USA > Iowa > Keokuk County > The history of Keokuk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. : a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 40
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96
The only plows they had at first were what they styled "bull plows." The mould-boards were generally of wood, but in some cases they were half wood and half iron. The man who had one of the latter description was looked upon as something of an aristocrat. But these old " bull plows " did good service, and they must be awarded the honor of first stirring the soil of Keokuk county.
It was quite a time after the first settlement before there was a single store in the county. Rude fire-places were built in the cabin chimneys, and they served for warmth, cooking and ventilation.
The first buildings in the county were not just like the log cabins that immediately succeeded them. These latter required some help and a good deal of labor to build. The very first buildings constructed were a cross between " hoop cabins " and Indian bark huts. As soon as enough men could be got together for a " cabin raising " then log cabins were in style. Many a pioneer can remember the happiest time of his life as that when he lived in one of these homely but comfortable and profitable old cabins.
A window with sash and glass was a rarity, and was an evidence of wealth and aristocracy which but few could support. They were often made with greased paper put over the window, which admitted a little light, but more often there was nothing whatever over it, or the cracks be- tween the logs, without either chinking or daubing, was the dependence for light and air.
The doors were fastened with old-fashioned wooden latches, and for a friend or neighbor or traveler the string always hung out, for the pioneers of the west were hospitable, and entertained visitors to the best of their ability.
It is noticeable with what affection the pioneers speak of their old log cabins. It may be doubted whether palaces ever sheltered happier hearts than those homely cabins. The following is a good description of these old land-marks, but few of which now remain:
" These were of round logs notched together at the corners, ribbed with poles and covered with boards split from a tree. A puncheon floor was then laid down, a hole cut out in the end and a stick chimney run up. A clapboard door is made, a window is opened by cutting out a hole in the side or end about two feet square, and it is finished without glass or trans- parency. The house is then ' chinked ' and ' daubed ' with mud made of the top soil.
" The cabin is now ready to go into. The household and kitchen furni- ture is adjusted, and life on the frontier is begun in earnest.
" The one-legged bedstead, now a piece of the furniture of the past, was made by cutting a stick the proper length, boring holes at one end one and a-half inches in diameter, at right angles, and the same sized holes corres- ponding with these in the logs of the cabin the length and breadth desired for the bed, in which are inserted poles.
"Upon these poles clapboards are laid, or lind bark is interwoven con- secutively from pole to pole. Upon this primitive structure the bed is laid. The convenience of a cook stove was not thought of then, but instead the cooking was done by the faithful housewife in pots, kettles and skillets, on and about the big fireplace, and very frequently over and around, too, the
314
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
distended pedal extremities of the legal sovereigns of the household, while the latter were indulging in the luxury of a cob pipe, and discussing the probable results of a contemplated elk hunt up and about Walled Lake." These log cabins were really not so bad, after all.
The living in those days was not such as to tempt the epicure to leave his comfortable luxuries, or even necessities, in the East in order to add to the population of the country. Flour was at first unknown and meal was scarce.
They had corn bread in those days "as was corn bread," such as many a resident of the county of this day knows nothing of ; and the pone made by the grandmothers of the young people of the present day was some- thing for pride.
Before the country became supplied with mills which were of easy access, and even in some instances afterward, hominy-blocks were used ; these now exist only in the memory of the oldest settlers, but as relics of the " long ago " a description of them will not be uninteresting :
A tree of suitable size, say from eighteen inches to two feet in diameter, was selected in the forest and felled to the ground. If a cross-cut saw happened to be convenient, the tree was "butted "-that is, the kerf end was sawed off so that it would stand steady when ready for use. If there were no cross-cut saw in the neighborhood strong arms and sharp axes were ready to do the work. Then the proper length, from four to five feet, was measured off and sawed or cut square. When this was done the block was raised on end and the work of cutting out a hollow in one of the ends was commenced. This was generally done with a common chopping ax. Sometimes a smaller one was used. When the cavity was judged to be large enough, a fire was kindled in it and carefully watched till the ragged edges were burned away. When completed the hominy-block somewhat resembled a druggist's mortar. Then a pestle or something to crush the corn was necessary. This was usually made from a suitably sized piece of timber with an iron wedge attached, the large end down. This completed the machinery and the block was ready for use. Sometimes one hominy- block accommodated an entire neighborhood and was the means of staying the hunger of many mouths.
