USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > The history of Black Hawk 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 > Part 35
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Soon after Bates, Peyton Culver and John Robinson settled near him on the southwest quarter of Section 14, and commenced building a saw-mill on Spring Creek, but abandoned the project, and after remaining a year or two removed to Marysville.
The years 1848 and 1849 were uneventful, and the population of the county did not increase very rapidly. Among those who sought homes in Black Hawk during these two years were William Pennell, H. H. Meredith, J. L. Kirkpatrick, Geo. Philpot, Jonathan R. Pratt. Edwin Brown and Samuel Newell.
A VENGEFUL SAVAGE.
In the Spring of 1848, after the Indians had been collected at Fort Atkin- son prior to their removal to Minnesota, one of them, "Very Good " Johnson, returned to Turkey Foot Forks, and falling in with Paul Somaneux, got drunk and quareled with him. Somaneux gave him more whisky and paddled up the river to his camp. Johnson went to Newell's house, breathing vengeance toward Somaneux. He then started off, and meeting George Newell in the river bottom, after threatening Somaneux, fired at George, one of the buck-shot grazing his skull. George ran to the house, and had just got a satisfactory bead on Mr. Johnson, when Mrs. Newell caught hold of the gun and drew him in the house. His brother Thomas coming along just then, saw Johnson in the act of leveling his gun on George again. Thomas snatched the piece from the Indian, and took it into the house, Johnson following. There Thomas took the drunken vagabond in hand and inflicted a punishment that left him with a couple of fractured ribs, which made him roar for mercy. The impudence of Johnson was sublime. On his way to his camping place up the river he met James Newell, who, being struck with the scamp's woe-begone appearance, asked him what was the matter. Johnson's only answer was a grunt. Noti- cing that the scamp had his blanket wrapped around his noble form although the weather was hot, Newell snatched it off, when it was very evident what ailed the vagabond. The Indian, in reply to Newell's questioning look, merely said, " Two ribs-Thomas no good," and made off. Had Newell known of the affray it is probable the Indian would have had more bones broken.
" BLACK HAWK STORE."
During the Summer of 1850, Andrew Mullarky removed from Independ- ence to Sturgis' Falls, brought a small stock of goods and opened a store. He
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occupied a small building on the north side of First street, which served for both store and residence. This was soon named the "Black Hawk Store," the first in the county, and, like the mill, drew custom for a hundred miles north and west.
POPULATION IN 1850.
In 1850, according to the United States census of that year, there were 26 families in the county, with a total population of 135 persons ; 75 males and 60 females. The whole number of children attending school was four, and there were two births and two deaths during that year. There were 389 acres of improved land ; farming implements valued at $655; 15 horses, 39 cows, 28 oxen, 41 head of other cattle, 40 sheep and 183 hogs. The entire productions of the county in that year were 160 bushels of wheat, 2,150 bushels of corn, 100 bushels of oats, 75 bushels buckwheat, 120 pounds of wool, 3,364 pounds of maple sugar, and 615 pounds of honey. In 1852 the population had increased to 315.
FIRST BIRTHS, WEDDINGS AND DEATHS.
The first white child born in the county was Jennette, daughter of William Sturgis, born Oct. 1, 1846. The first white male child was Henry F. Adams son of E. D. Adams, who was born three days after Jennette Sturgis. The third birth was Emily Hanna, March 7, 1847.
The first wedding, so far as can now be ascertained, was that of James Vir- den and Charlotte Pratt, at the house of Jonathan R. Pratt at Cedar City. The license was obtained from the County Judge of Buchanan County, Feb. 25, 1851, and the wedding took place on the 27th, George W. Hanna, Justice of the Peace, officiating. The records of Buchanan County show the following marriages under that jurisdiction, viz .: David S. Pratt and Miss Jane Sturgis, license issued Sept. 16, married by Edwin Brown, Justice of the Peace, Sep- tember 21, 1851 ; James S. Hampton and Mary Ann Payne, license dated June 22, married June 27, 1852, by George W. Hanna, Justice of the Peace; Marquis L. Knapp and Mary Streeter, licensed Sept. 3, married Sept. 5, 1852, by G. W. Hanna, Justice of the Peace; James Keeler, Jr. and Cornelia Streeter, married Sept. 21, 1852, by James Keeler, Justice of the Peace ; Adam Shigley and Aurelia S. Harwood, license issued June 13, 1853, married June 14, by Benoni Harris, local preacher.
