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 49
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The list of grand jurymen at the second term of court, which commenced April 12, 1841, also includes many familiar names : James Hall, Robert Smith, Herman B. Shaff, Jonathan L. Pearce, Otis Bennett, John D. Simmons, Isaac Ramsey, John R. Boyd, John Aikmain, William Hogan, Lyman Evans, Daniel Hess, LeRoy Dutton, Franklin K. Peck and Charles Harrison, and had Lyman Evans for foreman.
420
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
The act organizing Clinton County declares that the County Commissioners and other officers- should be elected on the first Monday in April, 1840, but I find no record of any proceedings by the Board of Commissioners until January 5, 1841, when Elijah Buel, Robert C. Bourne and Eli Goddard, who were elected October 5. 1840, met at the house of Samuel Doolittle, in manche.
It is interesting to observe the moderate taxes of that day. The Board adopted a resolution, classifying lands, declaring that first-rate lands should be valued at $3 per acre ; second rate, at $2.50, and third rate, at $2 per acre ; and that the rate of tax should be 5 mills. In the state- ment of the account made in July, 1841, by the Board of Commissioners, with James D. Bourne, tax collector, he is charged with $472.33 as the amount of the tax list of Clinton County for the year 1841.
Those voluminous title records now appearing in the office of the County Recorder had their beginning on the 5th day of May, 1840, with Reuben Root as Recorder, when a mortgage was recorded, made by John C. Holbrook to Melvin Lord, on the southwest quarter of Section 13, Town 81, Range 6, also on a quarter-section, stated to be adjoining, and on another quarter-sec- tion on Beaver Island, known as the Booth Claim. It was not until June 12, 1840, that the first deed of conveyance was recorded. That was a deed from Nathan Atwell to George Merriam for Lots 3 and 4 in Block 4, Range 1, with a house in Camanche, according to plat made by George l'eck, consideration, $1,000, and title warranted against all claims but those of the United States, a rather superficial title. Camanche was platted in advance of the entry of the land at the United States Land Office, and this accounts for the character of the covenants of warranty.
Those settlers who secured on the bank of the Mississippi what were regarded as favorable sites for future cities had a due appreciation of the natural advantages of these points, and soon had the plats planned and surveyed, and with such ample dimensions as not to cramp the growth of the rising cities, and the proprietors bestowed upon them names of no insignificant import.
New York was located on a part of the now site of Clinton. The name New York appears on the official plat of the Government survey, but no plat of the town was ever recorded in the records of Clinton County, so New York vanished with the entry of the land on which it had been founded.
Lyons was surveyed and platted in 1837, and the proprietors, Elijah Buell, Beal Randall, Dennis Warren, George W. Harlan and Chalkley A. Hoag, made division of lots by placing the numbers in a hat and drawing therefrom. The first survey was by Crawford, but, after the entry of the land, in 1840, John Brophy remodeled the plat and the parties made deeds to each. other in pursuance of the division of the lots they had previously made. The nanie of Camanche, as well as that of Lyons, also appears on the plat of the United States survey,
January 14, 1841, the Territorial Legislature passed a law appointing William Miller, of Cedar County, Andrew F. Russell, of Scott County, and William A. Warren, of Jackson County, Commissioners to relocate the county seat of Clinton County, and they were directed to meet at the house of Abraham Folkes. in Clear Creek Precinct, within six months thereafter, and to proceed and locate the seat of justice as near the geographical center of the county as a good and suitable situation, convenient to wood and water, could be found : and the Commissioners were authorized to name the county seat. The law provided that Camanche should remain the temporary county seat until the Judge of the District Court should be notified in writing, by the County Commissioners, that suitable buildings were erected at said seat of justice for the accom- modation of the court and suitors ; and that when the Judge should be so notified, the Sheriff should give notice that the next term of the Court would be held at the new seat of justice.
The Commissioners accordingly met on the 18th day of March, 1841, and made the location, and reported that on that day they had located the seat of justice of Clinton County by setting a stake in or near the center of the north half of Section 18, Township 81, Range 4, and by nam- ing the seat of justice-in accordance with the will of the people as near as they could ascertain -Vandenburg. October 4, 1841, the Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution that Hon. Thomas S. Wilson be notified " that there are suitable buildings now erected at the town of Van- denburg to accommodate the court and suitors of the District Court for the county of Clinton for- the October term, 1841," and the court at that term commenced being held at Vandenburg. It was understood the name Vandenburg was chosen because it was that of a sweetheart of Col. Warren.
