USA > Iowa > Fayette County > The history of Fayette County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 38
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Townships .- Under the law authorizing County Commissioners to create civil townships, the Commissioners of Clayton, among others, created Township No. 4 (Hewett), consisting of Township 92, Range 6, and the west half of Township 92, Range 5, with Fayette County attached thereto. Thus Fayette County, with its twenty Congressional Townships, became an attachment to Hewett Township in Clayton County, April 21, 1847.
The first election in this township was held in August, 1847-at Hewett's, says Padelford, but Hensley says at Zophar Perkins'. The total number of votes was 28, several of which were from Fayette County. At this election, it is said that M. C. Sperry and Andrew Hensley were elected Justices of the Peace and M. Brazelton, Clerk. No ink was to be had and the clerks were forced to do their work with pencils. John Padelford was one of the Judges of this election, and was also the messenger who carried the returns to Guttenberg.
In May, 1847, Chauncey Brooks located in the county, in Smithfield Town- ship. M. C. Sperry settled on his claim in Township 92, Range 7, March 20, 1847. Palmer F. Newton settled in the same township in November of the same year.
PIONEER PREACHERS.
The first religious services in Fayette County, or the first of which any knowledge remains, were said to be held by Rev. John Brown, at the house of Chauncey Brooks in 1848, possibly in 1847. Mr. Brown belonged to the United Brethren, and lived at Colesburg or Yankee Settlement. In 1846, he built a hotel at Rockville, Delaware Co., but his wife died soon after, and his chil- dren managed the hotel while he spent a portion of his time in ministering to the spiritual necessities of the pioneers in Delaware, Fayette and other neigh- boring counties, and, it is said, married a Miss Harrow, about 1847 or '48.
One of the first sermons preached by Rev. Mr. Brown was at the Orrear cabin, one evening in the Summer of 1848. His audience was composed of three or four white men, two white women, two Indian bucks and an educated squaw. As Brown warmed with his discourse he began to pound the puncheon table in his gesticulations, with considerable violence. One of the "untutored sons" leaned toward his companion and asked him what that meant. He answered that his opinion was that Brown wanted to fight. Again the preach- er's sunburnt and ponderous fist made the table jump an inch and the dishes rattle over the fire place. The Indians rose as if impelled by the same force, clutched their blankets with their left hands, cleared the cabin door at one bound and ran into the grove for safety, not caring to engage in a theological inquiry with a man so sinewy and handy with his fists as Brother Brown, who, they feared, might pound religion into their heads as he was then attempting to do into the table.
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
Simeon Clark, the pioneer Methodist preacher of Delaware, must have vis- ited this county at an early date, as he was the officiating clergyman at the wedding of George Culver and Miss Castall in February, 1847, and Clark always preached whenever two or three would gather together. Clark unques- tionably went to the Mission in 1840-41, and after the settlements began to be made on the Black Hawk Purchase he as unquestionably did some preaching in the wilderness. Mr. Clark was a bee-hunter in 1839, and traversed the prairies of Delaware, Buchanan and Fayette every Summer for years after that time, preaching in the humble cabins of the pioneers on the Sabbath, while he searched for wild honey during the week, and it is very probable that he may have preached the first sermon in Fayette, as he did in Delaware. If Elder Brown did not preach at Brooks' cabin until 1848, it seems almost certain that Clark must have held religious services at the Wilcox Settlement as early as 1843 or 1844.
Elder Clark, Methodist, and Elder Brown of the United Brethren, were the pioneer preachers of Fayette.
A SPECK OF WAR.
The nearest approach to a war between the settlers on the Black Hawk Pur- chase and the Winnebagoes occurred in 1847. A party of old men and women, numbering about a dozen, left the Reserve and encamped near Turner's Mill (Forestville), in Delaware County, to hunt. A party of hunters from Eads' Grove discovered them one day, and fell upon the squad of inoffensive Indians, clubbing them quite severely. It was purely malicious conduct and entirely unjustifiable on the part of the whites. The Indians returned to the Reserva- tion, and Sugar-Lick, their chief, was informed of the outrage. Sugar-Lick summoned two subordinate chiefs, seven or eight able-bodied men, and his son, who could speak English, and started for Delaware County. Arriving within a mile or so of Eads' Grove, he sent his son into the settlement with the message that he had a party in the woods near by, waiting to be clubbed, also adding the bit of collateral information, however, that if any white man presumed to pass a certain line he would be shot. The whites did not have as much disposi- tion for clubbing Indians as they had a few days before, and Sugar-Lick returned to Fayette County without shedding a drop of Anglo-Saxon blood.
