USA > Iowa > Polk County > Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days, Vol. II > Part 30
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In January, 1867, when the Equitable Life Insurance Company was organized, Stewart was elected one of the Board of Trustees.
In 1869, he was elected a member of the City Council, to rep- resent the Second Ward, which then embraced all the West Side between Vine and Locust streets. In 1871, he was reelected, but he was not adapted by nature or inclination for the vexations of such a thankless office, and two terms were enough for him.
In 1872, the first organized effort to "boost" Des Moines was made. The business men of the town came to the conclusion that "Manifest Destiny" did not build cities. The Chicago and North- western Railway Company turned a deaf ear to it, and built its main line westward forty miles north of the city, which caused the people to sit up and take notice. A meeting of citizens was held on the Twenty-fourth day of May, in that year, at which a Citizens' Association was organized, with "Tom" Hatton as President; L. W. Dennis, Vice-President; Albert L. West, Treasurer. Standing committees were elected, with the following as chairmen of each : Finance, Iloyt Sherman ; Municipal Affairs, N. B. Collins ; Taxes, J. B. Stewart; Railroads, Samuel Merrill; Home Manufactures, VOL. II-(26).
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J. A. Ankeny; Publications, R. S. Inness; Improvements, John A. Elliott.
That organization gave a fresh impetus to business, and secured valuable improvements, but it lacked the vitalizing power of the present booster aggregation. It was bounded on the east by Des Moines River, a distinction with a difference. The ghost of the State House fiasco, and the Court House scrimmage, still hovered in the gloaming.
Socially, Mr. Stewart was genial, unobtrusive in speech or action, companionable, fond of society, highly esteemed, and always actively interested in social affairs of the community. He was one of the coterie-the Shermans, Spoffords, Inghams, Reeds, Terrys. Kassons, Loves, Keyes, Tuttles, Robertsons, Wests, Polks, Syphers, Hippees, Deweys, Mills, Nourses, Withrows, Hookers, Finches, Rices, McKays, Allens et al-in their improvised entertainments and amusements. There was always something doing to kill time and drive away the blues, for they were a jolly crowd, very few of whom are with us now. Mrs. Bina Wyman-she was then popn- larly known as Miss Lunt, a very demure schoolma'am, with mirth- ful proclivities, one day, when scanning the pictures that hang on Memory's walls, recalled one of the notable social events. It was a surprise party, given one cold Winter night, to Reverend Doctor Poet, the beloved pastor of the Episcopal Church, who lived on his little "farm," on the river bottoms about opposite the present City Railway power house. The snow was deep, the road very narrow. with a steep bank on either side, so that the least swerve meant an npset. With her in Mr. Hoyt Sherman's big sleigh, drawn by a span of high-steppers, was Mr. Sherman, his driver; Mrs. Sher- man, and Mrs. B. F. Allen. Mrs. Sherman was very carefully carrying a pail of cream, closely watching the track, and all was going on merrily, though a little scary, when Mrs. Allen was sud- denly missed. A halt was made, and she was found sitting in the snow in the middle of the road. "After some arguing and coax- ing," said Mrs. Wyman, "we got her back into the sleigh, and drove on, reaching our destination in safety. The house was brilliantly lighted, a great wood fire in the fireplace, and a group of friends present who welcomed ns with old-fashioned hospitality. How we
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did enjoy that supper-every one brought their supper-and the games and charades that followed ! There were Colonel and Mrs. S. F. Spofford, Colonel and Mrs. E. F. Hooker, Mr. C. W. Keyes, Mr. and Mrs. John Mitchell, Misses Ella and Abbie Mitchell, Miss Kate Stanley, Mary and Lucy Love (Mary was Miss Ella Quick's mother), Judge Byron and Mrs. Rice, Mr. and Mrs. 'Dan' Finch, Miss Mary Calder (Mrs. Rice's sister), Mr. and Mrs. John A. Kasson, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Cook, Warren and Tac. Hussey, Libbie and Abbie Cleaveland, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Withrow, Mr. J. B. Stewart, W. S. Pritchard, the Callanans, Inghams, Reeds and Terrys."
