USA > Iowa > Polk County > Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days, Vol. II > Part 29
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In 1835, he came to Iowa, reaching Davenport July Seventh, registered at the Ohio House, kept by the Howell Brothers, and on Ninth Street secured his first job. There and in Moline he worked at his trade until October, 1856, when, hearing that the new Cap- ital of the state was a good place for a young man with aspirations, he packed his carpet-bag, mounted one of Colonel Hooker's stage coaches, at three o'clock on the morning of the Ninth, deposited his Inggage at the Everett House, kept by the jolly Absalom Morris, who, he says, furnished good meals, filled the dinner pails, and made everybody feel as though he had known them all their days, then went to bed. The house was crowded with travelers and land- seekers.
The next morning, after one of Absalom's satisfying breakfasts, he sailed out for business and to make observations. There was not much to attract a new-comer. There was but one bridge, a pon- toon, floating, at Keokuk Street (now Grand Avenue), operated
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by Father McClelland, as he was called. On the East Side, the only building was a frame about twenty feet square, on the south- east corner of Ninth and Keokuk, used for religious and school purposes. Reverend William Remsburg, a saintly old man, did the preaching, and his wife did the school teaching therein. Many of our prominent men received their early tutelage in that school, among them Congressman J. A. T. Hull.
The State House was then in process of construction on East Walnut. That was Lowry's first objective point. He took the narrow plank walk laid on stilts above high-water mark, through grubs, thereto. The walls of the building were up ready for the rafters and roof. He interviewed John Bryan, the contractor, and John P. Huskins, his foreman, secured a job, and on the Eleventh of that month went to work, and so continued until the building was completed and ready for the Legislature, in January. 1858. The Pine Inmber used was hauled by teams from Davenport, and cost one hundred dollars per thousand feet, delivered to the build- ers. Abont twenty carpenters were employed, all good fellows, who got the roof on and floors laid ready for the plasterers in the Spring of 1837. On the Fourth of July, "the boys" decided to celebrate, but there was not a flag in the town. Lowry purchased material, and hired John Morris, a one-legged tailor, or "Pegleg Morris," as he was usually called, to sew it together. . \ tall Hick- ory pole was eut on the Capitol grounds, and on the morning of the Fourth, Lowry flung to the breeze the first flag to float from the Capitol in Des Moines. A platform was erected on the site of the present Capitol, and orations were made by "Dan" Finch, W. H. MeHenry ("Old Bill"), Colonel "Tom" Walker (a "Kentucky Colonel"), J. A. Williamson, and others. A fat ox was roasted, garnished with the necessary fixings, and a grand ovation in gen- uine pioneer style was had.
When the building was ready for the seating, desks and furni- ture, a verbal agreement was made between Governor Grimes, other state officers, and Bryan, whereby the latter was to make the neces- sary furniture. He fulfilled the agreement under many difficul- ties. The country was new, seasoned Black Walnut lumber was high in price, the roads were bad, and expenses for hauling exorbi- tant. ITis bill was presented to the General Assembly, where it
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WILLIAM LOWRY
was declared extortionate, but, after a long delay, and emasculating it of fourteen hundred dollars, it was allowed, but never accepted by him during his life. Since his decease, his heirs have made repeated application for a settlement of the claim. Referring to the incident a few days ago, Mr. Lowry said: "The bill was a just one. Bryan had great difficulty in procuring material, and expended all his surplus money to get the building ready for the Legislature on time. It is a just claim, and the State of Iowa owes it to Bryan's estate."
January Fourteenth, 1884, the new Capitol having been com- pleted so as to accommodate the General Assembly, at two fourteen P. M., the members of the Senate and House of Representatives formed in line, marched to the new building, and the old one was abandoned to rats, bats, the elements, and ruin, until September First, 1892, when it went up in a cloud of fire, supposedly started by tramps and hoodlums, who had made it a common resort.
