USA > Iowa > Lucas County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 3
USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 3
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
anything, but would offer to sell them anything they wanted upon their promise to pay for it the next time they came. The result was that they failed to come back.
Prior to the year 1843, Lucas county belonged to the In- dian. Over it he hunted, and fished in its streams, and by his camp fires his people danced and sang songs unmolested by the white man. Subsequent to 1843 the grand and beautiful domain, including Lucas County, passed by a treaty to the United States, which was ratified on the 23d day of March of that year. By the terms of this treaty the Indians were given three years in which to remove beyond the Missouri river. Early in the year 1846, while Iowa was a teritory and after the Indian had been forced toward the setting sun, and had relinquished possession of the territory now covered by Lucas county, and, in fact, all the state west of Lucas county, which he had occupied from a time beyond which the records or tra- ditions do not extend, the white men followed upon his trail, and assumed possession of the coveted lands.
THE LAST GREAT INDIAN BATTLE IN IOWA
The principal village of the Iowas was on the Des Moines river in Van Buren county, on the site where Iowaville was built. Here the last great battle between the Sacs and Foxes and the Iowas was fought. Black Hawk, then a young man, commanded one division of the attacking forces. The fol- lowing account of the battle has been given :
Contrary to long established custom of the Indian, the bat- tle was commenced in the day time, the attending circum- stances justifying this departure from the well-settled usages of Indian warfare. The battlefield was a level river bottom. about four miles in length, and two miles wide near the middle, narrowing to a point at either end. The main end of this bot- tom rises perhaps twenty feet above the river, leaving a nar- row strip of low bottom along the shore covered with trees that belted the prairie on the river side with a thick forest. and the immediate bank of the river was fringed with a dense growth of willows. Near the lower end of this prairie, near the river bank. was situated the Iowa village. About two miles above it, and near the middle of the prairie is a mound covered at the time with a tuft of small trees and underbrush growing on its summit. In the rear of this little elevation or mound lay a
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
belt of wet prairie, covered at that time, with a dense growth of rank, coarse grass. Bordering this wet prairie on the north, the country rises abruptly into elevated broken river bluffs, covered with a heavy forest for many miles in extent, and in places thickly clustered with undergrowth, affording a convenient shelter for the stealthy approach of the foe.
Through this forest the Sac and Fox war party made their way in the night and secreted themselves in the tall grass spoken of above. intending to remain in ambush during the day and make such observations as this near proximity to their intended victim might afford to aid them in their con- templated attack on the town during the following night. From this situation their spies could take a full survey of the village. and watch every movement of the inhabitants. by which means they were soon convinced that the Iowas had no suspicion of their presence.
At the foot of the mound above mentioned. the Iowas had their race-course. where they diverted themselves with the excitement of horse racing, and schooled their warriors in cav- alry evolutions. In these exercises mock battles were fought. and the Indian tactics of attack and defense carefully incul- cated. by which means a skill in horsemanship was acquired rarely excelled.
Unfortunately for them this day was selected for their equestrian sports, and wholly unconscious of the proximity of their foes, the warriors repaired to the race ground, leaving most of their arms in the village. and their old men, women and children unprotected.
"Pash-a-po-po." who was chief in command of the Sacs and Foxes. perceived at once the advantage this state of things afforded for a complete surprise of his now doomed victims, and ordered Black Hawk to file off with his young warriors through the tall grass and gain the stretch of the timber along the river bank. and with the utmost speed reach the village and commence the battle. while he remained with his division in the ambush to make a simultaneous assault on the unarmed men. whose attention was engrossed with the excitement of the races. The plan was skillfully laid and most dexterously executed. Black Hawk. with his forces, reached the village undiscovered. and made a furious onslaught upon the defenseless inhabitants, by firing one general volley into their midst. and completed the slaughter with the tomahawk
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
and scalping knife, aided by the devouring flames with which they enveloped the village as soon as the fire brand could be spread from lodge to lodge.