Mr. Stewart was a liberal giver to all worthy objects in civic, church, or school affairs, and especially for the relief of soldiers during the war period. It is a fact that so generous and abundant were the donations to "the boys" at the front, they requested it to be stopped and turned toward their families at home, but the people at home kept the soldiers' families supplied with great liberality. At one festival, December Thirty-first, 1864, there was received seven thousand, two hundred and sixty-one dollars and thirty-five cents for the relief fund.
Politically, Stewart was a Democrat, but in no sense a politi- cian. He was not a member of any fraternal organization, his strong domestic temperament being better satisfied with the attract- iveness of home and its inmates, than with clubs and societies. He was not a member of any church, believing that true religion con- sists in right living rather than loud professions.
He deceased May Tenth, 1899.
September Twenty-second, 1907.
ADDISON J. HEPBURN
ADDISON J. HEPBURN
A N early settler who, by his presence alone, through the effnl- gence of his sunny nature, added to the cheer and pleasure of Fort Des Moines, was Addison J. Hepburn, or Add., as everybody familiarly called him.
He was born in Olean, New York, April Twenty-second, 1827, of Scotch-Irish ancestry on his father's side, and English on that of his mother. His father was a cabinet maker and furniture dealer. Add. passed his youthful days with his parents, attended the common school, and, during school vacations, served as a clerk in dry goods stores, preferring the yardstick to the jackplane and hammer in his father's shop.
When nearing his majority, he entered a dry goods store at Fronton, Ohio, as salesman, where, for several years, he was a great favorite in the exclusive social circles of that city.
In 1853, he came to Denmark, Lee County, his parents having removed there, and after a short time returned to Ironton, where he remained until 1855, when he came by stage coach to Fort Des Moines, to visit his sister, who was the wife of the pioneer Baptist preacher, J. A. Nash. He decided to remain, and his first job was a clerkship in the store of "Uncle .Jimmy" Crane, a genial, good- hearted soul, familiar with everybody, who had a store on Second Street. He took his bed and board at the Avenne House, kept by John Hays, a long, low, wooden hostelry on the northeast corner of Fourth and Court Avenue.
Add. used to relate, with a humorous chuckle, an incident which happened soon after he entered the service. It was on Saturday evening, after an unusually brisk trade through the day; "Jimmy" took the cash book, went off by himself to figure up the sales. After poring over it some time, he wheeled about, saying: "Boys, I've been robbed." The clerks were surprised, and Add. not a little, for he was comparatively a new-comer. They told "Jimmy" he
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must be mistaken, for there had not been any suspicious persons about the premises during the day.
"Well, the cash is short eighteen dollars and fifty-five cents, and if von don't believe it, come and see, and count it up yourselves. There it is," putting his finger on the spot.
Add. asked if he suspected him.
"No." said Jimmy. "I don't know who to suspect, but the money is goue, and somebody has got it. You can see that your- self. Just figure it up."
Putting on his hat, and as was his enstom when perplexed with business affairs, or in trouble, he went over to the grocery to quell his mental disturbance with spiritous frumenti, which, in those days, was a part of the stock in trade in a licensed grocery.
Add. ran his eye casually over the column of figures in the cash book, and discovered the "robbery." On the margin of the page, over the dollars and cents colum, had been written the date and year, 1855, and "Jimmy" had counted the year in the cash receipts. Add. laid the book aside, and when "Jimmy" turned up about noon on Monday, he explained the apparent discrepancy to him. It was some time before "linnny" was fully satisfied, but when he got it fairly through his head, he went to the assnager of his sorrows again to get some more of the same medicine to help celebrate his narrow escape from robbery, and did not appear at the store again nutil Tuesday evening. The genial, good fellow was his own worst enemy, and not long ago, his mangled form was found along the railroad track, the victim of ernel ear wheels.
Subsequently, Add. formed a partnership with "Alcek" Wood- ward in the dry goods trade, and did a good business until the financial panie of 1857, which closed the doors of many business houses, eaught " Aleck" and Add. unprepared for the squeeze. After closing np their business, Add. became head salesman with Keyes & Crawford, on Court Avenue, next east of The Register and Leader building, where he served several years. Later, he was with Knight Brothers in the same building, the headquarters of fash- ionable dry goods trade. In 1873, he formed a partnership with "Charley" Morris, in exelusive dry goods trade, on Fifth Street, where the Youngerman Building now is, and there some of the
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oldest residents of the city purchased their first laces and table linen, for Add. was an expert caterer to feminine taste and fancy, and never more happy than when he could gratify them.
