815. Until 16 years of age he was taught the common branches of an education by his father, when he was sent to the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, situated at Lima, New York, to be fitted for the ministry. He also studied law under James Butler, a cousin of Gen. Butler. At the age of 21 he became acquainted with Julia Stone, to whom he was married September, 1836. He immi- grated to Winneshiek County in October, 1851, and settled on the S. W. Q. of Section 15, Township 97, Range 7, where he still resides. He has served the public as Prosecuting Attorney and Member of the Assembly. In 1854, at a District Convention called at Waukon (the district then was composed of Allamakee and Winneshiek Counties) he was nominated for Representative, and elected. In the Legislature he favored the " Maine Liquor Law," which was adopted by the Iowa State Legislature. In this election he ran on the Republican ticket, which was successful, not only in the district, but throughout the State, so much so that the former power held by the Democrats was wrested from them. A Republican Governor was elected in the person of James W. Grimes, and a majority secured on a joint ballot in the General Assembly.
As a result of the fourth political contest, held in April, 1853, the following persons were chosen to fill the various offices :
Aaron Newell was elected for District Clerk, over his opponents, W. F. Kimball and N. S. Gilbert. .
N. S. Gilbert was chosen as Recorder and Treasurer.
H. K. Averill was elected County Surveyor.
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
J. F. Moore was elected Drainage Commissioner.
A. H. Fannon was elected Coroner.
Acles Haven Fannon was born in Wythe County, Virginia, April 17, 1800. He settled at Freeport, Winneshiek County, in 1850, and laid out the town, and for several years engaged in tavern-keeping. He was the first mail contractor to carry the mails to Decorah. He contracted to carry the mails from Hardin to Decorah, from Decorah to Fort Atkinson, and from Lansing to Decorah. He was elected Coroner in 1875.
At an election held in Winneshiek County on the Ist of August, 1853, there were 175 ballots cast.
N. S. Gilbert was in the field for Recorder and Treasurer, without op- position, and was elected, there being only three scattering votes polled.
N. S. Gilbert, the second Recorder and Treasurer of the county, was an estimable young man, possessed of great energy. He was efficient, proud spirited, and decidedly the most shrewd man called upon in early days to administer county affairs ; notwithstanding that he was freely ac- credited with the possession of all these qualifications, the tongue of scandal, soon after his induction into office, rolled him about as a sweet morsel to its taste.
James F. Moore was declared elected Sheriff, over Lewis Eddy and A. H. Fannon.
Elijah Middlebrook was elected County Surveyor. There was no opposition candidate for Surveyor.
Samuel Kendall was elected Coroner.
The newly elected Sheriff, James F. Moore, failed to qualify, and Judge Reed, therefore, declared the office vacant, and appointed Wm. F. Kimball to fill it.
Soon after the election the newly elected Recorder deserted the country, leaving the county without a Recorder and Treasurer. Judge Reed appointed Thos. I. Hazlett to fill the vacancy.
Mr. Gilbert was not a defaulter, nor did he desert his office intention- ally, although at the time he left this was the current report. The ad- ditional crime of eloping with a Mrs. Moore, the Sheriff's wife, was charged to his account, and it is true that the parties left Decorah together, and afterwards went to St. Louis and lived as man and wife; yet at the time of their leaving Decorah, it is plain that there was no crim- inal intent or previous arrangement. It was in the spring of the year, and Mr. Gilbert, instead of intentionally deserting his office, went on a journey to St. Louis to purchase goods. Mrs. Moore was on her way
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HISTORY OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY.
to friends in Wisconsin, and had started on the trip with the avowed purpose of leaving her husband. Mrs. Moore defended her course on the ground of ill treatment received at the hands of Mr. Moore. While at Lansing waiting for a steamer, they had occasion to hold"a private conference, which was interpreted, by prying parties, as a criminal inti- macy. The report, at the time unfounded and untruthful, was freely circulated. Mr. Gilbert having compassion for the woman, and being ashamed to return to his home, took her under his charge. Things had come to such a crisis that they now resolved to elope, and did so, going to St. Louis.
Nelson Burdick was elected Recorder and Treasurer, over N. Otis, by 102 majority.
James Van Pelt was elected Sheriff over A. H. Fannon, by 188 ma- jority.
Henry K. Averill was elected Surveyor, and Phillip Morse, Coroner.
On the Ist of April, Aaron Newell resigned the office of Clerk of the District Court, and Nathaniel Otis was appointed to serve in his stead.
ยท In the April election of 1856, there were 816 votes polled. The only officer elected was School Fund Commissioner. There were plenty of candidates in the field, willing to assume the responsibilities of this office, as the following list will show : J. E. B. Morgan, Elijah Middlebrook, J. P. Mckinney and Thomas Bell. J. E. B. Morgan was elected to fill the office by 48 majority. This office was discontinued during Morgan's term.
At the April election in 1854, John McKay was re-elected School Fund Commissioner, over I. I. Stewart.
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