USA > Iowa > Jackson County > The history of Jackson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion history of the Northwest, history of Iowa miscellaneous matters, &c > Part 40
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" Concluding to select a camping-ground, we started up a ravine that led from the Maquoketa River, and had not proceeded far when we struck the trail
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of ten or a dozen deer. Moving cautiously, we were able to drop two of the herd, and, the bluffs on either side being so steep the deer could not ascend them, we pursued them up the gorge as rapidly as we could. Looking ahead, we noticed the ravine seemed to terminate in what appeared to be a bridge of rock. There seemed to be no chance for the deer to escape save by facing around and running past us, and we were just congratulating ourselves on securing them when, to our surprise, they all at once disappeared as completely as if the ground had opened and swallowed them. Upon investigation, we found that our prey had taken refuge in a cave. We made our camp-fire in the mouth of the cave, in order to prevent our game from escaping.
" After supper, we started up the ravine to bring in the two deer we had shot. It was very dark, and we had some difficulty in finding the carcasses. We were dragging them toward camp when our two dogs encountered some animal, with which they had quite a scuffle, but finally 'treed' it. We had left our guns at camp, and, supposing it to be a coon, I concluded to climb the tree and shake it out, depending on Scott and the dogs to kill it. As I ascended, it retreated as far as it could; but finally, when I had got so close that I could touch it with my hand, it rushed over me down the tree. I called to Scott and warned him that it was coming. I had hardly got the words out of my mouth when the dogs encountered it, and a terrific fight ensued. My dog was vanquished in a minute's time. Scott, finding his dog in danger of being killed, went to his rescue. Clutching the animal (which proved to be a panther) by the back of the neck, he gave it two or three stabs with his butcher-knife, when it turned fiercely upon him. Scott's participation in the fight encouraged my dog, which now renewed his attack on the panther and did good service. My comrade called loudly for help. I shouted to him to let the beast go, but he answered that he could not do it. I hastened down the tree, and found that Scott and the dogs had the panther, stretched on the ground, and dispatched him with a couple of thrusts from my knife. My partner's heavy elkskin hunting-shirt and pants saved him, for without them the panther would have clawed him to death. As it was, his suit was badly damaged and his person severely scratched. The dogs never got entirely over the effects of their wounds. I concluded, after this experience, never again to climb a tree after a coon.
" When daylight appeared, our hopes of capturing the deer were blasted by the discovery that there was an outlet to the cave through which they had escaped. Our hunt was a short one. Scott was stiff and sore from the effects of the fight with the panther, and could not travel very well ; so we concluded to go home."
HUNTER'S CAVES.
Hunter's Caves, sometimes called Cottonville Caves, are located on the farm of Joseph Hunter, near the village of Cottonville.
The larger of these caves was discovered about 1857, and the knowledge of its existence is due to a " coon hunt." Some boys were engaged in this lively sport, when his lordship, the coon, sought refuge at the entrance of the cavern, and was pursued in his subterraneous retreat by both dogs and men. At that time, the entrance was by a passage-way, so low that it could be entered only by creeping on one's hands and knees.
A ridge, about one and a half miles in length, extends east from the entrance. This ridge is crossed near its western end by a sort of dry gully, and in the side of this little vale is the entrance to the larger cave. This entrance has of late years been excavated, by blasting, so that the cave can be entered by
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a stairway, and in a perpendicular attitude. This cave contains four large rooms, which have been explored. The first after entering is the largest of these, and is perhaps two hundred and fifty feet long, with a ceiling in height from six to twenty feet. In the center of this room is a pool of clear water, varying in depth according to the season. No running water is found in the cave, nor are any fish to be discovered in the pools, as have been in other sub- terranean caverns. At the further end of this long room is a passage-way, of considerable length and difficult of exit, which opens up, after a fall of about eight feet, into a third chamber of less dimensions, but equal curiosity.
Not far from the entrance, a passage leads away from the large room around to the east of the entrance, into the grandest room in the entire cave, so far as explored. This chamber is egg-shaped, and though not so large in circumfer- ence, is near fifty feet in height. Its dianicter will not vary much from one hundred feet. Adjoining this is a small closet, called the "heart and liver" room, because it contains a calcareous formation almost identical in shape with the human heart and liver.
