USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 4
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either of the eleven counties might, by a named number of citizens, petition the court of Woodbury county, directed to the judges of the court, asking that such county, naming it, might be organized and thus become a legal cor- poration. This law also provided for the establishment of a county seat, and als , provided for the changing of the name of the mother county from Wahkaw to Woodbury county. Thus early was northwestern Iowa looking for a Missouri terminal for a future city, or capital, so to speak, for this larger territory, on first thought lighting on Sargent's Bluffs, but, for later reasons belonging to Woodbury county history, landed in greater permanency at what is now recognized as northwestern Iowa's business terminal, chief city and distributing point, Sioux City.
THE COURT RECORD.
The petition directed to the court of Woodbury county was signed by seven so-called voters and by sundry soldiers of the Federal army, then under General Sully fighting Indians in these several states. Indeed, and in fact, Hannibal House Waterman was the only real, bona fide, legitimate and square- (leal citizen or vo'er in this county, though six other men (record a little confused whether six or seven) signed this petition and voted with him at the election held February 6. 1860, at the house of this first set ler, Hannibal House Waterman, on his United States homestead on the northeast quarter of section 26, township 94, range 39. in Waterman township, named for him, as was likewise the stream flowing through the whole eastern part of the county. We give below the full order of the court relating to the organiza- tion of O'Brien county, which recites its own history.
"COUNTY COURT, WOODBURY COUNTY,
"January 25, 1860.
"Whereas, a petition has been presented to this court, signed by Hannibal H. Waterman and seven other citizens of O'Brien county, and I. C. Furbei having made oath that the signatures to said petition are a majority of legal voters of said county, and
"Whereas, the said petitioners ask that the said O'Brien county may be organized in accordance with the provisions of law upon that subject.
"Now therefore, I, John P. Allison, county judge of Woodbury county, in the state of Iowa, do hereby order :
"First: That the county of O'Brien, in the state of Iowa, be and the
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O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
same is hereby organized from and after the twenty-fifth day of January, A. D. 1860.
"Second: That an election be held in O'Brien county and state afore- said, at the dwelling house of Hannibal Waterman, on Monday, the sixth day of February, A. D. 1860, for the purpose of electing officers, and that I. C. Furber act as one of the judges of said first election.
"Third: It is ordered, that I. C. Furber act as organizing sheriff, and that he post notices in three of the most public places in said O'Brien county, stating the time and place of holding said election at least ten days prior to the election aforesaid, and make return of his doings to this court.
"JOHN P. ALLISON, "County Judge."
"COUNTY COURT, WOODBURY COUNTY,
"January 26, 1860.
"Now comes I. C. Furber and qualifies as judge of the election to be held in O'Brien county on the 6th day of February, A. D. 1860, by taking the oath as required in section 249, chapter 25 of the Code of Iowa.
"JOHN P. ALLISON, "County Judge."
ELECTION ORGANIZATION RECORD.
"At an election held in O'Brien county, at the house of H. H. Waterman, February 6, 1860, I. C. Furber was elected to the office of county judge, A. Murray, clerk of district court, and H. H. Waterman, treasurer and recorder, to hold their offices until the next general election, this being the first election after organization of the county. I. C. Furber acted as organizing sheriff at said election.
"I. C. FURBER, "County Judge."
FIRST GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 6, 1860.
On the same day that Abraham Lincoln was first elected President, November 6. 1860, O'Brien county's first full-term corps of officers were elected as follows: Henry C. Tiffey, clerk of the district court; I. C. Furber, treasurer and recorder: A. Murray, county judge: Sam H. Morrow, sur- veyor, and H. H. Waterman, road supervisor. There were eighteen votes cast at this election.
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SECOND GENERAL ELECTION, OCTOBER 14, 1861.
At the next, or second, general election the following officers were elected : A. Murray, sheriff ; J. W. Bosler, treasurer and recorder ; George Hoffman, coroner; John S. Jenkins, county superintendent of schools; A. Phillips, drainage commissioner ; H. H. Waterman, township supervisor.
BAD WORK BREWING IN ABOVE ORGANIZATION AND ITS TWO FIRST ELECTIONS.