It is sometimes remarked that there were no places for public entertain- ment till later years. The fact is there were many such places; in fact, every cabin was a place of entertainment and these hotels were sometimes crowded to their utmost capacity. On such an occasion, when bed-time came, the first family would take the back part of the cabin and so con- tinue filling up by families until the limit was reached. The young men slept in the wagons outside. In the morning those nearest the door arose first and went outside to dress. Meals were served on the hind end of a wagon, and consisted of corn bread, buttermilk and fat pork, and occasion- ally coffee to take away the morning chill. On Sundays, for a change, they had bread made of wheat " tread out " by horses on the ground, cleaned with a sheet and pounded by hand. This was the best the most fastidious could obtain, and this only one day in seven.
Not a moment of time was lost. It was necessary that they should raise enough sod corn to take them through the coming winter, and also get as much breaking done as possible. They brought with them enough corn to give the horses an occasional feed in order to keep them able for hard work,
315
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
but in the main they had to live on prairie grass. The cattle got nothing else than grass.
In giving the bill of fare above we should have added meat, for of this they had plenty. Deer would be seen daily trooping over the prairie in droves of from twelve to twenty, and sometimes as many as fifty would be seen grazing together. Elk were also found, and wild turkeys and prairie chickens without number. Bears were not unknown. Music of the natural order was not wanting, and every night the pioneers were lulled to rest by the screeching of panthers and the howling of wolves. When the dogs ventured too far out from the cabins at night they would be driven back by the wolves, chasing them up to the very cabin doors. Trapping wolves became quite a profitable business after the State began to pay a bounty for wolf scalps.
One of the peculiar circumstances that surrounded the early life of the pioneers was a strange lonliness. The solitude seemed almost to oppress them. Months would pass during which they would see scarcely a human face outside their own families. The isolation of these early days worked upon some of the settlers an effect that has never passed away. Some of them say that they lived in such a lonely way when they first came here that afterward, when the county began to fill up, they always found them- selves bashful and constrained in the presence of strangers. But when the people were once started in this way the long pent-up feelings of joviality and sociability fairly boiled over, and their meetings frequently became enthusiastic and jovial in the highest degree. It seems singular to note bashfulness as one of the characteristics of the strong, stalwart settlers, but we are assured by the old settlers themselves that this was a prominent characteristic of the pioneers. And some of them declare that this feeling became so strong during the early years of isolation and lonliness that they have never since been able to shake it off.
But there were certainly some occasions when the settlers were not in the least degree affected by anything in the nature of bashfulness. When their rights were threatened or invaded they had " muscles of iron and hearts of flint." It was only when brought together for merely social pur- poses that they seemed ill at ease. If any emergency arose, or any business was to be attended to, they were always equal to the occasion.
On occasions of special interest, such as elections, holiday celebrations or camp-meetings, it was nothing unusual for a few settlers who lived in the immediate neighborhood of the meeting to entertain scores of those who had come from a distance. There was a grove on Mr. Scearcy's claim, and this was a favorite place for holding camp-meetings. It was no unusual thing for Mr. Scearcy and his estimable lady to feed hundreds for days in succession during the progress of these meetings, free of charge. This cir- cumstance is given to illustrate the boundless generosity which prevailed in those days. Scores of other instances could be adduced, showing that at least in this particular we live in degenerate days.
