USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 2
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Winter of 1856-7 407
Wittemberg Congregational Church_ 177
Wittemberg Manual Labor College .. 129
Wolf Hunting 62
Wonderful Mirage
30
Y
Yield, per acre, Farms
101
Young Men's Christian Association_
189
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BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX
A
Adamson, . Abraham 800
Adamson, Willian 485
· Adkains, Merit W. 1299
Adkins, Martin 1062 I
Agar, H. W. 813
Allan, Fred.
1077
Borts, Eli W. 1340
Boyd, William M. 514
Boyle, James. 1074
1068
Allfree, Henry I. 927 1
899
Altemeier, William J. 837
Anderson, Hans P. 1008
Andreas, Fred C., Jr. 690
Arnold, Rev. Joseph 663 t
Arnold, Raford L. 670
Auten, A. C. 607
Awtry, Emmet 428
B
Bailey, R. H. 490
Bailey, William E. 1237
Bain, Fred. I 1293
Baker, Albert I. 510 1
Baker, B. F.
I
1296
Bale, Leo P. 1230
Barbee, Christopher C. 1134
Barbee, J. Clifford 1348
Bateman, Mark W. 864
Battels, Beriah 519
Battles, Ephraim C. 1312
Bean, Eugene. 990
Beard, E. J. H. 448
Benson, Arthur H. 1297 1
Benson, Willard H. 1065
Berry, Albert D. 1093
Bishop, Charles S.
1304
Black, Isaiah W. 736
Blackledge, Virgil 1171
Blakely, Z. W. 487
Blanford, George W. 877
Bond, Reece 1036
Bond, Richard E. 1037
Bond, William
846
Booth, Judson 1284
Allan, John. 1140 1 1
Allen, George M. 512
Braley, Claude ..
1287
Bridges, Charles H. 460
888
Brown, James M.
1027
Brown, John S.
Brown, Matthew
1311
Bulrow, Christian W. 850
Bump, Benjamin L. 1256
Burdick, Charle 1225
Burkey, Peter 1172
Burnham, Joseph A. 885
Burroughs, William H. 1047
Butler, George C. 1241
Butler, Joseph L. 648
Byal, Henry
1113
1166
Byal, William J.
C
Callison. Erville T. 1300
Campbell, Abner B. 1355
Campbell, Ira A. 1335
Campbell, William M. 1127
Campbell, Willis 1120
Carns, Isaiah B. 503
Carpenter, Frank 938
Carpenter, Oscar
1290
Carrier, Abram 979
1
I
1
Altemeier, Edward C. 1
I 1 1 1
Brantner, Jacob A. 602
Brokaw, Andrew J.
Brown, Rev. Elijah S. 1020
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Carson, Mrs. Bruce 1023
Carver, Benjamin 1231
Castner, George. 1262
Deppe, Benjamin F. 1144
Deppe, William A.
1139
Diehl, George. 1150
Dodd, Charles E. 1333
Dodd, Dennis. 1275
Dodd, Frank J. 1255
Dodd, Fred 1181
Dodd, Samuel P. 1109
Dodd, Ulysses 1 1331
Dodd, Warren 1258
Donahue, James P.
667
1
1
Dotson, Eli E.
464
Duncan, E. L.
798
E
Earley, Carrie L. 563
Earley, George G. 560
Earp, Walter M. 727
Eastman, James.
582
Eaton, Frederick A.
941
Edmundson, David 585
Edwards, John W. 1186
Efnor, Henry S. 605
Efnor, Oscar E. 1003
Emery, John M.
492
Engle, Perry 425
Esmeyer, Barney 828
Evans, George 742
Evans, Mrs. Joanna V.
741
Eyerly, Josiah B.
688
F
Failor, Samuel 1011
Fales, John M. 544
Feldschneider, Frederick S. 1362
Finch, David
613
Flanagan, Owen J. 1301
Fleck, David S. 1197
Fowler, L. E. 1208
Forsyth, Allen W. 1038
France, William H.
960
French, Andrew 988
Frizzell, Walter E. 923
Fugard, Judson H. 430
Fugard, Noble J.
608
Fuller, Oliver B.
