USA > Iowa > Clinton County > The history of Clinton County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns &c., biographical sketches of citizens > Part 39
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"In the summer of 1836, I found J. M. Bartlett squatted on the little town- site, keeping a small store, the only building within a mile or more of this spot. He was the sole proprietor and monarch of all he surveyed-quite a funny- talking fellow, who liked whisky full as well as he did money. He was ready for a trade of any kind, and was always anxious to sell town lots, which he often accomplished, for some commodity, such as old harness, horses, wagons, plows, etc .- generally, in those days, minus the money ; more commonly, a great deal of time, called credit, was given, particularly to such lot-holders as our old friend Hogan, who owned the eighty over against the side-hill."
" As I was running the steamboat Missouri Fulton between St. Louis and Dubuque, and sometimes going up as far as St. Anthony Falls and Fort Snell- ing, I had a chance to watch the little town of New York and its sole proprie- tor, upon whom I used to call nearly every trip. Besides its natural and com- mercial advantages, he would argue, when trying to sell me the site for a town, that there was gold enough in the earth in and about this site, if properly worked, to run the United States Mint. He always insisted that he was dig- ging for gold, and that he found it in large quantities. In the spring of 1838, I think it was myself and Col. B. Randall and Col. Jennings purchased the town from Mr. Bartlett, but I have no recollection that we gave any more for it on account of its mineral wealth." -
Mr. Pearce continues his narrative :
" The land not being in market, it was held by claim-titles alias ' squatter sovereignty.' One reason why this locality did not settle up in subsequent years more rapidly was on account of these 'claim-titles,' by which specula- tors held large bodies of land as 'squatters,' and which they held against the actual settler, until bought off. This also led to interminable brawls. Some of the chivalry, or gentlemen of elegant leisure, followed the business of making claims and selling them to emigrants as they arrived in the Territory. The method of operation was this : As soon as a new settler arrived, the above- named gentry would ascertain the 'size of his pile,' by some means best known to themselves. They would have a claim ready to suit his purse, and, if he demurred paying anything to them, contending that his right to the public domain was as good as theirs, they would very soon convince him of his error. He would be summoned to appear before a Justice of the Peace as a trespasser,
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or, in the language of the times, a 'claim-jumper.' The magistrate issuing the summons belonged to the fraternity, and the poor devil of a settler would have to shell out or leave, and, even if he went, would have to go a poorer if not a sadder man.
" Our Justice Courts were a mere farce. The laws of Michigan were pre- tended to be used as a legal guide; but the party who furnished the most whisky would, as a matter of course, always gain the suit.
" I had some little experience in a case brought as trespass, in order to get possession of a piece of land that myself and others were in possession of at the time. Previous to the suit, we had purchased the land from the Government ; and, at the trial, we introduced the Government patent, yet the jury gave the cause against us, and the Justice issued a writ, to dispossess us of our property. " Col. Randall, one of the proprietors, kept a small store near where Flour- noy's warehouse now stands. The principal commodities kept were whisky, Dr. Sappington's ague pills and tobacco-all of which were more or less used as antidotes for ague, and other malarial diseases incident to a new coun- try. Col. Randall's store was the general resort for the surrounding country. Here they would congregate ; hold caucuses, talk politics, take a little whisky for the ague, and sometimes indulge in a free fight.
"New York, at this time-1838 and 1839-did not appear in a very flour- ishing condition, although there had been many lots sold at high figures, but mostly in barter trade. For instance, a person having an old horse or broken- down team, would trade it for a city lot, get his deed, and consider himself worth some hundreds of dollars in real estate. There were, at this time, three buildings in the city proper. These were Bartell's store, the Perrin House, and that of the Pearces.
" The first election held in this part of the county, I think, was held in the fall of 1839. The writer sat as one of the judges of the election. We kept the polls open all day, and the electors came from a circuit of ten or twelve miles; and after counting our votes at sundown, we found we had just sixteen votes, and every masculine voted who was old enough, and no questions asked.
