USA > Iowa > Marion County > Pioneers of Marion county, consisting of a general history of the county from its early settlement to the present date. Also, the geography and history of each township, including brief biographical sketches of some of the more prominent early settlers > Part 21
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tion on the opposite bank of the river in order to hold it. But he was at length persuaded to capitulate by giving a deed for the land, which he did, and received his entrance money.
The first summer of their residence here was extremely warm, and for a time every member of the family was pros- trated by the ague, and consequently much reduced in the way of subsistence. Discouraged at the prospect, Mr. Reynolds began to entertain serious thoughts of returning to the East; but this, he also thought, would be an arbitrary act, in case it should be contrary to the wishes of at least a majority of the family. So he convened a council of all who were of a suffi- cient age to understand and appreciate the importance of the question, to discuss it fully, and then vote as their judgments dictated. In spite of the most persuasive argument manifest in the pale faces of every member of this model republic in favor of returning to their old home, a decided majority was against it, and all peaceably yielded to the decision.
Some time during the winter of '45-6 Mr. Reynolds and his sons erected a new house 24 by 18 feet square, of hewed logs and lumber, there not being a sawed board about it. For some time this dwelling served as a house of entertainment for immigrants going up the country, and was often so full that there was scarcely room for all to lie down.
Andrew Startz was a native of Pennsylvania, from whence he began to move westward in 1805, till he arrived at Burling- ton, Iowa, in 1839, and from thence to the White Breast Settle- ment, in 1844 or '45, and finally settled in Union. Since then he has been to California two or three times. He is now a citizen of Missouri.
In 1844 Mr. Startz went to Burlington to get some corn he had cultivated there, and took thirty-six bushels of it to get ground at Waterville. In this trip he was greatly detained by high waters, and did not reach home till about the end of six weeks. During this time Mrs. Startz and two of the children .cultivated fifteen acres of corn with hoes and kept it clean.
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Such was the scarcity of breadstuffs at this time that Mr. S.'s supply of meal was besieged by so many borrowers that he soon loaned out all but about three bushels. Fifteen bushels of it were never returned.
Mr. Startz made three trips to Burlington to mill. At this time there was no settlement between Fairfield and Oskaloosa, and but few houses between that and Red Rock. On one occasion it was so cold that Mr. S. was compelled to run for several miles to keep from freezing till he could reach a shelter, which he found at Blakeway's, in what is now Summit, after mid- night.
Mr. Startz was the hero of a legal contest that came before a justice's court in Red Rock, in '46 or '47, under the title of " Brown vs. Startz," the object of which was to establish the ownership of a certain dog claimed by both parties. As the parties were well known, and the case rather novel, large numbers of people came to witness the trial. After it was over, and judgment was rendered in favor of Startz, the latter pro- posed to treat the company, which was not objected to. But, as enough whisky could not be found, several kinds of liquors were mixed, and the result was soon perceptible and highly entertaining. A small quantity of such a compound was suffi- cient to disturbe the mental if not the physical equilibrium of even those who had been accustomed to drinking one kind. It is supposed that there were more tipsy people in Red Rock that day than have been there at one time before or since. Even staid old fellows who prided themselves upon their sobriety, made the unfortunate mistake of taking " a drop too much" on. that occasion.
Samuel Teters, who still resides on the farm he originally. claimed and entered, in the southeast quarter of the township, first came from Ross county, Ohio, in the autumn of 1844, to Van Buren county, Iowa, where he remained till the spring following, when he came to this county. As it was in March
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when he arrived with his family, and the weather was cold and rough, they took up their quarters with a family named Hahn, living on the north side of the river, till a place could be pro- vided on their own claim. They then took up their residence in a small claim pen that had a bark door shutter, and prepared to battle against the inconveniences of frontier life; and it was, indeed, a hard battle to fight.
Mr. Teters was a blacksmith and gunsmith, and with a view of earning something at that business he put up a temporary shop on the bank of the river, set his anvil on a stump, and employed himself at stacking plows, sharpening plow-shares and repairing guns. In the autumn of '46 he and his family fell sick, and became so helpless that at one time they had neither fire nor water in the house for three days. Game was plenty, and once Mr. T. was able to shoot a turkey from the door, but was too weak to get it. And all this time they had no kind of breadstuff except boiled corn. But so soon as he was able to get abroad with his gun, he killed two large deers one day, one of which yielded fourteen pounds of tallow. Next day he got help to bring them home, and on the day following that he took them to Red Rock and sold them for seven dollars in cash and a sack of flour.