1334
D
Dales, William 687
Davidson, R. P. 1223
Dawson, Isaac M. 1161
DeBolt, Joseph
644
DeBruyn, Frank K.
853
DeBruyn, William C. 1072
Decatur, Samuel 738
DeJong, John J. 1273
Dennis, C. D. 565
Dennis, W. L.
445
Denniston, W. E. 447
Densmore, Frank W. 1352
DePenning, Peter 1056
Caulfield, Thomas 1206
Chambers, Preston
872
Chapman, Albert S. 442
Christenson, Fred
1308
Church, David W.
896
Churchill, Howell L.
1178
Churchill, Levi M.
908
Clark, Lyman C.
737
Claussen, John_
939
Clements, William G.
421
Cleverley, Frank E.
1116
Cline, Charles C.
866
Coakley, John
567
Coffey, F. J.
935
Colfax, Hotel
667
Connelly, Charles H. 1358 1
Connelly, Fred D.
1163
Conwell, Carlos.
1180
Conwell, Orville E.
1277
Cool, Frank C.
1102
Cool, Melville J.
1122
Cool, Peter J.
1215
1
Cooper, William R. 549 1
Couch, Frank 1346
Cozad, Felix W. 629 I
Craig, William A. F
834
Craven, David H.
898
Crawford, John H. 1090
Crawford, W. J.
1156
Cross, Jesse 1086
Cushatt, John W. 1351
Custer, Charles R.
956
Custer, John W.
957
1
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
G
Hayes, Andrew J. 711
Helming, Thomas. 1078
Gates, Alvin C.
508
Gates, Margaret I. 848
Gates, Sumner E.
848
Herwehe, Henry
943
Gauch, August 1133
Gearhart, Herley G.
830
Hews, George. 704
588
Geise, Adolph. 1106
Hiatt, John M.
580
Geise, H. A. 1176
Gibford, Daniel L. 541
Gillespie, A. D. I
964
Gillespie, Elmer L. 934 I I
Gilson, Benjamin S. 638 1
Gipson, Albert A. 1242
Gipson, Alfred D. 1244 1
Gipson, George H. 1246
Goodhue, Edward P.
554
1
Hodges, Pleasant. 1220
Holdsworth, William H. 1043
Holtz, John S. 651
Horn, Joe. 426
Horsford, John G. 747
Hotchkin, John 783
Howard, Andrew H. 642
Hummel, James M. 841
Hummel, John P. 973
1239
H
Hager, August 1124
Hager, Fred. 1317
Hager, Gustav A.
1 1165
Haines, Edwin S.
I 790
Haley, Daniel 1269
Hall, A. W. 604
Hallam, Eathel L. 1303
Hamilton, William F.
1111
Hammer, Marion R. 529
Hampton, Russell R. 1155
Hanke, Dallas 1006
Hans, George A. 1016
Hanson, George E.
1211
Harding, J. P. 1201
1 Harmon, L. T. 654
Harre, Otto. 1341
Hart, George C. 456
Harvey, John H., Sr. 660
Hasselbrink, Christoph 845
Hawkins, J. C. 637
.
Irwin, Emmor E.
666
J
Jeffers, Thomas J. 1138
Jeffries, Arthur W. 1099
Jennings, Charles H. 598
Jennings, W. E. 876
Jensen, Herman H. 847
Jensma, Andrew D.
901
Jensma, Sicco J.
1055
Jickling, John D. 1142
Jickling, William R. 822
Johnson. Albert 826
Jolinson, Jervis C.
858
Johnson, W. S. 1 972
Jones, John N. 1203 1
Jones, Loyd D. 928
Jones, Thomas M. 909
723
Hill, Bert. 1286
Hill, Charles E.
1067
EFill, Philip S. 1083
Hill, William E. 619
Hitchler, George W.
887
Goodhue, George C.
1216
Goodwin, Edwin J. 1146
Gorrell, Joseph R.
777
Gove, William S. 435 1 1
1 Greenlief, Charles E. 683 1
Greenlief, Leonard A. 1
578
I Guessford, W. M. 463 I
Guthrie, A. T. 932
Galusha, Simeon H. 452
Hendricks, Fred 697
Hendricks, George
696
Henry, Ebenezer W. 949
Hlerwehe, Jacob 1193
Gearhart, William H. 854
llews, John_
Hickey, James
953
Hickman, George W., Jr. 479
Highley, Alva A.