REMOVAL OF THE WINNEBAGOES.
By Article II of Treaty of October 13, 1846 [see U. S. Stats., Vol. 9, p. 878], the Winnebago Nation of Indians retroceded the "neutral ground " on which they had resided since 1833, to the United States, and their title to the lands included in the Reserve was extinguished. But the Indians were not removed until June, 1848, when, by order of the Government, in charge of J. E. Fletcher, Agent, they sadly and reluctantly took their departure, and were conducted to their new reservation in Minnesota. The Government property at. Fort Atkinson was placed in charge of volunteers, in 1846. Of this company, but little information is accessible to the historians of Fayette County. The men were recruited at Burlington and vicinity, in 1846, and as soon as mus- tered in they marched to the Fort. J. H. McKenny, who died at Chatfield, Minn., May 23, 1878, was First Lieutenant of the company. He had settled in Iowa about 1837, and worked in the office of the Territorial Gazette from its first issue till 1839. He was Sheriff of Des Moines County from 1843 to 1846. This command accompanied the Indians on their Northward march, which began June 9, 1848, in pursuance of orders from the War Department. The new Reservation chosen for the "thieving, lousy Winnebagoes," as they
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were affectionately termed by the Clayton and Delaware folks, was known as Long Prairie, now Todd County (Minnesota). The Indians, although they had ceded their Iowa Reserve to the United States in 1846, when the time arrived for their removal, it was with great reluctance that they made their preparations to depart, for they had become very much attached to their Iowa home. Some were disposed to rebel; but, after a few days' deliberation in council, the tribe packed up for the journey. Nearly two months were consumed on the march, and, after several stampedes and sudden halts, the Winnebagoes were left on their new Canaan. Two or three years after, a large party returned ; but finding the groves along the Turkey and the Volga filling up with white settlers, they gave up any lingering hope they might have entertained of remaining, and wended their way back to Long Prairie. An occasional arrow or lance-head picked up by the farmer as he walks along the furrow is the only trace left behind of the warlike Sioux, or the impudent, whisky-loving Winne- bago, whose former presence here is as a dream to the settlers of Fayette subse- quent to 1848, and a half-forgotten legend to the gray-haired pioneers who came before that time to select homes in the edges of the beautiful groves and by the sides of the babbling springs that endure while races come and races depart.
FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE RESERVE.
Before the camp fires of the departing Indians had ceased to burn, and before their moccasined feet had ceased to patter among the fallen leaves of the forests on the Turkey and the Volga, the sturdy western pioneers began to enter upon the fertile lands they were leaving, and the plow of civilization began to obliter- ate the footprints of the savage almost before the green grasses on these beautiful prairies, bent beneath his light and noiseless tread, had lifted their dewy heads again to the morning sun.
The first cabin in Township 94, Range 8 (West Union), was built by Thos. J. Smith near a spring probably on the northwest corner of Section 15, August 15th to 20th, 1848, on the farmn now known as the "Lippincott place." The next to locate and build a habitation was Lorenzo Dutton, who visited this region in July, 1848, and selected his location about a mile and a half east of north of T. J. Smith on Sec. 3, where he now resides. He returned in Sep- tember following and built a hay cabin,* in which he and his companions set up a cook stove and lived like princes, on slap-jacks and wild honey for about a month, when their cabin took fire and burned and a more substantial log house was erected. With Mr. Dutton came Henry Jones, Charles Jones, William H. Blanchard and William W. Bailey. The two last mentioned did not remain long, and Blanchard now lives in Chicago. Soon after Thomas J. Smith, Dut- ton and the Jones's, came other Smiths. One of them located about a mile and a half northeast of Thomas, on Section 10 or 11. David Smith built a cabin near the little creek in the southwest corner of Section 17, and claimed the timber and the land where West Union now stands. Morris B. Earll and Jacob Oory settled on the bank of the little creek, on the northwest quarter of
*Hay cabins were frequently built by the early settlers to serve as dwelling places or " camps," until more sub- stantial structures could be provided. Four " forked " or "crotched" posts were cut in the neighboring timber and driven into the ground from ten to twelve feet apart, constituted the corners of the building. Two on one side were shorter than the others, to give the necessary " pitch " to the roof. On these "crotches" or " forks" poles were laid for plates, and on these other poles for beams and rafters. Sometimes only two posts were driven and one end of the rafters rested on the ground. After the frame is up more poles are laid across the roof, and these are covered with hay. Dutton's party were a little aristocratic and hauled some boards from Elkader, which they laid over the plates and beams of their primitive house, and piled hay on the top of them. The walls were made by cutting poles of the proper lengths setting them up on the ground endwise, the upper ends leaning against the plates, and piling hay against them on the outside. If a sufficient quantity of hay was used in their construction these hay cabins were very comfortable for temporary dwellings.