In January, 1858, a branch Postoffice was established in East Demoine, as the East Side was then called, with Doctor Alex. Shaw as Postmaster. Lowry was appointed Deputy, and served until the following March, when, hearing of what he considered was a better thing, resigned, and recommended George Tichenor as his successor, who was appointed. Hyde & Huskins, who had been contractors for the State House, had made a contract to build a Court House at Webster City, in Hamilton County, and wanted Lowry to go with them, all to be on the ground at a fixed date. Accordingly, Hyde and Lowry left Des Moines early the morning of March Fifteenth, on horseback. The weather was clear and cold, and all went well until about ten o'clock, when a blizzard came upon them. The wind increased, the snow fell heavily and drifted. It soon became impossible to see fifty yards, and they were lost- did not know what direction they were going. The horses floun- dered through the snow drifts, the storm continuing until far into the night. During the day, they saw no living thing. They kept the horses moving, however, and during a lull in the wind, a dim light was seen in the distance, for which they steered. Reaching a cabin, they found it occupied by a Norwegian alone, and learned they were near Squaw Creek, in Story County. They had eaten
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nothing since early morning, and were nearly frozen. The Nor- wegian put their horses in his shack stable, gave them a good feed- ing, made a good fire in the cabin, and cooked them a hot meal, consisting of corn bread and Pennyroyal tea, which Lowry says was the best meal he ever ate. A bed of hay was made on the ground floor, and after a refreshing rest and sleep, they resumed their journey through the drifted snow, reaching Webster City late at night. They remained there eighteen months, making earnest effort to complete the Court House. Through some irregularity in the issuance of the bonds, their time and money were lost. They were "dead broke," and returned to Des Moines.
Pike's Peak was then the objective point of gold-seekers. Lowry. John and Joe Inskins fited up a two-horse team, with the neces- sary outfit, and May Nineteenth, 1860, started for the Peak, reaching Denver five weeks later, in which was but one brick build- ing, the United States Mint. There they changed their plans, and went to California Gulch, one hundred and fifty miles distant, where they worked until October First, and, having panned out but little gold dust, sold out for what they could get, and returned to Des Moines, long on experience, but short on cash. Physically, however, they had gained in adipose tissue, avoirdupois, and appetite.
Lowry then resumed his trade until the Spring of 1861, when he became a clerk in the grocery store of J. M. Moody, where he remained eleven years.
In 1865, he was elected Secretary of East. Demoine School Dis- trict Board. By considerable good financiering, what is now Bry- ant school building was erected at Penn and Keokuk avenues. It was the boast of the time that it was sufficient for the next genera- tion, but soon after another building was necessary. Four lots were purchased at Twelfth and Lyon, and what is now the Webster building was erected. In 1870, he declined further election as Secretary.
In 1871, he was elected City Treasurer, and was twice reelected. During the last quarter of his third term, in November, 1875, he was elected County Treasurer, and December First, resigned the city office to qualify as County Treasurer. So satisfactorily did he
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WILLIAM LOWRY
fill the office, and so implicit was the trust and confidence of the people in his integrity, he was reelected and served a second term. Enos B. Hunt was his Deputy. They were often overworked, and had to burn midnight oil in that pestiferous old rookery to keep their records clear, for they did not have a corps of clerks to aid them.
Lowry being a very cautious man, and the Court House having no vaults nor place he deemed suitable or safe in which to keep the large amount of money frequently received, placed it in the bank of F. R. West & Son for safe keeping. During his second term, July Seventeenth, 1877, the bank was crushed, through the failure of B. F. Allen, and the doors were closed against him, with seven thousand, one hundred and seventy-seven dollars and ninety-three cents of county funds therein. The failure was a terrible blow to him, as it was to thousands of others, and created intense excite- ment in the community. In a reminiscent mood one day, not long ago, he said: "On my way home that night, my thoughts were of the sorrow it would be to my wife and children, and of the parting words of my father when I left home to come West. I never have, and never shall, forget them. Said he: 'William, keep your integ- rity and you will always have true friends in time of need.' There was no sleep in our house that night. My wife and I sat under the trees and counseled of the loss, and the effect it would have upon the children and ourselves. Our conclusion was to surrender all we had, begin anew, and we did so." Their property was turned over to the assignee of the bank, for the benefit of the county. Sub- sequently, an effort was made in the courts to exempt from the attachment of the property of the bank the county funds, on the ground that they were placed in the bank only for safety accommo- dation, the county not having any proper place therefor, but the courts held that money when placed in a bank became the property of the bank, subject to all laws relating thereto; that the county was presumed to provide a suitable place to keep its funds ; that if the County Treasurer placed them elsewhere or in a bank, he did it at his own risk.