No encouragement has ever been given to the further exploration of these curiosities, and only during the past year has any effort been made to make them places of attraction or resort. These caverns are now becoming quite popular as pic-nic grounds, a covered platform having been erected near the entrance for dancing.
The floor of the large room in the cave is of soil, and is frequently muddy. The floor of the other chambers is of rock. When first discovered, these rooms, as those in "Burt's Cave." already mentioned, were ceiled by one dazzling array of milk-white stalactites, from whose points the limewater was constantly dripping. These glistened in the light of the torches like so many jewels, and presented a scene of wonderful beauty. An avidity for relics amounting to positive vandalism has robbed the rooms of much of these attrac- tions. Some of these stalactites were two and one-half to three feet in length, and frequently twenty-four inches long, while not more than half an inch at the base. Others were hollow like pipe-stems, and not much thicker, the water filtering down through the opening in the center. Most of these were trans- lucent and almost transparent. Others were of a dull, muddy color.
No fossils have ever been found in the cave of any importance. It has been explored by miners seeking minerals, but without startling results. Though no trouble has ever been experienced from gases, the high room has been punctured from the hill above, for purposes of ventilation. The cave has been during the present year arranged for lighting, and lamps are distributed throughout the rooms, so that all can be satisfactorily viewed.
Another and smaller cave has been discovered, at a point in the hill a little further west, and is entered by a perpendicular fissure in the rocks, about sixty feet in length.
DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY.
Jackson County is the fourth from the northern boundary of Iowa, border- ing on the Mississippi River. It is bounded on the north by Dubuque County, on the west by Jones, and on the south by Clinton County. In longitude it is between 90° 15' and 90° 57' west of Greenwich, and between 42º 3' and 42- 24' north latitude. The western boundary is the Fifth Principal Meridian.
It is composed of eighteen civil townships as follows, beginning at the northeast :
Tete des Morts includes Congressional Township 87 north, Range + east, with Mississippi River as eastern boundary.
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Prairie Springs includes Township 87, Range 3.
Bellevue corresponds to Township 86, Range 4, also Sections 30, 31 and 32, with fractional parts of Sections 33, 29, 18 and 19 of Township 86, Range 5 east-the fractional parts bordering the Mississippi River.
Richland includes Congressional Township 86, Range 3 east.
Otter Creek, Township 86, Range 2 east.
Butler, Township 86, Range 1 east.
Brandon, Township 85, Range 1 east.
Farmer's Creek, Township 85, Range 2 east.
Perry, Township 85, Range 3 east.
Jackson, Township 85, Range 4 east.
Washington, Township 85, Range 5 east, also Sections 18, 19, 30 and 31, with fraction of Section 7, Township 85, Range 6 east-the northeastern boundary being the Mississippi River ; also includes fractional parts of Sec- tions 5, 6, 7 and 18, Township 84, Range 5.
Union is a small township in the southeastern part of the county, com- posed of Sections 6, 7, 18, 19, 30 and 31, with fractions of Sections 5, 8, 17, 20, 29 and 32, Township 84, Range 7 east ; also Sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25, 36 of Township 84, Range 6 east.
Iowa includes all of Township 84, Range 6, except Sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25 and 36, besides Sections and fractions of Sections No. 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 of Township 85, Range 6 east.
Van Buren includes Township 84, Range 5, except fractions of Sections 5, 6, 7 and 18, cut off by Maquoketa River and belonging to Washington Township.
Fairfield is same as Township 84, Kange 4 east.
Maquoketa is Township 84, Range 3 east.
South Fork, Township 84, Range 2 east.
Monmouth, Township 84, Range 1 east.
STREAMS.
Maquoketa River .- This stream crosses the county from west to east, entering it in two forks, known as North and South Fork, which unite about twelve miles from the western boundary, forming the main stream. The river is shallow, but is subject to great changes in depth. It flows in most of its course over a limestone bed; elsewhere the bed is sandy. The bottoms on either side are subject to overflow, and vary in width from one-half to three miles. They are occupied as fine farms, though crops are lost, on an average, about once in five years by overflow. The Maquoketa is very tortuous in its course, and the length of its channel is two or three times the length of the connty. Eleven of the eighteen townships of the county touch its banks.