On the instant of the report of fire-arms at the village, the forces under Pash-a-po-po leaped from their couchant posi- tion in the grass and sprang tiger-like upon the astonished and unarmed Iowas in the midst of their racing sports. The first impulse of the latter naturally led them to make the ut- most speed toward their arms in the village, and protect if pos- sible their wives and children from the attack of their merci- less assailants. The distance from the place of attack on the prairie was two miles, and a great number fell in their flight by the bullets and tomahawks of their enemies, who pressed them closely with a running fire the whole way, and the survivors only reached their own town in time to witness the horrors of its destruction. Their whole village was in flames, and the dearest objects of their lives lay in slaughter heaps amidst the devouring element, and the agonizing groans of dying mingled with the exulting shouts of the victorious foe, filled their hearts with maddening despair.
Their wives and children, who had been spared the general massacre, were prisoners, and together with their arms were in the hand of the victors; all that could now be done was to draw off their shattered and defenseless forces, and save as many lives as possible by a retreat across the Des Moines river, which they effected in the best possible manner, and took a position among the "Soap Creek Hills."
THE CITY OF CHARITON
By permission of the Rev. George R. Chambers of Chari- ton, we will here insert the following carefully prepared sta- tisties concerning the city of Chariton, the county seat of Lucas County. It was prepared by Mr. Chambers at the instance of the C. B. & Q. R. R. Co. for publication in pam- phlet form, for distribution among those seeking new loca- tions, along its route in Iowa.
"The C. B. & Q. railway is gathering statistics concerning the towns along its route for publication in pamphlet form for distribution among those seeking new locations. In its quest for information inquiries were sent to the Business Men's organization and in turn these inquiries were referred
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
to George R. Chambers, who has been very active and very accurate in securing the information desired. We give the result of his findings herewith and believe the people of Chari- ton are under obligations to Mr. Chambers for the time spent in gathering the statistics given below :
"The city of Chariton, the county seat of Lucas County, has a population of 4,500 and is steadily growing.
"It has splendid railway facilities to all points. The main line of the C. B. & Q. east and west, the south branch of the C., B. & Q. to St. Joe and Kansas City, the north branch of the C., B. & Q. to Indianola. The direct short line of the Rock Island from Minneapolis and Des Moines to Kansas City.
"It has a $43,000.00 water plant and a $50,000.00 electric light and power plant, both owned and controlled by the mu- nicipality. A gas company, recently organized with capital stock of $35,000.00.
"Two miles of paved streets beautiful with well kept park- ings and trees. Three additional miles to be paved shortly.
"Thirty miles of sidewalk almost entirely cement.
"Six miles of sewer with two miles extension ordered.
"For fire protection it has its water system, six large sized auxiliary cisterns, and a reservoir within two blocks of the public square. A fine equipment including a steam fire en- gine and a volunteer company, which has carried the state premium three years in succession, and which holds the silver trumpet of the state.
"Fuel for factory and domestic purposes is to be obtained in the immediate vicinity at low prices. The additional coal fields now being made available by the extension of the Rock Island line will still further decrease the price.
"Chariton has fourteen church organizations, with splen- did stone, brick and other buildings. St. Andrew's church is the most beautiful church building this side of Chicago.
"Chariton does not have a saloon.
"Fine High school building, accredited course of study, commercial, manual training and domestic science depart- ments, efficient faculty of twenty-nine teachers, with nearly 1.000 scholars. Three buildings for the grades. There is also a business college in the city.
"Chariton is one of the wealthiest cities of its class with deposit of $1,500.000.00 in its four banks.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
"Two weekly newspapers with circulation of 3,500 and 3,250 respectively.
"Among its industries are the Schrieber Wagon & Car- riage Works, broom factory, iron foundry, brick factory, Threlkeld Spring Bolster Works, monumental stone works, cigar factories, flour and feed mills, and an ice company for the manufacture of ice, just organized.
"Chariton's postoffice handles an unusually large amount of mail. Has both city and rural delivery. A Federal build- ing will be erected shortly. Bell telephone handling both the city and rural lines.
"A $75,000.00 courthouse ; $25,000.00 county house; free public library costing $11,000.00; Rock Island depot being erected to cost $12,000.00; two fine hotels; many palatial resi- dences.
"The vicinity produces all kinds of prize cattle, horses, hogs, sheep and poultry, many of which have a national repu- tation.