Hutson, Lawrence
I
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
K
Lister, James 501
Livingston, Arch 907
Livingston, William O. 902
Loar, George W.
1360
Logsdon, Franklin G. 1101
Logsdon, Smith C. 1252
Long, Frank 21092
Long, George. 1324
Longley, Lyman A. 808
Lotts, William M. 571
Loupee, W. F. 930
Lufkin, Albert 646
Lufkin, Benjamin 1075
Lunt, Moses B. 1049 L
Lust. Alfred T.
715
Lust, Elmer
1001
713
Lust, John W.
Mc
McCann, Rev. Thomas J. 557
McConkey, Charles C. 458
McCord, Milton A. 471
McElroy, W. O. 496
McIntire, Charles E. 1259
McKinney, William B. 912
Mclaughlin, E. M. S. 624
McLellan. Belding R.
679
McVay, Warren
600
M
Macmillan, Albert S. 1004
Macy, Charles O. 879
921
Macy, E. B.
Maggard, George A. 1214
Maggard, Henry H. 1315
Malmberg, Ed P. 720
1302
Mark, Frances A.
Mark, Samuel 1302
Marshall, George F. 904
Marshall, William J. 895
Mason, George E. 1247
Matteson, Frank E. 1270
Mendenhall, E. P. 976
Meredith, Harlan
962
Meredith, Oliver C. 780
Meyer, A. C. 1344
Meyer, John F. 840
Miller, August G.
843
Kanne, Frederick A. 1084
Kanne, Levi H. 1169
Kartchner, John C. 1152
Kelley, Thomas F.
1190
Kelly, Jeremiah
734
Kelly, John. 1061
Kelton, George B.
Kennington, John M. 518
Kennington, L. S. 516
Kimberley, Frank
1148
Kimberley, William
1126
Kintz, Charles E. 1325
Kintz, Commodore P. 1319
Kintz, Oley A. 1294
Kitchel, Ed M. 1330
Kitchel, Warren A. 1022
978
Kitchin, Mrs. Sarah
Kline, William M. 1205 I
Kling. Philip
1 1 659
Kling, William G.
1250
Kling, William J. 1014
871
Klopping, Henry W.
Klyn, William 1196
Kooistra, Herman W. 836
1364
Kooistra, John
536
Korf, H. C.
1153
Krampe, August
1 1
Kroh, Henry L. 816
1249
Krueger, Henry
1
Krueger, Theodore 1248
1248
Krueger, William
L
Lamb. Richard 474
Lambert, Elliott E. 438
Lamphier, Daniel
786
Landmesser, Nicholas 702
Lane, George.
1354
Lawrence, Avery T. 824
Lee, James 1009
Lenz, Carl. 1069
Leonard, Joseph A. 1328
Lewis, Martin L. 657 Ł
Libolt, Hiram C. 748 1 1
Lindsley, H. A. 1253
Lister, Alfred 856
Lister, Arthur 505
819
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Miller, George W.
857
Pendleton, Logan. 730
Penquite, Maynard E. 635
Pentico, Peter P. 1040
Perin, George A. 1123
Perrin, Henry A. 954
Perry, Harrison W. 1160
Phelan, Daniel 1034
Morgan, Walter J. 475 1
Morris, Robert M. 882
Morrison, Arthur S. 829
Morrison, II. S. 621
Moss, John 500 1 1
Mowry, Ross R. 432
Murdock, William S.
861
Murphy, J. W. 924
Myers, Oliver P.
640
N
Newcomer, John 1168
Newell, Clifton D. 1307
Newell, George W. 832
Newell, Herbert E. 672
Newell, S. H.
863
Newton, George W. 441
Nichols, Miss Hannah
656
Nirk, W. C. 805
Noah, Calvin 1080 1 1
1 Noah, Henry 1174
Nolin, Cyrus
958
Nolin, William H.
591
Norton, C. P. 1194
O
Ogg, Mason C. 891
Oldham, James A. 920 1
Ortwig, Charley B. 791
Owings, J. B.