The principal tributaries of the Maquoketa from the north are Lytle's Creek, Farmer's Creek and Brush Creek ; from the south are Bear Creek and Deep Creek.
The bluffs of the Maquoketa are some places 200 feet high, and decrease .from that to-40 or 50 feet. The fall in the river averages four feet per mile. There are some excellent mill sites along its course.
Tete des Morts Creek crosses Prairie Springs and Tete des Morts Town- ships, and enters the Mississippi near the northern county line.
Elk Creek in Iowa Township, flows southeast through the northeastern part of Clinton County.
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
NATURAL PRODUCTS.
Lead .- Some efforts have been made to find lead in Jackson County in sufficient quantities to make mining profitable, but without success. These efforts were prompted by the finding of nuggets of lead or lead ore, which was quite frequent in an early day, especially in some sections, as is elsewhere men- tioned in speaking of an exploring party which traversed the county in 1834. Several hundred dollars were expended in and about Monmouth a few years since, prospecting for mineral, but without success. The occurrence of iron ore in moderate quantities is mentioned in connection with the article on geology.
Petroleum .- Considerable excitement was raised in the eastern part of the county in 1867, by the reputed discovery of petroleum near a point called Green Island. The so-called discovery consisted in the observance of petro- leum on the waters of a certain spring, on which, if a handkerchief were placed it soon became saturated. An oil company was organized, with a capi- tal stock of $2,500. Near $1,000 were expended in bringing practical oil men to the place to examine it, and in various prospectings, but no well has ever been sunk, and the petroleum fever is past.
Lime .- The lime manufactured from the limestone in and about Maquo- keta is of a very superior quality, and in the buildings in which it is used becomes almost as hard as the rock itself. It is acquiring quite an extensive reputation, and has been sold in considerable quantities west of the Missouri River.
Building Stone .- The limestone which appears in numerous quarries in various parts of the county, forms a most excellent building stone. As taken from the quarries, it is rather soft, and consequently, quite easily dressed ; but when placed in buildings and exposed to the weather, it so hardens as to form a wall of more than ordinary strength and durability. The rock quarries of Jackson are practically inexhaustible.
TIMBER.
The Maquoketa Excelsior says :
"Jackson County contains one of the finest bodies of timber in the State. Throughout the central, northern and eastern portions of the county there are fine groves, mainly of oak timber. Each of the streams of the county is lined with timber. Following up the main Maquoketa, there is a wide body of for- est. But it is between and along the two main forks of the Maquoketa, whose junction is just north of the city of Maquoketa, that the finest body of timber in this part of the State exists. This body extends from the city of Maquo- keta in a northwesterly direction, and embraces a small portion of Maquoketa and Perry Townships, about half of each of the townships of South For k and Farmer's Creek, a large corner of Monmouth Township, all or nearly all of Brandon and a large part of Butler Townships, embracing, beside the small portions of Maquoketa and Perry Townships, which have an abundance of tim- ber not included in this body, about half of the six western townships of the county. This body of timber, besides what lies in Jackson County, embraces the northeastern part of Jones County, the southwestern portion of Dubuque County and the southeastern part of Delaware County. This, with the timber on Mineral Creek, Bear Creek, Deep Creek. Otter Creek, Farmer's Creek, Brush Creek, the main Maquoketa, the Mississippi, the Tete des Morts and the beautiful groves throughout the central and northern portions of the county,
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constitutes it one of the finest timbered counties in the State. So that, while there is a large amount of fine prairie land, there is not a acre of it but what is quite convenient to timber of an excellent quality.
