The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa : containing a history of the County, its cities, towns, &c.,., Part 37

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1004

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On another occasion Kish-ke-kosh was on a tour through the country and stopped over night at the house of a settler. He was accompanied by

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several other Indians, who slept together on a buffalo robe in view of the kitchen. In the morning when he awoke Kish-ke-kosh had an eye on the culinary operations in progress. The lady of the house-it is possible she did it intentionally, as she was not a willing entertainer of such guests- neglected to wash her hands before making up the bread. Kish thought he would rather do without his breakfast than to eat after such cooking, and signified as much to his followers, whereupon they mounted their ponies and departed, much to the relief of their hostess. When they ar- rived at a house some distance from the one they had left, they got their breakfast and related the circumstance.

While encamped on Skunk River, not far from Montezuma, Kish-ke-kosh, in company with several other prominent members of his tribe, went to the house of Mr. Micksell on a friendly visit, and the hospitable white man treated his dusky guests to a bountiful feast.

Besides Kish-ke-kosh and his wife, who was a very lady-like person, this party consisted of his mother (Wyhoma), the son of Wapello, and his two wives; Mashaweytine, his wife, and all their children. The old woman on being asked how old she was, replied: "Mach-ware-re-naak-we-kan " (maybe a hundred); and indeed her bowed form and hideously shriveled features would justify the belief that she was that old. The whole party were dressed in more than ordinary becoming style; probably out of re- spect for the hostess, who, knowing something of their voracious appetites, had made ample preparations for them. When the table was surrounded, Kish-ke-kosh, who had learned some good manners, as well as acquired cleanly taste, essayed to perform the etiquette of the occasion before eating anything himself. With an amusingly awkward imitation of what he had seen among the whites, Kish-ke-kosh passed the various dishes to the others, showing the ladies especial attention, and helped them to the best of everything on the table, with much apparent disinterestedness. But when he came to help himself his politeness assumed the Indian phase al- together. He ate like a person with a bottomless pit inside his stomach, taking everything within his reach without regard to what should come next in the course, so only he liked the taste of it. At last, after having drank some five or six cups of cups of coffee and eaten a proportionate amount of solid food, his gastronomic energy began to abate. Seeing this, his host approached him, and with apparent concern for want of his appe- tite, said: "Why, Kish, do you not eat your dinner? Have another cup of coffee and eat something."

In reply to this hospitable urgency Kish-ke-kosh leaned back in his seat, lazily shook his head, and drew his finger across his throat to indicate how

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full he was. Of course the others had eaten in like proportion, making the most of an event which did not occur every day.

The Indians in this region had a novel way of dealing with drunken peo- ple. When one of them became unsafely drunk he was tied neck and heels, so that he could be rolled around like a hoop, which operation was kept up till the fumes of liquor had vanished, when he was released. The sufferer would beg for mercy, but to no avail. After he was sobered off he showed no marks of resentment, but seemed to recognize the wisdom of the proceeding.

The Sacs and Foxes, like all other Indians, were a very religious people, in their way, always maintaining the observance of a good many rites, ceremonies, and feasts in their worship of the Gitche Manitou, or Great Spirit. Fasts did not seem to be prescribed in any of their missals, how- ever, because, perhaps, forced ones, under the scarcity of game or other eatables, were not of impossible occurrence among people whose creed plainly was to let to-morrow take care of itself. Some of the ceremonies bore such resemblance to some of those laid down in the books of Moses as to have justified the impression among Biblical students that the lost tribes of Israel might have found their way to this continent, and that the North American Indians are the remnant of them.

During sickness there was usually great attention given to the comfort of the patient, and when it became apparent that recovery was impossible, the sufferer while still alive was dressed in his best attire, painted accord- ing to the fancy of the relatives, ornamented with all his trinkets, and then placed upon a platform to die.

Dead bodies were sometimes deposited in graves; others placed in a sit- ting posture reclining against a tree.

The graves were usually arranged with reference to some river, lake or mountain. When it was convenient the grave was covered with stones, and under other circumstances it was inclosed with wooden slabs. Mr. Adams, of Montezuma, says he distinctly recollects an Indian burying- place in Rock Creek Grove, a short distance northwest of the present site of Searsboro. The graves were entirely inclosed with slabs hewn from basswood trees. The slabs were inclined in the shape of a house roof, and upon them were painted certain devices. Poles, some twenty or thirty feet in height, were planted at the head of each grave, and from each pole waved something which resembled a human scalp.

The death of a near relative was lamented with violent demonstrations of grief. Widows visited the graves of their deceased husbands, carrying a bundle composed of one or more of the deceased's garments, and to this

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representative of her departed husband she addressed her expressions of grief.