I 528
P
Pahre, Henry F. 700
Parmenter, George D. 673
Parsons, Hess D. 1280
Pashan, Charles
1298
Patterson, John. 919
Paul, John S. 1104
Paul, William. 851
Pease, George H. 1226
Q
Quire, Charles E.
1053
R
Ramsey, E. B. 525
Reckler, Frederick A. 677
Reed, Albert H. 538
Rees, Spencer H. 633 1 1 1
Reid, Lewis D. 653 1 1 I
1 Reynolds, Hayden 558
Reynolds, John W.
573
1
I
Reynolds, Victor.
968
Richardson, Fred 1 799
Rippey, Francis J. 1236
Rippey, William F. 1264
Robb, Wilson M.
985
1
1
Robinson, Ralph
465
1
Rodgers, Joseph R.
592
Rohrdanz, Fred
709
Romans, Bert A.
694
Rorabaugh, Frederick O. 910 .
Rorabaugh, John M.
911
Ross, Charles F.
944
Ross, Frank B.
1349
Rush, Melvin
906
Ryan, Rev. James E.
583
S
Saak, Herman, Jr.
1108
Saak, Louie
1175
Sacred Heart Church
557
Miller, Robert 1357
Miller, William J. 1136
Millgate, George 1050
Moore, Barrett E. 551
Morgan, Charles H. 811
Morgan, V. H.
523
Phillips, Thomas R. 495
Phipps, Felix L. 1070
Pierce, George P. 823
Poage, James R. 1129
Porter, Harry W. 915 1
Porvin, William C.
1
472
Potter, Rev. John 792
Price, Frederick O. 1158
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Sanderson, Benjamin
884
Sauerman, Charles F. 631
Saunders, Charles H. 1000
Streeter, Thomas A. 1266
Sullens, William F.
1058
Sumpter, William H., Jr. 1204
Swalwell, Jay B.
1183
Swalwell, Thomas
1288
Swearingen, Frank W. 788
Swigart, George W.
1030
Sylvester, Lanham T. 1052
T
Talbot, Warren N.
1028
Terpstra, Dow W.
992
Terpstra, Harry D. 692
Terpstra, Watson V. 707
Tharp, John W. 880
Thomas, H. A. 669
Thompson, Clarence E.
1188
Thompson, John W. 1321
Thorp, W. T.
1081
Tice, Madison 488
Tice, William M. 1278
Tiffany, Carl.
1314
Tiffany, Fremont L.
1261
Tiffany, Ray 1309
Tipton, David G. 1117
Tool, John H. 714
Tool, Quinn H.
987
Tough, James 795
Tramel, Frank W. 1228
Tramel, James J. 1114
Tramel, Walter O. 1338
Tramel, William. 1095
Tramel, William A. 1191
Trease, Joseph S. 1066
Trussel, James
1221
Turnbull, William M.
1046
Turner, Alice B. S. 483
Turner, James K. 610
Turner, Josiah P. 595
Turner, Lewis C. S. 480
Turner, Marce 735
Turner, Mrs. Mary C. P.
806
Turner, O. J.
1088
Starr, Benson 728
Stevens, Squire W. 1243
Stewart, Robert N. 1200
Stinson, Thomas
1210
Stolte, Louis 784
Strain, David W. 744
Stratton, Joseph T. 1119
Schmitt, Henry 743
Schmitt, Jacob 740
Schnell, John W.
812
Schnell, Louis C. 1279
Schnug, Henry P.
685
Schultz, William C. H.
724
Schultze, William
699
Schumann, August C.
892
Schweinebart, Frederick S.
1342
Scott, Hugh 443
Scott, Robert A. 576
Scoville, Charlie B. 969
Sellman, Frank 491
Shaffer, Tobias
499
1
Sharp, Henry D. 803 1 1
Shaw, Samuel W. 965
Sherbon, Florence B.
681
Sherbon, John B.
681
Sherman, John H.
749
Signs, J. Emery
1199
Signs, John W. 1327
Signs, Lee 1098
Silwold, Henry 470
Simpson, John. 874
Simpson, George W. 616
Sitler, Joseph R.
626
Skinner, Herbert K.
1024
Slaght, Nellie.
