The history of Dubuque County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., Part 38

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical
Number of Pages: 964

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Congress never acted favorably upon the petition, and the United States treated the land embraced in the disputed territory as "public lands," and dis- posed of the same as such. But the heirs and assignees of Dubuque did not relinquish their claim, and a suit was instituted in the United States Court, to test the validity of the Spanish grant to Dubuque, which was finally decided adversely to claimants.

But little more is known of Dubuque; the charmed life he bore in time yielded to the inevitable, and his death is of record, having occurred on March 24, 1810, aged forty-five years and six months. But, if in another world there is a pious mansion for the blest, as was said of Cneius Agricola ; if, as the wisest men suppose, the soul is not extinguished with the body, may not those who are left behind enjoy a state of eternal felicity and exalt their minds from fond regret and unavailing grief in the contemplation of his virtues ? All that could gain their love will ever exist, preserved in the minds of generations, the register of ages and the records of fame. Others who figured on the stage of life may sink into the common lot of oblivion ; but the characters of the men who promoted the advance of civilization in the West, delineated with truth and fairly consigned to posterity, will survive themselves, and triumph over the injuries of time.

Dubuque's remains were placed in a coffin, lined with lead it is said, and entombed on a high bluff overlooking the mouth of the Catfish ; and such was the veneration in which the Indians held his name and memory, that for many

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years they kept a lamp burning nightly upon his grave. His comrades placed a stone house, surmounted by a red cedar cross, about his tomb, and Julien Dubuque was left to sleep the sleep of sanctified rest. The stone house and cross, however, disappeared long ago, and no monument marks the spot where once reposed the bones of him who first demonstrated the promise held out to a city long since realized.

Soon after the death of Dubuque, an Indian war, which had long been impending in the Northwest, broke out between rival tribes, and the small colony of half-breeds and traders located at this point abandoned their settlement in terror, and sought safer quarters. But little mining was done for the next fifteen years ; and it was not until the tide of immigration had overspread the North- west, and made Illinois a State in 1818, that the pioneers of Western enterprise and industry began to turn their eyes toward future Dubuque. A few advent- urous spirits crossed the river and began working at the mines, but, before obtaining results, were compelled to recross by Zachary Taylor, then in com- mand of the United States forces at Prairie du Chien, on the ground that the territory had not been purchased of the Indians.

From this time forward, it seems that a military force was stationed at Dubuque to prevent the settlers from returning and digging for orc. This naturally caused no inconsiderable comment, complaint and original profanity, but without results. As one of the afflicted observed, " It didn't do a mite of good ; " they were obliged to endure " the tyranny " with as much philosophy, stoicism and resignation as they could summon to their relief. From the bluffs across the river the "expatriated miners " could see the redskins bearing off the treasure they were not permitted to gather, and, if at times they indulged in anathemas, it is not to be wondered at or condemned.

The lead mines in the Dubuque region had long been an object of universal interest to the miners employed about Galena. The value of the leads which were reported, and their merchantable richness, excited the desire of those elsewhere engaged to prospect in the territory, and, if possible, conclude some arrangement by which the ore could be obtained and marketed. . But nothing was accomplished in that behalf until 1829, when James L. Langworthy, with a number of others, resolved to visit Dubuque, ascertain the mineral wealth of the mines and obtain permission to work them. They crossed the river from Dubuque in a canoe, swimming their horses by its side, and finally, after con- siderable trouble and consequent delay, effected a landing at the spot subse- quently known as the Jones street levee. Before them spread out a beautiful prairie, rich in its garniture of grasses and flowers, on which the city of Dubuque now stands, while two miles south, at the mouth of the Catfish, was an Indian village, peopled by the Sacs and Fox. Thither they proceeded; and, upon their arrival at the council-house, though kindly received and hospitably entertained, all overtures toward obtaining permission to work the mines were rejected, that permission refused. The party remained in the village, however, a sufficient length of time to impress the chief and medicine man favorably, and, after a prolonged negotiation, succeeded in procuring their consent to . remain in the country and travel and explore for a period of three weeks. Thus accredited, Mr. L. employed the services of two Indian guides, and, under their mentorship, traversed the entire territory lying between the Turkey and Maquoketa Rivers. He first struck across the prairie in a southwesterly direc- tion to the latter stream, reaching the same at the rapids, where the village of Cascade now stands. Finding limited, though conclusive, evidences of iron, he

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followed the current of the Maquoketa, which ran through one of the largest bodies of timber in the State, discovering, as he progressed, increasing traces of iron ore, which proceeded from the valuable beds of that mineral product near what is at present known as the town of Canton, in Jackson County. Turning northward, he canvassed the country west of the Dubuque mines, in which evidences of very rich mineral deposits were to be seen, as also its agri- cultural resources and capacity for sustaining a large farming population.

