The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 68

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 807


USA > Iowa > Clinton County > The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its. > Part 68


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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afterward held by Rev. Henry Allen, Rev. John Chambers, Rev. Mr. Miller and Rev. R. S. Campbell, ministers of the Associate Reformed Church.


Application having been made to the Associate Reformed Presbytery of Iowa for an organization, a committee was appointed by that body consisting of Rev. Henry Allen and Elders W. W. Beatty and John McConnell, who met at De Witt, September 8, 1855, and organized the Associated Reformed Presbyterian congregation of De Witt, of sixteen members, as follows :


William Campbell, Mrs. Ann Campbell, John B. Cranston, Mrs. Margaret Cranston, John Barrett, Mrs. S. A. Barrett, R. J. Jamison, Mrs. Jane Jam- ison, James A. Cranston, Mrs. Caroline Cranston, Susana Halliday, Mrs. Mary White, Robert Bartlett, James Bartlett, William Campbell and Mrs. Rebecca Campbell. At this meeting, John Barrett and James Bartlett were ordained and installed Ruling Elders.


Rev. R. S. Campbell, who was then preaching at Bloomington, Ill., on invitation, preached to this congregation for a few Sabbaths in December, 1855. Rev. R. S. Campbell having received a call to the pastorate of this congrega- tion in connection with the one at Pleasant Prairie (now Elvira), began his labors as Pastor elect March 13, 1856 ; was ordained and installed by the Iowa Associate Reformed Presbytery, at De Witt, June 12, following.


During the first year of Mr. Campbell's pastorate, eleven persons were received into membership in the congregation. March 17, 1857, William Camp- bell was ordained by the Presbytery as a Ruling Elder.


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In the year 1859, the congregation being without a church building, erected and partially inclosed the frame for a house of worship, which was blown down by a storm and totally demolished. They were not, however, discouraged by this accident, and again went to work with a will and completed and occupied their house of worship in 1860.


After the consummation of the union of the Associate and Associate Reformed Churches, at Pittsburgh, Penn., in May, 1858, which assumed the name of the United Presbyserian Church, this congregation assumed and still retains the name of the United Presbyterian Congregation of De Witt, and, after the organ- ization of the Le Claire Presbytery has been ever since connected with that body.


At the commencement of the war of the rebellion in 1861, nine members of this congregation took their lives in their hands and enlisted in defense of their country, viz., John Barrett, Alexander P. Meikleham, John Henderson, William H. Hyde, James Barnes, John F. Baird, Lieut. James S. Patterson, D. J. Cranston and John A. Hyde. Of these, only one, D. J. Cranston, survived to the close of the war, and he returned a cripple for life, having lost a limb at the battle of Chattanooga in 1863.


Lieut. Patterson lost his life while leading his company in that terrible charge made by the Twenty-sixth Iowa Regiment at the battle of Arkansas Post ; John F. Baird died amid the horrors of Andersonville Prison.


Rev. R. S. Campbell, having continued to labor with the congregations at De Witt and Elvira, dissolved his relations with the Elvira Church, on account of the labor having become too great for one man, August 16, 1865. He, however, devoted his whole time to the De Witt congregation until the spring of 1868, when he resigned his pastoral relations, which, after great hesitation on the part of the Presbytery, was accepted, having served them for a period of nearly twelve years.


One hundred and fifty-nine persons were received into membership in the congregation during Mr. Campbell's pastorate, 117 by certificate, and 42 by profession.


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Messrs. M. R. Buchanan and W. J. Hannum had been elected Ruling Elders. In May, 1869, three members, viz., Messrs. Robert McClenaban, John McConnell and N. T. Baird were elected Ruling Elders.


Rev. D. Nicoll, the present Pastor (1879), having just completed his the- ological course at Monmouth, Ill., was called to the pastorate of this Church and the one at Elvira, September 19, 1869, and was ordained thereto November 17, 1869. Membership at this time, eighty.


Mr. William Campbell, who may be said to have been the founder of the Church, while in his usual health and while speaking at a service held at the Christian Chapel in De Witt, during a revival meeting, on the evening of Jan- uary 4, 1871, was stricken with paralysis, and died the next day, esteemed by all.