The first marriage of any resident of Black Hawk, however, was that of James Newell. His wife died June 2, 1847, and his family, one an infant born May 21, 1847, needed the care of a mother ; accordingly he found Mrs. Howard in Cedar County, and married her there, Nov. 7, 1847.
The first death was James Monroe Hanna, infant son of George W. and Mary Hanna, who died Oct. 18, 1845. The second was Mrs. James Newell, June 2, 1847. The third death, so far as is known, was that of Mary Virden, 2 years old, daughter of William Virden, whose clothes took fire accidentally, and she was so badly burned that she died soon after, in 1848.
In 1847, Rev. Mr. Collins, a missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church. visited the region and held religious services in Mr. Mullan's cabin at " Prairie Rapids" and at other places in the county where there were any settlers to listen to him. Rev. Mr. Johnson, also a Methodist, preached to the pioneers of Black Hawk a little later in the same year.
It is perhaps a little singular that no post office was established in Black Hawk County until Jan. 3, 1850, when Dempsey C. Overman was appointed Postmaster at Cedar Falls. The arrival of the first mail was quite an event,
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
but for some time the mails were so small that the Postmaster used to carry the letters in his hat, delivering them as he happened to meet the persons addressed. It is not known that there were any other carrier deliveries in the State at that time, and Mr. Overman may be called the Pioneer Letter Carrier of Iowa. The mails were carried on horseback by Thomas W. Case, and the receipts of the first quarter were $2.50. It was nearly two years after the establishment of the first post office at Cedar Rapids before the second one was established at Waterloo. In the Summer or Fall of 1851, Charles Mullan circulated a peti- tion for a post office at Prairie Rapids, or "Prairie Rapids Crossing," as the little hamlet was then called, and asking for the appointment of Charles Mullan as Postmaster. The petition had seven signatures. The petitioners had not agreed upon a name for the post office, but left the selection to Mr. Mullan, who, when he took the petition to Cedar Falls to be indorsed by the postmaster there. looked through the list of post offices in the United States to find a name. He found Waterloo, was pleased with it, selected it, and in due time the necessary papers were received, dated December 29, 1851. The post office being named Waterloo, the town and township were designated by the same name.
In 1851, Mr. John T. Barrick had disposed of his interest in the mill property to the Overmans, Edwin Brown and Dr. H. H. Meredith. This change brought into the combination considerable capital, which was at once applied to developing the water-power. The race was increased in width and depth, and the brush dam was replaced with one of logs and plank, and soon after a three-story flouring mill was erected. But this was not all.
A town plat was surveyed, and the little settlement for the first time received the name of Cedar Falls. The plat was not recorded, however, and two years later the town was again surveyed and recorded as Independence. John R. Cameron purchased the first lot, on the southeast corner of Main and Second streets, on which he erected a frame building for a store, which is still standing. The first frame dwelling was that of Samuel Wick, on First street, near Main. At the time the plat was made, there were nine log cabins and forty inhabitants in the new town of Cedar Falls.
The first lawyer to settle in the county was Samuel Wick. He settled at Cedar Falls, and was there in 1850. The first lawyer at Waterloo was John Randall.
When Black Hawk County was created, in 1843, it was attached to Dela- ware County; but in 1845 it was attached to Benton County, and in 1846, states Geo. W. Hanna, Esq., under Benton jurisdiction, an election was held at the house of E. D. Adams, near the Falls. At this election, Geo. W. Hanna, E. D. Adams and John Melrose were the judges, and William Sturgis and a man from Benton County, whose name is forgotten, were the clerks. George W. Hanna, E. D. Adams and John Melrose were elected Justices of the Peace at this election, who held their offices for five years, as Mr. Hanna states that after that first election, in 1846, there was none held until 1851.