"Some enterprising genius had plowed a furrow on the section line, between Townships 81 and 82, to some indefinite place towards sundown, following the surveyor's mark, and this was the only road we had leading into the interior of the county. Crossing the small water-courses was sometimes a rather hazard- ous enterprise. We were sometimes fortunate in finding a fallen tree or drift- log, on which we could cross, coon-fashion, but more frequently had to ford or swim. There was no settlement, after leaving the river, for a distance of twenty miles ; at Round Grove, near where De Witt was afterwards built, A. G. Har- rison had a small, log house at the edge of the grove.
" During the fall and winter of 1838, myself and my father's family, consist- ing of ten persons, occupied a small, log house, located about half-way between where the Iowa Central House now stands and the river. We had no great surplus of room, it is true; but being resolved to make the best of everything, we passed the winter very pleasantly.
"Among the earliest manufacturing enterprises established in the county was Bigelow's Mint. This establishment was located about one and a half miles below town, on the place now occupied by Mr. Howe. Here hard money was coined in large quantities, and distributed in every direction. So great was the demand for coin, and such the briskness of business at this mint at one time, that the workmen confiscated the machinery of a small grist-mill on Mill Creek, with which to increase the facilities and capacity of their institution.
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" Tim Bigelow's money was very well executed, and circulated quite current. In many places it was quite as current as much of the Eastern currency, wild- cat bills, and was about equally as good. Such, however, was the pressure of the Democratic party in Iowa, at this time, against " Banks of Issue," that our mint was forced to suspend operations. Bigelow was driven from his strong- hold, for he had previously made a fortress of his house, the upper story being pierced with loopholes for musketry, determined to defend himself to the last. But he was forced to capitulate by a posse of regulators ; his old blacksmith- shop (the mint), was demolished, and he was threatened with dire vengeance if he ever showed himself in this part of the county again."
Other informants give us the following statements in regard to Bigelow and his " mint : " The first telegraph in this part of the country was probably erected in this county. Bigelow, who was a "hard-money " man, and whose coin went current even at the land office, and with which many acres of land in this county are said to have been paid for, had his " mint " in a log house situated in Riverside, below where Davis's lime-kiln now stands. Near where the pres- ent railroad bridge now reaches the shore, there was a bridge across the slough on the road between Lyons and Camanche. Another bridge crossed Mill Creek near the present site of the Mill Creek bridge.
From each of the bridges a wire was extended to the " mint," so arranged that any one passing over would ring a bell at the house, upon which labor was suspended, tools carefully laid aside, and the artisans at once became agricul- turists, and assiduously devoted themselves to the labors of the farm.
It is said that this bogus coin was so well executed that much of it passed current at the land office, and was paid out with other coin at the land sales.
Mr. Pearce continues : " There were several stations along the Mississippi in those early days, where sporting gentlemen stopped to trade horses and other property. They were asked no questions, supplied with coin and creature com- forts, and passed on their course of dissipation and crime. The 'mint' was one of these stations.
" The names of the old settlers in this immediate vicinity were Noble Perrin, T. K. Peck, Robert Thomas and J. L. Pearce. Capt. C. G. Pearce, whose interest in the town of New York our family subsequently purchased, and Col. Randall, never considered themselves citizens.
" The old Perrin homestead stood on the bank of the river, between where the railroad bridge and W. J. Young & Co.'s saw-mill now stands ; the old Bartlett house and store, near the Farmers' Mills, and the old Pearce ' mansion,' near the Clinton Lumber Co.'s mill. The only land-mark that remains is the old well. The old Frank Weir's house stood in Young and Arnold's Addition to South Clinton, near where Davis and Co.'s saw-mill used to stand.
" Little Rock Island, in its primitive state, was a beautiful spot. Memory still loves to linger around its stately trees. Here was our sugar camp, where each spring we manufactured our supply of sugar for the coming year. The hand of improvement, I had almost said of desecration, has stripped it of its beauty, and left it in its nakedness.
" The act of the Territorial Legislature organizing the county of Clinton, located the county seat at Camanche. Previous to this, Clinton County was attached to Scott for judicial purposes.
" The first District Court held in this county was in October, 1839, if my memory serves me right. Hon. Thos. S. Wilson, of Dubuque, was the Judge, James D. Bourne, Sheriff, and Martin Dunning, Clerk. It took nearly all the adult male population of the county for grand and petit jurors and constables.
