USA > Iowa > Jones County > The history of Jones County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens history of the Northwest, history of Iowa > Part 48
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\ dash ;- ) signifies lodow zum
38
61.2
52
50.
October.
420
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
ineluding the time of the tornado. The wind came from the east until the arrival of a stronger current of air from the southwest, when the weather-vane backed around. via the north, to the southwest. For an hour previous to the arrival of the storm. a huge bank of nimbus clouds was seen piled up in the west and southwest, with occasional vivid flashes of lightning, accompanied with loud peals of thunder : and, when this ocean of nimbus clouds approached from the southwest. a light strip appeared at the horizon, and widened as the storm made headway in its course. The friction of the wind rolled up the underside of the black elouds, and they had very much the appearance of the waves of the ocean coming in from sea before a heavy gale of wind.
The first damage done was the total destruction of E. R. Murdock's dwell- house, three miles west and one mile south of Monticello, in Castle Grove Township. Then, following a line northeasterly. it destroyed the dwelling- house of Mr. Brunthaver, in this township, and damaging the school building in District No. 3. Then. passing through the south portion of town, erossing Kitty Creek at Skelly's Ford. it totally destroyed James Sloan's dwelling. in Seetion 23, two miles east of town. Then, crossing the Maquoketa River. it destroyed the German Church in Riehland Township, Section 19. four miles northeast of town. The storm was one-fourth of a mile in width, and lasted less than a minute in any one place. and traveled the whole course of eight or ten miles in a few moments. In the center of the track of the storm the ruins were mostly left in a northeasterly direction. but on either side of the center of the track the debris is left at every point of the compass. A little hail and rain fell a few moments before and during the work of the destruction. In all, it measured less than a quarter of an ineh-not enough to wet through the plastering of the houses that lost the roofs. During the whole of the storm. there was a loud, roaring noise, like the roar of the approaching of a thousand trains of cars, or the noise of the ocean while being lashed by a furious storm.
The signal service can never give warning of these sudden freaks of the wind, no matter how perfect it may yet become in its other weather prognosti- eations. Their eauses are altogether local and altogether unexpected in their appearance. They are eopies. in miniature, of the tropieal cyclones, and are governed, in their smaller sphere, by the same laws. Experts now describe all storms as rotaty, and caused by the meeting of opposing eurrents of air of dif- ferent temperatures, having a local motion around a constantly advancing center. North of the equator, this motion is almost universally from right to left. In the southern hemisphere the rule is reversed. Ninety per cent of the fifty tornadoes noted in the United States during eighty years have exhibited the same characteristics-a general eastward course, with a greater or less deflection to the north. It follows that a person who sees a tornado approach- ing from the west may escape by running southward, but to run northward is, in all probability. to run into its very vortex. The singular weather, with its thiek atmosphere, frequent rains and excess of electric force, is just the weather which tempts the elements into frequent freaks of this kind. How all signs may fail, thus receives another illustration ; because the frequency of these violent storms is believed to depend upon, or, rather, to coincide with. the greater or less number of spots on the sun, of which there are fewer this year than usual.
The northwest has been the prevailing wind, it coming from that direction for 94 days, against 77 days last year. It was clear on 63 days, eloudy on 91 days, foggy on 15 days, and hazy on $5 days. It thundered and lightened on 52 days. Frost on 13% days during the year.
.
421
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
Below is given the amount of snow and rain. and the number of rainy and snowy days during the winter of 1877-78, and a comparison with the past three winters :
Rain. R. D.
Snow. S. D.
November, 1877
3.68
5
11.62
6
December, 1877
2.67
6
.25
1
January, 197
.48
1
2.10
3
February, 1878.
1.35
1
2.35
3
Total
8.34
13
16.32
13
1870-77
15.77
13
61.68
28
1875-76.
15.98
32
29.53
17
1874-75
12.58
11
49.05
36
The following table shows the monthly maximum, minimum and mean tem- perature, temperature of well-water, number of days with frost, elear and cloudy, for each month during the year 1879 :
1879.
Maximum,
Minimum.
Mean.
Temperature . of
Woll Water.
Number of Days of
Number of Days
Clear.
Number of Days Cloudy.
January
45
-18
15.7
50
31
12
7
February
47
-10
28
8
8
March
74
5
36
50
20
8
7
April.
84
22
53.2
50
4
17
5
May ..
88
37
62.7
50
2
6
10
June.
