USA > Iowa > Appanoose County > The history of Appanoose County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 39
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Threshing machines and fanning-mills had been in general use several years in the States east of the Mississippi ; but the people of Iowa were not yet " forehanded " enough to invest in any farm implements but breaking-plows and hoes.
It is just as well to add that the first threshing machine ever operated in the county was the one owned by William Ware, now a resident of Centerville, who did some threshing with it in the southern part of the county, in 1849. This was a "chaff-piler," otherwise known, a few years later, as a "flint-lock." There are many readers of this page who never saw a thresher of this descrip- tion. There was no separator attachment, and the grain fell, inclosed in the chaff, at the mouth of the cylinder, while the straw was blown by the current created by the motion of the cylinder a little beyond the grain, whence it was removed by rakes and forks. The fanning-mill was introduced about the same time, and the grain being passed through the hopper two or three times, it was
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
ready for grinding. These machines greatly abridged the processes mentioned above ; but, in a few more years, the labor of threshing was reduced considerably by the combination of both processes.
While on this subject, the plows in use prior to 1846 may be mentioned. Both breaking and stirring plows were made by blacksmiths. The cutter-bar in the one, and the landside and point in both were made of steel, and the moldboard of wood. Several plows of this construction were brought to the county and used for several years. About 1844, the wooden moldboard was laid aside for one made of iron rods, which gave way, two or three years later, to a steel moldboard. Cast-iron plows were sometimes tried, but would not scour. The first harrows were made by the settlers themselves, and often had wooden teeth.
James Hibbs started a saw-mill near his present home in Franklin, in 1850, and various flouring-mills, his own included, were built prior to 1856.
It is scarcely out of place to mention here one or two of the expedients resorted to by housewives, thirty years ago and more, to give variety to their cookery. Pumpkin butter, which was quite a palatable article, was made thus : Several pumpkins would be allowed to freeze, and then thawed out, when the juice would be pressed out and boiled down. To this would be added other pumpkin cut into bits, and the whole cooked carefully, to avoid scorching, until it was about the consistency of apple butter. In the absence of sugar or molasses, preserves were made of wild plums, crab-apples, and other fruits, with honey or maple sirup, which are said to have been excellent. If the men were ingenious in adapting themselves to their limited resources, this paragraph shows that their wives were equally so.
RELIGIOUS.
The date of the first religious meeting ever held in the county is stated to have been at the house of J. F. Stratton December 15, 1844. Two ministers of the Baptist faith, Elders Post and Thompson, conducted the services. The next meeting was held at the house of Mr. Camp, near where Unionville now stands, four weeks later, by one of the above preachers.
William S. Manson used to preach occasionally after he got settled on his claim. The first sermon ever preached at his house was by a Methodist minis- ter, whose name is forgotten, in the spring or summer of 1845. The first circuit preacher was named Johnson A class was formed in 1847.
The first Sabbath school in the county was organized, it is stated, by C. H. Howel, at his store in Centerville, in 1847.
A Baptist society was formed a little distance west of Centerville, either in .1846, or the year following.
THE FIRST PHYSICIANS.
Appanoose County was exceptionally well provided, at a very early day, with those who professed a knowledge of the art of healing. William S. Man- son had acquired some knowledge of medicine in Tennessee, and usually trav- eled with pill-bags behind his saddle. He was a man of good judgment, and, in ordinary ailments was of considerable help.
The others were Dr. Shafer, a German, Dr. Sales and Dr. Pewther. The first two made considerable pretense to erudition in their calling ; the latter was a botanic practitioner. And here Mr. Stratton should not be forgotten, who had been familiar with malarial diseases and fevers for many years, and had been employed three months, in a hospital in the war of 1812. This gentlemen
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
administered medicine whenever called upon, and exhausted the supply he had brought from Missouri. He was himself attacked by a bad form of bilious fever. Being out of medicine, and having some doubts of the skill of the other practi- tioners, he sent for a doctor from Davis County, whose treatment, he says, nearly killed him.
Mr. Stratton relates that a year or two after Centerville had started, he saw the four doctors named above talking together on the public square, one of whom beckoned to him to join them. He went to them, when one of the number remarked that there was a good deal of sickness prevailing, and asked his opinion as to the best methods of treatment. Divining their evident intention to have some fun at his expense, he said that he made no pretensions to medical skill, but could add that there was not knowledge enough on the subject there present to furnish a first-class quack. This put an effectual damper on the inter- view, for every one of the other doctors took his speech as an affront.