454
Slavens, Jesse.
575
Sloanaker, Chester
534
Small, George A.
1096
Smith, Alexander.
732
Smith, I. S.
797
Smith, John.
675
Smith, Thomas, Jr.
476
Snider, Amos
1184
Southern, John W.
1337
Sparks, Jerry W.
835
Sparks, John H. 936
Sparks, Stephen J. 868
Stark, James 1032 1
V
Vance, Gershom
916
Vandermast, John
966
Schultz, Lewis F.
994
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Vandike, W. R. 1232
Van Epps, Harmon V. 946
Van Kampen, Jacob, Jr. 1283
Vanscoy, Milton 1015
Vansice, John M. 1272
Varenkamp, John M. 1044
Veach, James T. 1218
Victoria Sanatorium 681
W
Walker, George W. 831
Waring, Emal L. 975
Warner, G. H. 650
Watt, William 817
Weaver, Jacob F. 570
Weaver, Gen. James B. 417
Welle, Henry
745
Wells, John P. 1235
Wells, L. A. 587
Wendt, August 478
Westfall, Lee C. 820
Wheatcraft, John 815
Wheeler, Orville A. 860
Wheeler, Vernon S.
999
Whitcomb, Daniel W.
614
Whitehead, Fred. 970
Whitehead, George G. 1031
Whittaker, John E. 1060
Wiggin, Andrew J. 593
Wilcox, Edward. 997
Wildman, Charles W. 1041
Willemsen, Henry. 717
Williams, Samuel P. 502
Williams, Wilford 1064
Williamson, Warren A. 1291
Wilson, Alfred O. 1131
Wilson, Jeremiah W. 951
Wilson, John N. 981
Winn, Charles W. 507
Witmer. Jacob R. 623
Woodrow, John R. 984
Woodrow, Joseph M. 433
Woody, John M. 894
Wormley, George W. 1018
Wright, C. B. 957
Z
Zachary, Hartwell 718
Zollinger, J. R.
522
Zwank, Ira
721
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTUS LENGA TILDEN FO ADATIUND
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
... J- LF-CX
RECENT JASPER COUNTY COURT HOUSE
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JASPER COUNTY COURT HOUSE
HISTORICAL
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
One of the most interesting, as well as useful, studies to those of all ages is that of general and local history. Especially is this true when the historian treats of a county or state as it existed in its primitive state ; tells how it was peopled, and enters into detail in relation to the life and general manners of its pioneer settlers. There is ever a peculiar fascination about the rude life of the early settlers of a country. The freedom of action, the unconstrained man- ner with which they receive one and all, and their generous hospitality, is indeed fascinating.
It may be stated that sixty-eight years ago the part of Iowa comprising Jasper county was an unbroken wilderness, inhabited only by wild beasts of the forest, wild birds of the air, and the no less wild red men, who roamed at will over the broad prairies, fishing in the streams or hunting game that abounded on every hand. They seemingly cared nothing for the morrow-sim- ply lived for the present. The thought of the "pale face" penetrating this beautiful section had not yet seriously disturbed them, and so they continued on in their daily life of hunting and fishing, with occasionally a short war between tribes to relieve the monotony of their existence. But the time was soon to come when these Indians were to surrender up their lands and be pushed on toward the setting sun. All nature was soon to be transformed by civilized man's hand and brain. The fair prairies and sweet scented wild flowers, painted in all their beauty by the hand of God, must be broken up by the husbandman, and where wild flower and grass grew must wave the golden grain of another and more advanced type of mankind.
A little more than three score years ago all here was a wilderness ; the soil had been unvexed by the plow, and the woodman's axe had never been heard in this "green glad solitude." The cabin of the settler, its smoke curl- ing heavenward, with an air inviting the weary traveler to come and rest.
26
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
was not to be seen, nor even the faintest trace of real civilization, but instead the boundless sea of prairie grass, while here and there might have been seen the Indian wigwam down by the river side.