By an act of the Legislature, February 17, 1842, the name Vandenburg was changed to De Witt.
The accommodations thus provided for the court and suitors consisted of a very fair log building, which supplied the court-room and the jury-rooms, and it was in this court-room, in 1844, that I first saw a court in session in Iowa, and, in fact, the first court at which I was ever present.
There was not a great pressure of law business in those days, and the Judge did not hesi- tate to adjourn court occasionally to and go prairie-chicken shooting with the Sheriff (Bourne), and, inasmuch as Uncle Sam paid the court expenses, the people had no ground for complaint. The lodging accommodations for suitors, witnesses and jurymen. during court, were furnished in a pretty compact form, chiefly at the houses of Seth Lum and Col. Lyman Evans.
421
-
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
De Witt continued the county seat until the removal, in 1869, to block 8, in North Clinton, where the first term of court was begun November 22, 1869, J. Scott Richman, Judge.
February 12, 1844, the first step was taken toward obtaining the admission of the State of Iowa into the Union, by the passage of a law by the Territorial Legislature, providing for the expression of the opinion of the people of the Territory at the April election of that year, upon the subject of the formation of a State Constitution. The method of taking this expression was rather novel. The law provided, that, as each elector approached the polls, he should be asked whether he was in favor or against a convention, and that he should respond, simply, " Conven- tion," or " No Convention," and that the officers of the election should thereupon record his name and his decision. The majority-opinion proved to be favorable, and, in accordance with the law in that event, delegates to form a State Constitution were elected at the general election in August, 1844. They convened on the first Monday in October, and the Constitution formed by them was submitted to the people for adoption or rejection at the August election, 1845. In the mean time, and on the 3d dayof March, 1845, Congress passed a law for the admission of lowa under that Constitution ; but, in the law, the western boundary of the State was fixed at 17º 30' west of the Meridian of Washington, which is only some thirty miles west of Des Moines, the present capital of the State ; and when the people came to vote, the manner of doing which was also on the viva voce plan, each elector being interrogated and responding "Constitution," or " No Constitution," a majority answered " No Constitution." They decided wisely in rejecting admission, with a boundary with would have so detracted from the present limits and importance of the State.
The question of admission was not suffered to rest long. The Legislature, on the 17th day of January, 1846, fixed the next April election as the time to elect delegates to another conven- tion. This convention, on the 18th day of the following May, completed the Constitution which was voted on and adopted by the people at the August election, 1846.
And on the 28th day of December, of that year. Congress passed the final act, in which it is declared " that the State of Iowa shall be one, and is hereby declared to be one, of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatsoever."
Let us take a little view of the marvelous growth and development in this county. We all remember well when it was thought that, in consequence of the distance to timber, the large prairies in this county could not be settled, not certainly in our time, and when parties desired to enter Government land to obtain a little advance on it, they were careful to make selections as near timber as possible. The early settlements were made in the skirts of the groves. A good spring, or a lasting stream of water and a piece of timber, were decisive of the spot where the early settler would establish his home.
By and by the speculators, in entering land, became a little bolder, and they came to believe that it was not very hazardous to locate land in the middle of our prairies. The settlements, in like manner, grew and extended from the groves out toward the center of the prairies, and we began to find those meandering and pleasant roads by which we used to pass in any direction we pleased, in crossing the uninhabited prairie, obstructed by the obtrusive farmer, who persisted in having the roads straightened and put on the boundary lines of his farm, until at last the county has become one solid block of farms.
At the organization of the county, in 1840, it had a population of 821 ; in 1850, it had 2,822. During the next ten years, it had a large increase in population, the census of 1860 showing 18,938, against the 2,822 in 1850, and during the next ten years ending in 1870, the population grew to 35,357.
The acres of improved land in 1850, were 19,008, and in 1870. 323.182.
The county produced in 1850, 61,945 bushels of wheat ; in 1860, 592,117 bushels ; in 1870, 954,175 bushels, and, in 1874, 1,010,345 busliels.
In 1850, there were 94,050 bushels of corn ; in 1860, 795,305 bushels ; in 1870, 2,493,660, and in 1874, 3,061,338 bushels ; so we have no reason to fear a famine in this county from the present outlook.
The census of 1870 puts down the estimated true value of real and personal property in the county at $20,207,080 ; and the census further shows what is unquestionably very satisfactory to the old settlers, as well as new, that the county has not one dollar of bonded debt.
In securing railroads through its limits, the county has also been exceedingly fortunate.