In the autumn of '48 Mr. Teters had occasion to go to Iowa City, a distance of about one hundred miles, to enter his land. On this occasion the utmost haste was required, and Mr. T. performed the journey in forty-eight hours, going by way of Oakaloosa, and traveling night and day.
In those early days when neighbors were so far apart, and even then few of them were in possession of those etceteras that neighbors are in the habit of borrowing and lending, the cost of borrowing sometimes overrun the value of the article borrowed. Yet such small articles were deemed indispensable, and those who chanced to have them could scarcely refuse to lend to those who had not. An instance or two may apply
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here. At one time a man came down from the Fort to the Butcher farm for corn. But there was nothing to measure the grain in, and the purchaser paddled down to Red Rock, bor- rowed a half bushel measure, and retured the same day, making a trip of sixteen miles. And it was not an uncom- mon occurrence for persons to go eight or ten miles to grind their axes.
Many stories are related of the depredations of those intol- lerable pests of every new country, the wolves. The winter of 1848 and 1849 will long be remembered on account of the depth of snow that fell and the severity of the cold. And the wolves, should any that experienced that winter yet sur- vive, may have the most sorrowful occasion to remember it on account of their numbers that were slaughtered by their natural enemies. Weakened by starvation, and impeded by the deep snow, they were easily run down by men on horse- back. Mr. William Ballard relates that he and his two sons thus killed nine in one day, and his exploit is but one in many instances. .
The Indians also proved troublesome by appropriating everything to their own use that could be used for food. Once during the absence of Mr. Startz, they appropriated most of his corn from the crib; and Mrs. S., in order to save some of it, had to store it in the house. Not having any sacks to carry it in, she used a bed tick for this purpose.
Among the first persons that taught school in Union was Nancy Beckwith. This was in 1848, in the western part of the township, and in a cabin owned by Jacob Haynes.
Population of Union township by the U. S. census of 1870:
Native 755
Foreign 10
Total 765
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Pioneers of Marion County.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Liberty Township-Its Geography and early History- Names of first Settlers-Martin Neel-A Precious Bur- den-Economy-Horace Lyman-Fording Soap Creek- Stanford Doud-Starvation-Adventure with the Indi- ans- Weak feed and hard work.
Liberty Township occupies the southeast corner of the county, and may be described technically as town. 74, range 18. It is bounded on the north by Clay, on the east by Ma- haska county, on the south by Monroe county, and on the west by Indiana township.
The principal streams running through it are North and South Cedar, and their main direction is from southwest to northeast through nearly the center of the township, and unite before leaving it. Between these streams, and on both sides of them, are heavy bodies of timber ; and these, with the nu- merous smaller groves distributed throughout the township, make about an equal proportion of timber and prairie.
Along the Cedar, principally South Cedar, are large bodies of coal lands. Some of these mines that have been opened and worked, are apparently inexhaustable, and measure from eight to twelve feet in thickness. They are supposed to be the richest and most extensive coal mines in the State, and are thought enough of to justify the building of a railroad between Chariton and Oskaloosa, by way of these coal fields, for the shipment of the mineral.
In 1846 one of these coal veins, in section 32, was found to be on fire, and continued to burn till it was extinguished by the heavy and constant rains of the wet season of '51. How long it had been on fire before it was discovered, is not known.
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Township Histories.
This township was the first one organized, or declared a township, by the Board of County Commissioners, the date of this transaction being April 15th, 1846. During the fall of that year the first election was held at the house of Rhoderick Peck, where Thos. Anspach now lives, on the northeast quar- ter of section 9. But there is no preserved record of this election, and any particulars relating to it are not remembered. The earliest one on record took place on the first day of April, 1850, at the residence of Martin Neel, about a mile east of where Marysville now is. At this election 31 votes were cast, and the following named persons elected: Andrew McGender and Isaac Willsey, constables; Daniel Sampson, Isaac Willsey and Wm. H. Brobst, trustees; Joseph Brobst, clerk; and Horace Lyman, treasurer.