Behold, how changed the scene from that of the year 1843, when Adam M. Tool and his little band of comrades first saw this fair and fertile domain. There were the following eras of development : The true pioneer settlement ; the Civil war period; the railroad era and present highly advancd condition of the first decade of the twentieth century. Where once the wigwam of the Indian stood in the forties, a palatial-like residence is seen today ; where then stood the sons of the forest gathered together for the worship of Manitou, the "Great Spirit," the handsome church edifice is now pointing heavenward and therein worship is now had by the white race, using the worship of their fathers and praying to the Most High, as they understand divinity. Change, wonderful change, is written on every hand. Just how this great transforma- tion has been wrought out, the various steps by which the wilderness has been made to blossom like the rose, is the pleasant task and duty of the historian to show ; and in the following pages the attempt is made, with the hope that the facts contained therein may be of interest, and the lessons of the past may be instructive to each and every reader of this work.
CHAPTER II.
NATURAL FEATURES-TOPOGRAPHY-MINING.
Before entering into the history of this county, as made by the present race of men, or even before mentioning briefly the Indian occupants of this portion of Iowa, it will be well to view the country as it came from the hand of the Almighty.
Of the natural features of Jasper county, let it be stated that the north- eastern part of the county lies in the sub-carboniferous group, classified by Professor White, the western limit being the outcropping of a bed of sand rock near Kellogg, which is traced in a direction from southeast to north- west. This rock, which forms an excellent building stone. is the floor of the vast coal basin of Iowa and is exposed in many places throughout the county. In the southern part of the county limestone of an excellent quality is found. Clays of good grade are found throughout the county, from which excellent building brick have been manufactured from time to time. In places it is very suitable for the making of crockery and fire brick.
The soil is a vegetable mold, evenly mixed with a finely ground sand, with some traces of aluminous matter. It is almost everywhere fully one foot deep on the uplands, while in the valleys and creek bottoms it is many feet in depth, and for this reason the wagon roads in the pioneer and even later times were almost impassable in wet seasons.
At Monroe the elevation from the sea level is stated by good authority to be 624 feet and that of Prairie City is 635 feet, while at Newton the survey shows an altitude of 940 feet. The water in the Skunk river at the crossing of the railroad track is 753 feet above sea level and the grade at Colfax is 763 feet. From above it is seen that the surface and altitudes in various sec- tions of Jasper county are varied and uneven.
STREAMS OF JASPER COUNTY.
The rivers, creeks and springs of any given section of the country are ever highly prized by the stranger, as well as by the actual settler, who knows he is in a goodly land whenever he sees streams and at least a moderate quantity of timber. One stream in particular in Jasper county has made a
28
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
history for itself that is known from ocean to ocean, and that is the Skunk, the south fork of which enters Poweshiek township on section 9, and by action of the county authorities was made the southern boundary of Poweshiek, Sher- man, Palo Alto and Elk Creek townships, and the northern boundary of Washington, Mound Prairie and Fairview. Its Indian name was "Chicaqua," meaning an offensive odor, and it is said to be the same in Indian dialect as "Chicago," both rivers deriving their name from the wild onion which the moist character of the soil along both streams allowed to grow in great abund- ance. Ever since the early settlement this stream and its bottom lands have been a terror to travelers. The soil in the bottom is very deep and porous, and when the frost is leaving in the spring or after heavy rains, the bottom becomes one long mud-hole into which the early-day immigrant passed through with fear and trembling and thought himself in luck if indeed he escaped without being pulled out at least three or more times. This was known and dreaded by people from Maine to California. At an early day the Skunk river was wont to raise out of its banks after a hard rain storm with great rapidity, and many a traveler has passed over with water belly deep to the stage coach teams. But with the development of the country this has largely passed away. The lands are properly drained, bridges erected far above the high water mark and light approaches made, so that no one dreads the crossing of what was in the fifties and sixties a dangerous proposi- tion. So famous was this bottom away back about Civil war days, that Harper's Weekly contained an illustration of crossing the "Skunk Bottoms," in which a stage coach loaded with passengers were sitting swamped in the mud, waiting for a pioneer farmer, who is seen approaching in the distance with a yoke of oxen to help the weary horses in pulling the coach to firm ground. It is said, however, that the profanity occasioned could not be il- lustrated by Harper's artist.
The North Skunk takes its source in Marshall county, flows through Malaka, Kellogg and the southwest corner of Rock Creek townships; thence through the center of Richland, and so on through the northeast portion of Lynn Grove township.