During the present pastorate, 100 members have been received, 53 by pro- fession and 47 by certificate. The whole number received into membership is 281.


M. R. Buchanan. a Ruling Elder, died July 23, 1876. John McConnell, also Ruling Elder, died August 19, 1878.


On the 30th day of May, 1879, James S. Mayes and J. O. Buchanan were ordained Ruling Elders, which, in addition to the names of James Bartlett, N. T. Baird and Robert McClenahan, constitute the members of Session.


October 1, 1875, the church-building was repaired and much improved, at a cost of $900. The present membership is ninety-five.


Christian, or Disciple Church .- The first sermon preached in this town- ship by a preacher of this denomination, was at the court-room at the north- east corner of the public square, in 1848, by Elder Le Van. Father John Cotton, D. P. Meredith and a few others, moved in the matter of a church organization, and in the winter of 1852-53 an organization was effected, at which meeting Elders N. A. McConnell, of Marion, Iowa, and James Gaston, of Illinois, were present, with the following membership : Father John Cotton and wife, D. P. Meredith and wife, Monroe Warren and wife, a Mr. Miller, wife and three sons, a Mr. Chapman and wife. John Cotton and Miller were elected Elders; D. P. Meredith and Chapman were chosen Deacons. Miller and family afterward moved to California.


Father Cotton, prior to this time, in 1850, had united with Rev. T. W. Clark, and had built a small church on Harrison street, which was called the Union Church, and was occupied by this Church and the Baptists jointly, until 1857, when it was purchased of the Baptists by this Church.


Elder E. Phillips was Pastor of this Church for a year or two, commencing in 1854; then followed Rev. George Rich, who remained about two years. The Church was then without a regular Pastor until 1865, when the Rev. G. W. Sweeny, of Kentucky, was called to the pastorate and remained until 1868. In the year 1869, the old Union Church was removed, and an elegant new chapel, through the untiring zeal of Father Cotton, aided by the members and others, was built at a cost of $3,000, and was dedicated April 10, 1870, by Rev. G. W. Sweeny. Rev. James Stover, of Indiana, preached for three months in 1873, and was followed by Elder E. A. Pardee, who remained for about one year; then Elder William Martin was in charge for a few months, when Elder W. H. Benton, of Chicago, preached for about eight months in 1878. Elder William Sweeny, the present Pastor, took charge in 1878. The present membership of the Church numbers about fifty.


St. Peter's Episcopal Church .- This Church was organized by the adoption of Articles of Association and Incorporation, May 25, 1858. The following


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are the names of the incorporators : R. H. Nolton, P. J. Shoecraft, E. S. Bailey, Samuel Clark, S. R. Hull, A. Chace, H. M. Cook, M. B. Wright, C. A. Jones, P. C. Wright, Charles Egleston, J. F. Gilmore, O. C. Bates, E. R. Spear, J. H. Sage and J. C. Smyles. July 6, following, Rev. A. Bush was chosen to take charge of the parish, and a church building was immediately commenced, and completed in September of the same year, and was consecrated by Rt. Rev. H. W. Lee in December following. The church building was located on Church street, on land given by the Iowa Land Company. The first elected officers of the parish were: Samuel Clark, Senior Warden; H. W. Cook, Junior Warden ; Vestrymen, E. S. Bailey, C. A. Jones, P. J. Shoe- craft, S. R. Hull; R. H. Nolton, Clerk.


On Easter Monday, the following Vestrymen were elected : C. A. Jones, E. S. Bailey, P. J. Shoecraft, S. R. Hull, C. Egleston, J. K. Clark, N. A. Merrell, J. F. Gilmore. The following officers were elected : Samuel Clark, Senior Warden ; P. C. Wright, Junior Warden ; J. C. Smyles, Clerk. The Rev. A. Bush was unanimously elected Rector of the Parish.


May 23, 1859, E. S. Bailey, J. K. Clark and John F. Gilmore, were chosen Delegates to the Diocesan Convention, to be held at Davenport May 25, 1859. The church building was afterward conveyed to the Rt. Rev. H. W. Lee, Epis- copal Bishop of the Diocese.


July 11, 1860, Rev. A. Bush resigned as Rector.