The numerous friends of Lowry then rallied to his aid. 1 peti- tion was presented to the Twentieth General Assembly for his
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PIONEERS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA
relief. The matter was referred to a special committee, who, after a thorough investigation, reported that Lowry had made good to the county by the payment in full of the amount he had deposited in the bank; that it was an entire loss to him except a dividend received from the assignee of the bank of six hundred and forty-one dollars and ninety-one cents, leaving a loss of six thousand, five hundred and thirty-two dollars and two cents. The General Assem- bly then passed a bill authorizing the Board of Supervisors of Polk County to submit to the voters of the county a proposition to refund his loss. The proposition was submitted at the election in Novem- ber, 1884, and carried by over four thousand majority.
Soon after the expiration of his term, in 1879, Lowry opened a small grocery store, and remained in that business until October, 1886, when he was elected Superintendent of Union Park, which place he now holds, with eminent satisfaction to the thousands of visitors to that favorite resort.
Politically, he is a Democrat, but in local affairs he always votes for the man he deems best qualified for the office. He cast his first vote in Des Moines for James Buchanan for President. At that election, there was but one voting place in the town, the old Court House, which stood where the Union Depot now is. The total vote of the town at that election was eight hundred and nine.
Socially, he is quiet, unassuming, genial, courteous in manner, and deservedly popular. Domestic in taste and habit, he finds in his home more satisfaction than in the usual society events. He is one of the oldest members of Capital Lodge, of the Order of Odd Fellows, and Capital Lodge, of the Masonic order, and was the second Master Mason passed in that lodge. He is also a member of Lodge Number Ten, Ancient Order of United Workmen.
Religiously, he was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian Church, but in 1884, he united with the Roman Catholic Church, of which his estimable wife had been a member from girlhood to her death, August Ninth, 1905.
November Third, 1907.
JOSEPH B. STEWART
J. B. STEWART
C ALLING the roll of pioneers of Polk County, none would receive greater meed of praise and esteem than Joseph Buf- ton Stewart, who, for nearly half a century, was a prominent personage in the civic and social life of the community.
Born August Twelfth, 1821, near Saint Charles, Missouri, he passed the days of his boyhood with his parents, subject to the somewhat predatory life of his father, who was a surgeon in the United States Army, where he served many years. In 1805, when the United States acquired the Territory of Missouri, he was located at Saint Louis. He served in the War of 1812, and in 1814, while on his way to Prairie du Chien, was wounded by the Indians at Rock Island. He deceased in 1834.
In 1835, when fourteen years old, Joseph removed with his mother to Fort Madison, then in the county of Demoine, and being a part of Michigan Territory. The following year, the county of Lee was carved out of Demoine County, and what is now the State of lowa was made a part of Wisconsin Territory. In 1838, the Territory of Iowa was carved out of Wisconsin, so that Joseph had the distinction of having lived in three territories and two counties without having changed his residence. When he went to Fort Mad- ison it was in what was known as the Black Hawk Purchase, and contained more Indians than white people.
During his early manhood, Stewart engaged in pioneer farming, until 1846, when he engaged in mereantile pursuits. In 1851, he was running a warehouse on Des Moines River at Croton, when the State Board of Publie Works was improving the river by a system of locks and dams, and who succeeded, after a miserable failure, in getting the most vigorous damning ever vouchsafed by an outraged people to public officials.
At Croton was one of the dams. The steamboat Add. Hine, bound up for Fort Des Moines with a cargo consigned to B. F.
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PIONEERS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA
Allen and Jonathan Lyon, who were running a general merchan- dise store on Second Street, arrived at the dam. The river was so low it could not get over the dam, and it was necessary to unload and put the cargo in storage until another rise in the river, for there were no railroads, a delay which involved much discomfort and want to the people at The Fort. Part of the freight was a large lot of wooden shoes consigned to the Hollander town of Pella, which was stored in a blacksmith shop. The next Spring, came the biggest flood ever known on the river. The shop and wooden shoes floated off to the Mississippi.