His last business venture was in 1885, under the firm name of Hemphill, Hepburn & Traversy, who opened a store in Clapp's Block, but it proved an unprofitable undertaking, and the business was closed out.
In 1888, the re-appearance of an affection of the right leg, which originated when a youth, completely prostrated him, yet, with his usual optimistic spirit, he patiently bore his pain and suf- fering, looking hopefully ahead for recovery, until the surgeons informed him that to save his life he must lose his leg. With a smile of resignation, he accepted the ultimatum. But the disease had got ahead of the surgeon's knife. In a short time, the scalpel and saw were again applied, then a third time. After months of suffering, which would have crushed many stronger men, he was able to get about on crutches, an object of the most profound com- miseration to his thousands of friends, but, with his old-time cheer- fulness, he did what he could for the support of his family.
So profound was public sympathy for him, and so universally was he highly esteemed, in 1892, he was nominated by the Repub- lican County Convention for County Recorder. So popular was he with the masses of the people, the Democratic Convention made no nomination for the office against him, and he was unanimously elected at the November election, entered upon his official duties January Third, 1893, and on May Third following, wasted and worn by the ravages of the ailment which had sapped his vitality, his life went out, peacefully as slumber comes to the babe in its mother's arms.
As an expression of public esteem of him, his good wife was, on May Sixteenth, appointed his successor, to fill the vacancy, and in November, 1894, was elected for a full term. She filled the office with credit to herself and satisfaction to the public.
Socially, Add.'s sunshiny temperament was a bennison to the whole community, for he was always cheerful, encouraging, hope- fulness personified; smiled when tormented with pain; knew no guile; was honest in every fibre of his being. He was the favorite
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and, ideal tradesman for the young women, now wives of promi- nent business men, for they knew him. He took part in their per- plexities in solving the problems of selections and quality. If he could not serve them, they would wait another day, was proverbial. He was as sincere as a child. There was no concealment in his nature. He was filled with generous impulses, and ever ready to aid the sick and needy, to the full extent of his means. His heart pulsated with love for all humanity. It was in the social life of the community his influence was most effective, for he exemplified not greatness, but goodness. He was a member of the Masonic order and several social clubs.
Politically, he was first a Whig, and then a Republican, but took no part in politics, as politics goes.
Religiously, he was a Baptist, and member of the First Baptist Church.
September Twenty-ninth, 1907.
JOSIAH M. THRIFT
JOSIAH M. THRIFT
A N old-timer who came to Polk County when it was inhabited only by Indians, and who figured quite prominently, was Josiah Moffit Thrift. He was born in Virginia, in the year 1815, of English ancestry. His father was a planter, and slave- holder, who devoted most of his time to preaching at isolated sta- tions. When Josiah was five years old, his father disposed of his plantation, and purchased a large tract of land in Knox County, Ohio, on which he opened a farm. He gave his slaves the privilege of going where they pleased, or remaining with him as free persons, to be paid for their services, as were other employed persons.
On this farm, Josiah passed his boyhood days, with very limited opportunity for attending school. When sixteen years old, he became a clerk in the store of an elder brother, where he remained about two years. He then went to Mount Vernon, Ohio, and was apprenticed to learn the trade of tailoring, which acquired, he went to Cincinnati, where he entered the employ of a large tailoring firm, and there worked on the same bench side by side with the once President, Andrew Johnson.
In those days, to military posts or garrisons, were assigned tailors. Thrift, through friends, applied for an appointment as Garrison Tailor, a defacto Government officer, subject to change from post to post in like manner as any person in army service. He was appointed, and sent to Fort Madison, Iowa, arriving there in 1842. In 1843, he was transferred to Fort Des Moines, and arrived May Twentieth, with a detachment of soldiers, consisting of two companies of cavalry, or Dragoons, as they were then called, and two companies of infantry.
In November, he went to Libertyville, Jefferson County, Indi- ana, got married, and returned December Twenty-fourth.