Easter Monday, 1861, Charles Egleston, W. R. Ward, N. A. Merrell, R. G. Cole and James D. Bourne were chosen Vestrymen ; Samuel Clark, Senior Warden ; P. C. Wright, Junior Warden ; and W. B. Webb, Clerk.


May 20, 1861, W. W. Estabrook was chosen Delegate to the Diocesan Con- . vention. W. W. Estabrook, candidate for the priesthood, served as lay reader of sermons for four months in 1861. There has been no settled Rector since, the church building became vacant and was afterward destroyed, and the organization ceased to exist.


The Free Methodist Church-Was organized in the year 1868 by Rev. C. H. Underwood, with a membership of eleven. Rev. B. F. Doughty was the first Pastor. The names of some of the prominent members at the organization are as follows : Mrs. Robinson, Miss Florinda Schaeffer, Mrs. Abby Haney, Samuel Mummy, R. L. Smith and others. The present church building, situ- ated on the northwest corner of Jefferson and Bluff streets, was erected in the year 1870. The present membership of the Church is about forty; the present Pastor, Rev. Mr. Hall.


THE PRESS.


The first newspaper was established in this town in the month of December, 1855, by O. C. Bates and J. McCormick, publishers, and was called the De Witt Clintonian ; O. C. Bates, editor; politics, Republican. In the fall of 1859, the paper was turned over to P. C. Wright, as editor, for the purpose of opposing the election of Hon. John F. Dillon as District Judge. Having sig- nally failed of its object, Judge Dillon having been elected by an overwhelm- ing majority, the paper very soon closed out for lack of support. The Stand- ard, Republican in politics, was established in December, 1859, with O. C. Bates and Hon. D. McNeil as editors and publishers. The Clinton County Journal, Democratic, Lawrence & McDonnell, publishers, with R. S. Lawrence as editor, was published for a few months in 1860, and was followed by a short- lived Democratic journal, called the Clinton County Democrat, by C. P. Cotter. The Wide Awake, a Lincoln and Hamlin campaign paper, was edited and pub- lished by P. C. Wright and O. C. Bates during the campaign of 1860. The


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Standard was edited for a time in 1861 by a Mr. Stewart, who was followed by James S. Patterson, who continued its publication until July, 1862, when he joined the Twenty-sixth Iowa Infantry Volunteers, and was chosen First Lieutenant of Company H. He lost his life while leading his company in the memorable charge at the battle of Arkansas Post. About this time, O. C. Bates leased the Standard office of Hon. D. McNeil, and commenced the publication of the Signal, which he continued until 1863, when he suspended it to let two of his typos join the 100-day service. During the suspension his lease expired and the printing material was turned over to S. H. Shoemaker, who, July 15, 1864, commenced the publication of the De Witt Observer, which has been continued until the present time. This paper is Republican in politics, and has a circulation of 1,000 copies, besides a good advertising patronage.


SECRET SOCIETIES.