In 1853. Stewart was induced by friends and relatives of T. A. Walker, Receiver of the I'nited States Land Office, to come to Fort Des Moines, as Chief Clerk in the Land Office. In May, 1854, on the resignation of R. L. Tidrick as Register of the office, Walker was appointed as his successor, and Judge P. M. Casady was appointed Receiver. Stewart was defacto Chief Clerk of Walker, but so implicit was Casady's trust in him, he made it a rule of the office that Stewart should receive and handle all the money which came into the office, whereas Walker was an active politician, and sometimes, on convivial occasions, "lost his bearings." All money received was gold and silver. The rush of land-seekers was so great that the daily receipts were often twenty-five thousand dollars, for which Casady was personally responsible, under heavy bonds, with no safes nor safety vaults as are made now, the office being in Exchange Block, at Third and Walnut. It was the custom, when the receipts reached twenty-five thousand dollars, to send it by spe- cial messenger and guards to the sub-treasury at Saint Louis, a trip fraught with weariness and danger, but not a dollar was ever lost by the Des Moines office. The hotels were crowded day and night by land-buyers and speculators, the latter doing a big busi- ness traveling over the country, making "selections" of nentered land, and then selling them at good figures to those who wanted to enter them at the Land Office, the buyer preferring to pay a good price rather than make the search. It developed, however, that sharpers were selling "selections" they had not made, and of which they knew nothing. Stewart, having familiarized himself with the field-notes, maps and business of the Land Office, opened an office
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J. B. STEWART
for selecting and entering land for settlers, who were willing to pay good fees for the exercise of his good judgment and honesty in selecting land for them. He also engaged largely in buying and selling real estate, and soon accumulated considerable wealth. He was optimistic, had firm faith the town would grow and become of some importance.
September Eighth, 1837, he laid out and platted three hundred and sixty acres on the East Side, northeast of Governor's Square, and made it an addition to the city, but the financial crash of that year caught him with a heavy indebtedness, yet he never faltered, and with good management until the coming of the flood-time of business, he canceled all his obligations and was the possessor of considerable wealth.
In February, 1858, when the Legislative Committee met to investigate the charges made by West Siders that the Commission- ers who had located the State House in 1855 on the East Side had been bought with bribes of money and town lots given by East Siders, Stewart was called before the committee to show how Guy Wells, of Lee County, one of the locating commissioners, came in possession of certain lots on the East Side, near the State House grounds. The lots disclosed in his testimony could not now be got for several hundred thousand dollars. On being sworn, he testified as follows :
"Question .- Did you appear before the Mayor and Aldermen of Des Moines City some several months ago, to have a change made in the assessment of lots on the east side of the river that had been made to you ?
"Answer .- I don't think I ever appeared before the Mayor and Aldermen when they were in session. I can say, however, that I requested one of the Aldermen-Tidrick, I think-and the Treas- urer, to see if the change could not be made. My reason was, the land had been assessed by the aere in one tract to myself and oth- ers. Several undivided interests had been conveyed to other parties prior to that time, some perhaps a year before, and, as the tax amounted to about one thousand dollars, I desired to have the change made so that I could pay my part, and not pay for all the entire interest or assessment.
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PIONEERS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA
"Question .- Was Mr. Wells interested in any part of the prop- erty you had so assessed ?
"Answer .- He was.
"Question .- To what extent was he interested ?
"Answer .- To the extent of ten acres, from the Twentieth day of December, 1834, which was the date of the bond. It was not conveyed to him by deed till it was divided. It was conveyed since the first of September, 1837. He paid for it some time before -- one-half on the Thirtieth of December, 1854, and the other half on the First of November following. The price he paid was thirty- five dollars an acre-a good price at that time.
"Question .- Where did that ten acres lay, in reference to the Capitol ?
"Answer .- It was an undivided interest in what was known as Stewart's Addition.
"Question .- Was that land sold to Wells at the time of the pas- sage of the Act for the removal of the Capital ?
"Answer .- It was during that session of the Legislature. A verbal agreement was made before.
"Question .- How soon after that was Wells appointed one of the Commissioners ?
"Answer .- I don't know exactly about the appointment.
"Question .- Was there any contingency in the verbal agree- ment ?
"Answer .- None.
"Question .- Did you know, or was it not the talk before he was appointed, that he would be appointed ?
"Answer .- If so, not more than a week or so. I think not.
"Question .- Did no one so state-no one from Iowa City ?
"Answer .- I don't know that I heard his name mentioned.
"Question .- Do you know of any other property that Wells claims to have an interest in ?
"Answer .- I do not.
"Question .- When the land was sold to him, did you suppose he would be appointed ?
"Answer .- I had not the least idea of it.
"Question .- Did you not expect that Wells would use his influ- ence with the legislative delegation ?
