USA > Iowa > Fayette County > The history of Fayette County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 60
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In 1839 or '40, a war party of Musquakas (Sacs and Foxes), under the lead of one of the sons of Keokuk, passed Moreland's Colony, in Delaware County, on their way to Fayette County, whither they declared they were going to surprise a camp of Winnebagoes on the Sac Bottom. It is said that they succeeded-that the Winnebagoes were encamped near the ancient burial ground of the Sacs, on the east bank of Turkey River, above Elgin ; that the Winnebago chief was absent with his braves on a hunting expedition, and the treacherous Sacs surprised the camp, killed about twenty-five old men, squaws and children, and captured two of the absent chief's children.
AN ANCIENT MAP,
published at Hartford in 1826, describes the territory now embraced in the boundaries of Iowa as being "a vast wilderness, consisting chiefly of immense plains, almost destitute of woods except in the neighborhood of streams. It is traversed by numerous herds of buffalo and wild horses, and by a few roving tribes of Indians." No white settlements are named in what is now Iowa, except " Du- buque's Lead Mines," Fort Madison and Fort St. Louis. On the Turkey River, below where Elkader is now situated, a Fox village is designated, and in the north is a Sioux village. In the center of the State are located the Fox Indians, and north of the center are the Ioways.
ALTITUDES.
The altitude of any point in Fayette County above the sea may be easily approximated from the ascertained altitude of the following localities, taken from the engineer's survey of the Davenport &. St. Paul Railway : Summit one mile west of Strawberry Point, 1,200 feet ; water in Volga, at Fayette, 972 feet ; summit between Volga and Turkey Rivers, on Section 21, Township 94 north, Range 9 west, 1204 feet; Crane Creek, Section 36, Township 95 north, Range 10 west, 995 feet; Little Turkey, Section 14, Township 95, Range 10, 1,046 feet ; summit between Little and Big Turkey, 1,261 feet.
HOOVER AND HIS BEAR.
In 1849, Mr. Jacob Hoover settled on Section 32, Township 95, Range 8, about three miles north of West Union. He brought with him a love for hunt- ing and a rifle, carrying 100 balls to the pound, a light weight weapon, as his friends East told him there was no game here larger than squirrels, for which he thought his rifle of ample caliber.
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
He found, however, larger game than squirrels-deer numerous, and prairie wolves, wildcats, coons, etc .- and naturally, was often enticed into the hunt, and often brought home his game, won with his little rifle.
The following sketch of an encounter with a large bear, in which Mr. Hoo- ver had a narrow escape, was written by J. W. Rogers, and published in the West Union Gazette, in 1873 :
In February, 1850, in the morning, Mr. Hoover shot and wounded a deer, which he followed, but failed to get. About 10 o'clock A. M., returning toward home, in company with two of his boys, and leading a horse, he saw about half a mile from the present residence of Asher Simar, on Section 28, Township 95, Range 8, in the bushes, at a distance, what he supposed was a black ox, belonging to a neighbor, and spoke of it to the boys. They at once, with their sharper eyes, saw that it was not an ox, but some other large black animal, such as they had never seen. A closer look by the father showed that it was a bear, which seemed to be reaching up, as if eating the buds from the bushes.
Bruin, overhearing the talk or scenting danger, started off southwest, crossing the present road leading from Mr. Hoover's place to West Union, about a half mile south of his house. Mr. Hoover sent his boys home, put another bullet in his rifle, mounted his horse and kindly offered to accompany Bruin on his toilsome and lonely journey, the direction indicating fifteen miles or more, to timber on the Upper Volga, the snow being knee deep to the hunter, and the weather rather cold.
Under such circumstances, it was very kind in our friend Hoover, and the sequel will show that Bruin duly appreciated the courtesy.