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
Section 16, and erected a cabin or cabins in 1848. Mr. Dutton broke some prairie in the Fall of 1848, which was probably the first breaking done in this township. Henry F. Smith and J. F. Smith spent part of the Winter of 1848-49 here. Lewis Kerr, with his family, his mother, sister Polly, and two brothers. John and Thomas, settled on Section 22, Township 95. Range 8, in 1848. Kerr erected his cabin immediately after the Indians left. John Downey broke some prairie on Section 32, but sold his claim to Jacob Rosier. George N. Rosier, Eliff Johnson and perhaps others, located in this township in 1848.
In July and August, 1848, Samuel Conner and Simeon B. Forbes built the first house in Township 94, Range 7, on Section 14, where Elgin was after- ward laid out.
Immediately after the removal of the Indians, Lewis Kerr built a cabin in Township 95, Range 8, and settled with his family. His brothers, John and Thomas, his sister and his mother, came with him and his family. John Downey broke the first prairie on Section 32, Township 95, Range 8, in 1848. William M. Rosier built a cabin on Section 32, the same year, and Jacob Rosier bought Downey's claim.
"In 1848," says Mr. Lorenzo Dutton, "soon after I came, Mr. Hadley, who had located about a mile a half north of me, had a 'log raisin'.' Henry Jones, Wallace Bailey and I, went down to help him 'roll up ' his cabin. Be- sides us, were Mr. Hadley and his hired man, and John Downey and Thomas Downey-seven of us. When the cabin was up Mr. Hadley got dinner for us. He had burned up his coffee-pot and had only one kettle. First, he cooked beans in the kettle, then pork and potatoes, and then made coffee in it. When supper was ready we gathered round, took our meat and potatoes and beans on chips for plates, and took turns drinking coffee from two tin pint cups."
RATTLE-SNAKES.
Rattle-snakes were numerous in this region when the first settlements were made. Mr. Dutton relates that, in the Fall of 1848, he and Wallace Bailey were out hunting bees north of their cabin. On this expedition, they discov- ered the cave on Section 34, Township 95, Range 8, since known as Dutton's Cave. When about 80 rods east of this cave, on a bluff beside a little "run," they thought they heard the rattle of a snake. Looking about, they discovered one, and Bailey threw a stone at it. The stone happened to roll into a hole, toward which, disturbed by the visitor, a number of the serpents made their way ; but the stone had stopped up the entrance to their den. It was a warm, sunny, Autumn day, and the loathsome reptiles were out enjoying the sunshine. Dutton and Bailey had, unconsciously, "waked up snakes," but they pitched battle with them, and when the last "rattle " was killed they counted eighteen dead "sarpints" on the field, some of them of large size, and one having twenty-one rattles.
LOST.
Dutton, the Joneses and Bailey had three yokes of oxen. The cattle had but recently come from Illinois, and were disposed to go back whenever opportunity occurred. The boys kept them in a yard, yoked, except when they were at work or turned out to feed. One cold, rainy afternoon in the Fall of 1848, they turned the cattle out to feed : but, instead of feeding near home. the ani- mals wandered off eastward. When they had had time enough to feed, Dutton went out to drive them in. and overtook them about dark and started with them for home. Dutton thought that, by going across lots, he could reach the cabin by a nearer route than to follow the crooked trail the oxen had made, but soon
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lost the way. It had stopped raining, but it was cold ; he was wet, and it was not pleasant to think of passing the night without shelter ; but there was no alternative. He kept himself comparatively warm by leaning against one of the oxen, and when the animals laid down he laid down close beside one of them. " He was not the pleasantest bed-fellow in the world," said Mr. Dutton, "but he was a good deal better than none, under the circumstances." The next morning he had no difficulty in finding the way, and reached home about 9 o'clock, none the worse for this night on the prairie.
THE SURVEYS OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
As previously stated, only four townships in Fayette County embraced in the Black Hawk Purchase were surveyed prior to 1841. The date of the several surveys and names of surveyors of the several townships, as exhibited by the original plats of Government Surveys on deposit in the State Land Office of Iowa, are as follows :
Township 91, Range 7 (Putnam); Township 91, Range 8 (Scott) ; Town- ship 92, Range 7 (Fairfield) ; Township 92, Range 8 (Smithfield). Township lines established by Orson Lyon, in the Summer of 1837 ; subdivisions. by Jas. Videto. in third and fourth quarters of 1837.