The first action of the County Commissioners of Buchanan County, relating to Black Hawk, was recorded April 14, 1851, when the following entry was made:
Application of Black Hawk County and Bremer County to be set off into separate election precincts allowed. Black Hawk to be one, and Bremer to be one, and election ordered on the 28th day of April inst., at - -- in Black Hawk Connty, and at J. H. Messinger's in Bremer.
Under this order, the second election in Black Hawk County was held at the house of John T. Barrick. There are no records of the meeting, but it is remembered that 'Squire Hanna was re-elected Justice of the Peace, and Edwin
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
Brown was elected Justice of the Peace, and John Melrose and Norman Williams, Constables.
The first assessment rolls of Buchanan County on which the names of Black Hawk settlers appear, were made in 1851, when the following citizens of Black Hawk were assessed. viz .: E. D. Adams, F. Davenport, D. S. Pratt. D. S. Pratt & Co., William Virden, Overman & Co.,- Brown, D. C. Over- . man. E. Brown, J. Morgan, Mahlon Lupton, F. Hohiner, A. Mullarky, George Philpot, David Davis, G. W. Hanna, J. Melrose, John Virden, R. Jones. L. Downing, William Sturgis, Henry S. Crumrine, James Wadell, C. Mullan, Geo. Ellis, Hiram Hampton, James Virden, G. B. White, John Crumrine, J. L. Kirkpatrick, J. H. Pennell, Chas. McCaffree, Thomas Pinner, A. Nims, Moses Bates, O. H. Hadon (Hayden), - Layseur, J. H. McRoberts, John Clark, Isaac Virden, C. H. Wilson, S. Wick, Perrin Lathrop, J. R. Pratt. Thomas Newell, S. S. Knapp, M. L. Knapp, C. F. Jaquith, Benj. Knapp, Elbridge (G.) Young, A. C. Finney, John Fairbrother, W. W. Payne, J. T. Barrick, S. T. Vail.
In 1850, a man named Brown settled on Section 22, Township 87, Range 11 (Spring Creek), and Henry Gray located in the northeast part of the town- ship in 1851; and in 1852, Charles Sturtevant, Edmund Sawyer, Henry Gipe. William Gipe, Jesse Shimer and D. B. Seeter settled in the same township.
About 1850, a supply of flour and meal became a matter of no small importance to the little settlement at Sturgis' Rapids (Cedar Falls). There was no grist-mill in the county, and very little grain raised. The Mississippi River was the nearest point at which supplies of that essential commodity could be obtained. John T. Barrick was chosen to go for such supplies, the country affording plenty of meat in the wild game that was here in abundance. He accordingly made the journey to ·Muscatine, but was much delayed by high water. there having been a great deal of rain. He was able in about five weeks to return as far as Big Creek, where the city of La Porte now stands. He found the creek impassable, on account of its height, with a large camp of Indians waiting on its banks for the return of their hunters, who had gone out on a buffalo chase. He tried in vain to procure the assistance of the Indians in crossing the swollen stream. They would assist with their canoes if he would give them half of his flour, which he refused to do, though offering to pay them liberally for their assistance. In the mean time the hunters returned, after a successful chase, and learning the situation of our hero, they also attempted to enforce the tribute which their comrades had demanded ; but failing in nego- tiations, they took him prisoner and took his team from the vicinity, but did not attempt to pilfer his flour. The second day they became tired of holding him, and set him across the creek with orders to leave. Returning to Sturgis' Rap- ids, he procured the assistance of some mutual friends and returned for his team and wagon. After some parleying and considerable pay, the team was brought back, his load ferried across, his wagon floated over, and they successfully started on the road to their settlement, where they arrived in due time, and thus another Indian massacre was happily avoided.