It was a marvel to you old settlers to see in your day the path of the Indian superseded by the railway. Within twenty years of the first settlement of this county, a railroad had been con- structed part-way through and put in operation. The county is now interlaced with railroads, there being within its limits 145 miles of railroad, believed to exceed the number of miles in any other county in the State.
The first telegraph line and the first railroad extending to the Pacific coast were constructed through Clinton County.
The first settlers were not mistaken in their opinion that they were locating where would pass a great line of railroad stretching across the continent.
The theory of Mr. Elijah Buell and others was, that here the Mississippi approaches nearest to the lakes between this point and Chicago, the shortest line of transportation by land ; here
422
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
are the narrows in the river, a favorable crossing, and that a railroad from Chicago would be directed to this point. Before a railroad had reached the Mis-issippi, Dennis Warren used to tell us that the tea from China was bound to be shipped through to the East by a railroad passing right by this point.
These men have lived to see all these things come to pass.
You old settlers have great reason to be gratified with the prosperity of the county, in the development of which you have taken so prominent a part ; and you who saw it in the days of its poverty and weakness, above all others, can appreciate its present strength and wealth; and you are to be thanked, and your good judgment commended for that economical and successful management of its affairs during the years of its growth, which aided its rapid progress, and enables it to appear to-day in so sound a financial condition.
I understand that for this meeting we are indebted to the ladies ; that they were the first to propose it ; and that it was one of these ladies who composed the poetry on early times in this county, which was read with so much interest recently, in one of our newspapers, and we thank those ladies for having brought about this meeting.
I have taken quite enough of your time. We are all anxious to hear from the old settlers present, many of whom preceded by a number of years the arrival of my father and his family, including myself, and they can tell you of the county and its settlers before I had knowledge of it.
The roll of old settlers, which it 'is proposed to make to-day, we realize, will not be long responded to by all whose names will be thereon inscribed, and that as the advancing years increase the number will be reduced, until not one will remain as the custodian of this record-
" Like as star by star declines, Till all are passed away, As morning higher and higher shines To pure and perfect day. Nor sink those stars in empty night- They hide themselves in heaven's own light."
Other old settlers would have made remarks had it not been for the threatening weather, which made it advisable to proceed first with the dinner and organization of the Society, and have afterward any extempore speeches. Accordingly the well-filled baskets were opened and the next hour was a merry scene of al fresco feasting and sociability.
Among the early settlers present were : Mrs. Mary Pearce, widow of J. L. Pearce, Sr., eighty-eight years of age. who arrived in 1837 ; Mrs. Elmira Sey- mour. widow of Judge Seymour, eighty-three years old, who arrived in 1841, was present, also Mr. and Mrs. William Roberts, who came in 1837. There were also present Dr. I. P. Yeomans, 1837 ; Capt. F. K. Peck, 1837, appointed by Gov. Dodge the first militia Captain in the Territory ; S. L. Horn, a Ter- ritorial resident of Muscatine County ; Charles and George N. Thomas, 1837 ; James Cassady, 1850; Elijah Buell, 1835; David Hess, 1839; Thomas Harbean, 1847; Adam and Aleck Dunn, 1839. and their wives, formerly the Misses Crawshaw, 1837 ; George P. Baker, 1838 ; Benjamin Lake, 1839; H. B. Schoff, of Camanche, 1837 ; C. L. Dutcher, 1841; Homer Carpenter, 1845; G. A. Griswold, Elk River, 1839; M. T. Sweeney, 1844; Samuel Perrin, 1836, and others, including Messrs. F. P. Wilcox, A. P. Hosford, J. C. Young and R. S. Seaman, who came from 1854 to 1858.
As officers of the Pioneers' Society were chosen : President, Daniel Hess, of Lyons ; Vice Presidents, J. D. Bourne, of DeWitt; George A. Griswold, of Elk River, and H. B. Shaff, of Camanche ; Secretary, A. R. Cotton. of Clinton ; Treasurer, Elijah Buel, of Lyons ; Executive Committee, E. Buel, Ira Stockwell, S. R. Pearce, G. N. Thomas, C. L. Seymour, and Mmes. Jane C. Wilkes, Hannah P. Pearce, Ellen Hess, Jane T. Baker and Betsey Foster.
It was desired to draw the line of membership in the association on the date of the Iowa's admission into the Union, December, 1846, and necessarily excluded many who would otherwise have joined, including Mr. H. Carpenter, of Camanche, who came in 1837 to the Territory; Dr. Yeomans, 1837; M. T. Sweeney, in 1841 ; but all locating since 1846 in the county. Others were present and entitled to join, but had left the grounds in apprehension of a
423
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
storm.