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J. B. STEWART
"Answer .-- I did. I supposed it would result in that." On cross examination :
"Question .- Did not Wells pay full price, and even higher than others who purchased interest in that land ?
"Answer .- IIe did pay as high or higher than some land in the same tract sold for.
"Question .- Did Judge Wright pay as much as Wells ?
"Answer .- No; he had it five dollars per acre less.
"Question .- When did Wright get it ?
"Answer .- About the time of the passage of the law."
On re-direct :
"Question .- State if any of the Commissioners owned any part of the addition in which you spoke of Wells as being interested in.
"Answer .- Yes; I believe I made a conveyance of some lots to the extent of five acres. That interest he purchased of Van Bus- kirk, at about four hundred-or from three hundred to five hun- dred per aere. The purchase was made by Goodrell, in the Sum- mer or Fall of 1856.
"Question .- Did you see the money paid ?
"Answer .- I did not. The interest had been owned by Bald- win, of Fairfield, and by him sold to Van Buskirk. The deed was made to me by Baldwin. The reason why I know it was purchased by Van Buskirk was that he got the deed and gave it to me, and I gave him, I think, a bond for two and a half aeres. There was a bond given by Van Buskirk to Goodrell for five acres. I lifted that bond, and gave Goodrell a bond agreeing to convey the lots to him when the traet was divided.
"Question .- What was the date of the bond from Van Buskirk to Goodrell ?
"Answer .- I think it was in the Summer of 1856.
"Question .- Is this Baldwin of Fairfield a brother of the one who testified here the other night ?
"Answer .- I have heard so.
"Question .- Do you know who Baldwin bought the land of ?
"Answer .- He bought it of me.
"Question .- What time did he pay for it ?
"Answer .- Some time in 1854 or 1855-in the Winter or Spring.
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PIONEERS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA
"Question .- Was it after the law passed for the re-location ?
"Answer .- It was in the Spring of 1855. He paid me thirty- five dollars per acre for it.
"Question .- Had Van Buskirk any other property on this side of the river ?
"Answer .- I don't know of any, except in the three hundred and sixty-two acre tract lying northeast of Capitol Square, in Stewart's Addition.
"Question .- What interest had Van Buskirk in that tract ?
"Answer .- I know of his having fourteen acres at one time. He bought and sold a great deal in it.
"Question .- What interest had he at the time of the location of the Capitol ?
"Answer .- I think five acres-I don't know.
"Question .- Do yon know of Street having any interest here since the location of the Capitol ?
"Answer .- No, sir.
"Question .- Do you know of the Commissioners receiving any- thing, either directly or indirectly, for locating the Capitol on the east side of the river ?
"Answer .- I do not."
At the close of the examination, Mr. Stewart explained to the committee his reply to a query the first day, as follows :
"When Miller asked if I expected Wells to use his influence to remove the Capitol [State House], I will reply further that he, Wells, never made any proposition to use his influence, and that I never required it or spoke of it at all as connected with that trans- action-that all our conversation on the subject of the removal of the Capitol at that time, and before, was his conviction that the Capital [ Seat of Government ] would eventually come here, at this town or near it."
The committee decided that the fact that Wells owned a small tract of land near where the location was made had no force, inas- much as he purchased it long before the location was made or the law passed under which he was appointed a Commissioner.
In 1864, the First National Bank was organized, with Stewart as President. It had a capital stock of one hundred and fifty
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J. B. STEWART
thousand dollars, and was made a United States Government Depos- itory. In 1868, he sold his interest to B. F. Allen, and retired from the bank. During his presidency, the bank, at two different times, cashed a check for five hundred thousand dollars, a notable occur- rence in those days.
In 1886, when the Iowa and Minnesota Narrow-Gauge Railway Company was organized by B. F. Allen and sixteen other promi- nent business men and property holders, for the purpose of getting better transportation connection with the surrounding country, Stewart was one of the incorporators. In 1869, the road was bisected, and a new company, the Des Moines and Minnesota Rail- way Company, incorporated, who took the north half from Des Moines to Ames. Stewart was one of the incorporators, and was elected one of the first Board of Directors. In 1873, he was elected Vice-President of the company. Later, J. J. Smart, a railroad builder, which Stewart was not, was elected Vice-President and Superintendent, and Stewart Secretary, as more in line with his practical experience.
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