A small dog also volunteered, and urged Bruin to stop and be introduced to the mounted escort, and succeeded so well (making the bear turn frequently around to argue the question of etiquette), a stern shot was obtained at a fifty-yards range with evident effect, as the game stopped, spun around several times like a top, trying to reach an enemy at his rear. This was about 200 yards west of where Mr. William Kent now lives-Section 32, Township 95, Range 8. The bear soon traveled on again, our hunter loading his rifle, mounting and pursuing. In about . half a mile, the bear left blood on the snow. He was overtaken on the east half of the north west quarter of Section 5, Township 94, Range 8, on the Fuson place; and here Mr. Hoover dis- mounted and got a fair side shot, behind the fore legs, at ten steps, when the bear dropped, but rose at once, went some 200 yards south west, where it lay down, rolled over and over again, howling, evidently in great pain, for some five minutes, when he got up and traveled on in a southwest course. Loading his rifle again, Mr Hoover followed and found the bear in the ravine about half a mile southeast of the brick house since built by Mr. Rosier (on the west half of the north- west quarter of Section 5, Township 94, Range 8) and about a mile and a half north of West Union, lying upon his belly, head toward him. Highly elated and flattered by the evident inclination of the bear to permit a more intimate acquaintance, convinced by the courteous bear- ing of the bear that he meant to do the fair thing, and was dying, as any well bred bear ought to be under such circumstances, he rode up beside him and began a friendly discourse in this wise : " Well, sir, you are my meat now, sure; it is about over with you, old fellow, and you are my game ; a fine one you are, too ; a lively chase you have led me, but you are mine now "- and how much longer he might have complimented his game is uncertain ; but the bear raising his head inch by inch, until he looked up at the horseman, when, in an instant, before he could divine or avoid his action, the bear was on his hind feet, his right arm swept around the body of our hunter, knocking the rifle out of his hand, and the eloquent speech was stopped right there. For a few moments the tableau-a horseman, disarmed ; a bear, rampant, beside and against the horse and facing the rider, his right arm around and tightly holding him there-was presented, disturbed only by blows from the fists of Mr. Hoover in the face of the bear, which, in half a minute, tenderly took Mr. Hoover from the horse, laid him on the ground on his back, put his other paw around him and, moment by moment, squeezed him in a closer grasp, but not attempt- ing to bite. As the great arms tightened and tightened in that affectionate embrace, Mr. Hoover found it difficult to breathe, and he began to reason on the changed aspect of affairs thus : " Well, I guess it is doubtful now which is the other's meat ; my case does not look as fair as it did ; the argument and weight of evidence seems to be against me now, and in your favor, old fellow ; things look rather misty ;" and his sight began to grow dim and his breath came and went only in labored gasps, and he became nearly unconscious.
All this time, the dog had been attacking the bear at the side and rear, but now jumped on his head, which caused Bruin to raise his head and look toward his assailant, in doing which he rolled off of Mr. Hoover so as to free him from his right and upper paw. By exerting all his strength our hunter succeeded in rolling off from the bear's left paw (which lay under him) to the distance of a few feet.
The bear rolled upon his belly again, and lay there with his head on his paws, or on the snow between them. After lying several minutes, to regain a little breath and strength, with his feet not two feet from the head of the bear, Mr. Hoover, by moving a little, reached his rifle, worked it around into position, across his feet, with the muzzle near Bruin's ear, and fired-a. third and effectual shot-the game rolling over dead.
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY
Lying on the snow five to ten minutes, before he could rise, still troubled to breathe, Mr. Hoover got up, and, satisfying himself that the game was dead, led up his horse (which had stood by, refusing to leave), mounted from the carcass of the bear, rode home, returned with a team and sled, accompanied by his wife and boys, rolled the bear on the sled and hauled him home, arriving just before night. He being too sick to aid, Mr. Stephen Bailey and the boys skinned the bear, finding in the thigh a large slug of lead, surrounded by a lump of calloused flesh as large as his two fists, the result, apparently, of an old musket-shot wound. The bear was very large, old and poor; his estimated weight, if fat, 1,200 pounds.
The skin was so large that two men were rolled up in it and entirely covered. The writer recollects of seeing one of the feet of this bear, which was of enormous size.
Mr. Hoover, as a result of his encounter, vomited a quart of blood that night, and for a long time felt its effects ; and, having time for calm reflection, aided by his experience, he came to the firm conclusion that he should never again argue the question of meat in that way, nor get so close to his audience should he ever deliver another lecture to 1,000 pounds of live bear. But, said he, "I never told the old woman how the bear and I had it, for many years after, for I was afraid she would not let me hunt any more."
A LOST CHILD. .
(The following truthful and amusing sketch was furnished to the historian by a young lady of West Union Township too late for insertion in its proper place :) One gloomy Saturday morning in the Spring of 1852, a lad named Abra- ham House, living with his parents on Section 2, Town 94, Range 8, strayed away from home into the timber. Of his wanderings through the woods nothing is known ; but when evening came, he did not come home. The news spread rapidly, and soon friends and neighbors gathered around the sorrowful family to comfort them and drop the tear of sympathy over the imaginary fate of the boy. One member of the family went to West Union, and solicited the aid of the citizens in the search.