Rough and rude though the surroundings may have been, the pioneers were none the less honest, sincere, hospitable and kind in their relations. It is true as a rule, and of universal application, that there is a greater de- gree of real humanity among the pioneers of any country than there is when the country becomes older and richer. If there is an absence of re- finement that absence is more than compensated in the presence of gener- ous hearts and truthful lives. They are bold, courageous, industrious, en-
316
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
terprising and energetic. Generally speaking, they are earnest thinkers and possessed of a diversified fund of useful, practical information. As a rule they do not arrive at a conclusion by means of a course of rational reasoning, but nevertheless have a queer way of getting at the facts. They hate cowards and shams of every kind, and above all things falsehood and deception, and cultivate an integrity which seldom permits them to prosti- tute themselves to a narrow policy of imposture.
Such were the characteristics of the men and women who pioneered the way to the country of the Sac and Fox Indians. Those who visited them in their homes in a social capacity were made as welcome as if they were the members of the same household. To tender, them pay in return for their hospitality was only to insult the better feelings of their nature. If a neighbor fell sick and needed care or attention the whole neighborhood was interested. If a house was to be raised every man "turned out," and often the women too, and while the men piled up the logs that fashioned the primitive dwelling-place the women prepared the dinner. Sometimes it was cooked by big log fires near the site where the cabin was building. In other cases it was prepared at the nearest cabin and at the proper hour was carried to where the men were at work. If one man in the neighbor- hood killed a beef, a pig, or a deer, every other family in the neighborhood was sure to receive a piece. One of the few remaining pioneers has re- marked:
" In those days we were neighbors in a true sense. We were all on an equality. Aristocratic feelings were unknown and would not have been tolerated. What one had we all had, and that was the happiest period of my life. But to-day, if you lean against a neighbor's shade tree he will charge you for it. If you are poor and fall sick you may lie and suffer almost unnoticed and unattended, and probably go to the poor-house ; and just as like as not the man who would report you to the authorities as a subject of county care would charge the county for making the report."
Of the old settlers some are still living in the county, in the enjoyment of the fortunes they founded in the early times, " having reaped a hundred- fold." Others have passed away, and many of them will not long survive. Several of them have gone to the far West, and are still playing the part of pioneers. But wherever they may be, and whatever fate may betide them, it is but truth to say that they were excellent men as a class, and have left a deep and enduring impression upon Keokuk county and the State. " They builded better than they knew." They were, of course, men of ac- tivity and energy or they would never have decided to face the trials of pioneer life. They were almost invariably poor, but the lessons taught them in the early days were of such a character that few of them have remained so. They made their mistakes in business pursuits like other men. Scarcely one of them but allowed golden opportunities, for pecuniary profit at least, to pass by unheeded. What are now some of the choicest farms in Keokuk county were not taken up by the pioneers, who preferred land of very much less value. They have seen many of their prophecies fulfilled and others come to naught. Whether they have attained the success they de- sired their own hearts can tell.
To one looking back over the situation at that time from the present standpoint of progress and comfort, it certainly does not seem very cheering; and yet, from the testimony of some of these same old
317
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
settlers themselves, it was the most independent and happy period of their lives.
At that time it certainly would have been much more difficult for those old settlers to understand how it could be possible that thirty-two years hence the citizens at the present stage of the county's progress would ยท be complaining of hard times and destitution, and that they themselves, perhaps, would be among that number, than it is now for us to appre- ciate how they could feel so cheerful and contented with their meager means and humble lot of hardship and deprivation during those early pioneer days.
The secret, doubtless, was that they lived within their means, however limited, not coveting more of luxury and comfort than their income would afford, and the natural result was prosperity and contentment, with always room for one more stranger at the fireside, and a cordial welcome to a place at their table for even the most hungry guest.
During the first three years, and perhaps not until some time afterward, there was not a public highway established and worked on which they could travel; and as the settlers were generally far apart, and mills and trading points were at great distances, going from place to place was not only very tedious but attended sometimes with great danger. Not a railroad had yet entered Chicago, and there was scarcely a thought in the minds of the peo- ple here of such a thing ever reaching the wild West; and if thought of, people had no conception of what a revolution a railroad and telegraph through here would cause in the progress of the country. Then there were less than 5,000 miles of railroad in the United States, and not a mile of track laid this side of Ohio, while now there are over 100,000 iniles of railroads extending their trunks and branches in every direction over our land.