The wife of Dudley Buck, of Sigourney, relates the following circum- stance:

Five negroes, having become tired of the sacred institution of slavery as exemplified and enforced by the typical task-master of Missouri, ran off and sought protection among the Indians; the latter had never before seen any negroes and not being able to understand their language did not know what to make of the strange looking animals. Consequently a council was held and the wisest of the chiefs, having viewed them carefully and debated the matter at some length, decided that they were a peculiar species of bears.

Having never before seen any representative of this species, they sup- posed that their pale-faced neighbors would esteem it quite a favor to be- hold them, and probably they would be able to dispose of the strange look- ing animals to a certain trader and receive in return a goodly amount of " fire-water." Accordingly the negroes were taken, ropes tied around their necks, and they were led off to the nearest white settlement. After exhib- iting the " bears," as they called them, they negotiated a trade with a cap- italist, who gave the Indians a quantity of whisky for the newly discovered specimens of natural history. When the Indians were gone the negroes were liberated and soon became favorites among the white settlers. They worked for various persons in that settlement during a portion of the next summer, when their master in Missouri, hearing through an Indian trader that two negroes were in the vicinity, came up and took possession of the negroes and carried them back to Missouri.

We might relate many others incidents illustrating the manners, customs and peculiar characteristice of the former occupants of the soil of this county. There are also many traditions relative to the unceremonious man- ner in which the early settlers disposed of the Indians when they became troublesome.

But the Indian was destined to create no further disturbances upon the soil which the white man had marked for his own. In accordance with the stipulations of sacred treaties and likewise agreeably to the demands of the times, the alloted time had now come for the red man to move westward again on his roving mission and add one more proof that his race is fast passing away, and must eventually disappear before the restless march of the Anglo-Saxon race, as did the traditionary Mound Builders give place to the predatory red man of later times.

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And did the dust

Of these fair solitudes once stir with life And burn with passion ? Let the mighty mounds That overlook the rivers, or that rise In the dim forests crowded with old oaks Answer. A race that has long passed away Built them. The red man came-

The roaming hunter tribes, warlike and fierce-

And the Mound Builders vanished from the earth.

The solitude of centuries untold

Has settled where they dwelt. The prairie wolf Howls in their meadows and his fresh dug den Yawns by my path. The gopher mines the ground Where stood their swarming cities. All is gone- All ! save the piles of earth that hold their bones The platforms where they worshiped unknown gods.

Thus as those traditionary Mound Builders were forced to give way to the plundering red men of later times, so must he give place to his pale- faced successor, and his night of ignorance and superstition in which he so delights to revel, must give place to the approaching light of intelligence and civilization as truly as the darkest shades of midnight are dispelled by the approaching light of day. When the last barrier of restraint was thus removed, the tide of emigration, so long held in check, began to come in at a rapid rate over these prairies, and thus it has continued to roll, wave after wave, until it has reached the western shore, carrying with it the energy and talents and enterprise of nations; and washing to the surface the gold from the mountains and valleys of the Pacific slope, it has envel- oped our land in the mighty main of enterprise and civilization.

CHAPTER IV.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Importance of First Beginnings-Character of First Settlers-Localities where Settlements were First made-The Veritable First Settler-Evidences of a Prehistoric Civilization.

EVERY nation does not possess an authentic account of its origin, neither do all communities have the correct data whereby it is possible to accurately predicate the condition of their first beginnings. Nevertheless, to be in- tensely interested in such things is characteristic of the race, and it is par- ticularly the province of the historian to deal with first causes. Should these facts, as is often the case, be lost in the mythical tradition of the past, the chronicler invades the realm of the ideal, and compels his imagination to paint the missing picture. The patriotic Roman was not content till

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he had found the " First Settlers," and then he was satisfied, although they were found in the very undesirable company of a she bear and located on a drift, which the receding waters of the Tiber had permitted them to pre- empt.

One of the advantages pertaining to a residence in a new country, and one seldom appreciated, is the fact that we can go back to the first begin- nings. We are thus enabled, not only to trace results to their causes, but also to grasp the facts which have contributed to form and mould these causes. We observe that a State or county has attained a certain position, and we at once try to trace out the reasons for this position in its early set- tlement and surroundings, in the class of men by whom it was peopled, and in the many chances and changes which have wrought out results in all the recorded deeds of mankind.