Upon the expiration of his parole, he returned to the village, where he increased the good opinion entertained of him by the Indians, and, after a brief sojourn among them, continued his journey to Galena, forming plans for future operations, to be executed whenever the circumstances permitted.

It might be added in this connection, that the soil of Iowa, it is claimed by some chroniclers, was pressed by the feet of white men and women, too, a year previous. The intrusion was accomplished by a party of ladies and gentlemen from Galena, who celebrated the Fourth of July, 1828, at the mouth of the Catfish, and raised the American flag opposite the "tepee " of an Indian maiden, in the aristocratic quarter of the Fox village.

During the fall and a portion of the winter of 1829-30, it is not believed that any white man, attracted either by the liope of profit or spirit of adventure, ventured into the wilds of the "Beautiful Land," or sought to identify him- self with its powerful inhabitants ; jealous of the spirit of encroachment, which, even at that early day, began to manifest itself, inspiring the savages with a resentment that might at any time find expression in open hostilities.

The season was one of unparalleled, unprecedented mildness-winter lin- gered in the lap of autumn, and autumn coquetted with the summer's sunshine, as if loath to demand precedence for the perfect days that attend the presence of that matchless season of the year. So hospitable was the climate, that it was remarked as among the wonderful mysteries revealed at long intervals by the arcana of nature.

On the first of February, a day as genial as any that announce the coming of spring, Edward Langworthy, a Mr. Thompson, Dr. R. S. Lewis, and one other whose name is forgotten, inspired by a desire akin to that which led a company into the wilderness six months previous, crossed the Mississippi and landed opposite the present city's site. They found no one but Indians to wel- come their advent, or dispute their advance. Their objects were, to, if possible, " prospect " among the mines, and perfect terms with the owners, by which they, in conjunction with others, might be enabled to procure their more per- fect and remunerative development. They were supposedly the only white men at that particular time on the west side of the river, north of St. Louis. Houses, there were none; the cabins of the Indians alone furnished a precari- ous shelter to the residents, as also to the venturesome travelers. The dis- mantled and decaying hut in which Dubuque resided during his latter days, stood solitary and desolate on the bluff above the Catfish, an exhausted sentinel, as it were, vainly essaying to sound a note of protest against the coming of that irresistible foe of barbarism-progressive civilization. The ambitious quartette remained in the vicinity over night, and, failing of accomplishing any satisfactory results, retired to rest that they might be strengthened to commence their retreat on the morrow. During the night, the weather underwent a change as remarkable as had been the unseasonable experience of the previous weeks. Winter asserted its supremacy, and the balmy airs of the day before, yielded place to blizzard blasts. The snow put on a clean shirt, and, mounting

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the winds, was whirled through the cold all night long, as they journeyed straight from the Pole. They came rushing over the northern limits of the present city, across the hills, through the ragged valleys, past Linwood, where to-day sculptured stones commemorate the virtues of many who long since fell by the wayside, with faces as white as the snow and as cold as the wind. As they traveled, the snow dropped its wool and feathers with no unsparing hand ; and the wind strove to blow the snow into the unprotected domiciles of the natives. On they roared, leaving a cold, white train behind them, until the snow lay pale and motionless and cold as the faces it annually sends to the churchyard; and the wind, frightened at the result of its trip, returned whence it came.

Such were the effects of the weather as seen on the following morning. The earth was covered with the snow's white mantle, the brief space between Illinois and future Iowa was bridged with ice many inches in thickness, capable of sustaining the weight of a horse and rider ; and, though the wind had gone down, the air was bitter, biting cold beyond comparison. The party, though failing to realize a fruition of their hopes, separated that day, Messrs. Lang- worthy and Thompson retiring; their colleagues, possessing faith in the falli- bility of the Indians to persuasion and flattery, deciding to remain and renew negotiations for the object of their visit.