De Witt Lodge, No. 34, A., F. ยง A. M .- The first meeting of De Witt Lodge, A., F. & A. M., was held at the house of brother George Goudie, on Thursday, January 8, A. L. 5852, A. D. 1852, under a dispensation granted by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Iowa, bearing date December 4, A. L. 5851, A. D. 1851, in which dispensation brother R. H. Dawson, Sr., is named Worshipful Master ; S. D. Golder, Senior Warden, and George Goudie, Junior Warden. The following pro-tem. officers were appointed at this meeting: A. R. Cotton, Secretary ; George Hasting, Treasurer ; S. N. Bedford, Senior Deacon ; A. Dennis, Junior Deacon, and D. C. Oaks, Tiler, with brothers A. R. Bissell and George W. Ames present. At an election held at this meeting, Brother A. R. Cotton was elected Senior Deacon ; A. R. Bissell, Secretary ; G. W. Ames, Treasurer ; S. N. Bedford, Junior Deacon, and D. C. Oaks, Tiler ; S. D. Golder was deputed to attend Grand Lodge, held at Bloomington (now Muscatine), January 12, 1852. R. H. Dawson, Jr., and S. G. Dawson applied for admission. Brothers Goudie, Cotton and Bedford were appointed a Com- mittee on By-Laws. At the second meeting, held January 30, 1852, R. H. Dawson, Jr., and S. G. Dawson were initiated. These two were the first Masons made in this Lodge. At the meeting held April 30, 1852, William G. Haun's name appears as Acting Secretary. A charter was granted this Lodge by the Grand Lodge June 3, 1852. The first elected officers under the char- ter were R. H. Dawson, W. M .; A. R. Cotton, S. W .; S. N. Bedford, J. W .; G. W. Ames, Treas .; A. R. Bissell, Sec .; S. D. Golder, S. D .; S. G. Dawson, J. D .; A. Dennis, Tiler. At the meeting held March 24, 1853, S. H. Samuels' name first appears as being in attendance. At the meeting held June 17, 1853, A. R. Cotton was elected W. M .; S. N. Bedford, S. W .; George W. Ames, J. W .; R. H. Dawson, Treas .; A. R. Bissell, Sec. At the regular meeting in September, 1853, Brother Daniel McNeil's name first appears as a visiting member. Father McNeil was afterward a 'leading member of the Lodge, faithful in his attendance, was its Worshipful Master, and died in 1869, and was buried with its honors, the leading Masons throughout the county par- ticipating at the funeral obsequies. On the 13th day of March, 1854, at a meeting of De Witt Lodge, A., F. & A. M., at which meeting Grand Master Humphrey was present, the three degrees of Masonry were conferred by this Lodge on Hon. W. E. Leffingwell, who has, since that time, become .eminent in its rites. This was done by special dispensation of the Grand Master. At the same meeting, the name of Thomas Hudson, then and now of Lyons, was proposed for membership, and he was made a Mason at the next subsequent meeting. At the meeting of the Grand Lodge in 1854, Brother A. R. Cotton,


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Worshipful Master of this Lodge, was elected Grand Junior Warden, and, at the meeting of the Grand Lodge in 1855, Brother A. R. Cotton was elected Most Worshipful Grand Master, while a member of this Lodge. The follow- ing are the names of the Worshipful Masters : R. H. Dawson, Sr., 1852, 1853 and 1856; A. R. Cotton, 1854 ; S. N. Bedford, 1854; R. H. Dawson, Jr., 1855; William McKim, 1857 and 1860; Daniel McNeil, 1858; N. A. Merrell, 1859 and 1867; John C. Polley, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865 and 1866 ; A. H. Runyon, from 1868 to 1870 ; W. H. Talbot, 1871; R. J. Crouch, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878 and 1879. The present officers are R. J. Crouch, W. M .; J. W. Dearborn, S. W .; Isaac Rhodes, J. W .; W. H. Tal- bot, Treas .; J. T. Waters, Sec. Number of members, sixty-eight.


Right-Hand Lodge, No. 281, organized under charter at De Witt, Iowa, June 18, 1870 ; the charter members being chiefly from De Witt Lodge No. 34, De Witt, Iowa, the charter was granted by the Grand Lodge, at its annual session held in Davenport, Iowa, and dated June 8, 1870, and signed by the following Grand Lodge officers : John Scott, Grand Master ; W. P. Allen, S. G. Warden ; William J. Ross. J. G. Warden ; T. S. Parvin, Grand Secre- tary. The organization of this Lodge was made with the following officers : P. C. Wright, W. M. ; R. G. Brown, S. W. ; A. J. McGarvey, J. W. ; J. M. Gates, Treasurer ; D. G. Butterfield, Secretary. The following shows the membership for each year. For the year ending May 1, 1871, 47 members ; for the year ending May 1, 1872, 53 ; for the year ending May 1, 1873, 58; for the year ending May 1, 1874, 66; for the year ending May 1, 1875, 67; for the year ending May 1, 1876, 64; for the year ending May 1, 1877, 60; for the year ending May 1, 1878, 60; for the year ending May 1, 1879, 62. The present officers of this Lodge are : C. S. Harrington, W. M. ; M. J. Alworth, S. W. ; T. Wilson, J. W. ; W. R. English, Treasurer ; W. R. Ward, Secretary ; C. A. Butterfield, S. D .; H. F. Bricker, J. D. ; John F. Homer, S. Steward ; John H. Boyd, J. Steward.