" The varieties are very extensive. Taking the county at large, the differ- ent kinds of oak, such as the white, red, black and burr varieties, are the most abundant kinds of timber, and are extensively used for fencing and building pur- poses. In other localities, the hard maple is the predominant timber, and from it every spring, large amounts of maple sugar are manufactured, and it consti- tutes the large part of the fuel burnt in the vicinity. A small amount of soft maple grows in certain localities. In many places, the red, white and bastard varieties of elm, with basswood and black ash, are the most common trees. Often in going a quarter of a mile, one will pass from where the hard maple is the prevailing timber to where the varieties of elm and basswood predominate, and another quarter will take one to where the oak is the most common. The iron-wood is found nearly everywhere in the timber, whilst the black walnut, butternut, gray ash, shellbark and black hickory are very extensively distrib- uted. There is also a considerable amount of cottonwood and whitewood, whilst the sycamore and box-elder are occasionally found. Groves of crab- apple, wild plum, wild choke-cherry, black and red haws are very numerous. Gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, in their native state, are very abundant.
" The oak and elm are extensively used for hewing purposes, which can be obtained of any desirable length. Walnut, butternut, oak and basswood are used for siding. Studding and joists are sawn from nearly all the varieties of hard wood. The gray ash makes very fine flooring, whilst oak and maple are used for the same purpose. Wagon timber is obtained from the hickory and oak ; the cabinet-maker obtains a choice supply. The manufacture of barrels, kegs, meat tubs, etc., affords employment to a great many coopers. The demand for lumber is large and affords business for many saw-mills. The amount of fencing obtained from this body of timber every year is immense."
SURFACE.
The surface of the county is rough in the extreme, especially in the north- ern part. The southern tier of townships is the best, and is composed mostly of prairie land. There are good farms scattered throughout the county, but in many districts the country is too hilly for farming with ease, and much of it is unreclaimed from timber-lands. The soil is varied, much of it containing a large share of sand in its composition. The roads dry very quickly following a rain, and, with respect to mud, are usually in a good condition. Much of the scenery of Jackson County is very fine indeed. Every visitor is impressed by the appearance of the country.
ARRIVAL OF OUTLAWS IN BELLEVUE.
Jackson County was, in an early day, in every sense of the word a border county. As in many other parts of the country, when first settled, the arm of the civil power was weak, nor was it prompt to strike when it knew the real offender. As is usually the case, men with small principle, if, indeed, they could be said to have any ; men to whom law and order were unmeaning and unwelcome terms, sought upon the frontier that license for their deeds which an older community would have promptly denied them. In this respect, Jack- son County suffered in common with all the eastern part of Iowa, from Dubuque down the river to Keokuk, and from Davenport west to Cedar County. The
n.Arramen-
BELLEVUE
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
outlaws seemed to be in league and to have a perfect understanding among themselves.
Bellevue, at that time the most promising town in the county, was especially troubled by these outlaws, and has become famous, not for harboring thieves and counterfeiters, but for the decisive manner in which she rid herself of them by means of what is known as the Bellevne War.
If we may be permitted to judge from the general interest manifested in hearing of the somewhat romantic events which led to and culminated in a genuine battle, we will be doing a welcome service for a great majority of our readers in placing in permanent form a reasonably full account of the causes which led to, and the fight which decided the struggle with outlaws.
For the most of the information which we will be able to give upon these matters, we are indebted to Capt. W. A. Warren, of Bellevue, who was at that time sheriff of the county, and who has since written a series of articles upon the Bellevue war. Occasionally we will quote him word for word ; elsewhere it will be our endeavor to condense his account to accommodate it to our space.
In 1837, a party of emigrants landed in Bellevue, claiming to have come from Coldwater, Mich. They drove good teams, possessed comfortable outfits, plenty of furniture and were generally intelligent. The leader of the com- pany, as appeared from the beginning, was one W. W. Brown, destined at no distant day to cut quite a figure in the history of Bellevue. . Quite a number of days were spent in looking at town lots and speculating upon the desirability of this site as a residence, which being satisfactory to an immediate location of the party, the claim lots needed were promptly purchased from the claimants, the land not yet being in the market from the Government, and houses were quickly built.