Early in the afternoon, Thompson and Langworthy began to cross on the ice, starting from a point opposite what is now known as Zollicoffer's Lake. They proceeded safely on their trip until the middle of the river was reached, when Thompson incautiously stepped upon what was supposed to be a firm foun- dation, but which was in fact an air-hole, and, losing his balance, was partially immersed in the frigid waters. He recovered his equilibrium after some effort; and the twain started on a run, hoping to reach a miner's cabin in sight, before serious results should follow the accident. Langworthy was in the lead about one hundred feet, but before his companion was able to join him, so intense was the cold, he found himself unable to continue, and, announcing his failing strength, called for assistance. Langworthy returned to find him helpless. Thereupon he cut off the leg of Thompson's trousers, removed his shoe, and, by brisk rubbing, with other means, succeeded in restoring circulation to the benumbed member, after which they reached the cabin without further accident, and, remaining long enough to become thawed out, continued their trip to Langworthy's house at " Buncombe," a prospective village at the mouth of Hardscrabble.

Though this second venture would seem at first blush to have been with- out results, and attended with disappointments, such, in the light of subsequent events, was not in fact the case. As already stated, the miners at Galena and vicinity continued to contemplate the whilom possessions of Dubuque, with a pardonably eager desire to work them and participate in their profits. The settlements effected under Dubuque had been demolished by the fierce Indian wars between the rival tribes of the Northwest; and the Indian miners, though sometimes driven away by their enemies, the Sioux, at length gained sufficient strength to maintain their position, and carried on mining with indifferent success. The resources of the mines as discovered and promulgated by the hardy advent- urers from time to time, excited the cupidity of those who remained in Illinois, and bred a determination among them to possess themselves of the means that would aid in their acquisition of wealth. These means were the coveted mines ; and, notwithstanding the opposition of those who claimed them in reversion,

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they asserting that Dubuque had only a life-interest in the privilege granted him, and other cmbargoes by no means easily overcome, they never lost sight of the main object of their reflections, nor failed to avail themselves of any and every medium that would even remotely contribute to their realization.

In June of the same year, the Reynard or Fox Indians deserted the coun- try contiguous to Dubuque for a section further in the interior, in consequence of hostilities committed upon them by the Sioux, leaving the mines open to the peaceful occupation of those who had watched and waited for their departure. This was regarded as the accepted time by the Galena miners and their friends, and, under such auspices, W. S. Anderson, Lemuel Cook, H. B. Phillips, H. Smead, L. H. Langworthy, J. L. Langworthy, John Dougherty, Fred Dixon, Wm. McDowell, Pleasant Ewing, John Paul, H. Gilbert. J. B. Jordan, Thomas Gray, Thomas Humes, M. Ham, R. Lamont, J. McCabe, S. Lemon, Dr. R. S. Lewis, Antoine Loire, R. Murphy, P. O'Mara, J. O'Regan, H. Redman, W. H. Smith, T. Streeter, W. B. Whitesides, E. McB. Whitesides, I. Whittaker, J. Curran, John Campbell, M. Dickerson, H. L. Dodge, J. R. Ewing, J. Gilmore J. Hillis, A. and J. Hurd, B. Kilbourn, J. McPheeters, H. Ogan, J. O'Mara, Owen Reilly, S. Streeter, E. M. Urn, A. R. Whitesides, J. Wooley, Jesse Yount, A. Mc Near and others crossed the Mississippi to establish themselves in mining about Dubuque's estate. This was the first flow of the tide of civil- ization to these Western shores. White or any settlers were not to be found north of the Des Moines, or west of the Mississippi to Astoria, on the Colum- bia River, with the exception of Indian traders.

When they arrived, the place was completely abandoned by the Indians. Their tracks in the trails, along which they had fled westwardly, were yet fresh, and the smoldering embers were flickering and dying on the liearths of their deserted and inhospitable wigwams.

Cornfields decked the bluffs and fringed the ravines with a luxuriant foliage ; acres of tall grass skirted the shores, adding to the exquisite beauty of the landscape in the picture it presented at a distance, of fields of grain ripe for the harvest. A large village was left standing at tlie mouth of the Catfish, which consisted of about seventy wigwams, constructed of poles and the bark of trees. The council house, though rude, even for those primitive days, was of ample dimensions, and contained the weapons indigenous to war, as also those appro- priate alone to peaceful days. The interior contained paintings and rude inscriptions etched on the bark walls, representing the sports of the race, illus- trating their warlike prowess when tribe encountered tribe in battle's magnifi- cently stern array, and other mute records of their national life, which should have been preserved, but were burned with the building itself, a short time after the advent of thesc pioneer trespassers.