We give here the results of the first two elections, after its organizing election, to emphasize the fact that right here in its organization. and first two elections, is evidence on its face of a scheme to farm O'Brien county finances. ' As we have previously remarked, Hannibal House Waterman was the only bona fide settler and citizen. Those other gentry, I. C. Furber, John S. Jenkins, John H. Cofer, James W. Bosler, Moses Lewis, George Hoffman, H. C. Tiffey, A. Phillips and, in a degree, Archibald Murray, and who were among those other seven named in the petition, were but a bunch of schemers who came on with, others from Sioux City and Fort Dodge and organized counties and county seats for three counties, Clay, O'Brien and Beuna Vista, with county seats handily arranged for, three miles apart. at Old O'Brien, Peterson and Sioux, Rapids, in which well-laid scheme the set of men who acted as officials in O'Brien county would appear as contractors in the various humbug building of bridges and other schemes in the other counties and vice versa. H. C. Tiffey was the best business man of the bunch, so far as papers and their preparation were concerned. James W. Bosler was a poli- tician of some note from Pennsylvania and, a grafter of western innocence, laid out the plans and did the best head work. John H. Cofer was the swamp land gentleman and schemer.
It will be observed that in the petition for organization before the court, these gentry took care that the name of Hannibal H. Waterman, the only real citizen, headed the list, and thus make a showing of good faith, and had him in the first instance appointed to the important offices of treasurer and recorder of the county, but it will be further observed that at the very first general election the same year. with still only nineteen votes cast, that the one and only one bona fide citizen and honorable man, Hannibal H. Waterman, was dismantled of the chief offices and handed the sop of the insignificant offices of township and road supervisor.
Even at this late date it seems astounding that these same gentry were
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thus allowed to thus organize and farm in literal fact not simply one but three counties adjoining, in so open-handed a way. It also seems incredible that such a bunch of outlandish proceedings as an organization of three counties in one batch for such financial farming as we will presently see, should have passed the serious order and judgment of the court, and that, too, by such a man so long prominent in Sioux City banking circles as Judge John P. Allison, so long a partner with George Weare in the banking firm of Weare & Allison. We hardly wish to raise a question of his integrity, especially his judicial integrity, but when we also see, later on, that this bank- ing firm of Weare & Allison in the subsequent years purchased thousands of dollars of the depreciated county warrants, not only of these, but other counties in Iowa similarly organized, and later sued them, got them into judgment, thus putting them out of reach of defense, and later having the bonds of the county issued for them, and they usually buying them at about thirty cents on the dollar, and then collecting full face value with ten per cent. interest, we are at least entitled to raise the question of his good judg- ment, if we do not as to his integrity.
We might also criticize with justice the early fathers or legislators of the state in leaving one lame loophole in the law above referred to providing for the organization of counties. Had these solons or lawmakers provided that no county could thus have been organized until it had at least five hundred or, better, one thousand voters, it would have saved O'Brien and many other counties much trouble. While votes of honor are often given to our pioneer solons, it would seem that O'Brien county could, without blushing, enter its protest that the General Assembly of Iowa for 1851 were thus direlect in this duty.
THESE SEVEN OTHERS SIMPLY "LIT."
As a literal matter of fact, these "seven others" had simply and suddenly lit, as it were, for the express purpose of not simply organizing, but farm- ing the cash or infantile credit of this and many other counties in the West. These three handy county seats in nearby corners formed a grand trium- virate. These seven others, or twenty-one in the three counties, were about as vigorous a lot of rascals as went unhung. They proceeded to issue solemn contracts and issue county warrants and other evidences of indebtedness to the enormous amount of two hundred and thirty thousand dollars (and up- wards) on this one county alone. Verily the seven had her to wife, and the bride paid the bills.
(3)
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"WE ARE SEVEN."