"Hay two and one-half tons to acre.
"Timothy seed, four bushels to acre.
"Wheat, forty bushels to acre.
"Oats seventy bushels to acre.
"Corn eighty-five bushels to acre.
"Excellent coal in seams of six to eight feet.
"The produce houses of Chariton handle $500,000.00 of eggs, butter and poultry annually. shipping receipts show Chariton to be one of the best markets in the state.
"Largest shipment of commercial horses in state.
"Largest shipment of timothy seed in the state.
"Finest corn lands.
"Unusual opportunities for dairving.
"Among the very best blue grass lands in the world.
"Largest stocks of outfitting, dry goods, etc., in southern Iowa.
"An unusually large number of traveling men living in the city.
"Within five years Chariton will be the center of the coal mining interests in the state. Experts state that very large amounts will be paid ont by the coal industries within this time.
"Chariton offers special inducement in its electrical light and power, quality of water, cheapness and close proximity of
South Side of Square East Court Avenue Woodlawn Avenue
West Side of Square The Armory East Side of Square
VIEWS OF CHARITON
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
fuel, its desirable location as a distributing point for cold storage plant, wholesale houses, canning factories and indus- tries of all kinds."
A comparison of the city of Chariton as it is represented in the foregoing word picture, with the prairie village of Chariton in its infancy, may prove interesting.
In thus turning backward the pages of history we pass from a busy little city, with modern improvements and advan- tages, to a few log cabins hidden in the tall grasses of a wild prairie. From the sound of church bells on the Sabbath morn- ing, to the barking of prairie wolves in the winter's evening! From the humming wheels of industry, to the cooing of the birds of the prairie! We realize that while Chariton has not been visited by a modern boom, yet it has had a steady healthy growth, and it has the prospects of a pleasant, prosperous home town.
In 1849 Richard Fisher, Pardon M. Dodge, and Ware- ham G. Clark were appointed commissioners to select the loca- tion for the county seat town. They met at the home of Buck Townsend, at a point about one and one-half miles southeast of what is now the public square of Chariton. The people gen- erally were interested in ascertaining about where the town would be located, and quite a number met with the commis- sioners. A few of them were anxious to get the control of the town. It appears that Mr. Townsend, or Buck Townsend, as he was called, was very anxious to have the town located on his lands, or rather on the lands to or for which he had or held a claim. The chances for speculation or graft were very few in this wild country at that time.
It appears that after the commissioners had passed over the lands south of Chariton, they came to an immense stake or post, which the surveyors for the Government had placed at the corner of the sections numbered, 19-20 and 29-30, in town- ship 72-21. Mr. Clark, with the aid of some of the commis- sioners, got upon this stake, and while standing on it, made the following short, but eloquent speech. He said, pointing to the surounding four forty-acre tracts of land : "Gentlemen, here is the location of the county seat town of Lucas County."
The commissioners first named the town "Polk," in honor of President Polk, but as a good many citizens were not satis- fied with this name, a meeting of settlers was called and this meeting decided to call the proposed new town "Chari-
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
ton." Chariton is the name of a Frenchman. There was a French trader named Chariton, who established a trading post or place on the bank of the Missouri river where the Chariton river enters it, in the state of Missouri, and he named this trading post "Chariton."
The stake upon which Mr. Clark stood when he selected the location of Chariton, was planted in the earth where the two roads or streets, now Main Street and Court Avenue, cross each other at the southwest corner of the public square.
It seems that the growth of the new town was not near so fast as the first settlers thought it would be. There was only about 150 citizens in the county at that time, and they were seeking lands, rather than town lots.
The new town was surveyed and platted by a surveyor from Albia, in Monroe county, named Webb. The county commissioners appointed agents to sell lots, and they were sold at from $5 to $15 per lot.
Jonas Wescott and his brother Nelson Wescott, built the first two cabin houses in the new town. The two families lived in one of the cabins, and they kept a store in the other. These houses were built on the northwest corner of the public square. where the Commercial Bank is now located. Beverly Searcy built a log house on the lot facing east on the southwest cor- nor of the public square, where Oscar Israel's store is now located, and Henry Allen soon afterwards, built a two-story log house on the southeast corner of the public square, which was used as a hotel for several years. By this time cabin houses were going up at different points over the county.