During the night, a few men were searching for him, while the women at home were wringing their hands and weeping. One was particularly noticed, who was sadly repeating: "This is a mournful occasion ; this is a mournful occasion."
But as the bright and pleasant Sunday morning dawned, renewed hope came to the hearts of the stricken ones. All the inhabitants of the quiet village of West Union started en masse to help in the search.
Coming to the residence of Mr. House, they formed a long procession from the Clermont to the Elgin roads. For about two hours, the search con- tinued, when Judge Woodle met a gentleman about six feet in height, with no look of pain or trouble upon his contenance, who had the appearance of a hun- ter. He was walking leisurely along, when he noticed the throng of men, and on his inquiring the trouble, the Judge replied : " We are looking for one House,
who is lost." The hunter answered, " Well, I suppose I'm the chap." Soon the shout of "Found ! found !" pierced the morning air, and echoed along the road and through the timber. All rushed as quickly as possible to the spot, expecting to see, lying in a bloody, mangled heap, the form of a child who had met with some savage monster of the wood, and came to a sudden, terrible death. Imagine their astonishment, when they saw a youth, seventeen or eighteen years old, who had wandered from home and friends the night before, and found shelter with a family named Peters, living on Otter Creek.
Those who had aided in the search, after being hospitably entertained at the house of House, returned to their homes, greatly amused with their search for the " lost child."
REMOVAL OF THE INDIANS.
The last appearance of Winnesheik in the vicinity of Fayette County was in the Winter of 1860-61, when he camped with some twenty followers near
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
Janesville, Bremer County, about four months. He was deposed from his posi- tion shortly after reaching Crow Wing, and being dissatisfied with his lowered rank, persuaded his own band to follow him to Kansas. Late in February, 1861, the Winnebagoes in Minnesota, hearing of his whereabouts, sent a mes- senger bearing a request that he should return and resume his former position at the head of the nation. To this he consented, and returned to his people in May of that year.
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
The introduction of this Order into Fayette County dates from November 22, 1872, when Jefferson Grange was established, followed in a year or two by fourteen others, as follows : . Long Grove, No. 738, Maynard; Star of Smith- field, No. 739, Smithfield ; Waucoma, No. 819, Waucoma; Hope, No. 866, Harmony, No. 960, Maynard; Center, No. 962, Randalia; Hurricane, No. 966, Fayette; Bethel, No. 1053, Bethel Township; Hawkeye, No. 1083, West Union ; Oriental, No. 1089, Windsor Township; Union, No. 1165, West Union ; Spring Valley, No. 1570, West Union ; Eden, No. 1630, Eden ; Rolling Green, No. 1571, West Union.
At present, two of the fifteen are practically dormant.
FIRE INSURANCE.
At the meeting of the County Council, in April, 1874, steps were taken by that body to organize a Farmers' Insurance Company. Nine Directors were appointed, by whom the formation of the company was completed in January, 1875, under the title of " Farmers' Mutual Insurance Association." The Board has restricted the amount of insurance in any one risk to $3,000, and no policy is to exceed two-thirds of the value of the property.
The only loss that the Association has yet met with was in October, 1876- a loss of $300.
The Association has now about 200 policies in force, insuring about $200,- 000 worth of property.
Andrew Ainsworth, of Fairfield Township, is President ; J. M. Lewis, of Randalia, Secretary ; J. C. Parker, of Eden, Treasurer.
LIFE INSURANCE.
The "Mutual Aid Association " of the Patrons of Husbandry of Fayette County was organized March 31, 1876, at Randalia, with P. L. Champlin as President; G. W. Chamberlin, Vice President ; James Graham, Secretary ; J. C. Parker, Treasurer. The Association is based on the same principles underlying other co-operative insurance associations, an admission fee being charged, and the members being assessed in the event of any death among the number.
The number of insured at the present time is quite small. One death has occurred. By recent action of the officers, the Association has decided to admit any one to membership, whether a Patron or not, provided he can pass the usual medical examination. It is believed that this action will have a stim- ulating effect on the growth of the organization.
The place of meeting of the Association is at Randalia. The officers first elected still retain their positions, with the exception of Mr. Chamberlin, Vice President, who has been succeeded by I. S. Coates.
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
OELWEIN ELEVATOR COMPANY.