This phrase, "seven others," had a special meaning. One of these "seven," in a personal conversation with the writer many years ago, boasted that he was one of the seven. Said he: "We built a bridge, and then made an elaborate report. Then we drew our county warrant. Then I and we of that seven tore down that bridge. Then we built that same bridge-excuse me, another bridge-in another prairie slough, and drew another warrant, and so on until seven bridges were built, and each of the seven got a share. Why shouldn't we tear it down? Nobody ever crossed on it, no road there even." Then this boastful organizer of new counties, who was of a con- siderable literary turn of mind. laughingly and dramatically recited several stanzas of Byron's "Seven Prisoners of Chillon," in a fine oratorical voice, making special emphasis on the words of the stanza, "We are seven." Said he : "Byron's 'Prisoners of Chillon' suffered in chains for their religion. Didn't we suffer in chains like them in this then God-forsaken wilderness of a country, even worse than in chains." Then, in grim satire, he went on : "And then, with due regard to the comfort, happiness and general wel- fare of my dear family, I tore down that damned bridge and built for myself a 'home, sweet home.'" This braggadocia statement was no joke. We, of course, can make due allowance for the magic number seven, and of his tendencies to the classical, but it was too literally true both in spirit and in fact. He then went on further: "Lumber was scarce in them days, and lumber for seven bridges was more than we could get hauled up into that neck of the woods in them days." Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he said : "Well, Mr. Peck, you are one of these reformers, and I want you to have a little credit for it, but we might as well have a little fun out of it." Had he added that the "seven others" should have been punished as Byron's Prison- ers of Chillon were punished he would have hit the truer mark.
O'BRIEN COUNTY TO THE FRONT.
Lest, however, this first and some other chapters may raise a false and bad impression of the county; lest the outside reader may jump at a hasty conclusion, let us pause and anticipate a statement of an historic fact of this year of grace 1914. Land here is worth one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. It is true, as will be seen in further chapters and items, that our people did discuss the feasibility of a defeat of this debt, and well they might, yet finally they decided of themselves to pay it all. That high sense
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of honor prevailed, that our people in the future would feel and enjoy and hand down to its future citizens a loftier pride and honor by paying off even an unjust debt, rather than to be forever subjecting themselves to be jolted by the odium of bankruptcy. The county did not even compromise. It overcame its troubles in full. In this year 1914 the county is absolutely free of debt. The last cent was paid off in 1908. At the outset, then, the reader will pardon us and at same time will feel a thrill of pride when we record these true historic words, "O'Brien county paid every cent of its debt."
THE FIRST CITIZEN AND HIS FAMILY.
Hannibal House Waterman was born March 23, 1821, in Cattaraugus county, New York, where he was raised on a farm, and attended the district school until twelve years of age, when, with his parents, they moved to Erie county, New York, where, with them, he lived until he was twenty-one years of age. He attended Allegheny College, at Meadville, Pennsylvania, for a time. Later he went into the lumber woods of that region and remained seven years. This well fitted him for the rougher experiences of the West.
Mrs. Hannah H. Waterman was the first white woman in O'Brien county, and was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, December 2, 1836, but, as a singular coincidence, Mr. and Mrs. Waterman never met until the autumn of 1852 in Bremer county, Iowa, where they were married in June, 1854. One child, Emily A., now Emily A. McLaren, of Sioux City, was born there. They resided in Bremer county until the spring of 1856, when they decided to go still further west. They arrived in O'Brien county, then Woodbury county for taxation purposes (though he thought for some time that he was in Clay county), on July II, 1856. It was too late for a crop, ยท consequently but little could be done that summer other than to put up meager buildings.
On May 7, 1887, one of the writers hereof (J. L. E. Peck) visited the home of Mr. and Mrs. Waterman, at their residence and on their pre-emption claim on the northeast quarter of section 26, township 94, range 39, in Waterman township, which bears his name, where they resided until, in their old age, they retired from the farm and removed to Sutherland, where he died on September 2, 1908. At this visit the writer obtained from their own lips the narrative of their lives, as well as many facts and items found in this history.
They were very hospitable people. Mr. Waterman was a tall man, full six feet, swarthy, wore full beard, of lightish color, as likewise was his hair,
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which later on in years was mingled with gray, had bright, clear blue eyes, and was a hearty, pleasant old gentleman. He was an intensely religious man. He was an exhorter or local preacher. His religion moved with each movement of his body and in every hour of his life. Mrs. Hannah H. Waterman is a hearty, well-preserved lady and still resides at Sutherland. She passed through all those rugged experiences in a pioneer country.
THEIR SEVERAL HOUSES.