Township 91, Range 9 (Jefferson). East and north township line by Orson Lyon, in second quarter of 1837, and west township line by George W. Harri- son, second quarter of 1841. Subdivisions by William P. Hall, third quarter of 1841. Re-survey of northern boundary, by William P. Hall, third quarter of 1841.
Township 91, Range 10 (Oran). South, west and north township lines by Isaac N. Higbee, August and September, 1845; east township line, George W. Harrison, May, 1841. Subdivided by Thomas Hurley, December, 1846.
Township 92, Range 9 (Harlan). South township line by William P. Hall, August, 1841; east township line by Orson Lyon, May, 1837; west township line, re-survey, John Ball, October, 1848; north township line, Guy H. Carle- ton, August, 1848. Subdivided by William H. Merritt, October, 1848.
Township 92, Range 10 (Fremont). South township line, Isaac N. Higbee, September, 1845; west, north and re-survey east township lines, John Ball, August and November, 1848. Subdivided by John Parker, May, 1849.
Township 93, Range 7 (Illyria). South and part of east township lines, Orson Lyon, June, 1837 ; west, north and part of east township lines, Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848. Subdivided by William H. Merritt, November, 1848.
Township 93, Range 8 (Westfield). South township line, Orson Lyon, June, 1837 ; east, north and west township lines, Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848. Subdivided by William H. Merritt, November, 1848.
Township 93, Range 9 (Center). Township lines, Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848. Subdivided by William H. Merritt, October, 1848.
Township 93, Range 10 (Banks). East township line, Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848 ; south, west and north township lines, John Ball, August and September, 1848. Subdivided by John Parker, November, 1848.
Township 94, Range 10 (Bethel). East township line, Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848 ; south, west and north township lines, John Ball, September, 1848. Subdivided by John Parker, 1849.
Township 95, Range 10 (Eden). South, west and north township lines, John Ball, September, 1848 : east township line, Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848. Subdivided by John Parker, August and September, 1849.
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Township 94, Range 9 (Windsor). Township lines, Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848. Subdivided by William H. Merritt, October, 1848.
Township 35, Range 9 (Auburn). Township lines by Guy H. Carleton, August and September, 1848. Subdivisions by Hugh Trenor, March and April, 1849.
Township 94, Range 8 (West Union). Township lines by Guy H. Carle- ton, August, 1848. Subdivisions by Hugh Trenor, March, 1849.
Township 95, Range 8 (Dover). Township lines by Guy H. Carleton, August and September, 1848. Subdivided by Hugh Trenor, April, 1849.
Township 94, Range 7 (Pleasant Valley). Township lines by Guy H. Carleton, August, 1848. Subdivisions by John Fitzpatrick, April and May, 1849.
Township 95, Range 7 (Clermont). Township lines by Guy H. Carleton, August and September, 1848. Subdivisions by John Fitzpatrick, May, 1849.
FIRST ENTRIES.
The first entry of lands in Fayette County, as recorded, was made by Hor- ace Bemis, who entered the northwest quarter of northeast quarter of Section 5, Township 92, Range 8 (Smithfield Township), Jan. 17, 1847. This was the claim of William Orrear and James Beatty, and was the extreme northern limit of the surveyed lands in the county. William Anderson and Chauncey Brooks entered land in the township in 1848.
John P. Moyne made the next entry, of east half of southwest quarter of Section 17, Township 92, Range 7 (Fairfield Township). Horace Bemis, Hi- ram Brooks and John Brooks entered land in Fairfield in 1848, and Jared Taylor, Palmer F. Newton, Jesse Brooks and Martha Hunt in 1849.
Robert Alexander entered the southwest quarter of Section 26, Township 93, Range 8, July 9, 1849. Several other entries were made on the same date. John W. Lane and Horace Andrus entered during 1849.
John W. Lane entered part of Section 30, Township 93, Range 7 (Illyria Township), July 16, 1849. George Culver entered parts of Sections 22, 26 and 27, by land warrant, June 25, 1849. Andrew Hensley entered Section 19, Oct. 13, 1849.
David Downs entered the northeast quarter of Section 5, Township 94, Range 9 (Windsor Township), Sept. 8, 1849, and J. R. Eddy entered land in the same township, Nov. 21, 1849.