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Persons would frequently have to serve several terms in succession, there being not men enough in the county to change.
" A ferry was run from Camanche to Albany. The boat was an old mud- scow, propelled by sweeps, and it was considered a good half-day's work to cross over and return. Some years later, a horse power-boat was used. This innovation created quite a sensation in the community, and the time of its trips from shore to shore, was often the basis for wagers among the sporting gentle- men; these trips varying from five to thirty minutes, according to the favor- ableness of wind and weather."
GENERAL SUMMARY.
The earliest settler upon any territory within the State of Iowa of which history gives us any account, was an adventurous Frenchman named Julien Dubuque. He is believed to have been a Canadian Frenchman, and, it is sup- posed, obtained his first knowledge of the Upper Mississippi country from the reports made of the explorations of James Marquette and Louis Joliette, who, in 1673, under authorization from the French Government of Canada, voyaged along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, through Green Bay, up the Fox River and Lake Winnebago, and down the Wisconsin River, having made a portage between the two latter waters, to the Mississippi. They entered the latter stream on the 17th of June. 1673. and floated down to the solitudes below, gazing with wonder and admiration upon the bold bluffs and beautiful prairies along its western shorc. They were the discoverers of Iowa-the " Beautiful Land."
At this time, and until 1788, this newly-discovered territory was inhabited by Indians, of whom no authentic history is known. Marquette and his com- panions only record a brief paragraph in regard to the tribes they found. On the 21st day of June, 1673, the fourth day of their journey down the Missis- sippi, they landed on the west bank, and " discovered footprints of some fellow- mortals and a little path leading into a pleasant meadow." They followed that trail, with their companions, five French Canadians, a short distance, when they heard the Indians talking, and, making their presence known by a loud cry, they were conducted to an Indian village. Various conjectures have been made as to the probable location of this village, but it seems to be only con- jecture. It is reasonable to believe it was near the present site of the city of Davenport. The inhabitants of this Indian village are said to have been of the Illini, meaning " tribe of men," who are supposed to have occupied a large portion of the country bordering upon the Mississippi. The Illini were suc- ceeded by the Winnebagoes, who in turn gave place to the Iowas. The Iowas, after having been defeated in a sanguinary conflict by the Sacs and Foxes, yielded up their prairie homes to their victors, and pushed westward to more peaceful hunting-grounds, leaving their name to the beautiful State which has risen upon their aboriginal possessions. A remnant of these Sacs and Foxes remained here when the first settlers arrived. Albert Gallatin, in writing upon Indian history, says, "The Sauks, or Saukies (white clay), and the Foxes, or Outagamins (so called by Europeans), and Algonquins respectively. but whose true name is Mus-quaq-kiuk (red clay), are, in fact, but one nation." A rem- nant, called " Musquakies," now reside upon their reservation in Tama County, Iowa.
For a century following the discovery by Marquette and Joliette, France claimed jurisdiction over the country, when it was ceded to Spain ; but in 1801, the Spanish Government ceded back to the French all interest in the
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Mississippi Valley, and, under treaty dated April 30, 1803, these possessions were ceded by the French Government to the United States. It was while a province of Spain that, in 1788, Dubuque found his way into this wilderness, and, reaching the galena section of Iowa, he obtained from Blondeau and two other chiefs of the Fox tribe of Indians, what he claimed to be a grant of lands. His claim was described as follows: "Seven leagues (twenty-one miles) on the west bank of the Mississippi, from the mouth of the Little Maquoketa River to the Tete Des Mortes, and three leagues (nine miles) in depth." This grant from the Indian chief Blondeau was subsequently qualifiedly confirmed by Carondelet, the Spanish Governor at New Orleans. Dubuque intermarried with the Indians among whom he had cast his fortunes, and continued to operate his mines until the time of his death, in 1810. In 1854, a case hav- ing been made, the United States Supreme Court decided that his grant from the Indian chief Blondeau, qualifiedly confirmed by the Spanish Governor Carondelet, was nothing more than a " temporary license to dig ore, and con- stituted no valid claim to the soil." [16 Howard Rep., 224].
The oldest settlement in the State, is, therefore, Dubuque, which, as a trad- ing post, is identified with the French pioneer whose name it bears.