90
50
68 9
50
o0 0
12
5
Augus
92
54
72
50
0
11
September
82
37
58.8
50
5
10
2
October
85
*2*2
58
50
November
70
12
$6.7
50
19
10
11
December
Annual
The following table shows the mean direction of the wind. The figures show the number of times, each month, the wind prevailed in each of the eight cardinal points for the year 1879 :
1879.
North.
Northeast.
Enst.
Sontheast.
South.
Southwest.
Northwest.
Culm.
January
2
0
5
4
1
9
0
February
0
8
2
1
2
11
0
March
3
0
2
9
2
0
5
10
0
April
2
1
7
4
2
I
0
May
1
2
2
10
3
9
4
0
. June
3
5
0
4
1
9
1
2
9
August .
1
G
0
6
5
3
8
6
0
October
1
{
11
2
J
1
November
1
1
0
7
4
2
11
0
December
Annual
1
September
1
0
5
5
3
3
4
0
July
3
5
8
9
7
July
93
61
76.7
51
Frost.
15
West.
-
A dash (-) signifies below zero.
421
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
Below is given the amount of snow and rain, and the number of rainy and snowy days during the winter of 1877-78, and a comparison with the past three winters :
Rain. R. D.
Snow.
S. D.
November, 1877.
3.68
5
11.62
ti
December, 1877
2.67
6
.25
1
January, 1878
.48
1
2.10
3
February, 1878
1.35
1
2.35
3
Total
8.34
13
16.32
13
1876-77
15.77
13
61.68
28
1875-76.
15.98
32
29.53
17
1874-75
12.58
11
49.05
36
The following table shows the monthly maximum, minimum and mean tem- perature, temperature of well-water. number of days with frost, clear and cloudy, for each month during the year 1879 :
1879.
Maximum.
Minimum.
Mean.
Temperature .of
Well Water,
Number of Days of
Number of Days Clear.
Number of Days Cloudy.
January
45
-18
15.7
50
31
12
7
February
47
-10
49
28
8
8
March
74
5
36
50
20
8
7
April.
84
22
54.2
50
4
17
5
May ..
88
37
62.7
50
2
6
10
June.
90
50
+8 9
50
()
9
7
July
93
61
76.7
51
0
12
5
August
92
54
72
50
0
11
5
September
82
37
58.8
50
5
10
2
October
85
58
50
15
2
November
70
12
36.7
50
19
10
11
December
Annual
The following table shows the mean direction of the wind. The figures show the number of times, each month, the wind prevailed in each of the eight cardinal points for the year 1879 :
1879.
North.
Northeast.
Enst.
Southeast,
South.
Southwest.
Northwest.
Calm.
January
2
0
5
4
4
4
9
0
February
0
8
2
1
2
11
0
March
3
0
2
9
2
0
5
10
0
Moril
6
2
1
-1
4
2
1
3
4
0
+ June
3
·2
3
5
8
2
3
4
0
July.
August 1
1
6
0
6
5
3
3
1
September
1
U
5
3
8
6
0
October
1
0
1
1
0
4
2
4
11
U
November
December
Annual.
1
2
5
0
4
1
0
1
2
0
May
10
6
3
Went.
A dash (-) signifies below zero.
11
1
Frost.
422
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP.
This township is situated in the western part the county, north of Green- field, the southwestern township. There is a good deal of timber in this town- ship, the timber-land occupying nearly two-thirds of the area. The timber is mostly oak, and for quality is not excelled in this portion of the State. Many of the trees of the original forest have been cut down and removed, and their places are now occupied by numberless young and thrifty second-growths. In the northeastern portion. there is some prairie land, and the southwestern third of the township is also prairie. In these portions may be seen some of the finest farms in the county. The Wapsipinicon River enters the township near the northwest corner, crosses somewhat diagonally, and enters Jackson Township, on the east, near the center of the line running north and sontli. Buffalo Creek enters Fairview from the north. and unites with the Wapsipinicon just west of the site of Anamosa. On these streams are a number of excellent mill-privileges, and a goodly number are occupied by substantial flouring-mills. The whole township is well watered by these streams and their numerous tribu- taries. The village of Fairview is situated a little west of the geographical center, and Anamosa, the county seat, four iniles northwest of it. The Addi- tional Penitentiary of the State and the State Fish-Hatching Establishment are situated in this township. and in the north and west are the famous stone quarries described elsewhere. As a whole, this township ranks first in import- ance in the county.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF ANAMOSA AND FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP.