On the occasion of that visit the writer had his horses fed in the first building ever erected in the county, built in July, 1856, a log building, in size eighteen by twenty-two feet, which was used as the first home until their second and better house was built in 1860, and wherein they lived for twenty- seven years, and which was destroyed by fire in 1887. At the time of the writer's visit in 1887 they were temporarily living in the third house erected in the county, being built as a tenant house for "Old Dutch" Fred Feldman. who was his tenant. They had for years used it as a storehouse and for machinery. This building, so ancient, was in 1887 settled considerably into the ground and was situated on a little branch or spring brook of the Little Sioux river. Later on in this year of 1887 they built a fine, new, com- modious, two-story frame residence, on the same ground occupied by the older home destroyed by fire. This residence is one quarter of a mile south of the mouth of Waterman creek, or river, which bears his name, and one- half mile southeast of the old iron bridge, built in 1872 and which until 1897 spanned the Little Sioux river.
Mrs. Waterman pitifully referred to the loss of their home, the "old home." that had been theirs for twenty-seven years, and excused the meager household accommodations they had saved from the fire, and had not yet had time to replenish. The writer's remark to her that "fires did not always leave even millionaires in the most desirable positions in life," placed all in a good mood.
The only natural timber of any consequence in the county being on the Waterman and Little Sioux, in the vicinity of his claim and on his claim, furnished sufficient material for his log house, eighteen by twenty-two feet, which was later used as a stable as stated.
Mr. and Mrs. Waterman arrived in O'Brien county with two yoke of oxen, a wagon and household goods. As autumn was near at hand, they realized that winter was not far in the rear, and they were without food except the prospect of game, and possessed but a small amount of money.
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Mr. Waterman started his hired hand, a one-armed Dutchman, to Fort Dodge, with instructions to purchase five hundred weight of flour and two hundred weight of meal. Sad were the tidings to the ears of Mr. and Mrs. Waterman, as the hired man, on his return, informed them that all he could procure was a few hundred weight of flour. Trappers, stragglers, bands of Indians through the country, and occasionally an emigrant like himself, going somewhere west, soon made inroads on the flour.
ANOTHER OX-TEAM TRIP.
In December, 1856, this one-armed Dutchman was again detailed with the two yoke of oxen to go southwest in search of more provisions. This time he went as far as Shelby county, traversing what is now Cherokee, Ida and Crawford counties. A severe winter set in, snow first falling in great quantity, which continued to increase until everything was enveloped, after which the weather became intensely cold. The one-armed man found him- self powerless to return, snow-bound in a strange country, with two yoke of cattle looking to him and his one arm for support. He did not, because he could not, return until spring. While putting in the winter in Shelby county he kept his oxen (all four) alive by digging corn from the stalks out in the snow, doing this work, remember, with but one arm. After Dutchy had dug corn all the winter to keep the four oxen alive, the owner of the corn took the best pair of oxen as pay for the corn, besides getting Dutchy's work for nothing. Dutchy returned, as stated, toward spring, minus one yoke of oxen and the hair on the oxen he brought back was turned the wrong way, not in very good condition for opening up a new farm.
In the meantime a family by the name of Black was burned out down in Cherokee county and Mrs. Black and her child were brought up to Mrs. Waterman's on a hand sled, and they had to feed the woman, the child and those who brought them to their house for some days. The Black family literally lived in the snow banks four or five days, in their desperate effort to reach Mr. Waterman's house, where they were heartily welcomed and made as comfortable as possible. All this preyed on the small stock of pro- visions. Mr. Waterman's family subsisted for six weeks, during that winter, on beef, except a small allowance of flour Mrs. Waterman reserved ior her babe.
INDIANS IN O'BRIEN COUNTY.
In addition to all these troubles, they must also undergo an experience with the Indians. The first Sunday after they arrived in the county, a band
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of five Indians visited them and were very friendly. Numerous other friendly dealings with the Indians followed. Sometime in February, 1857, the Indians seemed to be somewhat scattered and roamed down the river from Minnesota where they lived. Many of the bands visited Mr. Waterman on very friendly terms and paid for everything. They said they would not beg, had plenty of money, and many of them showed Mr. Waterman several hundred dollars in gold, saying, "We got heap money, too much money."