About this time, some men, supposed to be horse-thieves, having built a small cabin near the bank of the river, spent the Winter in cutting cedar timber for fence posts and piling it on the river bank preparatory to rafting it to St. Louis. The settlement at Sturgis' Rapids being aware of the fact, and not fancying such near neighbors, made a raid upon the timber thieves, burned their cabin and timber, stampeded their teams, and drove them from the country.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
In 1851, O. M. Hayden opened a farm on Miller's Creek, near Cedar Valley, where he remained some twenty years. Soon after, George Cook set- tled where La Porte now stands, followed soon after by John G. Forbes, two miles above, James Blanzy, John Walker, Robert Harris, Lewis Smith Eldridge. Joseph and William Boun, in that immediate vicinity and near La Porte, John Dees, James Hamer, Byron Stewart and Jesse Wasson, who laid out the town of La Porte.
Amasa Nims located on Section 26, Township 89, Range 12, in 1850, but sold his claim to Benjamin Winsett in 1852, and removed from the township.
BRADFORD LAYS IN ITS PORK.
In the Spring of 1851, James Newell, at Turkey Foot Forks, had twenty- five head of swine stray away. He searched for them far and wide, but could not find them. In the Fall. he heard that they were in the vicinity of where Waverly now stands; but when he went up, they were half way to Bradford. A settler named Forest proposed that if Newell would bring him some corn, he would feed them to keep them tame. Newell went home, and, as soon as he could, took a large load of new corn to Forest's cabin, but he had just sold out and had made a new claim about a mile off. Newell drove. to Forest's new cabin, but he was not at home. Newell carried the corn into the cabin, and went home. When the first snow fell, late in November, Newell started with some men to gather and kill his swine. On the way he met an acquaintance who told him that Forest had sold the hogs to the people of Bradford; that two loads had been killed, and the remainder would be slaughtered that day. New- ell, in his narrative, says, "Well, I knew the jig was up; for there was not a man in the place you could collect a dollar of, if there was either law or gospel there, and there was neither."
The Third General Assembly, by a joint resolution approved Feb. 5, 1851, in- structed the Iowa Senators and requested her Representatives in Congress to use their influence to secure to the people of the State forty-six additional mail routes : among them were, (19) from Cedar Falls in Black Hawk County, to Fort Clark on the Des Moines River; (29) from Centerville in Fayette County. by way of Cedar Falls in Black Hawk County, to the county seat of Marshall County.
By act of the Third General Assembly, approved Feb. 5, 1851, State roads were provided for in Black Hawk County as follows :
James Allensworth, of Linn County, John Alexander, of Benton County, and David S. Pratt, of Black Hawk, were appointed to locate and establish a State road from Center Point in Linn County, on the most practicable route to Marysville in Benton County, thence in a northwesterly direction via the resi- dence of James Virden to the Big Woods near the residence of John H. Mes- senger, to Rice's old trading house.
Thomas W. Close and Isaac L. Hathaway, of Buchanan County, and Andrew Mullarky, of Black Hawk County, were appointed to lay out and estab- lish a State road from Independence to Cedar Falls.
John Barrick, Edwin Brown and David S. Pratt were appointed to locate a State road from Cedar Falls in Black Hawk County, to the county seat of Marshall County.
Samuel Davis, Benjamin Knapp and Daniel Parker, to locate a State road from Cedar Falls to Fort Clark.
Charles Mullen, James Virden and William Pennell to locate a State road from Independence to intersect the road from Cedar Rapids to Cedar Falls, at or near the residence of Charles Mullen.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
By an act approved Feb. 5, 1851, Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler and Grundy were attached to Buchanan for judicial, election and revenue purposes.
The first entries of land in each township in the county, made at the United States Land Office, are as follows :
Township 90, Range 11 (Lester)-Joseph Potterf entered a part of Section 36, July 21, 1851; Caspar Rowse entered a part of Sec. 14, July 23, 1851; David S. Wilson, H. W. Sanford, Frederick E. Bissell, George Counts, John Somers, Alvin S. McDowell and John Stobie entered land in this township in 1852.