It is said that Dr. Pewther was once summoned in haste to attend a case a few miles west of Centerville. This was an interesting occasion in the family, and several neighboring women were spending the evening with the patient, who, very probably, would have survived without a physician's care. Dr. Pewther had not been acquainted with the nature of the illness. and as soon as he entered his eyes fell upon an iron wedge, which he seized, and then sat down on the hearth. Drawing his medicine case to his side, the Doctor selected a bunch of herbs, which he began to work into a powder with his extemporized pestle. One of the women exclaimed, " I guess you don't understand this case, Doctor." "Oh yes, I do," answered the herbalist, who kept hammering away at his medicine. The patient was groaning with pain, and the women hardly knew whether to scream with laughter, or to cry for sympathy over the sufferer ; one of them touched the Doctor on the shoulder, and said, "I guess you don't know what's the matter with the patient." "Why, yes I do," cheerfully answered Pewther; "I cured a man that was awful sick with the same disease, last week." The slang of "royal bounce" was not invented then, but the Doctor got it about that minute.
The first regular physician to settle in the county was Dr. J. H. Worthing- ton, who came in 1846, and is still in active successful practice.
1
OFFICIAL HISTORY.
THE COUNTY ORGANIZED.
Chapter 60 of the acts passed by the Territorial Legislature of 1846, approved January 13, reads as follows :
AN ACT for the organization of the County of Appanoose.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Iowa, That the county of Appanoose be and the same is hereby organized from and after the first Monday in August next, and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to all the privileges and rights to which, by law, the inhabitants of other counties in this Territory are entitled ; and the said county of Appanoose chall constitute a part of the First Judicial District of the Territory.
SEC. 2. That the first general election in and for said county, shall be held on the first Mon- day in August next, at which time the county officers for said county shall be elected ; also such number of Justices of the Peace and Constables as inay be ordered by the Clerk of the District Court of said county ; said Clerk having due regard to the convenience of the people.
SEC. 3. That it shall be the duty of the Clerk of the District Court, in and for said county, to give notice of the first general election in and for said county, grant certificates of election, and in all respects discharge the duties required by law to be performed by Clerks of the Board .of Connty Commissioners in relation to general elections, until a Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners for said county may be elected and qualified.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
SEC. 4. That it shall be the duty of the Clerk of the District Court in said county, to per- form and discharge all the duties required by law to be performed by Sheriffs in relation to general elections until a Sheriff for said County shall be elected and qualified.
SEC. 5. That the term of office of the county officers elected at the first general election under the provisions of this act, shall expire on the day of the general election for the year 1847, and the term of office of the Justices of the Peace and Constables elected as aforesaid, shall expire on the first Monday in the month of April, 1847.
SEC. 6. The Clerk of the District Court for said county may be appointed at any time after the passage of this act.
SEC. 7. In case of a vacancy in the office of Clerk of the District Court for said county, it is hereby made the duty of the Sheriff of Davis County to perform the duties required by this act to be performed by said clerk.
SEC. 8. That there shall be no assessment or tax levied by the authorities of Davis County within the limits of said county of Appanoose, for the year 1846, but such assessment may be made by the County Assessor elected at the first general election in said county of Appanoose, which assessment may be made at any time prior to the first Monday in the month of October, 1846.
SEC. 9. That it shall be the duty of the Board of County Commissioners of said county, to- hold a meeting on the first Monday of October, 1846, at which time they shall examine the assessment roll returned to them, and levy such a tax for county and Territorial purposes, upon such assessment for the year 1846, as may be required by law.
SEC. 10. That the time for the Treasurer of said county to attend in each of the townships or precincts, for the purpose of collecting revenue, according to the provisions of the thirty-fourth section of an act entitled "An act to provide for assessing and collecting public revenues," approved 15th of February, 1844, shall be during the month of November, and he shall attend at his office, at the county seat of said county, during the month of December, to receive taxes from persons wishing to pay the same, for the year 1846.
SEC. 11. That all actions at law or equity in the District Court, for the county of Davis, commenced prior to the organization of the said county of Appanoose, where the parties, or either of them, reside in the county of Appanoose, shall be prosecuted to final judgment, order or decree, as fully and effectually as if this act had not been passed.