Autographs were secured as members of the Society with date of locating in the Territory of the following old settlers :
GENTLEMEN.
LADIES.
Name.
In Territory.
In County.
Name.
In Territory.
In County.
James D. Bourne
June,
1833
Sept.,
1836
Eunice B. Lake ... ...... .. Nov.,
1838
Nov., 1838
Elijah Buell
July,
1835
July,
1835
Frances Iless ....
June,
1840
Aug.,
1843
Franklin K. Peck .. Feb., 1837
Feb.,
1837
Tryphene C. Snyder ....... Nov., 1838
... Oct.,
1837
March, 1845
Daniel Hess.
Juue,
1838
June,
1838
Jane Vincent Wilkes ..... June,
1844
June,
1844
C. L. Dutcher.
.June,
1841
June,
1841
Sarah J. Roberts ...
.Sept.,
1837
Sept.,
1837
G. A. Griswold
June,
1839
July,
1839
Jane T. Baker.
.Feb.,
1837
Feb.,
1837
William Roberts
.Sept.,
1837
Sept.,
1837
Hannah Dutcher.
.. Aug.,
1842
Aug.,
1844
Ira Stockwell.
.April,
1840
April,
1840
Mary J. Strahan
.Nov.,
1846
Nov.,
1846
Herman B. Shaff.
.March, 1830
March, 1839
Emma E. Cone .May,
1842
May,
1842
Sheldon Wood
.. Oct.,
1842
Oct.,
1842
Jane B. Harrison
March, 1837
March, 1839
George N. Thomas.
.July,
1844
July,
1844
Frances P. Hart
Nov.,
1846
Nov.,
1846
Charles Thomas ...
Oct.,
1837
Oct.,
1837
Frances E. Peck.
March, 1838
March, 1838
Jonathan L. Pearce.
.. Nov.,
1838
Nov.,
1838
Almira Seymour ..
.May,
1841
May,
1841
George P. Baker.
June,
1838
June,
1838
Teresa O. Thomas
.July,
1844
July,
1844
Samuel T. Perrin ...
March, 1837
March, 1837
Mary F. Knapp.
Sept.,
1837
Sept.,
1837
David Hess.
.June,
1839
June,
1839
Maggie A. Wilson
.June,
1841
June,
1841
Jackson Knapp ..
June,
1839
June,
1839
Jesse N. Seeley.
Oct.,
1843
Oct.,
1843
Aylett Rains Cotton ... . Мау,
1844
May,
1844
Christopher C. Roberts ... Sept.,
1837
Sept.,
1837
William D. Follett ...
Aug.,
1837
Aug.,
1837
C. L. Seymour.
March, 1838
March, 1838
The book of autographs was placed in the charge of J. R. Pearce, who, by the next annual meeting, will probably have 100 names enrolled.
The initial gathering of the Society was so heartily enjoyed-a re-union of the patriarchs of Clinton County and their branching families-that it is probable that this year's meeting (1879) will be even more largely attended, and that, as successive years diminish the numbers of the surviving pioneers, their gatherings will become occasions more and more sacred to both themselves and other participants. From the first meeting, those present dispersed with quickened and revived sentiments such as Burns immortalized in-
" Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to min' ? Should auld acquaintance be forgot And days of auld lang syne ?
" We twa hae run about the braes, And pu'd the gowan fine ; But we've wandered mony a wearie foot Sin' auld lang syne.
" And here's a hand, my trusty frere, And gie us a hand of thine, And we'll tak' a right gude willie- waught For auld lang syne."
After the "picnic," Mrs. Wilkes wrote the following, which was also pub- lished in the Herald, and the sentiment of which the "old settlers" will fully appreciate and consider a proper addenda to the report of their proceedings :
A MEMENTO OF THE OLD SETTLERS' MEETING.
" We have looked on the face of our old-time friends, And received a friendly greeting ; We have heard the voice and clasped the hand, For we've been to the pioneers' meeting. We have listened to hear of the oldeu days When land was cheap and plenty, The cabin homes had enough always Though the money purse was empty.
': How the wives, to help the ways and means, Parched peas and corn for coffee ; Sugar was scarce for cake, it seems, And none was left for taffy.
Nov.,
1838
John R. Pearce.
Nov ..
1837
March, 1845
Hannah P. Pearce ......