This association was organized and incorporated in February, 1874, with a capital of about $4,000, in $20 shares. The company built the elevator during the same year and did the business themselves for about twelve months, since which time the property has been rented, and pays 10 per cent. on the invest- ment. John Secord is President of the corporation ; William Codling, Vice President ; P. L. Champlin, Secretary ; M. L. Higby, Treasurer ; Thomas Hanson, B. E. Hough, John McRae, Directors.
THE PATRONS' JOINT STOCK COMPANY
is composed of members of the Order in the vicinity of Eden. This company has a general store at Eden, which is doing a successful business. The capital has recently been increased, in order that the store can be kept supplied accord- ing to the needs of the community. The company was organized in 1874.
THE REMOVAL OF THE INDIANS.
Mr. J. B. Sperry, now a respected citizen of Fayette, was in the employ of Rev. Mr. Lowry, in the Spring of 1848, and was by that gentleman persuaded to enlist in Capt. Morgan's volunteer company of dragoons, then doing garrison duty at Fort Atkinson. As stated elsewhere, J. C. McKenney was First Lieutenant of the company. David S. Wilson, now Judge of the Ninth Judi- cial District, was Second Lieutenant. These particulars, and those which fol- low, are furnished by Mr. Sperry.
The preparations were completed about June 1, 1848, and the Indians on the Reserve were summoned to meet south of the Fort to commence the march. They were very much dissatisfied with the prospect, and held a great council, presided over by Winnesheik, to deliberate on the situation. The resolution agreed upon was that they would not go. When this determination was com- municated to Capt. Morgan, he sent a detachment from the fort, with a twelve- pound cannon, to an eminence south of the Indian camp. A battle was momen- tarily expected by the soldiers, but the Winnebagoes concluded to yield, and agreed to go.
The march began June 8, 1848. No event of importance occurred until the troops and Indians reached Wabashaw Prairie, near the Mississippi. Here, Winnesheik fell in with a Sioux chief, Wabashaw, who was a relative of the former. The Sioux chieftain proposed to Winnesheik to settle down by him with his whole tribe, and offered to sell him a tract of land some thirty miles square. Winnesheik and his tribe, 2,900 in number, eagerly fell in with the offer, and made up their minds to go no further. Capt. Morgan and Rev. Mr. Lowry, to avoid bloodshed, sent out couriers to the neighboring Sioux chiefs, and also to the commanding officer at Fort Snelling-to the former to have them assemble and disapprove of Wabashaw's real estate speculation, and to the latter for more troops. The nobility of the Sioux gathered at the camp with great celerity, and indignantly put a veto on Wabashaw's proposed sale, remind- ing him, at the same time, that he had exceeded his power. About the same time, the detachment from Fort Snelling arrived on the steamer War Eagle, with two field pieces-and just in time, for Little Hill's band, the best educated and the most troublesome body in the nation, had just decamped and were well started back to their old camping place on the Turkey. A squadron of Capt. Morgan's company followed, caught up with them and drove them back to Wabashaw Prairie. As many as possible were then persuaded to embark on the
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
War Eagle, and forwarded to Fort Snelling. The boat made two or three trips before the " sons of the forest," squaws and papooses, were debarked under the guns of the fort, nearly two months having been consumed in removing them thus far.
The subsequent part of the journey to Long Prairie was comparatively uneventful, and when the Indians and their energetic Agent reached their new reservation, the volunteer dragoons returned to Iowa to be mustered out, Mr. Sperry among the rest. This gentleman returned to Fayette County to become one among the very few pioneers of this county who yet remain to assist the historian in preserving the event that marks the transfer of its groves, streams and fertile prairies to the dominion of the pale face.
WEST UNION-TOWN AND TOWNSHIP.
Much of the early history of West Union has been necessarily included in the general history of the county, as it was the first town in the county and was selected as the county seat. The township, as created by the County Commis- sioners of Fayette County in 1850, is identical with Congressional Township No. 94, north of Range 8 west, but it included a portion of Township 94, Range 7, and Township 95, Range 8, as erected by the Commissioners of Clayton County in 1849.
The surface is rolling, with steep bluffs along the Otter Creek in the eastern. central portion. The soil is a deep, rich loam, clayey in the northern and east- ern portions. and somewhat sandy in the southwest, bearing both wet and dry weather remarkably well, and seldom failing to reward the industrious farmer with fair harvests.