Chariton has the veritable public square common to most of the similar towns in Iowa, and the business is transacted almost entirely in buildings situated around this square.
It is claimed, and experience seems to verify the truth of the claim, that, as a general rule, when such county seat towns reach a population of about five thousand they have reached their zenith. At this time in their history there is an overplus of labor and business, and competition becomes so acute as to destroy prices, and the result is that there appears an over- supply of loafers. Non-producers never build a city. We can recollect when the question for debate was, "Did God, or man. determine the location and destiny of towns and cities?" It was claimed on the one hand that nature fixed the location of cities. That the natural advantages of certain localities nec ..
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
essarily caused the location and growth of cities there. This seems to be true in some instances, but as a general rule the location and remarkable growth of our western towns and cities can be traced directly to the energy, industry, and deter- mination of a comparatively few men, who at the time were regarded by many as visionary and uncertain. They sug- gested, pursued, and at last succeeded in originating and carry- ing out schemes of improvement, which to conservative busi- ness men seemed impossible. But such men read more cor- rectly the possibilities of our rich country, and time has proven that their visionary schemes were in fact nothing more than correct visions of the possibilities of the natural wealth of our broad prairies. The history of the struggle between the towns of that rich region of country extending from Omaha to Kansas City seems to demonstrate the fact that in early days towns were built by men. The emigrants to the mountains and to California procured their outfit at one of the many little towns or villages situated on the Missouri river between Omaha and Kansas City. Each village had its veritable ferry boat and large stores of articles suitable for such a trip. Emi- grants could purchase everything required for this trip, in- cluding mules, oxen, wagons and provisions, at such places. This trade became important, and there was an active competi- tion for it.
The towns of Omaha, St. Joe, Atchison, Leavenworth and Kansas City engaged in a struggle for the location of the com- ing city. About the year 1850 it became evident that a large city would some day be built at some point within the country between or at Kansas City and Omaha. Omaha relied upon its superior site for a city, St. Joe relied upon its wealth and the substantial character of its business men, while a gang of boosters or boomers seemed to take the control of Kansas City. While each and all of these towns were steadily grow- ing in population and wealth, and many of them relied upon a class of enterprising substantial business men. vet the Kansas City boomers stealthily secured the assistance of east- ern capital, and eastern capitalists, and the war was then over. Before the other towns awakened to the situation a class of wealthy eastern capitalists had invested their money in Kan- sas City. and the location of the city was fixed. At one bound Kansas City secured the trade of that vast empire of rich lands extending from Omaha to the Gulf of Mexico, and its destiny as the great city west of the Missouri river was fixed.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
Kansas City is clearly a man-made city, in spite of its nat- ural disadvantages. Its principal business houses are located in ravines and gulches, where the timid investor would never dream of building a city.
The first cost of lots for dwellings was very low, but the purchaser had to dig down or remove a hill to make a foun- dation for his proposed dwelling, which made his lot expen- sive. However, he was compensated for this work in the fact that the sandy loam constituting the hill made first class brick. and he could use it in making brick to build his house. Kansas City brick is to-day largely used in building business houses in southern Iowa.
THE PURCHASE OF THE TOWN SITE OF CHARITON
Though the county was formally organized and its civic machinery in partial working order subsequent to its first election and the installment of its officers in 1849, yet it owned no ground upon which it could erect its official buildings, not- withstanding the commissioners chosen for that purpose had selected the spot where they now stand, and officially reported such action to the clerk of the District court of the county, on the 11th day of September, 1849, and by whom it was re- corded.