SEC. 12. That it shall be the duty of all Justices of the Peace residing within the county aforesaid, to return all books and papers in their hands, pertaining to the said office, to the next nearest Justice of the Peace which may be elected and qualified for said county, under the pro- visions of this act ; and all suits at law, or other official business, which may be in their hands, and unfinished, shall be prosecuted or completed by the Justice of the Peace to whom such bus- iness or papers may have been returned, as aforesaid.
SEC. 13. That the judicial authorities of Davis County shall have cognizance of all crimes or violations of the criminal laws of this Territory, committed within the limits of said county prior to the first day of August next; provided prosecution be commenced under the judicial authorities of Davis County prior to said first day of August next.
SEC. 14. That said county of Appanoose shall have cognizance of all crimes or violations of the criminal laws of this Territory, prior to the first day of August next, in cases where pros- ecutions shall not have been commenced under the judicial authorities of Davis County.
SEC. 15. That the territory or country west of Appanoose, be and the same is hereby attached to said county of Appanoose, for election, revenue and judicial purposes.
SEC. 16. That the Clerk of the District Court in and for the said county of Appanoose, may keep his office at any place in said county until the county seat thereof be located.
SEC. 17. That William Whitacre, of Van Buren County, B. P. Baldwin, of Washington County, and Andrew Leach, of Davis County, be and the same are hereby appointed Commissioners to locate and establish the seat of justice of said county of Appanoose, Said Commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet at the office of the Clerk of the District Court in and for said county on the first Monday in the month of September next, or within thirty days thereafter, as they may agree.
SEC. 18. Said Commissioners shall first take and subscribe the following oath, to wit : " We do hereby solemnly swear (or affirmn) that we have no personal interest, directly or indirectly, in the location of the seat of justice of Appanoose County and that we will faithfully and imparti- ally locate the county seat of said county, taking into consideration the future as well as the present population of said county ; " which oath shall be administered by the Clerk of the Dis- trict Court, or any other person authorized to administer oaths within said county, and the officer administering said oath, shall certify and file the same in the office of the Clerk of the District Court of said county, whose duty it shall be to record the same.
SEC. 19. Said Commissioners, when met and qualified under the provisions of this act, shall proceed to locate the seat of justice of said county, and as soon as they have come to a determi- nation, they shall commit the same to writing, signed by said Commissioners, and filed with the Clerk of the District Court of said county, whose duty it shall be to record the same and forever keep it on file in his office ; and the place thus designated shall be the seat of justice of said. county.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
SEC. 20. Said Commissioners shall each receive the sum of two dollars per day for each day they may be necessarily employed in the discharge of the duties enjoined upon them by this act, and two dollars per day for each day traveling to and from said county of Appanoose, which shall be paid out of the first proceeds arising from the sale of town lots in said seat of justice.
SEC. 21. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
The name which had been bestowed in 1843 and retained in 1846, was that of a minor Sac chief, who was well known to the settlers in the counties east. He removed to the reservation at Agency, in Wapello County, where Keokuk, Wapello and himself were each given a farm. Here he lived till his death, in 1845, and was buried near his cabin. He was well liked by the whites, but, like all Indians, had a great fondness for whisky.
Joint Resolution No. 15, passed by the Legislature, and approved June 11, 1845, provides that the County of Appanoose should receive fifty copies of the laws of the session in that year.
Chapter 37 of the Laws of 1846 provided that Appanoose and Kishkekosh (now Monroe) Counties should be entitled to one Delegate in the forthcoming convention to frame a State Constitution.
Joint Resolution No. 13, approved January 17, 1846, authorized William G. Coop to procure a full set of seals for Appanoose County.
NAME CHANGED.
Chapter 5 of the First Iowa Legislature, approved January 18, 1847, reads :
SECTION 1. Be it enaeted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, That the name of the town of Chaldea, in Appanoose County, be and the same is hereby changed to that of Centerville.
The name of Chaldea had been bestowed at the suggestion of Mr. Stratton ; but, a month or two after, at a house-raising in the town or vicinity, Rev. Mr. Manson proposed that the name should be changed to " Senterville." Mr. Manson was a Tennessean, an ardent Whig, and a loyal admirer of Gov. Senter, long distinguished in the annals of Tennessee. Mr. Manson pressed his argument with so much eloquence that the assemblage, who composed at least one-third of the county's voters, concurred in his suggestion, and Mr. Manson at once drew up a petition to the Legislature, asking that the name be changed to suit his idea, which was signed by the voters present, and in due course forwarded to Iowa City. The Solons on the appropriate committee had no objection to recommending a little bill like that; but, concluding that Mr. Manson was not quite up to the mark in the matter of spelling, they sagely changed the initial letter of the name, and the town became Centerville.