The territory embraced within the boundaries of Iowa has been purchased by four different treaties. The first, known as the " Black Hawk Purchase," in 1832 ; the second, in 1836; the third, in 1837, and the fourth and last in 1842. At about the time of the first purchase, a settlement had been made at Galena, Ill., and Forts Madison and Bellevue were military posts. Early in the spring of 1833, several companies of settlers crossed from Illinois into Iowa at and near Burlington, and, from this period, the extension of settle- ments and increase of population became more rapid than in the history of any territory.
On the 16th of March, 1804, the boundary line between Upper and Lower Louisiana was established. The lower country was called the Territory of New Orleans, and the upper country, the District of Louisiana. The District of Louis- iana embraced the present States of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota, and was attached to the Territory of Indiana for political and judicial purposes. In 1807, Iowa was organized with the Territory of Illinois, and, in 1812, it was included in the Territory of Missouri. In 1821, when Missouri was admitted into the Union as a State, Iowa was, for a time, a " political orphan," remaining as such until June, 1834, when it was attached to Michigan Territory for temporary jurisdiction, and two large counties-Dubuque and Des Moines-were organized. The line between these two counties commenced at the flag-staff at Fort Arm- strong, Rock Island, and ran due west forty miles. The population at the time of their organization was 10,531, as returned by the census in 1836. By an act of Congress, approved April 20, 1836, and which took effect July 3, of the same year, the territory now comprising the States of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota was organized as Wisconsin Territory, and Henry Dodge appointed Governor.
The Territory of Iowa was organized on the 4th of July, 1838, and Robert Lucas. a former Governor of Ohio, was appointed Governor and Superintend- ent of Indian affairs.
" At the close of the Black Hawk war," says Hon. C. C. Nourse, in his State Address, delivered at the Centennial Exhibition, at Philadelphia, Thurs- day, September 7, 1876, " and on the 15th of September, 1832, Gen. Winfield Scott concluded a treaty, at the present site of the city of Davenport, with the confederate tribes of Sac and Fox Indians, by which the Indian title was
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extinguished to that portion of Iowa known as the 'Black Hawk Purchase.' This was a strip of land on the west bank of the Mississippi River, the western boundary of which commenced at the southeast corner of the present county of Davis ; thence to a point on Cedar River, near the northeast corner of John- son County ; thence to the Mississippi to a point above Prairie du Chien, and contained about six million acres of land. By the terms of the treaty, the Indians were to occupy this land until June 1, 1833."
In 1829, Caleb Atwater was appointed a United States Commissioner to negotiate with the Indians of the Upper Mississippi for the purchase of the "mineral country." He published an account of his trip in a volume entitled, " Remarks Made on a Tour to Prairie du Chien, thence to Washington City, in 1829." In that volume, while describing the country along the Mississippi from Keokuk north, he utters the following prophetie words : " When locomo- tive engines are brought to the perfection to which experience and ingenuity will soon bring them, goods and passengers could pass between the two seas in ten days. That this will be the route to China within fifty years from this time, scarcely admits of a doubt. From sea to sea, a dense population would dwell along the whole route, enliven the prospect with their industry, and animate the scene." He seems also to have a humorous side, as, after prophesying of the future greatness of the West, he says: " At this moment, 50,000 old maids could find industrious husbands in the Western States. For my author- ity. I refer to the late census."
Mr. Atwater describes St. Louis as a town with about forty stores, and a population of 7,000. On the 30th of June, 1829, he left St. Louis with " a great number of passengers, male and female, bound mostly either to Galena or Prairie du Chien." and " on the morning of July 4, we landed under a dis- charge of cannon at Keokuk. 240 miles north of St. Louis, at the foot of the rapids of Des Moines." ". Keokuk belongs to the half-breeds, whose capital it is, on the western side of the Mississippi." It took him three days to reach Rock Island. "Fort Armstrong and the village." he says, " occupies the extreme lower end of the island. The village adjoins the fort on the north, and a few families live here ; Mr. Davenport, who keeps a store for the American Fur Company, being a principal man among them." He notices no other evidences of civilization until he reaches Fever River and Galena. At Galena, the great treaty with the Winnebagoes, Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawatomies, Sioux, Sauks, Foxes and Menominees was held, at which, in July and August, 1829, a tract was ceded from the upper end of Rock Island to the mouth of the Wisconsin, from latitude 41 degrees and 30 minutes, to latitude 43 degrees and 15 minutes on the Mississippi. At this council, the Winnebagoes became turbulent, and threatened to massacre the whites, but Keokuk, who was present with 200 war- riors of Sauks and Foxes, and who was friendly to the United States, began a war dance, reporting that steamboats with United States troops and 400 warriors of his own were near at hand, and by his firmness and faithfulness turned the tide and prevented any bloodshed.