The names of most of those who came and settled in the township at an earlier date, are Horace Lyman, Stanford Doud, Martin Neel, David Haymaker, Silas Brown, Benj. Spilman, David Gushway, Lewis Jones, Jacob Hendricks, and Andrew McGruder, in 1843; Thurston Day, and Wm. Simms, in 1844; James Rousseau, and Isaac Willsey, in 1845; and Wm. Bridges, and H. H. Mitchell, in 1846.
Martin Neel was a native of Kentucky. At precisely what date he settled in Liberty is not known, but it is supposed by the oldest inhabitants to have been previous to the extinction of the Indian title. He made his claim and place of residence on Cedar bottom, not far from the present site of Marysville. The land is now owned and occupied by Daniel F. Leiby.
During his early residence here, Mr. Neel suffered many of the privations incident to pioneer life. At one time it was found necessary for him to go to Burlington for a short time, to work for money to purchase such articles as were sorely needed, leaving his wife and two children in their isolated, wilderness home, without any known neighbors within a dis- tance of many miles, except Indians. At the end of two weeks
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Pioneers of Marion County.
Mr. N. returned with half a bushel of meal that he had carried on foot from Burlington! It was a precious burden.
Clothing was often a scarce article with the early pioneers, and it was found necessary to practice the strictest economy in the use of it. It so happened at one time that Mr. Neel had but one pair of pants, and his wife but one dress; and, as there was no apparent prospect of obtaining a change soon, they prudently decided to save what they had by using it as little as possible. It was warm weather, and they could dispense with any sur- plus amount of covering without suffering any serious incon- venience therefrom, besides, like Adam and Eve, they had no neighbors to behold their condition, or at least they supposed they had not. But in this they were slightly mistaken, for one day when Martin was at work on his claim, in his every-day suit of only a shirt, he happened to observe the approach of a lady at a distance. Horrified at the thought of being so dis- covered in his semi-nude condition, he made a hasty retreat to the house, announced the approach of the visitor, and the modest pair had barely time to dress ere the visitor arrived. She introduced herself as Mrs. Howard who had just settled in the neighborhood, and had called to make their acquaintance. After this Mr. Neel did not deem it prudent to go pantless.
The family moved to Missouri many years ago, and the last that was heard of Mr. Neel, he was. an officer in the rebel army.
Horace Lyman was born in New York, from whence he was moved to Kentucky when quite young. From there he went to Ohio, and from Ohio, to Van Buren county, Iowa, in 1839. From there, in company with Stanford Doud, he came to this county, in April 1843, and camped on Cedar, near what is still known as Haymaker's Mill, where he marked out a claim, built a bark shanty for a temporary shelter, and make his claim in due order on the first day of May. In the autumn following he sowed some wheat, and then, during the winter of 1844, in
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partnership with Doud and Haymaker, after which Doud sold his interest to Lyman and Haymaker.
It was not until sometime in '45 that Mr. Lyman succeeded in moving his family to his new home; and, during the time previous to this he was compelled to make frequent journeys to his old place in Van Buren county, for provisions, going on horseback, and carrying such equipage as was needed for camping out. As has been heretofore stated, the roads then were little better than Indian trails, and the streams unbridged ; these journeys were attended with more or less danger, par- ticularly during high waters. On one occasion, in attempting to ford a small stream called Soap Creek, the animal he was riding sank out of sight, forcing him to abandon it in the middle of the stream and struggle for his life. Encumbered as he was, Mr. L. scarcely hoped to escape drowning; but by such exertions as are made only when life is at stake, he reached the shore opposite where he had entered the stream. When the horse rose to the surface he spied his master and followed him. Alonzo Doud, who was in company with Mr. Lyman on this occasion, hesitated to enter any large stream till it should be proved safe to do so by Mr. L. going in ad- vance. Fording Soap Creek was not safe, but Doud had either to go back alone or make the adventure. He chose the latter as the safer and succeeded even better than his com- panion.
Mr. Lyman now lives near the western border of Mahaska Co., to which place he moved in '64. He is now an extensive farmer and stock dealer.