About one-third of the area of the township is covered with timber, mostly on the eastern part. The prevailing varieties are white and red oak, maple, elm, linn or basswood, butternut, hickory, black walnut, box elder, with an occasional pine and cedar. Several very fine and valuable sugar maple groves graced the forests in early times, but most of them have fallen before the wood- man's axe to furnish fuel and lumber. A fine one yet remains on the farm of Mr. Jacob Hoyer, about a mile east of the town of West Union.
The township is watered by Otter Creek through the center, from west to east, while excellent springs of pure living water are numerous. Good water is generally obtained from wells at various depths from fifteen to forty feet, and above rock, except in a few instances.
The township was a portion of the Winnebago Reserve until 1848. A favorite camping ground of the Indians was on Section 16, west of the north branch of Otter Creek, on the present farm of Mr. J. Messingham, formerly H. W. Muse's place, and south of the present residence of Mr. J. C. Mont- gomery (formerly the home of Jacob Cory, W. C. Ashby, D. W. Hall and B. H. Sampson, successively). Small hunting parties of the Indians encamped there several times after the township was settled by the whites, and as late as. the Winter of 1857-8, and their lodge poles could be seen there for many years afterward.
The first to locate on this township were Lorenzo Dutton, Henry Jones and Charles M. Jones, who selected a spot for a home on what was afterward Section 3, in July, and Mr. Thomas J. Smith, who arrived about the same time. Smith is believed to have built the first cabin in the township, about the 15th to the 20th of August, 1848, on the farm now owned by Remembrance Lippincott, about a mile east of town. Mr. William Wells and Gabriel Long were here at
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
the time, and helped to cut the logs and to make the "shakes " for the roof. Mr. Dutton and the Joneses returned to their location and built a cabin in Sep- tember following. David Smith settled on Section 16, in the Fall of 1848, and Morris B. Earll and Jacob Cory on Section 16. Henry F. Smith located near them, on Section 9. Jacob F. and Henry Smith (sons of Henry F. Smith), spent the Winter of 1848-9 here. Absalom Butler settled here in April, 1849; George Smith, April 22; William Wells, April 23; William Redfield, Frank- lin Bishop and Stephen Bailey in May ; Solomon Bishop and Gabriel Long, July 4 ; Jacob W. Rogers, with his wife and daughter Ada, and Jacob Ly Brand, September 7; Humphrey Tibbetts, October 25; William Felch and his two sons, Cephas and Richard, probably in October or November, 1849; Matthew Wells, Spring of 1850; Joseph W. Foster, July 4; John Phillips and Daniel Cook, September, 1850; David Wells, Dr. J. N. B. Elliott, 1850; William McClintock, Henry C. Lacy, Phineas F. Sturgis, Thomas Woodle, Joseph H. Stafford, David Stafford, Edwin Smith, Porter L. Hinkley, in the Spring of 1851; J. G. Webb, September, 1851; John S. Brewer, Charles McDowell and others came in 1852 ; Isaac F. Clark, Myron Peck, John Gharky and others, 1853. Among other early settlers, the dates of whose settlement cannot now be ascertained, were James Carl, William Kilroy, Jonathan Ferrell, Jonathan Cru- zan, Eli Root, William Root (1849 or 1850), Thomas Ritchie, George Stans- bury, Elisha Van Dorn, Friend Dayton, H. S. Brunson, Joseph Deford, George W. Neff, Nicholas Butler, Willis T. Bunton, William Barnhouse, John Salts- giver.
The town of West Union was laid out in the Fall of 1849, and re-surveyed in 1850 (see general history). The site of the town was known as "Knob Prairie," and was named " West Union," by William Wells, at the pioneer 4th of July celebration, 1849. The first survey was done by Erastus A. Light, assisted by Thomas R. Talbot.
The first township elections are recorded elsewhere.
The first house on the town plat was built by J. W. Rogers in 1849. Mr. Rogers was appointed Postmaster in January, 1850, and William McCloud carried the mail once a week between Elkader and Fort Atkinson, via West Union. Mr. Rogers' house being the first in the future city, he, of course, became the first hotel keeper, as strangers visiting this region insisted on stop- ping with him, refusing to go on if it was near meal or bedtime, as there was not another house in sight.
The first store was opened by LyBrand & Rogers in September, 1849, in a part of the dwelling house of William Wells, near the center of Section 17, and perhaps two rods southeast of the present residence of Mrs. Eliza, widow of William Wells. They kept a general stock of merchandise, which was removed to the house of Mr. Rogers about January, 1850, where the firm " kept store " until Mr. LyBrand removed to Ly Brand, Allamakee County.
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