424
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
Sisters and mothers, O. how they spun To make the cloth and yarn for stockings ; Money was scarce-not every one Could run to the store to do the shopping.
" No silks or worsteds for variety then, But colored eloth for Monday's working, While the pretty calico did service when Their work was done or for the Sunday's wearing. We met on the beautiful bluffs- 'Twas back of the city of Clinton ; Ilow the wind blew the dust in puffs Was something that might be mentioned.
" It blew so fieree and strong. Our speaker spoke more loudly, The dust had peppered the listening throng, And the sky above was cloudy ; The Storm King's voice was heard, Over our heads the clouds were chasing,
. It's going to rain,' some said and feared, And so for home were hast'ning.
" It did not rain, and those who stayed Had dinner on the benehes; Their tongues-they were not afraid, For they talked and ate the lunches. 'Twas pleasant thus to meet again In times that are so changing ; Some we missed, and it was with pain- They are gone where we are hastening.
.. We missed among the living, with regret, One we had wished was near ; We missed the voice and halting step Of Emerson, the Parson Pioneer. One said, . It makes me glad and makes me sad ; ' Glad to see once more the faces Of those we knew when youth with health was elad- On which time now had left such traces.
"Sad to see the thin and pallid cheek Disease had made so feeble ; The quivering lips that searce could speak, And mind so gone that once was able. When clouds of adversity hide our sun. Sorrow's wind blows the dust of repining ; We'll think how sweet our rest erelong .- God's love is always shining.
" No wonder we love this house of clay, When for three seore and ten we in it stay ; But when nature has had its longest day, Or disease has worn the props away, We will out of the old house and into the new, For there's One awaiting for me and for you ; Then never shall we be sad any more, But glad we have reached a sinless shore ; In a re-union with those we love We are parted no more in that home above."
MEDICAL.
Previous to 1841, no physician had located within the limits of the county, and the settlers depended upon what little stock of medicine they chanced to bring with them, upon Indian remedies, as related elsewhere of Buel's family, and upon the indigenous roots and herbs gathered and prepared by the experienced elder ladies and administered with generally beneficial results.
425
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
Ipecac and boneset were the main specifics in Mr. Buel's medicine chest. Dr. Peck added to the local pharmacopoeia pills and ointment, especially blue and red precipitates, which there is a credible tradition the settlers had a " terrible itching " for about that time.
Mr. James Bourne, in his part of the county, turned his attention to sur- gery as well as medicine, and probably performed the first surgical operation on the human subject after the Indian medicine man vanished westward. He first relieved Norman Evans, who had received a severe gash upon the knee, and afterward cut a rusty fish-gig from the hand of an unknown man and extracted a bean from the nose of a child of Mr. Dierk, then living on Mill Creek. In the spring of 1837, Robert Bourne brought to this section the first assortment of medicine, including calomel, jalap, cinchona, wormseed, Sappington's pills, which were dealt out to the settlers in heroic doses, and generally with excellent results, the hardy constitutions of that time enduring drastic remedies in a man- ner that would now surprise most young physicians. The obstetric department was managed by the wise and experienced matrons, and in the absence of any proof to the contrary must have been well performed. 1
Prior to 1850, no medical organization existed in the State. In response to an urgent call from the American Medical Association for the formation of State medical societies, one was in June, 1850, organized for Iowa at Bur- lington. In turn, the State Association urged physicians to form county asso- ciations.
The State at that time being very sparsely settled, and medical attainments sufficient to constitute a " doctor " not being very exalted, medical societies were of slow growth. The Clinton County Medical Society was organized in 1857, and being one of the first six in the State, can claim to be one of the pio- neer associations. Pursuant to a general call, the initial meeting was held at Camanche June 16, 1857, at the office of Dr. A. B. Ireland, who presided, and with Dr. A. T. Hudson, Vice President, and Drs. Asa Morgan, Secretary, and George H. Noyes, George E. McPherson, and the President as Censors, the Clinton County Medical Society was organized. Measures were adopted to to examine all applicants for membership, so that no incompetent physician should be indorsed by the Society.
Besides these and others who entered the service, and whose records will be found in the military department of this book, others, after the awful carnage at Shiloh, where Iowa regiments suffered so greatly, went to the front as volunteer surgeons. Drs. Ennis, McCormick, Lothrop and Ireland went on merciful errands to Shiloh and other field hospitals, carrying not only the enthusiasm of humanity, but liberal stores of sanitary supplies and comforts.
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