Stanford Doud came from Ohio to Van Buren Co., Iowa, in '42, and to this township and county in the spring following, in company with a person named Henry Polly. On first en- tering the purchase they met with some opposition by the dragoons, and were at one time hotly pursued and narrowly escaped being captured by them. But they persisted in re-
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maining in the country till they should be permitted to make permanent settlement; and when the time came to do so, they also made choice of and secured a claim in that beautiful strip of country near Haymaker's mill.
At one time, during their sojourn in this then wilderness, they ran short of provisions. Strange as it may seem, game was exceedingly scarce just then. The Indians had swept the country of everything of the kind. Having antici- pated a lack of provisions in time, as they supposed to procure a supply from the settlements below, they had sent a man down the river in a canoe to bring it up. But for some reason or other the messenger was delayed. Having waited, looked, and hoped for his return till almost at the point of starvation, the grim prospect admonished them that they must prepare to leave the country or die there. As they must have some means of conveyance, they concluded to dig out a canoe. This was work for men already weakened by hunger; but they went about it at once, lest their strength should so fail them that they should be unable to complete it. In the mean time one of them had killed a ground hog, which they cooked the best they could and ate without salt, which, tough and unpala- table as it was, gave them some relief.
While working at the canoe they were visted by a small party of Indians, who at first manifested much friendship by hand-shaking and conversation. Mr. Doud, though little inclined, as hungry people are, to make himself agreeable to a squad of treacherous warriors, prudently deemed it advisable to humor them. But Polly was sulky and worked away at the canoe, not deigning to look up or pay the least attention to the Indian who was trying to give him some instructions about the shape of that part of the vessel he was at work on. This want of respect or appreciation on the part of Polly so enraged the Indian that the latter took up his gun with the evident intention of shooting the offender, accompanying the act with
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the threatening words " nippo smokeman," (kill whiteman.) Mr. Doud understood enough of the language to know what this meant, and to respond in an equally threatening manner, at the same time pointing his own rifle at the would-be-assas- sin, " nippo socee." This was a critical situation for the half starved men. Mr. D. knew very well that if one of them was killed the murderers would scarely deem it prudent to let the other escape as evidence against them. But the prompt interference had the desired effect. The chief of the party bade his subordinate to desist, and they all took their departure, leaving our heroes to finish their work in peace. Fearing another visitation as much as the famine that threatened them, they got the vessel afloat so soon as it would do to float at all, and reached their destination in safety, but much reduced by starvation.
After getting well recruited, Mr. Doud returned to his claim and made such improvements thereon as enabled him to move his family to it in 1844. After many years residence here, he returned to his old home in Van Buren county, where he still lives.
Andrew McGruder settled near Hamilton in 1843. During the early part of his pioneer life he and his family suffered a full share of the hardships and privations incident thereto. For a time while making rails to improve his claim he made three hundred per day and fed on nothing but milk.
We might mention others who were early settlers in this township, whose names are not on the list. These were prin- cipally temporary settlers. Among them were three young men named Peck, Pyatt, and Sadorus, who made claims in the north part of the township, on which they made some improvements, but soon sold out, returned to Illinois, and from thence went to California.
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Pioneers of Marion County.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Liberty Township continued-First Grain Mills-First Post Office-First School taught --- First Sub-district Organized -.- A Claim Difficulty-Hamilton-"Jake's Ruin"-Whisky and Water-Marysville-Marysville Miner-Dixonville -- Flight of the Goods.
In 1845 Benjamin Spillman, living in the southestern part of the township, contrived and erected a temporary hand mill for grinding corn. It consisted of a couple of native rocks dressed to a suitable size and smothness, placed one upon the other in the ordinary way, and so fastened that the open one could be turned by a crank, with one hand, while with the other the operator could feed it, throwing in a few grains at each revolution. It had the capacity of grinding five or six bushels of corn per day, and was patronized by quite a number of customers, each of whom was his own miller. Sometimes several would be waiting, each for his turn, even when that consisted of only a few messes.
When Haymakers and others began to supply the demand for breadstuff, such temporary make-shifts as the one just described, were laid away as superanuated machinery, as water mills in their turn were thrown into disuse by the introduction of steam power.
The first post office established in this township was called Elm Grove, a place still known by that name, and now owned and occupied by Jesse Bussy. The precise date of its estab- lishment we have not been able to ascertain, but it must have been some time in '45 or '46. James Rousseau was post master.