From a letter to Mr. Edmund Booth from Gideon H. Ford. of Webster City, Hamilton County, this State, under date of October 4, 1872, we quote the following in regard to the early settlement of Anamosa and Fairview Town- ship: " The first settlement of Buffalo Forks was commenced in April. 1838. by George Russ and Sherebiah Dakin, from the State of Maine. They laid claim to Sees. 2. 3. 4, one- quarter of 9 and one-quarter of 10. There were with them John II. Bartlett. wife and child. also a man named Smith, another named Carpenter and David G. Dumars. These came in the spring of 1838. Three of the above died that season, viz., Russ, Smith and Carpenter. Dakin was a millwright ; worked in Dubuque. Then came George II. Russ, son of George Russ.
" I arrived at Dubuque on the 22d of October, and fell in with S. Dakin. He was going to Buffalo Forks next day, and asked me to go with him. He wished to sell his interest in the claim. So, in company with Timothy Davis, we started for the Forks. arriving next day in a snow-storm, the snow three inches deep. I bought Dakin's interest in the claim for $1,000. Young Russ held his father's share. Young Russ soon got homesick and I bought his share for $500. I then soll two-thirds of the claim to Davis and Walworth for $2,000. This was in January, 1539. We commenced building the mills the next spring. John H. Bartlett, I am told, is now living in Dubuque."
Mr. Edinund Booth writes : " I arrived at . the Forks. as they were famil- iarly termed-meaning Buffalo Forks of the Wapsipinicon, often abbreviated
423
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
to Wapsie-in August, 1839. If I remember aright, it was on the 18th of August. I had reached Dubugne from the East some days previously, and made inquiry for George H. Walworth. I was referred to Timothy Davis : sought and found him in his little lawyer's office on Main street. He informed me he was a partner of Walworth, and that the latter was at the 'Buffalo Forks of the Wapsipinicon.' He proposed to let me have a horse which he wished to send to the Forks, and suggested the next day for starting : distance. forty miles. He informed me that a new road, known as United States Mili- tary Road, was being laid ont to the Forks, and seemed to apprehend no diffi- eulty about the way. This Timothy Davis was, some years later. member of the Lower House of Congress for Fowa. He died about a year ago, of paraly- sis (1872). He was a lawyer from Missouri. a man of good intellect, clear head, and at the time. 1839. the best lawyer in Northern lowa. His nature was ever kindly.
" In the course of the evening, after seeing Mr. Davis as above described. he called on me at Tim Fanning's log tavern, the only hotel in Dubuque, and informed me that two men would start next morning for Iowa City, then just laid out as the capital of the Territory of Iowa. They were going to attend the first sale of lots. Next morning we started accordingly. The name of one of the men was Bartlett-whether the Bartlett mentioned by Ford or not. I do not know ; but judge not, as he did not appear to have any knowledge of the road, nor did he mention aught to lead one to suppose he had acquaintance with the locality of the 'Forks.' The name of the other man I have forgot- ten ; but he was a blacksmith of Dubuque. For the journey, I had a large. strong horse, not spirited, but good. The two men were mounted on ponies. They rode at a continual slow trot. the natural pace of a pony. My horse taking longer strides, I allowed them to proceed some distance. and then a trot brought me up to them. And so it was all the way.
"As before said, the military road was being laid out. Congress having appropriated 820,000. We found a newly broken furrow along one side of the road, which. by the way, was merely a track through the grass of the prairies. and a mound of turf raised three to four feet high at intervals of a half-mile. more or less. At about noon, we reached the house of a Mr. Hamilton, two miles or so before reaching Cascade. Here we took dinner and fed the horses. There was only a woman-probably Mrs. Hamilton-in the house. and they had a small field in cultivation, no larger than a garden to appear- ance. The man was away. Continuing on. we soon reached Cascade. South of the river (North Fork of the Maquoketa) was a log cabin belonging to Mr. Dulong, an urbane Kentuckian. North of the river was the unfinished frame hotel of Mr. Thomas, and these were all the buildings of the place. Mr. Dulong was an elderly man, apparently forty to fifty years of age. He died1 some years since. Continuing on. it began to grow dark before we reached the timber of the South Fork of the Magnoketa.
" Passing through the timber. the new road being pretty good. the light from the chinks of a log cabin at last gave us assurance of human habitation, and a chance for a night's lodging. It proved to be the dwelling of Daniel Varvel, situated on the South Fork of the Maynoketa. and where is now a por- tion of the town of Monticello. On the maps of the place. it is designated as Monticello. Reaching Varvel's, he put the horses in a stable, near by- a log stable. by the way, with a loft above for hav. In the house were some dozen or fifteen men. in the employ of the U. S. Government contractor. and engaged in laying out the Military road. They had come thus far with the work.