The name of Chaldea, it is said, was not on the postal directory, and on this account had at first been considered quite appropriate. Mr. Stratton was a Democrat, and, while sorry that his name had been discarded, he had yet a feeling of lively satisfaction that his Whig neighbor had also failed to name the town.
DOINGS OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
The first Board of Commissioners, composed of Reubin Riggs, George W. Perkins and J. B. Packard, met at the store of Spencer Wadlington, on Monday, October 5, 1846. The office of Clerk being vacant, J. F. Stratton was appointed to the position, who entered upon his duties at once.
The next day, Jonathan Scott filed his assessment roll, whereupon the Board ordered a levy of 5 mills on the dollar for county purposes, 50 cents on each poll, and 3 mills for school purposes.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
Dempsey Stanley, Sebastian Streeter and William Crow were appointed to lay out the Territorial road established by the Legislature in 1844. They were ordered to meet at the house of J. F. Stratton, on the 1st of November follow- ing, and to make their return by the 1st of January, 1847.
The same day, it was ordered "that the seat of justice of the county of Appa- noose, this day located and designated by Andrew Leach and William S. Whit- aker, Commissioners, appointed by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa, to locate said seat of justice, shall be known by the name of the town of Chaldea."
The next morning, J. F. Stratton, County Surveyor, was ordered to lay out and plat the town as soon as practicable, according to a plan exhibited by him.
The next business was to allow Andrew Leach $12, and W. S. Whitaker $16, for their services in locating the county seat, "to be paid from the pro- ceeds of town lots in the town of Chaldea."
J. F. Stratton, Clerk of the District Court, was allowed $39 for his services in establishing precincts, organizing the county, etc., and Jonathan Scott was allowed $22.50 for the assessment of 1846.
FIRST REGULAR PAY-ROLL.
The officers of the first election of Appanoose were as follows, as shown by the claims allowed on the 7th of October : Precinct No. 1-John W. Clancy, Henry Miller, Walter G. Perry, Judges ; George W. Perkins, Felix O'Neal, Clerks ; Precinct No. 2-Nathan Bartlett, Jesse Buck, Dempsey Stanley, Judges ; W. S. Townsend, David P. Sparks, Clerks ; Precinct No. 3-Thomas Wilson, Joseph Jump, Isaac McAdams, Judges ; John B. Graves, Jesse Wood, Clerks ; Precinct No. 4-Richard W. Davis, Joseph Weeden, Moses Walker, Judges ; James J. Jackson, John Overstreet, Clerks.
FIRST TREASURER'S REPORT.
Jesse Wood, Collector and Treasurer, reported, the same day, that the total valuation for taxing purposes was $24,055, on which the levy was $266.99, divided as follows: Territorial, $18.29; county, $121.13; poll, $54.50; school, $73.07. The Commissioners had abated $23.09 of the above amount, and Mr. Wood, had collected, in orders, county tax, $88.55; school tax, $35.96. He also reported that $37.94 was delinquent and uncollectible.
The following are the names of those who were taxed in 1846, but who had left the county when the Collector made his trip through the county to collect the taxes : Ebenezer Andrews, Jacob Andrews, William Bratian, Jeremiah Bissell, George Buckner, Ewen Kirby, Abraham Horton, Peter Huff, Wash- ington Laben, Elijah May, Christopher Miller, Washington O'Neal, John Smith, Moses Walker, Jacob Willis, Willoughby Wiggins, William Bratten, James Linville, Alby Parton, Frederick Rowland, Calvin Salen.
January 4, 1847, the Board appointed William S. Manson Recorder of Deeds.
On the 5th, Jonathan Scott, Isaac Riggs and James McCarroll were appointed to locate a road, commencing at Chaldea and running between David Shafer's and William Pewther's claims; thence to William S. Townsend's; thence north westward to intersect the Indian trace near the north line of the county.
The same day, the sum of $10 was appropriated from the first money received by the Treasurer, to be applied to the purchase of books and station- ery, and the Clerk was instructed to notify the Treasurer at once of the action just taken.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
CHALDEA.