The first school was taught by David Maymaker, in the
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winter of '46 and '47, in a claim pen owned by Lyman M. Haymaker, near their mill.
The first organized school district was what is now No. 7. A hewed log house was built for school purposes, and a young man named Turk first occupied it as a teacher. The house is now occupied as a dwelling by a family named Gregg.
As in all parts of the county, claim difficulties were not uncommon, one instance of which we may record. A man named Baker came into the neighborhood of where Ham- ilton now is, and entered some land legally claimed by Jacob Hendricks. As it happened, there was a quantity of rails on the land just entered, belonging to Hendricks. One night these rails were all moved and piled up on the opposite side of the line. At this time Baker was absent, but his return was looked for with much interest by Jacob and his friends; and when he came they paid him their respects en masse, and induced him to deed the land to Jacob without any needless delay.
The village of Hamilton, occupying the south-west quarter of the north-west quarter of section 35, was laid out by Stan- ford Doud, surveyor, assisted by Jacob Hendricks and another individual whose name is not remembered, as chain carriers, June 1st and 2d, 1849. Proprietors, Jacob Hendricks, Isaac Willsey, Andrew McGruder, John Stilwell, H. H. Mitchell, and Martin Neel. After the town was platted into six blocks the proprietors drew cuts for the choice of lots.
The first house was built during the following winter, by Nathaniel Linn. It was a double log cabin, and the founda- tion was laid three feet above ground on the compact snow that bore up the entire structure, till the first thaw softened the underpinning and gradually let it down to earth.
The first postoffice was kept by Isaac Willsey. Present incumbent Theodore West. Mails daily.
The first goods were sold by Linn and Smith, consisting
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Pioneers of Marion County.
principally of groceries, including a good stock of drinkables.
The first hotel was kept by Henry Edwards, in a hewed log house, since burned. The present village hotel is kept by R. R. Parker, who also owns a fine farm adjoining.
The place now contains five mercantile business houses, one church (M. E.), one Odd Fellow's Lodge, established in 1855, with now $1,000 in its treasury.
Hamilton was so named from Hamilton county, Ohio, most of the settlers having came from that State. But for some time after the town came into being it was known only by the singular and romantic name of Jake's Ruin. How it came to be so named may not appear so romantic as the name itself might indicate. During the surveying of the town, the sur- veyors got drunk, and Jake Hendricks became so unsteady that in the performance of his duty, as chain carrier, he had to go partly on all fours, holding to the long grass to maintain his equilibrium. Being one of the proprietors of the town, and also the original owner of the land on which it was located, he became reckless in the expenditure of time and money in the indulgence of his propensity for dissipation. Mrs. Hendricks was greatly distressed at this downward career ot her husband, and one day, having visitors, she took occa- sion to acquaint them of her great trouble, bitterly declaring that the town would be Jake's ruin. The words seemed so suggestive that it was thereafter so called and so known at a distance. Even strangers coming from a distance were wont to inquire the way or the distance to Jake's Ruin. On one occasion a stranger approaching the place, met Mrs. H. in the neighborhood and quite innocently asked her how far it was to Jake's Ruin. It was not till after the reason had been explained to him that he could account for the shockingly uncivil answer the lady had given him.
The early history of Hamilton was not propitious of its early prosperity. Whisky was a fashionable drink, and more
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convenient than water. Singular as it may seem, good water could not be reached short of 75 or 80 feet of digging, whereas now a plentiful supply can be obtained at one-third that depth, and all the old wells are inexhaustible.
Marysville is situated on the south-west quarter of the south- east quarter of section 29, on the north side of South Cedar, in the beautiful vale that margins this stream. It was laid out by James Rousseau, Feb. 11, '57, on land then owned by Joseph Brobst and Josiah Brobst, the former owning the west side and the latter the east side of what is now the main street of the village. The surveying was done by James Rousseau; John B. Ely and Jacob Stambach, chain carriers. The place was so named from the number of Marys belonging to the Brobst family, not less than five of them being in possession of that honored name. The first house was built by Jonathan Wilder. It was a frame building, and still stands. The second was by Jacob Stambach, and is now known as the old tavern stand. Andrew Kerr sold the first goods. Peter Klein was first P. M., and the postoffice was then called Ely. His suc- cessor was J. B. Ely. Present incumbent, - Gartner.
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