At this time, the land thus ex-appropriated was not in the possession of the United States. The Indian title had not lapsed or become extinguislied, and, being outside of any State or Territorial Government, the settlers determincd to adopt such laws as were applicable to thic exigencies of the times and gravity of the situation. Accordingly, a meeting of miners was convened on the 17th of June, 1830, around an old cottonwood log, which had been rescued from some previous flood, and was stranded on the shore of an island, at what is now Jones street levee. After the meeting was organized and the usual preliminary business had been disposed of, a committee on mining regulations was appointed, consisting of J. L. Langworthy, H. F. Lander, James McPhecters, Samuel H. Scales and E. M. Urn, who submitted the following report, which was accepted,

LA Langworthy

( DECEASED.) DUBUQUE.

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and Dr. Francis Jarret authorized to issue papers for arbitrating mining diffi- culties :

We, a committee having been chosen to draft certain rules and regulations, by which we, as miners, will be governed, and, having duly considered the subject, do unanimously agree that we will be governed by the regulations on the east side of the Mississippi River, with the fol- lowing exceptions, to wit :

ARTICLE 1. That each and every man shall hold 200 yards square of ground, working said ground one day in six.

ART. 2. We further agree that there shall be chosen, by a majority of the miners present, a person who shall hold this article and grant letters of arbitration on application having been made, and that said letters of arbitration shall be obligatory on the parties concerned so applying.

The report was written by J. I .. Langworthy on a half-sheet of coarse unruled paper (the old log about which the meeting gathered being used as the desk), signed by the committee, and is still in existence.

Mining was then commenced and pursued in the range with, or directly among, the old diggings, varying success meeting their efforts. Fortune refused to not only keep pace with the high hopes that had been indulged, but even to renew the cheerful prospects or promises she had held out to the delvers after what has been-metaphorically speaking-termned the sum of all iniquities, wealth. As a result, disappointment attended the sequel of their visitation, and, as a rule, usurped the place of hope and sanguine anticipation. Many hoped on and labored unceasingly. A few denounced the scheme as one that would be productive of naught but loss of time, money, sleep and health, and, yielding to these convictions, retraced their steps to "Buncombe," the mouth of Hardscrabble, Galena and other points which had known them once. At length, when toil, trouble and vexation of spirit were fast resolving content- ment of the mildest type into discord of the most pronounced character, Lucius H. and James L. Langworthy became objects of especial interest, as favorites of the fickle goddess, and revived the drooping spirits of their disconsolate com- rades in a remarkable degree, for, while prospecting in July, they had " struck it big ; " their patient labors had been generously rewarded, and the fruits thereof were of the kind that paid. The "lead " discovered by them was a short dis- tance up what was soon after known as Langworthy's Hollow, since called Eagle Point Avenue, a stone's throw from Center Avenue, and has proved one of the richest of the many rich "leads" which have contributed to increase the population and augment the wealth of Dubuque. Within a short time after its discovery, the Langworthy mine yielded up nearly two hundred thousand pounds of mineral, which was sold at the mouth of the Platte, and, in addition to enriching its possessors, raised the fading hopes of the camp from the nadir of despondency to the zenith of felicity. Work on adjoining leads was renewed with increased vigor ; and early and late the merry miner and the pick were heard communing with mother earth for a modicum of the treasures held in her embrace. Soon after this new revelation, Messrs. Jordan, Ames, White- sides, Sleator and others made discoveries which were remunerative, and encouraged them, with the remainder of the party, to prosecute their labors with the greatest diligence, in the hope of proportionate returns.