At the close of that year, beside the officers and soldiers, there were the Indian Agent, Beach, and his interpreter, Josiah Smart;
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the Indian Traders, Washington George and George Washington Ewing, and Ben. Bryant, their clerk ; Phelps & Company, fur deal- ers; J. B. and W. A. Scott, William Lamb, and Alexander Turner, contractors to furnish hay and other farm products for the garri- son, all of whom were stationed near where the packing-houses now are, and eastward. Of the garrison were Charles Weatherford and a man named Baker, blacksmiths; Thrift, tailor; John Sturdevant and John Drake, gunsmiths; Robert A. Kinzie, sutler. So far as civilization was concerned, such, then, was Des Moines and Polk County. Eddyville and Ottumwa each contained about a dozen families. Between them and Fort Des Moines, the area was as Nature made it, except trails made by Indians, while north of The Fort, no white man had made his abode, so that Mr. Thrift may be truly called the first white settler of Polk County and Des Moines, for he was the only man of the garrison who remained and became a citizen. In fact, he became a squatter at the start, for he secured a claim adjoining the so-called Thompson farm, both of which are now part of I'nion Park, on which he built a log cabin, wherein he began housekeeping with his young wife, and where, March Fifteenth, 1845, the stork brought them a daughter, Hannah Jane. The second birth in the same log cabin was that of a brother, William IIurlbut, the present Adjutant General of Iowa, who caught the first glimpse of this curious world of ours October Fif- teenth, 1847, but kaleidoscopie have been the changes he has wit- nessed since, I think he will admit.
In July, 1845, young Black Hawk, with whom Thrift was on very friendly terms, was camped on the bottoms west of Thrift's cabin, where the Gun ('Inh grounds now are. A few days after the murder of Colonel George L. Davenport, at Rock Island, July Fourth, eight men rode up to Thrift's cabin and requested lodging for the night. Thrift was suspicious of them, as their appearance did not indicate they were ordinary land-seekers, as they claimed to be, but he gave them permission to remain over night, with the understanding that they were to deliver to him their arms, which he would lock up in his smoke house, stating to them that if they kept their arms, the Indians, who were nearby, would give them trouble. After disarming them and seeing they were comfortably quartered,
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he quietly went down to the Indian camp and told Black Hawk of the circumstances and his suspicions, and requested that he have some of his young Indians guard his wife and child while he went to the garrison to consult with Captain Allen. Hle presented the matter to Captain Allen, and expressed his suspicion of the eight men, but was unable to convinee him that there was anything unusual in their coming there. He therefore declined to interfere with their proceeding on their way. Thrift returned to his home, found the faithful Indians on guard, dismissed them, and retired with his family. He arose at a very early hour the next morning, his wife prepared breakfast, and after the meal, one of the leaders said to Mrs. Thrift :
"What are we indebted to you for your trouble?"
"You owe us nothing," she replied, with the generosity of all pioneer women.
"Hold your apron, then," said the fellow, and he pitched a twenty-dollar gold piece into it. The eight then mounted their horses and rode away to the north.
At eleven o'clock the same day, news came describing those men, and later it proved they were the murderers of Colonel Davenport.
Inmediately prior to the Eleventh of October, 1845, when the country would be opened for settlement, squatters had come in and made selections of land on which they wanted to make their homes. Land speculators and sharpers, or elaim-jumpers, as they were called, were also present, watching an opportunity to get possession by sharp practice of the selections made by squatters. For self- protection, the squatters held a meeting at John B. Scott's trading house, ou Tuesday, October Fourteenth, the third day after the Government title expired, to organize a Claim Club, at which Thrift was elected Secretary. A committee was appointed to pre- pare By-Laws for the elub. On Thursday evening following, the committee reported a code, consisting of ten sections, which will be found in the sketch of W. H. Meacham, page 245, Volume I. Cap- tain Allen offered the following as Section Eleven, which was adopted :
"The Citizens' Claimants having met on October Fourteenth, 1845, . pursuant to resolution of a previous meeting, herein mentioned,
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do here, in full meeting, fully adopt all of the foregoing resoln- tions, and we do hereby resolve and proclaim that we will submit to and abide by all of these resolutions, and will protect and defend one another, each and all of ns, in all that we have herein resolved and said."
Thrift followed the Captain with another section, to-wit:
"Resolved, By this meeting, that any Citizen Claimant who shall subseribe his name to these resolutions shall be adopted as one of the Community, or Neighborhood, who have made them, and he will be entitled to all privileges herein guaranteed, and also to our mutual and joint protection."