424
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
Varvel prepared supper. He was at that time wifeless. and no woman in the house. Supper of ham and eggs, corn dodgers and coffee. Breakfast, ditto, the next morning, eaten with a hearty relish after such a long ride. No beds for us with this crowd. After an hour's talk, Varvel took the lantern and led the way to the stable. We mounted the ladder outside, and with our saddle- blankets for.covering. slept on the hay ( we three) till morning. the horses feed- ing and resting beneath us. And this was my first night in Iowa after leaving Dubuque. A word here about Varvel. He was from Kentucky : married some years after this, our first meeting ; with George H. Walworth, he laid out the town of Monticello, sonth of the river.
" His children grew up and removed further West. He followed them a few years since, and I do not know now whether he is living or dead. After breakfast, we left Varvel's, as the place was called until Monticello was laid out and named. The road was tolerably well marked by wagons, and at about noon, we passed the first land plowed since leaving Hamilton's, and Hamilton's was the only plowed land we had seen after leaving Dubuque. This second piece of plowed land, then just broken, consisted of five acres. the claim belonging to David G. Dumars, and the identical ground on which the county fair has been held for some years. Passing by this, and when at about the intersection of what is now Main and High streets, Anamosa, a large-sized man came lazily along the road toward us. We stopped and made inquiry. He told me to take a road to the right a few rods further on. That man was David G. Dumars. He went on toward his breaking: and, bidding good-bye to my two companions, who were bound for the new capital of the Territory and prospective wealth through the purchase of town lots, I turned into the road to the right. A mile and a half brought me to the log cabin referred to in G. H. Ford's letter, the body which had been built by Russ & Dakin. Here I found G. H. Walworth, who was an old acquaintance, and about fifteen to twenty other persons engaged in building a dam and saw-mill. The day was Sunday, and the people scattered. some reading, some lounging about, some gone to " the Prairie," as the settle- ment south of the timber was called. That settlement then consisted of eighteen log dwellings, and extended along the south border of the timber from High- land Grove to Viola ; of course, these two latter names not being given till years afterward. I have related my journey as above merely to convey some idea of the aspect of the country. buildings, etc., and have named every dwell- ing we saw after leaving the little hamlet of Dubuque.
·
"I give here a list of the early settlers of the township ; most of the list was obtained from John G. Joslin. ten years ago : Clement Russell and family arrived in July, 1837 : John G. Joslin and family, in August, 1837; Ambrose Parsons and family, in May. 1838: Benonia Brown and family, in October, 1838; Lathrop Olmsted and family. in April. 1838: James Parsons, with his son Silas, in April, 1838 ; John Leonard and wife arrived in the autumn of 1838; Calvin C. Reed, in 1838 : Gideon H. Peet. in the spring of 1839; Henry Van Buskirk, in the spring of 1839 ; Samuel Kelly, in 1838: Edmund Booth, in August, 1839; Henry Booth, in May, 1840 ; Col. David Wood, in June, 1840."
THIE VILLAGE OF FAIRVIEW.
This small village of about fifty inhabitants, is situated a little west of of the geographical center of the township of Fairview, and four miles south- west of the city of Anamosa. It is situated at the border of the timber- land, on the most delightful portion of the prairie land of Fairview Town-hip. Near
425
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
this village are found some of the first farms in the county of Jones, and had it been the fortune of its inhabitants to have secured the passage of one of the several lines of railroads that traverse the county, it would doubtless have made one of the first towns in this part of the State. The situation is indeed a delightful one.
At present, there is one small general and a small grocery store. The Post- master is Mr. A. Merrill, and he is also the proprietor of the grocery store. He is an old resident of the place, having resided in the house where he now lives since 1853. There is a two-story frame schoolhouse and two churches. The Baptist Church is the oldest in the county, a history of which is given elsewhere.
The Methodist Church was built last year and dedicated June 28, 1878. The Pastor is W. F. Dove. The cost of the building was 81.200, and, though the society is small, they have paid all indebtedness and own their church with- out any incumbrance. The Trustees are William Manly, John Reed, Fred- rick Leper, J. B. J. Porter and A. Dawes. The Methodists have had an organ- ization for many years, but no church edifice until last year as stated above.
The Church of God have an organization, but no church edifice. They con- template building soon. Nathan Blood is their Pastor.
A CHAPTER OF EARLY HISTORY.