During this year, mining operations continued for the space of two months. Though not, save in the instances cited, particularly rich, enough had been seen to indicate what in time they would become. About this time, rumors, which had been current in the community, from day to day, regarding the determination of the Government to intervene in behalf of the Indian owners, were resolved into certainties by an order, emanating from Col. Taylor, com- ananding at Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien), notifying the miners that they

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were trespassing upon the terms of the treaty between the Government and the Indians, and directing them to leave Iowa within two weeks. But the miners were not disposed to relinquish the rich lodes they had discovered and opened, and from which they had taken large quantities of mineral. Though they obeyed what was considered an inequitable demand, they did so with reluctance and delay. This dilatory action on their part induced Col. Taylor to send a detachment of troops, commanded by Lieut. Jefferson Davis, to enforce his order, which had the desired effect, the miners, except Lemon and Vosburg, retiring across the river; these two, however, stood upon the order of going, and were captured. They were taken to Galena, on their way, as was alleged, to Fort Crawford for trial. This, however, was all a pretense, as the sequel showed, designed to prevent the miners from repeating their encroachments upon Indian lands. While at Galena, the prisoners were purposely allowed to escape. One of them, Sam Lemon, was known to be as fleet-footed as the racers of Nimshi, and, though extremely corpulent, was a champion at running who never cast a shoe on the last quarter. In the confusion that apparently succeeded the escape of the pair, and believing himself hotly pursued, Lemon took to the high prairie ridge in the direction of Hardscrabble, and cut loose at a gait which was likened to that adopted by Tam O'Shanter when chased by the witches. He escaped recapture, but the race he ran was recounted at the camps of the miners for many years thereafter, and its renown is chronicled as among the peculiar and interesting features that attended the earlier settle- ment of Dubuque.

A military force was now stationed at Dubuque, with orders to prevent any further working of the mines by the whites, who, like pilots torn from their helms during a tempest, endeavored to repose themselves amid the agitation which they were unable to govern, while the Indians, thus encouraged, returned to the mines as a babe to its toys. After a brief season, they again began work at the mines, in which they were assisted by traders and smelters along the river, among whom was David G. Bates, a smelter, on an island across the river ; by S. Miller, one of the Whitesides, and an unknown Frenchman, all similarly engaged, and whose combined efforts aided in raising hundreds of thousands of pounds of ore, while the original discoverers, in some instances, were permitted to gaze across the Jordan of their hopes, with orders not to cross.

The Government troops guarded the mines during the remainder of the year 1830 and during 1831, causing complaints loud and deep to find expression among the excited miners. But they were without remedy and compelled to accept the situation, notwithstanding the questionable policy it involved.

In the midst of their quiet occupations there is no record of occurrences to distract the attention and greatly disturb the tranquillity which supposititiously prevailed until the Black Hawk war, when the troops were withdrawn from the Dubuque mines to fight against the very Indians whose property they had been so recently and so scrupulously defending. In that contest the miners were among the first to volunteer, and, with merchants, farmers, mechanics and smelt- ers, conquered victory in a manner which history has proudly recorded.

BLACK HAWK WAR AND PERMANENT SETTLEMENT.

The great event of 1832 was the Black Hawk war. The reader is familiar with the general history of this campaign ; and it is referred to only in connec- tion with the history of Dubuque County, with which it had so much to do in shaping the policy of the Government in that connection. In 1831, Black

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Hawk, with his followers, had crossed to their old home on Rock River, but afterward negotiated a treaty and returned to the west side of the Mississippi, promising to remain there unless removed by the President of the United States. On the 6th of April, 1832, he once more recrossed the river, assumedly with no hostile intent, but in response to an invitation from Pittawak, a friendly chief, to spend the summer with his people, at the head-waters of the Illinois. Whatever his motive may have been, it is the unanimous testimony of history, that, except the violation of treaty stipulations, he committed no serious acts of hostilities, and intended none, until after the alternative of war or extermina- tion was presented him by the opposing forces. This fatal act precipitated all the horrors of Indian warfare, throughout what is now Jo Daviess County, Ill., and the adjoining portions of Michigan Territory. The call to arms was sounded and generally responded to. Age forgot its crutch, labor its task, and volunteers were marshaled into line to finally accomplish the extermination of the foe. After a number of comparatively minor engagements, the Indians were overtaken at Wisconsin River, and badly defeated. They began their retreat at once, but were pursued, and at the battle of the Bad Axe, fought August 2, 1832, and concluding with the second defeat of Black Hawk, the war terminated. He surrendered; and, on the 15th of September following, Gen. Winfield Scott concluded a treaty with the Sac and Fox Indians, by which their title to what was known as the Black Hawk purchase, then includ- ing the territory now known as Dubuque County, became vested in the Govern- ment, possession to be given on the 10th of June, 1833.

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The history of Dubuque County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., Part 38

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Number of Pages: 964

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical
Number of Pages: 964