It appears that when these Indians had arrived down the river at Smith- land in Monona county, or near there, they had coralled a number of elk in the bend of the river and killed the whole herd. Some of these Indians (Sioux) had, in the past, perpetrated stealings of corn, pigs, etc., greatly to the annoyance of the settlers. General Harvey had notified the Indians to keep off the lands belonging to the settlers. Mr. Waterman thinks there were about sixty armed Indians in the whole band. By some means the whites at Smithland and in that vicinity took possession of all their guns, and the Indians were allowed to camp near town. The Smithland people aver that they intended to set them across the river in the morning, and return their guns to them. But in the middle of the night a boy rode into the Indian camp with the story that General Harvey was coming and right on hand. They stampeded like so many wild devils, leaving guns, dead elk and everything. The next day they ascertained that General Harvey was nowhere near and concluded that it was a put-up job to beat them out of their guns and game. It was too late for the Smithland people to prove that they were going to return the guns.
The father-in-law of J. L. E. Peck, George H. Wilkinson, who lived for many years in Primghar, was in Smithland just after this incident occur- red in 1857. The people of Smithland, says Mr. Wilkinson, at that time conceded that Smith, the founder of the town, had acted rashly, and that the act of the Smithland people, or those in charge, was wrong.
Of course these Indians at once became hostile. At this crisis the settlers dared not return the guns. This left the Indians in the dead of winter without guns or provisions. They started for their home in Minne- sota and the farther they proceeded the more angry and hostile they became. At first they commenced stealing, and then to take guns from the settlers.
On their return from Smithland, Mr. Waterman told the writer, "Seven big strapping Sioux bucks stopped at my house; they were so tall I had to look up at them." These same Indians had been to his house before, and very friendly, but this time they were ugly. They introduced themselves by rushing into the house and reciting the Smithland affair and a harangue about
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the "bad white men" down there. They stalked into the house and began stealing. Six of them had guns they said they had taken from settlers. They took combs, files, pocket compass, Mr. Waterman's only white shirt, scissors, and, in brief, all they could lay hands on, in value to forty or fifty dollars. They next proposed to take his gun. Dutchy had not yet returned from his trip southwest for provisions and his gun was to his mind the big half he had. Mr. Waterman showed resistance, when one of the bucks, Mr. Waterman says, "struck me in the back with a squaw hatchet. I had a long scuffle with one of them which was terminated by the other bucks, except one, leveling their guns at me and firing, but their guns fortunately were loaded only with power, except a young buck's gun, which he fired into the ceiling where the bullet lodged. I am satisfied they only intended to frighten me, but they got my gun just the same. After this little introduc- tory was over, they quieted down to quite an extent. Then they commenced to banter me on the proposition to sell the gun back to me. They finally agreed on two dollars and fifty cents and I handed over my last money. Then they left."
This same band of Indians was next heard of in the vicinity of Peter- son, three and one-half miles up the river from Mr. Waterman's, where they committed other and similar outrages, leaving there for the scene of that terrible massacre in the vicinity of Spirit and Okoboji lakes, thence on to still greater outrages in Minnesota. It is quite probable, had Mr. Water- man's home been just a little further on, that, in their anger as they pro- ceeded, he would have met the Spirit Lake results.
While a little outside the historic facts in O'Brien county, yet, as these Indians were at Mr. Waterman's just the second day before the massacre, it is proper that a brief statement of that awful affair should be given. This massacre commenced at the home of R. Gardner, on the southwest bank of West Okoboji, on the morning of March 8, 1857, but a few days after the unfortunate Smithland affair. Mr. Gardner and family were at breakfast. An Indian entered and was given a place at the table. Soon others entered and were given places also. They all at first pretended friendship. They were treated kindly and shared the hospitality of Mr. Gardner's home. After a little time they began to be overbearing and demanded ammunition, to- gether with other articles. They remained at Mr. Gardner's some hours and when they left they took his cattle with them. Toward evening Mr. Gardner ventured from home for the purpose of ascertaining the true situa- tion of affairs. Below we give the words of Abbie Sharp Gardner, as con- tained in her history of the massacre, a history of three hundred and twelve
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