Township 90, Range 12 (Bennington)-Allen C. Fuller entered a part of Sec. 36, July 20, 1854. Nearly all the land in this township was entered in 1855.
Township 90, Range 13 (Mt. Vernon)-William Bergin entered a part of Sec. 3, July 21, 1852; Thomas Gordon entered a part of Sec. 3; William Joshua, Barney and William Kern entered in 1852.
Township 90, Range 14 (Washington and Union) - James W. True entered July 18, 1850; Benjamin Knapp entered a part of Sec. 27, Nov. 1, 1850; James Newell entered Jan. 18, 1851; John Fairbrother, C. H. Wilson, Valorious Thomas, E. G. Young, C. F. Jaquith, Wm. Kern, John C. Higgin- son, James L. Cumons, Margaret Roberts, Simon Wyatt, Jr., James Sween, Alfred Goss, Solomon S. Knapp, James Carlisle, S. M. Knapp, Jesse Morgan and others, entered in 1851.
Township 89, Range 11 (Barclay)-Joseph Potterf entered a part of Sec. 13, and Edward Moiney entered a part of Sec. 12, June 16, 1851.
Township 89, Range 12 (partly in Poyner and partly in East Waterloo)- John Crumrine entered a part of Secs. 31 and 32, Dec. 5, 1850; Caleb H. Booth, John L. Kirkpatrick and Joseph M. Pennell entered in 1852.
Township 89, Range 13 (Waterloo and East Waterloo)-Alvin R. Dunton entered parts of Secs. 22 and 23, July 24, 1847; George W. Hanna entered a part of Sec. 17 and the northeast fractional half of Sec. 26, July 26, 1847 ; John Hersley entered a part of Sec. 21, Sept. 13, 1849; James Waddell entered a part of Sec. 6; Wm. M. Dean, John M. McDonald, H. S. Crum- rine, Lyman Downing entered in 1850, and Andrew Mullarky, John Adams, Norman W. Tottingham, Richard Goodwin, Oscar Virden, S. B. Philpot, James Wilson, America Mullan, William Virden, Cephas Clearwater, Peter Powers and Jacob Witten entered in 1852.
Township 89, Range 14 (Cedar Falls)-William Sturgis entered a part of Sec. 12. Oct. 9, 1847; Jackson Taylor entered in 1849; George Philpot entered in 1850.
Township 88, Range 11 (Fox)-Frederick E. Bissell entered Sept. 29, 1852; John A. Dunham entered a part of Sec. 19, Nov. 10, 1852.
Township 88. Range 12 (Poyner and Cedar)-H. W. Sanford entered Feb. 1, 1850; Samuel Owens entered a part of Sec. 6, June 6, 1850.
Township 88, Range 13 (Orange)-Samuel Owens entered Jan. 6, 1850.
Township 88, Range 14 (Black Hawk)-Robert A. Jones entered Dec. 17, 1851.
Township 87, Range 11 (Spring Creek)-Moses Bates entered parts of Secs. 11, 12 and 14, Sept. 11, 1849.
Township 87, Range 12 (Cedar and Big Creek)-David Baker entered a part of Sec. 3, and Samuel D. Warner entered a part of Sec. 15, Jan. 2, 1852; Otto F. Hayden entered a part of Sec. 2, July 10, 1852.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
Township 87, Range 13 (Eagle)-Joseph H. Mead and Cicero Close entered Sec. 13, Jan. 3, 1854.
Township 87, Range 14 (Lincoln)-Madison E. Hollister and Watson V. Coe entered July 5, 1854.