William Wells made the first entry in Township 94; Range 8 (West Union Township), of the northeast quarter of Section 17, Dec. 5, 1849.
Thomas Woodle entered part of Section 13, Township 93, Range 9 (Center Township), Jan. 16, 1850. Philip Herzog made an entry in the same town- ship shortly after.
Samuel Conner entered part of Section 14, Township 94, Range 7 (Pleas- ant Valley Township), Nov. 26, 1849.
Gardner Waters, Sept. 23, 1850, entered parts of Sections 4 and 5, Town- ship 95, Range 9 (Auburn Township).
Francis P. Rosier, L. Rosier, Jacob K. Rosier, George N. Rosier and Thomas Turner made first entries in Township 95, Range 8 (Dover Township), Sep. 28, 1850.
Henry D. Evans entered part of Section 27, Township 95, Range 7 (Cler- mont Township), Dec. 27, 1850.
James Austin entered part of Section 35, Township 95, Range 10 (Eden Township), Jan. 27, 1851; and on the same date the same man entered. the
B. Morse WEST UNION
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
north half of the northwest quarter of Section 2, Township 94, Range 10 (Bethel Township).
Henry Maynard entered the southwest quarter of Section 14, Township 92, Range 9 (Harlan), March 18, 1851.
William A. Sims entered the southeast quarter of Section 21, Township 91, Range 10 (Oran Township), Nov. 3, 1851.
James Nelson Pitkin entered part of Section 35, Township 91, Range 9 (Jefferson Township), May 9, 1851.
John C. Folsom entered the west half of northwest quarter of Section 25, Township 91, Range 7 (Putnam Township), Nov. 4, 1850.
Theodore Wilson entered part of Section 30, Township 93, Range 10 (Banks Township), Jan. 6, 1852.
Thomas Rand entered parts of Sections 31 and 32, Township 92, Range 10 (Fremont Township), Jan. 16, 1853.
Peter L. Moe entered the south half of northeast quarter of Section 1, Township 91, Range 8 (Scott Township), Oct. 10, 1854.
In November, 1848, snow fell to the depth of eighteen inches, and remained until April, 1849. It was a cold, hard Winter for the settlers of Fayette as well as other sections of the State.
In 1848-9, before the surveys were completed, and before the lands were in market, the settlers organized a Claim Society for the purpose of mutual pro- tection against claim jumpers.
By the re-apportionment act, approved January 15, 1849, the counties of Dubuque, Clayton (including Fayette), Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk, Win- nesheik and Allamakee were entitled to two Senators, and the counties of Du- buque, Delaware, Buchanan and Black Hawk, three Representatives jointly, and the counties of Clayton, Fayette, Winnesheik and Allamakee shall have one Representative.
April 23, 1849, William Wells, from Monroe, Greene County, Wisconsin, came to Knob Prairie and purchased the claim and cabin of David Smith, near the southwest corner of Section 17, occupied the premises and built a substan- tial log house. Mr. Wells was a skillful bee hunter. Wild bees were numer- ous, and this was a land literally " flowing with wild honey," if not with milk. The groves were full of "bee trees " and the pioneers always had plenty of honey and wax. They made candles of the latter. Holding a cake of wax to the fire until it became warm and plastic, thin slices were shaved off with a sharp knife. This wax would be wrapped around a piece of candle-wick (or when that was an unobtainable luxury, a piece of cotton cloth was substituted) and moulded to it by hand ; more wax was added to it in layers until sufficient size was attained, and the log cabins of the pioneers were illuminated with wax tapers that a king might envy.
The mode of finding the bees was simple. The hunter was provided with a small box, in the bottom of which a piece of honey comb was placed ; this box was provided with a lid in which a piece of glass was set. There was also a slide by which the honey could be shut from the bees in the top. Sometimes a piece of bee bread was taken along to be burned to "toll " the bees. Arriv- ing at the scene of operation, the hunter watched until he found a bee on a flower, when he would quietly approach with his open box, suddenly shut the lid and the bee finding itself imprisoned would fly up against the glass, the slide would then be closed until the insect became quiet, when it would be gently opened and the bee would soon drop down upon the honey and go to work. The box was then opened and the bee rising in the air would circle round a few
C
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
times and then strike a " bee-line" for its tree. If it was near, it would be but a short time before there would be several bees return to the. treasure the first had found, indicating some mode of communication between these indus- trious and intelligent insects ; watching their flight, the hunter was soon able to determine what direction to take and seldom failed to find the tree.
Mr. Wells was very successful, and, says Judge Rogers, "would often have several barrels of honey in his cabin at one time."
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