Supplies in those days came to this Western country entirely by river and wagon transportation. Mail was carried to and fro in the same w y, and telegraph dispatches were transmitted by the memory and lips of emi- grants coming in or strangers passing through.
In the autumn of 1846, when Iowa ceased to be a territory and became a State, Keokuk county likewise was entering upon a new career. Roads were being laid out and worked and temporary bridges constructed in dif- ferent localities for the convenience of travel. Schools and school-houses were rapidly increasing, and conveniences of public worship multiplied. Manufactories of various kinds began to be talked of by the more enter- prising men of some capital, and the general work of improvement and civilization progressed most encouragingly.
The emigration to the unsettled regions further west made a good market for all kinds of farm produce at the very doors of the settlers. Mills as well as markets had come to the very doors of the pioneers of Keokuk county, and the county may be said to have entered upon its career of per- manent prosperity. But the distinctively pioneer times had gone. With all their hardships and all their joys, they were a thing of the past.
CLAIM CLUBS AND CLUB LAWS.
During the early settlement of all this portion of country, while the dif- ferent lands were being claimed and taken up, the greater part of the first settlers banded themselves together for mutual protection in organizations
318
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
called " claim clubs," to prevent the encroachment of land speculators, pro- fessional " claim-jumpers," and various kinds of intruders who had no in- tention of settling here and enduring their share of the hardships and labor involved in opening up and improving a new country.
It was a perilous act for any one outside of these claim clubs to take a claim in any of the more desirable parts of the county, lest he should settle upon or interfere with some club member's previous claim or interest, and if such a thing did occur, no matter how innocent he may have been as to his intentions of intruding, in all such cases the non-initiated could do nothing but give up his claim, improvements and all, either peaceably or through compulsion of the combined force of the club, and resignedly seek elsewhere for lands. If he did not feel like submitting to this treatment, his only hope was to join the club for protection and advice, and thus be admitted to the secrets of its plan of working.
In many instances these claim clubs did good service when the enforce- ment of law and order seemed otherwise impossible in protecting settlers in their rights of home and property. While, on the other hand, doubtless a good many honest and innocent persons were caused to suffer serious loss and inconvenience through the workings and sometimes unfair means of these clubs.
The very best intentioned organizations and individuals sometimes make mistakes in running to extremes, and cause injury to others by that which . was only originally intended to be beneficial. Especially is this the case where so many different minds and dispositions are united to govern one organization.
So it was, to a greater or less extent, with these early claim clubs. While the chief design in their work was the mutual protection and benefit of all the members and the proper settlement and development of the country, the injudicious, selfish members sometimes caused the institution of means that resulted in the injury and oppression of the innocent.
But professional claim-jumpers were plentiful, as well as very shrewd and persistent in their modes of working to get the advantage, and these organized clubs seemed to prove the only effectual checkmates for them. In this respect, therefore, the latter accomplished a good work and afforded a formidable defense.
These clubs existed in almost every community and were by no means a new institution when first introduced here. The claim rights of settlers were then regulated by what was called the claim law, which had its origin in Jefferson county, and was in a certain sense sanctioned by the legislature of 1839.
The plan of organization was very simple. A captain was selected, and each member of the club signed a pledge in the form of by-laws: and these by-laws form a curiosity well worth reading.
In addition to having a captain, whose duty it was to direct the action of the club and act as a sort of general executive officer, the club had another officer still more important, whose duty it was to attend the public land sales and bid off such tracts of land as he was ordered to purchase by order of members of his club. General Lowe was captain of one of these clubs and S. A. James was bidder.
The Steady Run Club was organized at Elizabethtown, on the 23d day of August, 1845. The following regulations were adopted, to-wit .:
Johnle Norgine
.