In the history of Poweshiek county, we may trace its early settlers to their homes in the Eastern States and in the countries of the old world. We may follow the course of the woodman of the " Buckeye" or the " Hoos- ier" State on his way West to " grow up with the country," trusting only to his strong arm and his willing heart to work out his ambition of a home for himself and wife and a competence for his children. Yet again, we may see the path worn by the Missourian in his new experience in a land which to him was a land of progress, far in advance of that southern soil upon which he had made his temporary home, in his effort to adapt himself to new conditions. We may see here the growth which came with knowl- edge, and the progress which grew upon him with progress around him, and how his better side developed. The pride of Kentucky blood, or the vain glorying of the F. F. V.'s, was here seen in an early day, only to be modified in its advent from the crucible of democracy when servitude was eliminated from the solution. Yet others have been animated with the im- pulse to " move on," after making themselves a part of the community, and have sought the newer parts of the extreme West, where civilization had not penetrated, or returned to their native soil. We shall find much of that distinctive New England character which has contributed so many men and women to other portions of our State and the West; also we shall find many an industrious native of Germany or the British Isles and a few of the in- dustrious and economical French-all of whom have contributed to modify types of men already existing here.

Those who have noted the career of the descendants of those brave, strong men, in subduing the wilds and overcoming the obstacles and withstanding the hardships of this country in early times, can but admit that they are worthy sons of illustrious sires.

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With confidence that general results will prove that there is much of good in everything, and that a justice almost poetic has been meted out to the faults and follies, the integrity and virtue of the early settlers of the county, we may now enter upon an account of them.

The Indian title to the lands west of the Red Rock line did not expire till midnight, October 11, 1845, but that portion of the new purchase situated east of that line was thrown open for settlement May 1, 1843. Those ex- pecting to come upon the " new purchase" were forbidden to make set- tlement until the latter named date. Dragoons were stationed all along the border, whose duty it was to keep a strict lookout and permit no one to cross over.

For some weeks previous to the date assigned, settlers came up into the new country, prospecting for homes, and were quietly permitted to pass over the border line and look around, provided they were unaccompanied by a wagon and carried no ax. The latter weapon was sometimes placed, without the handle, in the knapsack of the traveler, and an impromptu handle fitted in with a penknife, when necessity called for its use. During the last days of April, the dragoons relaxed their strict discipline, and an occasional wagon slipped in through the brush. The night of April 30th found some scores of new-comers on the ground, who had been prospecting the country, who had decided mentally what claims they would make, and had various agreements among themselves.

It would be entirely unnecessary to explain to the early settlers who were these United States dragoons who guarded the border. Though the early settlers of the country who still remain are well along in years, and their recollection of early events is gradually wearing away by the erosion of passing events, few there are, doubtless, but will fully appreciate the signifi- cance of the term " dragoon "; and who can, at this late date, call back to memory the picture of these dignified and pompous, yet brave and honor- able, individuals, who were alike a terror to the predatory savages, and to the coveteous claim-hunter. The children of the pioneer, and those per- sons who came to this country in later years, have not been accustomed to associate with these doughty champions of law and order, and, for the benefit of such, a word of explanation will be in order.

The term dragoon originated in England, many years ago, and was applied to a certain species of cavalry soldiers, who rode swift horses, went lightly armed, and whose business it was to scour the king's dominions, and, by menace, or actual deeds of violence, awe the obstinate Saxon into submission.

Their first appearance in America was during the progress of the Revo-

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lutionary War, when they performed important service, by making long and rapid excursions through the country within the American lines, and thus keeping open a line of communication with the Tories who were scattered throughout the country. What the Cossack is to the Russian army, and what Mosby and Forrest's swift riders were to the Confederate army, that the dragoons were to the English soldiery. When the war of independence closed, and the colonists became a free and independent nation, it became necessary for the republic to organize an army, and, in the organization of that army, that of England was taken as a model; and not only English tactics, but likewise English military terms, were appro- priated. The term dragoon is no longer used in military parliance, but, from the organization of the standing army till some time after the close of the Mexican War, the dragoon was an important, and what was supposd to be an indispensible, factor in the service. Their peculiar mission, for more than fifty years, was to lead in the van of civilization, and act as umpire in cases of dispute between the pioneer and the savage. In time of war, they encircled the scattered settlements like a wall of fire, and many a defenseless settler owed the protection of his life and that of the members of his family to these men. They fully understood the Indian character and Indian tactics, and, under ordinary circumstances, one dragoon was probably a match for five Indians. In time of peace, the dragoon knew no friends, and he was as swift in administering punishment to the trespassing settler as to the savage Indian. One day his mission would be to pursue a band of hostile savages, who had left their reservation, and menaced the life and property of the settler; the next day, perchance, his task would be to search out the aggressive sqatter, who, ignoring Indian treaties, had erected a cabin across the boundary line; when he found such, the dragoon would invariably burn the cabin, and drive the squatter back across the boundary line.

Such were the characteristics of the men upon whom devolved the arduous and critical task of keeping back the tide of immigration which surged along the imaginary line established by the treaty of 1837. This line ran some twenty-five miles east of Montezuma, and its direction was from the northeast toward the southwest. Thus it is that a portion of Johnson and Keokuk counties were settled as early as 1837 and 1838, while no settlement was made in Poweshiek county till 1843. Near the bound- ary line, the excitement was intense as the time approached when it would become lawful to cross over and possess the goodly heritage beyond.