Previous to June, 1837. no white man had settled in what afterward became the village of Fairview or in the township of that name. At the date named, Clement Russell, wife and four or five children, originally from the State of New York and last from Michigan. reached the place by wagon, in the search for a permanent location combining both prairie and timber land. Here he fixed his abode, and the aspect was really one of beauty. The prairie, six miles in width, ran east and west, and the sun apparently rising out of the prairie on the east and setting into the prairie on the west.
Russell, having lived in Michigan, was already a frontier's man, a farmer by occupation, and, in the course of the first year. had erected his log cabin. some 25x18 feet, and opened up a farm. John G. Joslin, Benonia Brown and and others, with their families, came in the months following the arrival of Russell, and, in 1839, there were along the timber border of the prairie eighteen log dwellings, all, except one or two over the line in Linn County, being in Fairview Township.
In 1839 or 1840, Lucas being Territorial Governor, a speck of war-cloud arose along the line separating Iowa from Missouri. Word was passed for a meeting of young men, at Russell's house, with a view to enlistments for the deadly fray. Of those who enlisted, eighteen placed themselves in line as vol- unteers. Some were armed with guns, and some, for the fun of the thing, with poles or cornstalks. The war-cloud soon blew over, and Lucas, the testy, rested in peace.
At that time and subsequently, down to the removal of the county scat to Anamosa (then Lexington), Russell's was the place for public meetings other than religious, and for general elections, except for the last year or two before removal, when. through some agency or other of some person, the election was ordered by the County Commissioners to be held at Eli Brown's new frame barn. This was at the east end of the " settlement," so called, at that day, and not at all agreeable to the general public; but it was near the center of the township, and " center " of township or county has been a catchword ever since, without
426
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
regard to center of convenience or population. The scenes at Russell's-the familiar name of the locality-were various, and often amusing. It was the point where all roads met, and the main road-the military-leaving that place. was the one leading to the bridge across the Wapsipinicon. Hence Russell's was the general rendezvous of the settlement.
For several years. the number of votes polled in the preeinet was about 33. and so it continued until 1847. when C. C. Rockwell, the first lawyer in the county, came and set up in his profession at Lexington, and, as Deputy to William Hutton, County Clerk, inserted Lexington in the order for the next general vote of the precinet, to the great disgust of Eli Brown's barn and everybody living near it. The balance of the public wondered somewhat at what they looked upon as a bit of legal impudence, but as Lexington was not objectionable and was more respectable than a barn, general acquiescence followed.
Russell's, as already stated, was the point for publie meetings. It was also the place for discussions of all kinds, and for brawls as well. when such occurred. The few persons of that day now living can remember bloody faces and black eyes, and most frequently the bloody faces and black eyes were confined to two or three persons. The quarrels usually grew out of difference of opinions. combined with whisky, and the enmities generated were never permanent. In less than a week, all were as friendly as ever, and really to extend a kindness or a helping hand to each other.
The nearest store was at Dubnque, over forty miles away. Of the promi- nent men residing here and in the vicinity, John G. Joslin was one of the most intelligent, and most influential and most respected : Ambrose Parsons was solid, good-hearted and naturally dignified ; Gideon Peet was kindly and pleas- ant ; Benonia Brown was industrious and thrifty, and died at the age of 103 : Clement Russell was of wiry make. nervous-bilious in temperament, good-hearted at bottom and throughout, and disputative ; John Leonard was of large frame, great physical strength, and indolent, but worked well, and was often employed by his neighbors for that reason. Besides those named above, the settlers. as a whole, were good men and women and orderly. In short, they were good samples of the best people residing in New York and New England.
In 1841, Russell laid out the village of Fairview. Reuben Bunce and Mr. Gilchrist came soon after with a load of goods, which they were peddling through the territory. They stopped at Russell's, then a general tavern for travelers, and concluded to remain and open a store. The front portion of Russell's log cabin was set off for the purpose. They also purchased a num- ber of lots of the newly laid-out town. Gilchrist soon sold out to Bunce and left. Out of the question of paying for the lots, litigation arose, and the Dis- triet Court, for several terms, had it on hand. Lathrop Olmstead, who lived just outside the plat of Fairview, was tall and slender, and, for all the worldl. reminded one of Washington Irving's Ichabod Crane. He, at Fairview, and Barrett Whittemore, at Bowen's Prairie, were the first two persons who under- took to teach school in this county, and both at about the same time-winter of 1840-41. Olmstead started overland for California in 1849 or 1850, and is supposed to have died on the way, as nothing was ever heard of him afterward. The first school he taught was in Marlin Peet's house, which was empty at the time.
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