321
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
Resolved, 1st. That we will protect the claims of each other on the lands of the United States respectively, by using all proper means to assist each other to purchase our claims from the Government, and that we will use every effort to prevent any one from buying any claims who is not a proper owner thereof.
2d. That if any one shall enter any claim belonging to another, he or they shall not be considered a citizen and shall be discountenanced by us.
3d. That a committee shall be appointed, consisting of five persons, to settle all claim disputes ; that any party to a dispute may have the privilege of objecting to any one or all of the committee ; that it shall be the duty of said committee to appraise the lands so wrong- fully entered as aforesaid ; that the money paid to the government for the same shall be de- ducted from the appraised value thereof, and that the person so wrongfully entering lands shall be compelled to pay to the rightful owner of the claim the overplus; that said com- mittee shall have power to fill any vacancy in their body by appointment.
4th. That only 320 acres shall be protected as aforesaid, and that any part thereof being entered or bought of the Government by the proper owner shall not entitle such claimant to extend the boundaries of his claim.
5th. That any non-resident owning a claim in this territory shall be entitled to the bene- fits of these by-laws upon agreeing to render the same assistance to the club as others in- terested.
6th. That any neighborhood in the county or contiguous to this territory shall be entitled to the benefits of these regulations upon agreeing to render like assistance to this neigh- borhood.
7th. That the secretary of this meeting shall be ex-officio clerk of the neighborhood, and shall have charge of all papers and books pertaining thereto.
8th. That the clerk shall keep a record of the boundaries of all claims presented to him in writing, and shall file in his office the said descriptions.
9th. That the oldest record of a claim shall be prima facie evidence of ownership, pro- vided no person shall be bound to have the boundaries of his claim recorded previous to the 15th day of September next or within twenty days after making the same.
10th. That all transfers of claims shall be registered within twenty days after said trans- fer.
11th. That a bidder for said club shall be appointed, who shall bid off any tract or tracts of land as may be directed by any owner or claimant, or the committee, in case of a dispute.
12th. That the committee shall be sworn to perform their duties faithfully and impar- tially, and that each witness shall be sworn in like manner as in a justice's court.
13th. That the committee shall have power to appoint a meeting of the club when, in their discretion, the exigencies of the case require it.
( A. TAYLOR,
Com. { D. HOWARD, J. HURLEY.
HENRY KNOTSON, Clerk.
NAMES.
Cornelius Hurley,
Thos. Gaston,
Isaac N. Garrott,
Milton Britton,
Francis Britton,
Joel Skinner,
John Larmore,
Chas. P. Lyon,
John Garrott,
John Hurley,
John Hooker,
C. M. Woods,
David Howard,
Alex Jones,
R. F. Weller,
Chas. Moore,
James M. Brown,
John McGowen,
Wm. Hutton,
Moses McConnell,
R. B. Whited,
Jesse Shoemaker,
Josiah Borrough,
Owen Monahon,
Henry Barrith,
Benj. Hollingsworth,
David McEwen,
Enos Darnell,
James Rasser,
Frank Strots,
Andrew Taylor,
Dan McGowen,
Thos. Richardson,
Wm. Stinson,
Anson Richardson,
G. W. Hayes.
Madison Harman,
Isaac Petre,
The following is a fac-simile of a tally-sheet at the election of bidder:
R. F. W.
J. Garrotte.
111111111111 1. 1111111.
S. Burr.
111111111.
C. Lyon
11111.
A. R.
111111.
As a rule, land speculators and others had very tender consciences, which prompted them to respect the rights of the settler when he was a
21
322
HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
member of one of these organizations. A certain club had among their by-laws the following :
Resolved, That the filing of any intention to pre-empt, in contravention of the right of any member hereof, shall be regarded as an attempt to deprive one member of his rights un- der the eternal fitness of things, and we pledge ourselves, one to another, to meet the offender on the home stretch with logic of life or death.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.