As it neared midnight on the morning of May 1st, settler after settler took his place on the border of his claim, with a bunch of sharpened stakes,

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and a lantern, or a blazing torch, and when it was thought that twelve o'clock had arrived, there was some lively surveying, by amateur engineers, in the dark.

An early settler thus describes the scene in a region of country west of this:

" Precisely at midnight the loud report of the musket, fired from the Agency House, announced that the empire of the red man had ended for- ever, and that of his master race had begun. Answering reports rang sharply on the night air, in quick succession, from every hill-top, and in every valley, till the signal was conveyed for miles around, and all under- stood that civilization had now commenced her reign in central Iowa. The moon was slowly sinking in the west, and its beams afforded a feeble and uncertain light for the measurement of claims in which so many were engaged. Ere long the landscape was shrouded in darkness, save the wild and fitful glaring of the torches, carried by the claim-makers. Before the night had entirely worn away, the rough surveys were finished, and the Indian lands had found new tenants. Throughout the country, thousands of acres were laid off in claims before dawn. Settlers rushed in by hun- dreds and the region lately so tranquil and silent, felt the impulse of the change and became vocal with sounds of industry and enterprise."

The claims were paced off, and strange to say, there were few cases of dispute, the matter having been pretty generally understood on the preced- ing day. Some of the claims were pretty large, more in fact than the law suffered the claimants to hold, some of whom were not unmindful of the wholesome advice of a mother in Hoosierdom, who possibly lived in a later day, but who counseled, " Git a plenty while your gittin," to which the set- tler added, " and git the best."

As to who was the veritable " first settler " in this county accounts some- what differ. Though the various accounts regarding them are many, yet they do not agree. For instance, some say that the first settlement was made on Bear River near the present site of Brooklyn, while others say it was on Buck Creek in the south part of the county within the present bounds of Union township.

After examining many authorities and interviewing many of the old set- tlers now living in the county, in regard to this much vexed question, it should not surprise the reader if our account should be at variance with his preconceived opinion. The stranger who comes into the county with none of the information which those possess who have resided here for years, works at disadvantage in many respects; but he can bring to his aid an unbiased mind and a calm judgement which those cannot claim who by

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years of intercourse with the people of the county, may have formed opin- ions without thoroughly examining the premises.

The first settlements in Poweshiek county like those of all other counties in the State, were made in or near the timber. "Yes " said an old farmer with whom the writer recently conversed, " when we came to this county we thought we couldn't live away from the timber, and I wouldn't have given twenty-five cents an acre for the best prairie in the county."

As timber was originally found only in strips or small groves along the water-courses, we find that the first settlements were made along or in the vicinity of these streams, not on the banks of these streams as a general thing, but in or near the timber which grew in the vicinity of these streams. Owing to the abrupt turns in the various streams, and especially at those places where they neared larger streams, the belt of timber spreads out, and viewed from the wide stretch of prairie beyond, presents the appearance of detached groves; such places were in early times called "points " or groves, and these were the beginnings of civilization. These points or groves took their names from the first settler locating in each, which names they, in many instances, still bear; thus, we have Lattimer's Grove, Snook's Grove, Harklerode's Grove, etc.

We fully realize that the task of tracing out these first settlements so as to accurately and fully give a history of each individual making them, is a difficult one; in proportion as the reader understands the magnitude and difficulty of the work, to that extent we will have his sympathy and for- bearance.

The data upon which we found our supposed facts consist mainly of notes taken by our agents, who have visited every part of the county, and if the narrative should, in some particulars, seem to the reader to be incorrect, we wish to remind him that the particular fact which he questions is founded on the statement of some one individual who resides in the imme- diate neighborhood, and, in all probability, substantiated by the best evi- dence obtainable; such persons should remember that they are as liable to be mistaken as their neighbors, and that in the little circumscribed realm, of their own neighborhood, even as in the boundless realm of the universe " Truth is stranger than fiction."

At this place, however, it is not our intention to give an elaborate and detailed account of the first settlements; such an account will be given in connection with each township history, where it properly belongs; at this place, it is our purpose to give a brief and general outline.

The first settlements were made in Poweshiek county during the year of 1843; all accounts agree in substantiating this fact. During the year

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1844, quite a number of settlements were made. Some were here days and possibly weeks before the others knew of their arrival; over thirty-five years have passed away since then, and as none of the early settlers took the precaution of keeping a record of the precise day of their arrival, many of them are uncertain of the exact date of their coming; consequently, their accounts as to who was the veritable first settler, are somewhat conflicting.

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The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa : containing a history of the County, its cities, towns, &c.,., Part 37

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Des Moines : Union Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1004

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1004