Kilwinning Chapter, Royal Arch Masons .- Kilwinning Chapter was organ- ized under dispensation at De Witt, Iowa, April 18, 1870, with the following charter members, to wit : W. A. Cotton, E. P. Hubbard, R. G. Brown, W. H. Talbot. R. J. Crouch, W. R. Ward, T. F. Butterfield, George Rule, George B. Young, A. J. McGarvey, Moses Gage, K. W. Wheeler, A. H. Runyon, D. Whitney, T. Wilson, W. H. Buchanan, M. H. Haskins, J. M. Gates, William Familton. The same having been recommended by Mount Moriah Chapter, No. 17, Camanche, Iowa, the dispensation was granted by P. C. Wright, then G. H. P., and William B. Langridge, Grand Secretary, under date of April 15, 1870. The final organization was made with the following officers: W. A. Cotton, High Priest; George Rule, King; and W. R. Ward, Scribe. Charter No. 56, was granted by the Grand Chapter, October 17, 1870, and signed by the following Grand officers, viz. : Z. C. Luse, G. H. P. ; D. Baugh, D. G. H. P. ; D. S. Deering, G. K. ; T. Schreiner, G. S .; William B. Lang- ridge, G. Secretary. The following shows the membership for each year : For the year ending October 1870, 29 members ; October, 1871, 38; October, 1872, 39; October, 1873, 42; October, 1874, 42 ; October, 1875, 49 ; October, 1876, 52 ; October, 1877, 50; October, 1879, 52. The present officers of this Chapter are : C. S. Harrington, High Priest ; R. J. Crouch, King ; L. S. Harrington, Scribe ; T. F. Butterfield, Treasurer ; W. R. Ward, Secretary; J. W. Dearborn, C. H. ; Isaac Rhodes, P. S .; A. W. Johnson, R. A. C .; M. J. Alworth, G. M. 3d V. ; T. Wilson, G. M. 2d V. ; H. F. Bricker, G. M. 1st V. ; L. L. Neville, Sentinel.


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Eagle Lodge, No. 86, I. O. O. F .- Eagle Lodge, I. O. O. F., was, upon petition of Charles Schlabach, Isaac F. Morgan, A. J. Kellar, Samuel Jones and John Jones, members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellowship, organized and instituted on the 22d day of March, 1856, by John Pope, of Maquoketa, then Most Worthy Grand Master, at which time A. J. Kellar was elected Noble Grand; C. Schlabach, Vice Grand; M. Gage, Recording Secre- tary ; William H. Buchanan, Treasurer ; after which, they were duly installed. At this meeting the following-named persons were, upon proper application, duly admitted as members of the Order, viz. : W. S. Norman, J. P. Butler, J. W. Haney, F. Amos, Levi Clark, T. G. Hide, W. E. Vary, E. W. Preston, William McKim, G. G. Adams, Jonathan Morgan, Israel Hall, T. W. Butler, David White, Isaac Rhodes, Ephraim Cameron and David Goff, and the mysteries of Odd Fellowship conferred on all of them, except William McKim and W. S. Norman, who, with A. Mclaughlin, were received at a subsquent meeting ; Dr. Asa Morgan was also present and was admitted a member at the date of the institution of the Lodge.


The following appointments were made by the Noble Grand : Isaac F. Morgan, Warden ; G. G. Adams, Conductor ; John Jones, O. Guardian ; J. P. Butler, I. Guardian ; Asa Morgan, R. S. to N. G .; T. W. Butler, L. S. to N. G .; F. Amos, Chaplain; W. E. Vary, R. S. S. ; Levi Clark, L. S. S. The V. G. appointed the following : Isaac Rhodes, R. S. to V. G .: E. Cameron, L. S. to V. G. This Lodge, from and after its organization, had a good degree of prosperity with a large membership. Lately, however, owing to removals, etc., the membership has been reduced until at present it numbers but forty-two. Of that number, there are fourteen Past Grands. The financial standing of the Lodge is in excellent condition, with $1,300 at interest, and money besides sufficient for ordinary expenses, a good lodge-room, furniture and fixtures. The present officers are, D. Whitney, N. G .; H. M. Johnson, V. G .; J. T. Waters, Secretary, and C. Schlabach, Treasurer.