At the first session of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature, held in 1836, the counties of Des Moines, Lee, Van Buren, Henry, Muscatine, and Cook (now called Scott), and Slaughter (now called Washington), were organized out of the original county of Des Moines. At the second session, which convened at Burlington, Des Moines Co., in November, 1837, the following counties were erected from the original Dubuque County : Dubuque, Clayton, Fayette, Dela- ware, Buchanan, Jackson, Jones, Linn, Benton, Clinton and Cedar. Loring Wheeler was a member of the House which numbered thirteen, the Council
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consisting of six members. In the fall of 1837, the question of a separate Territorial organization for Iowa began to be agitated. A convention was called to meet at Burlington on November 1, to devise " ways and means" to accomplish that end. The Wisconsin Legislature, then in session, were favor- able to the movement, and united in a petition to Congress. A bill was pre- pared in answer to the prayer of the petitioners, which, on the 12th of June, 1838, became a law, and went into effect on the 3d of July following. The Legislature of Wisconsin Territory had convened in Burlington in June, 1838, but the passage of the law creating the new Territory rendered their action nugatory so far as related to Iowa, and they adjourned sine die on July 3. On the next day, July 4. 1838. Robert Lucas assumed the functions of Governor, under appointment from President Van Buren. William B. Conway was appointed Secretary ; Charles Mason, Chief Justice, and Thomas S. Wilson and Joseph Williams, Judges. Burlington was designated as the temporary seat of Government. The population had increased from 10,531 in 1836, to 22.860 in 1838.
Soon after assuming the duties of his office, Gov. Lucas issued a proclama- tion for an election of members of the first legislative Assembly, and dividing the Territory into suitable districts for that purpose. The election was held September 10, 1838, and the members of the Assembly, composed of a Council of thirteen, and a House of Representatives, composed of twenty-six members, were elected. Samuel R. Murray, of Camanche, was returned as elected to the House for the counties of Clinton and Scott, but his election was successfully contested by Joseph A. Burchard, of Scott.
By act of Congress, approved March 3, 1845, provision was made for the admission of Iowa, with boundaries extending on the north to the parallel of latitude passing through the mouth of the Mankato or Blue Earth River, and on the West only to 17° 30' west from Washington, corresponding very nearly with the line between Ringgold and Union Counties and Taylor and Adams. The Constitutional Convention, in 1844, had adopted much more extensive boundaries even than those of the present State, the northwestern line extend- ing from the mouth of the Big Sioux or Calumet River direct to the St. Peter's River, where the Watonwan River (according to Nicollet's map) enters the same ; thence down the Mississippi, embracing within the proposed limits some of the richest portions of the present State of Minnesota. The reduction of these boundaries by Congress was so distasteful to the people, that the whole Con- stitution, which was framed at the first Constitutional Convention, which con- vened October 7, 1844, at Iowa City and adjourned November 1 following, was rejected by a vote of the people at the election held August 4, 1845, 7,235 votes being cast " for the Constitution," and 7,656 votes "against the Consti- tution." Lyman Evans and Ralph R. Benedict were the members of that Convention from Clinton County.
In 1846, the present boundary lines were proposed by Congress, which were embodied in the Constitution framed at the second Constitutional Convention, which convened at Iowa City May 4, 1846, and adjourned May 19 following, and, at the election held on the 3d day of August, 1846, the Constitution was ratified by the people, the vote being 9,492 for and' 9,036 against its adoption. Henry P. Haun was the member of this Convention from Clinton County.
ORGANIZATION.
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