On the 1st of February, 1850, the board of commissioners set about procuring the title to the land previously selected for the site of its future seat of justice, and which had but recently passed from its original owners, the Sac and Fox Indians, to the United States. James G. Robinson, one of the commissioners, was, at the session of said board of January 19, 1850, empowered to enter the quarter section of land the county seat is located on, and thus he purchased from one John Jappert, a military land warrant issued for military ser- vices, and when the land that Chariton now stands upon came into the market the patent therefor was issued to Mr. Robin- son as assignee of the warrant. To secure a title to the county when he should get it himself, Mr. Robinson executed a bond to the commissioners in behalf of the county. This action on behalf of Mr. Robinson was approved by the commissioners at their next meeting on April 2, 1850. The patent for the land was duly issued to Mr. Robinson and afterwards, on the 10th day of October, 1851. Mr. Robinson and his wife executed and delivered to the County of Lucas in the State of Iowa a
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
warranty deed to the 160 acres of land that had been selected and purchased by the county.
Although the county had no title to the land from the day of its location by the commissioners on the 11th day of Novem- ber, 1849, until the execution and delivery of said deed in October, 1851, a period of more than two years, yet its rights and interests in the same were fully protected, and the mod- ern idea of graft did not enter into any of the transactions.
At the session of the commissioners held September 12, 1849, it was ordered that William S. Townsend be, and he was thereby appointed, as agent to lay off the county seat and sell lots. In pursuance of such authority Mr. Townsend pro- ceeded to execute the work entrusted to him. He employed William Webb, a surveyor of Albia, to survey, plot and num- ber the lots and blocks, and the result of his work was reported to the board at its session on November 5, 1849, whereupon the board ordered "that the town plot as returned by Wil- liam S. Townsend be, and is hereby received, this 5th day of November, 1849."
For his services and materials furnished the board ordered that Mr. Townsend be paid the sum of $76.00; also $13.00 for a chainman, and also $19.87 for boarding hands.
At the previous monthly session of the board of commis- sioners in October, 1849, the following proceedings were had and entered of record: "Ordered, that the town lots of the county seat of Lucas County be offered for sale on the first Monday of November, 1849." This was the first public sale and it occurred at the fixed time and under the direction of the above mentioned Mr. Townsend.
At the April session, 1850, of the board of county commis- sioners, Nelson Westcott was employed by the board to su- vey and plot the town of Chariton, and with the assistance of Beverly Searcy, Scott Arnold, Henry Allen, Mills Vanmeter and William H. Record, he proceeded to do so, and his plot was completed and submitted to the board at its session held on the 15th day of May, 1850. It was approved and filed for record the 21st day of May, 1850. The lots were platted 821/5 feet wide and 165 feet in depth. It will be seen that these. lots were well suited in size for dwelling house and home pur- poses. Much more so than the modern lot which runs 25 to 50 feet in width by 100 feet in depth. It is true that a lot 821% feet wide is not convenient for business purposes. When
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PAST AND PRESENT OF LUCAS COUNTY
divided into four lots, as some of these large lots were, it makes the lots too small. Agents were appointed to sell these lots at from $5.00 to $15.00 per lot.
COPIES OF RECORDS
In 1849 when the commissioners appointed to locate the county seat came, they met at the Townsend Inn, where also had gathered almost every man in the county. It was a grand holiday with most of them, but some of them desired to secure lots in the new town. There are some incidents connected with the transactions and duties of the commissioners that will bear publication. The next day after their arrival while they were traveling over the county south of Chariton they found a wolf, and after an exciting chase they caught it. They then collected about all the dogs in the county and then turned the wolf loose, having another exciting chase. From this incident they gave the name of Wolf creek to the stream near which they had caught the wolf, and it still retains that name.
The next morning after the wolf chase, the commissioners with quite a number of the settlers started north in search of the best location for the new town. When they came to a stake some four feet high, placed to mark the corners of se- tions 19, 20, 29 and 30, in township 72, N. range 21. W .. Com- missioner Wareham G. Clark, with the aid of some of the party, climbed up and stood on the top of the stake where he had a view of the surrounding prairie, and while standing on this stake he formally and emphatically said: "Gentlemen, this is the location of the county seat of Lucas county." The other commissioners approved of this selection and the ques- tion of the location of the county seat town of Lucas county was settled. On the 11th day of September the commissioners sub- mitted a report of their action to the board of county commis- sioners which was approved and the proper officials were directed to secure the title to the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 19, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 20, and the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 29, and the northeast quar- ter of the northeast quarter of section 30, all in township 72. N. range 21, W.
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