Brown was a man of fine personal appearance and had the semblance of culture about him. He was possessed of an engaging manner, was hospitable, a good talker and well calculated as a leader of men. So oily was his tongue that most of the population, even when evidences of his rascality were traced to his door, were unwilling to believe him to be anything short of an honest man, and to this day there are some credulous enough to consider W. W. Brown, in one sense, a martyr, and as in no respect responsible for the deeds of the men about him. Brown kept a hotel, known simply as Brown's Hotel, and had always in his house a company of doubtful characters, many of whom were not favored with any visible means of support. Mrs. Brown, too, was a handsome and accomplished lady, and won many friends by her womanly manner and kind ways. Brown himself was a charitable man, benevolent to those in want, ever pleasant and kind to children, and really possessed of a humane and generous heart. He was appointed as one of the first magistrates of Bellevue, and it may be guessed that he was not very stringent in administering justice when his own friends were the parties accused.
During the first winter he was in Bellevue, Brown had about twenty men chopping wood for him on the island opposite the town, and, ere spring, had probably one thousand cords of wood ready to send down the Mississippi. While he was engaged in this it was noticed that considerable counterfeit money got into circulation, and, when traced up, it was always found to have come from some of his men. Horse-thieving, too, was quite frequent in the adjoin- ing counties and States, and not unfrequently the parties " carrying one end of the halter strap " were traced to Bellevue. Part of the thieves would operate toward the south, extending even into Missouri, and, bringing their horses to Jackson County, would exchange with their confederates from Wisconsin or
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Northern Illinois, and in this way it became almost an impossibility to recover the booty.
All this time, Brown made professions of being a law-abiding citizen, a sort of detective in fact, and, on several occasions, at his suggestion, horses were taken from some of his suspicious-looking guests and returned to owners who might come in pursuit. The gang doubtless felt that they could afford to return an occasional horse if they could keep suspicion away from their headquarters. It was noticeable, however, that when horses were returned, the supposed thief was always given time to get out of the way .*
A SHERIFF FOILED.
About six months after Jackson County had been organized, one of Brown's men, Godfrey by name, was seen to drive into town with a span of fine horses. The Sheriff, noticing this fact, inferred they were stolen, and placed Godfrey under arrest. The latter positively and repeatedly denied the accusation, and gave a minute account of his purchase of them in Missouri. The two repaired to Brown, who heard Godfrey's story patiently, but told him he was lying, and remarked to the Sheriff that there was no doubt but that the horses had been stolen. Brown advised that handbills should be struck describing the horses. and if in thirty days they were not claimed, they should be returned to Godfrey. The handbills were printed at Dubuque, and Brown assisted in their distribution. at the same time becoming responsible for the horses and for Godfrey.
About five days after the bills had been sent out, a man came to town, and, instead of going to the hotel, stopped at a private house. He sent for Sheriff Warren and had a private conversation with him, introducing himself as Mr. Jenkins. He produced one of the handbills, and inquired if the horses were still here. Being answered in the affirmative, he said :
"They are my horses, sir, and I can give you marks that you perhaps have not noticed. The bay horse has a scar on the inside of the right leg, just below the flank. The sorrel mare has a slit in the left ear. If they have not these marks they are not my horses. Can we see them to-night ?"
* A gentleman writing to the Excelsior from Maquokets, September 6, 1879, says: " I saw in one of your papers that a company was getting up the early history of Jackson County. If there is anything to be said about the Belle- vne tragedy or war that happened in the early days of the county, I wish to have it come before the people in ita true light.
"I came to this county in April, 1837. The same summer, one Thomas Cox had a Government contract to survey the county, and, as he was a great friend of Monoogshela whisky, he procured a barrel of the genuine for his outfit. Hie hoss surveyor was a man by the name of McDonald. Cox kept camp and entertained the callers, while the rest did the surveying; so he became acquainted with nearly every man in the county, and when we organized into Iowa Territory Cox represented this county in the Legislature, but never lost sight of his friend, Monongahela. The people, however, began to think they had better not trust him with so responsible a position any longer. Cox saw that unlese something was done he must go down, and that William Brown, of Bellevue, was bound to be the leading man of the county. This Brown was an off hand business man. He bought property on credit, and turned it so as to make money with every change ; he bought a hotel of Peter Dutell, and ranit himself; he also had a dry goode store- all bought on credit. No man or beast went away from his honse hungry, money or no money. He trusted everybody, and was just the man for the country. The honest sod industrions part of the community thought Brown was doing more for the county than any man in it.
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