February 1, the Board met in special session. The plat of the town of Chaldea was approved and ordered to be recorded. The Board then made an appraisement of the value, and appointed George W. Perkins, one of their number, to sell one quarter of the lots facing the public square, and one quarter of the residence lots. He was also to advertise that another quarter in each class of lots would be sold at auction on the first of April following. The terms of sale were to be one-fourth down, and the remainder in semi-annual payments. One-half of the first installment could be paid in warrants.
PRECINCTS.
Four precincts were established on the same day the above action was taken. Precinct No. 1 was bounded as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of the county; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 1, Township 70, Range 17; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 1, Township 68, Range 17; thence east to the county line; thence north to the place of beginning. The polling place to be at the house of Christian Zuck.
Precinct No. 2, beginning at the northeast corner of Section 2, Town- ship 70, Range 17; thence west to the northwest corner of the county ; thence south to the southwest corner of Township 70, Range 19; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 35, Township 70, Range 17; thence north to the place of beginning. The country lying west, and now composing the northern part of Wayne County, was attached to this precinct for election, judicial and revenue purposes. The polling place was established at the house of Arthur Switchfield.
Precinct No. 3, commencing at the northeast corner of Section 11, Township 68, Range 17 ; thence south to the southeast corner of Section 14, Township 68, Range 17; thence west to the southwest corner of Section 18, Township 68, Range 19; thence north on the west line of the county to the northwest corner of Township 69, Range 19; thence east to the northeast cor- ner of Section 2, Township 69, Range 17; thence south to the southeast corner of Section 14, Township 68, Range 17. The territory lying west, and now comprising the southern part of Wayne, was attached for election and other purposes. The election was "to be held at the office of the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners."
Precinct No. 4 included the remainder of the county; "the election to be held at the house of Mr. Summers, on the west side of the Chariton, at the crossing of the old Mormon trace."
February 16, the Clerk appointed the following as School Inspectors : Pre- cinct No. 1, Christian Zuck, James Wright, Andrew Morrison ; No. 2, Henry Allen, Isaac Riggs, Andrew Jackson ; No. 3, William S. Manson, Daniel P. Sparks, Spencer F. Wadlington ; No. 4, R. M. Davis, I. A. Packard, Moses Walker.
Soon afterward, report was made from Precinct No. 1 that the number of persons therein between the ages of five and twenty-one was 118; in No. 2, there were 77 ; and in No. 3, 75. No report was furnished from No. 4. The amount of school money in the Treasurer's hands was $32.09, and was dis- tributed as follows; No. 1, $14.02; No. 2, $9.55; No. 3, $8.49.
May 5, Reuben Riggs filed his bond as Prosecuting Attorney ; and, on the 16th, William S. Manson qualified as Clerk of the District Court.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
July 5, 1847, Andrew Collins was granted a license to keep a ferry-boat on the Chariton River, four miles east of Centerville and a little below the mouth of Cooper Creek. The boat was to be at least thirty-five feet long and eight feet wide, and provided with sufficient oars and poles. He was also required to- keep a man employed to assist him. The ferry rates to be charged were : Wagon and team, 40 cents ; each additional horse or ox, 5 cents ; horse and buggy, 25 cents ; man and horse, 10 cents; loose horses or cattle, 2} cents each ; sheep or swine, 1 cent each.
THE FIRST COURT HOUSE.
July 5, 1847. the Commissioners decided to have a Court House erected on Lot 1, Block 1, Range 4; but nothing was concluded. September 10, how- ever, it was ordered that the dimensions of the proposed building be 24x20 feet, the structure to be built of logs, and one and one-half stories high. The logs to be well-hewed down, inside and outside; the two lower rounds to be of good sound burr or white oak ; the bottom side-logs to be hewed on the upper side to receive the sleepers; the lower story to be eight feet in the clear ; the upper half-story to be four and a half feet to the top of the plate; the roof to be of good three-feet oak boards, laid one foot to the weather, and well nailed on ; the gable-ends to be weather-boarded with sawed or shaved lumber, with a space in each for a nine-light 8x10 window ; the corners of the building to be sawed down close and square. The house was to be completed by the 1st of January, 1848. Sheriff Jack Perjue immediately announced that the Board was ready to receive bids, and the contract was awarded to James J. Jackson for the sum of $160.
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