The entire code was adopted, with the understanding that it involved a vigorous fight against unserupnlous rascals and wily speculators, with probable shooting. Seventy names were subscribed to the Bill of Rights on the spot. A standing Executive Committee was elected, of whom Thrift was one, to put the machinery of gov- ernment in motion, and thus civilization and eivie government in Polk County was born. So just and equitable was this code, it was later confirmed by the Government and courts of the state when state government was established.
April Seventh, 1846, was convened the first District Court in Polk County, the county having been organized the day previous. Thrift was brought in by "Unele Tommy" Mitchell, the Sheriff, as one of the Grand Jury. The Judge's docket for that day shows the following record :
"TERRITORY OF IOWA, POLK COUNTY DISTRICT COURT. April Term, Wednesday, Two O'Clock P. M., April Seventh, 1846.
"And now, on yesterday, the Marshal of said territory returned his venire for a Grand Jury, on the part of the United States, in and for said County of Polk, together with the jurors aforesaid, all good and lawful men, and said Grand Jurors, on the part of the United States and the Territory of Iowa, retired in charge of Lewis Whitten, a sworn officer for that purpose, to consider of such matters as may come to their knowledge according to their charge. and, after being absent for some time, returned into eourt, and informed said court that they had no bills or presentments to make, and that
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they had not further business to engage their attention. It is there- fore ordered by said court that said Grand Jurors be discharged.
"And, there being no further business for this court at this term, it is ordered that this court adjourn till the next term in course of law.
"J. WILLIAMS, Judge."
In 1850, Thrift resigned as Garrison Tailor, the Government not having assigned him to another garrison, possibly had forgotten him entirely as one of its adjunets, and he joined the vast caravan going overland to the gold fields of California. Two years later, he returned via New York to Fort Des Moines, arriving in the early part of the Winter of 1852-1853. He then re-opened his tailor shop on Second Street, where he remained until 1856, in the mean- time giving, as the "old boys" now say, better clothes than are made in these days.
In 1856, he removed to a farm, about three miles north of Boonesboro, the County Seat of Boone County, where he cultivated the soil until 1860, when he went to Pike's Peak, where he engaged in mining for a year, then returned, purchased a farm adjoining Boonesboro, and soon after moved into the town and became one of its leading citizens.
In 1861, he was commissioned by Governor Kirkwood to recruit volunteers to put down the Rebellion. He succeeded in recruiting two hundred and fifty men. He paid, from his own purse, for their subsistence and transportation from their homes to the rendezvous at Davenport, amounting to several thousand dollars. Subsequently --- when requested by the Governor to file a claim for his disburse- ments, he refused, declaring that he was willing and able to do that much for his country.
He went with his recruits, was mustered into the service, and was assigned to the Sixteenth Iowa Infantry. Its first engagement was in the battle at Shiloh, April Sixth, 1862, where, not having been attached to any brigade, it, with the Fifteenth Iowa, fought on their own hook, and on the first day, when the flanking swoop of the enemy swallowed up the Eighth, Twelfth, and Fourteenth Iowa, and stampeded several others, the Sixteenth suffered very
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severely. Thrift was severely wounded, taken prisoner, and con- fined as a prisoner of war until April, 1863, when he was dis- charged, a physical wreck, from which he never recovered. It is somewhat singular that only a meager history of the Sixteenth is extant, but sufficient is of record to show that it proved one of the most valorons of the entire army.
Upon his discharge, Thrift returned to Boonesboro, was elected Mayor, and proved a capable and popular official. His retiring message to the Town Council was considered by citizens as valuable and is still carefully preserved.
In 1873, he removed to California, hoping to benefit his health, but his wounds and the vicissitudes and exposures of his army life had so sapped his vitality, he deceased in Sacramento, in July, 1881.
Socially, he was of generous temperament, amiable, popular with the masses, who esteemed him for his striet integrity and hon- esty. Domestic in taste, he was devoted to his family, and a most earnest lover of children. He was always greatly interested in publie schools and churches. Handicapped by his physical dis- ability, he was forced to forego much activity in social affairs of the community which his public spirit prompted. He was a mem- ber of the Masonie order, and his descendants believe he was a charter member of the first lodge instituted in Des Moines.
Politically, he was first a Whig, but when the Republican party was organized, he joined it and remained a member all his days. The only publie office he held, so far as I know, was that of Mayor of Boonesboro.
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