In April, 1851, the County Commissioners of Buchanan County erected Black Hawk County into a voting precinct, and ordered an election. In August of that year, the County Commissioners were superseded by a County Judge. March 1, 1852, the County Court of Buchanan divided Black Hawk County into two voting precincts, as follows :
Ordered, By the Court, that that portion of Black Hawk County lying west of Cedar River and north of Black Hawk Creek compose one precinct, to be called Cedar Falls Precinct ; that an election be held in said precinct on the first Monday in April next, at the house of A. Mullarky ; and the Court appoints D. C. Overmau, E. D. Adams and Edwin Brown Judges of said Election. And it is
Further Ordered, By the Court. that all that portion of Black Hawk County lying east of the Cedar River, together with that portion lying west of Cedar River and south of Black Hawk Creek, shall compose one precinct to be called Black Hawk Precinct; that an election shall be held in said precinct on the first Monday in April next, at the house of Jeremiah Pratt; and the Court appoints Jeremiah Pratt, Charles Mullan and Samuel Wick Judges of said Election.
O. H. P. ROSZELL, County Judge.
Evidently some error occurred in the above order, or the people were not satisfied with the action of the Court, for on the 8th of March, one week later, the orders of the 1st were revoked, and Judge Roszell
Ordered, That all that portion of Black Hawk County lying north of the correction line* and west of the Cedar River compose one precinct to be called Black Hawk Precinct, and that an election be held in said precinct on the first Monday in April next, at the house of Andrew Mullarky ; and Edwin Brown, E. D. Adams and Samuel Wick are hereby appointed Judges of Election.
It is further ordered, That all that part of Black Hawk County south of Black Hawk Creek and west of C'edar River, together with all that portion south of the correction line and east of Cedar River, shall compose one precinct to be called Cedar Precinct, and that an election shall be held in said precinct on the first Monday in April next, at the house J. A. Durham ; and Charles Mullan, J. A. Durham and Moses Bates are hereby appointed Judges of Election.
There are no records to show that elections were held at the places and times designated, except that on the 3d day of May, 1852, Judge Roszell ordered the payment of the Judges of Election aforesaid, from which it is to be inferred that the elections took place.
Cedar Precinct was divided Oct. 2, 1852, by order of the County Court of Buchanan Co., as follows:
Ordered, By the Court, that the precinct called Cedar Precinct, in Black Hawk County, be divided, and that part lying west of Cedar River shall form oue precinct to be called Cedar Pre- cinct, and that portion lying east of Cedar River shall form a new precinct to be called Prairie Precinct ; and the Court orders an election to be held in said precinct on the 2d day of November next, at the house of John A. Durham, for the purpose of voting for Presidential Electors.
It is further ordered, By the Court, that Prairie Precinct extend one mile north of the correc- tion line, and be bounded on the north by the Section line running parallel with the correction line, at a distance of one mile north of said correction line.
There are no records of this election ; no poll books are to be found either in Buchanan or Black Hawk County archives; but it is said that the first election was held at the house of Benjamin Winset, and that James H. Hampton was elected Clerk ; Nathan Poyner, Justice of the Peace, and T. Van Eaton, Con- stable.
Among the ancient papers preserved in the office of the County Auditor, are lists of real and personal property in Prairie Precinct, Black Hawk Co., made in the Spring of 1853, from which the following names of residents are
* The correction line falls at the south line of the tier of townships numbered 89.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
compiled : Benjamin Winset, John Clark, Felix G. Walker, T. B. Van Eaton, Wilson Sawyer, Edmund Sawyer, Thomas Poyner & Co., John Perry, Joseph Perry, William Pennell, Mispah S. Oxley, George McConnell, Charles McCaf- frey, Michael Lanning, Stephen Howell, John Helton, Steven Helton, J. H. Hampton, Daniel Walker, Henry Gray, D. G. Ellis, Jacob Bunting, Barney Bouck, George Arthur, Elizabeth Crumrine, George Clark, Henry Clark.
June 26, 1852, the County Court of Buchanan Co. levied a tax on the taxable property of the county of Buchanan, and counties attached, viz. : Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler and Grundy. The tax was one and one-half mills on the dollar for State purposes, four mills for county, one-half mill for schools and one mill for roads.
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