De Witt Lodge, No. 40, A. O. U. W .- This Lodge was organized and instituted December 30, 1875, with sixteen charter members, by A. H. Smith, of Clinton, D. G. M. W., on December 30, 1875. The names are as follows : K. W. Wheeler, P. M. W .; W. A. Cotton, M. W .; John Peaslee, G. F .; J. G. Pearse, O .; S. H. Shoemaker, R .; J. W. Dearborn, G .; J. T. Waters, F .; W. R. English, R .; J. H. Saxton, I. W .; S. W. Dennis, O. W .; Dr. A. W. Morgan, Ex. Sur., with D. Whitney, C. M. Nye, R. T. Shearer, S. G. Hall and F. P. Kettenring. The present membership (July, 1879), forty- eight; total membership since organization, fifty-three; two withdrew, two withdrew by card, one death-Z. T. Bourne, who died March 6, 1879.


CAMANCHE.


The city of Camanche is located upon the Mississippi River, in Sections 27, 33 and 34, Township 81 north, Range 6 east.


It is not wonderful to us that when the orginal prospector saw this beautiful location, as nature had made it, that he was struck with its fitness for the site of a busy mart and for the homes of its citizens. Lying high above the river, upon a swell of ground that slopes to the stream, which here sweeps in a grace- ful bend from south to southwest, its water-front is beautiful to the eye and most convenient for business purposes, while the natural drainage and the sandy soil makes it a most delightful spot for residences.


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In the summer of 1836, Dr. George Peck emigrated to the "Black Hawk" country and made his home at the cabin of Elijah Buel, at what is now Lyons. He was a prospector and in the round of his journeys saw this spot and at once settled upon it as the site of the great metropolis west of the Mississippi. He immediately laid out a city, named it Camanche, and, in the winter of 1836-37, went on foot to Chicago and offered his city lots for sale. Induce- ments were offered to mechanics to emigrate, by the gift of a lot in the embryo city. It is related by his son, Capt. F. K. Peck, that among others who desired to accept of these gratuitous deeds was a young lawyer named Samuel R. Murray. He gravely informed Mr. Peck, when questioned as to his hand- icraft, that he was a shoemaker, and he of course received his deed, but before he had left for his possession, it leaked out that he was a limb of the law. Mr. Peck remarked that he exhibited ability in his profession and giving him $10 as a retainer fee, told him to go to Camanche and consider himself permanently retained for any business that he might have.


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From a copy of a lithographed map of the "paper survey " of Camanche, in the possession of Mr. E. M. Osborn, now the oldest resident there, called the Osborn, Peck & Armstrong Plat, we find that the original plat contained twenty ranges of twenty blocks each, with eight lots in a block, in all 3,200 lots. This was certainly a city of "magnificent distances." It was laid out with streets at right-angles and of the uniform width of one hundred feet. This plat gives neither date nor surveyor, but was doubtless issued in 1836 or 1837, as many lots were sold in those years. Of course all the title that could then be given was a quit-claim deed and subject to the rights of the Government.


In February, 1837, Franklin K. Peck, son of Dr. Peck, arrived in com- pany with a hired man and team, having purchased a lot from his father. Leaving his team at a cabin near where he how lives, he went with his man to where the town site was described to be, found the corner stakes, which were all that indicated a city, and with logs cut on the island opposite, built a hewed log house 18x20 feet in size, the first structure ever built in that city. This building was covered with shakes, and here he and his hired man, who acted as cook, kept a house of entertainment for the incomers, the first hotel in the county. He soon sold out this building to Messrs. Dunning & Munroe, of Chicago, who were shipping goods into the county by team from their store in Chicago. Mr. Martin Dunning came on as the resident partner, and in this building they opened a store.


All of the early purchasers held under the Osborn, Peck & Armstrong titles. Great anticipations were had as to the future of the city, and specu- lation in city lots ran high. Many lots were sold to Eastern parties.


Pending the Government land sales in 1845, parties who had pur- chased lots in the town concluded to " pool their issues," which they did by making up a purse by shares to furnish the necessary means with which to pay the Government price. Mr. E. M. Osborn was selected as the agent to represent the " pool," and at the sale he purchased about three hundred acres.




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