Sugar creek rises in Hickory Grove township, waters the eastern part of Rock Creek and Richland townships, passing out on section 25.
Rock creek rises in Marshall county, flows through Honey Grove and Rock Creek and discharges into North Skunk river in Richland.
Coon creek rises in Mariposa and is a branch of the North Skunk.
Burr and Alloway creeks rise in Mariposa and empty into the North Skunk river in Kellogg township.
29
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Indian creek rises mainly in Clear Creek township and flows into South Skunk river in the southwest part of Sherman township.
Cherry creek is made up largely of confluents in Malaka and Newton townships, discharging into South Skunk river in section 29, of Palo Alto township.
Elks creek gathers its waters of several smaller streams east of the city of Newton, flowing through Buena Vista and Elk Creek townships into Mahaska county.
Squaw creek heads in the southern portion of Mound Prairie township and flows into the South Skunk river a mile and one-half west of Colfax.
Watkins creek rises in Washington township, passes through Des Moines, then into Marion county.
Calhoun creek takes its rise at Prairie City, drains the east portion of Des Moines township, passes into the southwest part of Fairview township, where it enters Marion county,
Warren creek rises in the south part of Mound Prairie township and enters South Skunk river in the northern part of Fairview township.
Besides these there are numerous lesser streams hardly large enough to have a dignified place on the map of the county, yet which at times, especially at an early day, were streams of no small consequence. For agricultural and stock raising purposes the county has none too many of these streams, the waters of which make glad the heart of man and are duly appreciated by the "cattle of the thousand hills."
THE NATIVE GROVES.
One of the beauties of Jasper county, at an early date, were its numerous natural groves of excellent timber, among which may be mentioned the fol- lowing :
Hixson's grove, as known and named by the pioneers, is three miles to the south of Newton.
Adamson's grove is really the southern portion of Hixon's.
Vowell's grove is two miles to the west of Newton.
Hammer's grove is four miles northeast of Newton on the North Skunk river.
Slaughter's grove is to the south of the Main Skunk river and east of Colfax.
Lynn grove is situated in Lynn Grove township and a part extends into Kellogg.
30
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Black Oak grove and White Oak grove are divided from Lynn grove by the North Skunk river.
Shepherd's grove is on the south side of the Skunk river, eight miles south of Newton City.
Tool's grove, the timber land north and east of Monroe.
Indian Creek grove and Clear Creek timber, the wooded lands in the northwest portion of the county.
A WONDERFUL MIRAGE IN 1859.
During the month of August, 1859, H. Ballinger wrote the following graphic description of a beautiful mirage seen by himself and wife in this county. Webster defines a mirage as "An optical atmospheric illusion by which objects at great distances are presented in an inverted form." But it is well known that many such strange phenomena appear without the image being inverted, as in this case, as well as several seen by the writer in northern central Iowa in the seventies. The item referred to as from the pen of Mr. Ballinger is :
"I live about fourteen miles southeast of Newton, and about one mile west of me runs the North fork of Skunk river. Five miles farther west runs Elk creek, and still farther west runs the South fork of Skunk river. Now a person standing in the door of my residence and looking westerly over these streams and divides can only distinctly see North Skunk and the eastern slope of the divide between it and Elk creek, and over its summit the extreme tops of the trees comprising the groves of Elk creek. But the country or divide between Elk creek and South Skunk is not visible to the eye, being hid entirely from the first divide mentioned at ordinary times. But yesterday morning, a little before six o'clock, I happened to cast my eyes westward and to my surprise I beheld Elk Creek grove and the surrounding country as well as the divide between it and South Skunk apparently elevated on an inclined plane of slight elevation. The trees of the grove could be distinctly seen from their top to their roots and appeared to be much nearer to us (my wife was now a spectator with me) than formerly; whereas, before, the extreme tops of the trees could only be seen from our position, and houses we had not seen before took their places majestically in this beautiful panorama and seemed also singularly plain, distinct and nearer to us. Yet I do not think we had the satisfaction of seeing it at its best, for the whole affair settled down out of sight in a few minutes after our discovery. A better time, I think, would have been about sunrise or a little after."
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