USA > Iowa > Linn County > The history of Linn county, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &t., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics history of the Northwest etc > Part 47
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Four or five young men of the town, viz., Charles Nye, Preston Daniels, Dean Cheadle, Willard Harland and Robert Holmes, who had some doubts as to the truth of the reported trouble, volunteered to go and ascertain what the facts were. They went south toward Westport, but found that the inhabitants had all flel from that vicinity, but there had been no burning. Houses and barns were still intact, but not a human being was met with until they reached the residence of Thomas W. Campbell, on Big Creek. It had become dark, and a great light was discovered, and there were forms flitting back and forth in the vicinity of the fire. Our adventurers could not at first determine whether they were friends or foes. Impartial history must record that they approached the place with caution, each one determined to make a strategic movement toward his base of supplies in case of necessity. It was soon discovered, however, that the campers were white people, and not savages, and a great burden rolled off each one's mind. Mr. Campbell and a few of the neighbors had just returned from an investigation, and had ascertained that the danger was imaginary. It grew out of two or three Indians passing through the neighborhood, on the west side. of the river. They approached two boys, working in a field, with the inten- tion of begging something to eat. The boys seeing two savages coming, sup- posed they were about to be murdered, and fled. The Indians fearing that an alarm would be raised, which might affect their own safety, followed the boys, trying to explain, but this only made matters worse. One of the boys plunged
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into the river and swam across to the east side and raised an alarm amongst the farmers. He declared he saw the savages scalping his brother after he got over. Somebody was burning brush piles in the neighborhood, and this smoke was attributed to the burning of farm houses, set on fire by the Indians. The scouts returned to town and reported the facts, when the excitement abated at once. The next morning the crowd began to disperse, and it was astonishing to notice the great number who expressed themselves as believing from the first that there had been no danger. It was a great commotion to have arisen from nothing, and was another good illustration of the fable of the "Three Black Crows."
THE BILL JOHNSON WAR.
During the year 1842, a man claiming to be William Johnson, the hero of the Patriot War of 1837 or '38, in Canada, settled in Buchanan County, near the present town of Quasqueton. The readers of contemporaneous history of those times will remember the romantic story of Johnson and his daughter Kate, who retired, after the defeat of the "patriots," as they called themselves, to the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River, hiding themselves among the intracacies of those islands from the search of the Canadian authorities. A large reward was put on Johnson's head for his capture, dead or alive. His daughter Kate clung with devotion to her father's desperate fortunes, and it was owing to her skill and bravery in venturing with a small boat to the mainland, that Johnson was enabled to procure the necessaries of life. Officers often attempted to follow her and discover his hiding place, but she always managed to elude them, and thus father and daughter maintained, for several years, a secure retreat among the tortuous windings of that clebrated locality.
Johnson, as a citizen, made himself very obnoxious to the few settlers then living in Quasqueton and vicinity, so much so that they resolved to get rid of him. A Lynch Court was organized, and he was seized and given a severe whipping, hoping that he would leave the country. Johnson then came to Marion, told the story of his connection with the Patriot War, and represented that he had been robbed and cruelly beaten by a party of desperadoes. He procured warrants for their arrest, on a charge of burglary. H. W. Gray, then Sheriff, and George A. Patterson, his deputy, summoned a posse of fifteen or twenty and started for Quasqueton to arrest the men who had dared to lay vio- lent hands on so pure a patriot as Johnson was then supposed to be.
This was in the midst of the terrible Winter of 1842 and '43. The snow was between two and three feet deep on a level. The country, after leaving the vicinity of Marion, was a howling waste devoid of settlements for twenty-five miles to the north. The Sheriff's posse, starting in such numbers, and well armed, made quite a military display, and it has always been referred to by the early settlers as the "Bill Johnson War." The weather was terribly cold; there were no roads, and the men had to take turns in breaking a track through the deep snows of the prairies.
Arriving at Quasqueton, the Sheriff found that Bennett, the ringleader of the lynching party, and some of the others were ensconced in a log cabin, pre- pared to make a desperate resistance. A parley was had and Bennett finally consented to give himself and party up next morning, and return to Marion with the Sheriff. Instead of doing so, however, they worked all night strength- ening the defenses of their cabin, and next morning, with the help of some Indi- ans, they defied the officers and their assistants. The Sheriff, knowing that he
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could not arrest the parties for whom he had warrants without sacrificing the lives of some of his men, very wisely returned home the next day. Some of the men had frozen their feet, others their hands, while frost-bitten noses and faces were numerous among them. The hardships endured by the men in this short expedition would have been memorable, even in time of actual war. George A. Patterson, Samuel W. Durham and others, who were with the party, are yet living in Marion.
A short time after this, the Sheriff succeeded in arresting four of the party, viz. : Rowley, Evans, Parish and Stiles. They were brought to Marion for trial, and thus the seat of war was transferred to that place. A majority of the people then believed that Johnson was what he represented himself to be, and, supposing that he and his daughter Kate had been robbed and otherwise badly treated by unprincipled men, their sympathies were with them. Substantial aid was also extended to them, and there was the spectacle of almost an entire com- munity extending its aid and sympathy to one of the most disreputable charac- ters, devoid even of the common civilities and accomplishments of life. He was brutal and vulgar, but those things were set down as eccentricities. Several weeks were devoted to the trials of the men. Col. I. M. Preston, who had recently estab- lished himself at Marion as an attorney, conducted the defense, and Julius E. Sanford the prosecution. During the progress of the trials many became con- vinced that Johnson was an impostor, but Parish and Rowley were bound over to appear at the Spring term of court in Dubuque, the alleged offense having been committed in territory attached to that county for judicial purposes. The grand jury found true bills against them on the evidence of the scoundrel John- son and his pretended daughter, Kate, and such were the consummate abilities of Johnson in the art of deception, that he enlisted the sympathies of Gen. James Wilson, of New Hampshire, who was then Surveyor General of Iowa and Wiscon- sin, and a celebrated lawyer. Wilson volunteered to assist in the prosecution, the defense being conducted by Col. Preston and James Churchman, the latter of Dubuque. The two prisoners were convicted and sentenced to the peniten- tiary, but Col. Preston had the pleasure of getting a pardon for them from the Governor, before the expiration of a year, it having then become apparent to all that Johnson had sworn falsely. This was Col. Preston's first important case, and the tenacity with which he conducted it in the face of an adverse public sen- timent, resulting in the exposure of Johnson, was so complete, that his reputa- tion as an able lawyer was at once established. Johnson ended his career in Iowa by a sudden death, probably at the hands of the men he had so maliciously prosecuted.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
This society was organized in 1855, at Cedar Rapids. The first Board of Officers was, Hosea W. Gray, President; A. R. Sausman and Henry Pence, Vice Presidents; J. L. Enos, Secretary ; and S. C. Bever, Treasurer.
The first fair was held at Cedar Rapids, on the first Wednesday and Thursday of October in that year, and is spoken of as a very creditable exhibition. The socond exhibition was held at Marion, October 1st and 2d, 1856; the third at Ce- dar Rapids in September, 1857. In the year 1858, land was purchased about half way between Marion and Cedar Rapids, and the fair grounds permanently located. It was supposed that this would put an end to the rivalry between the two towns, and concentrate the whole agricultural interests of the county. The annual exhibitions of the society held there were successful for a number
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of years. Both towns gradually lost their interest in the subject. In Novem- ber, 1863, the Board passed a resolution appointing a committee to "report upon the propriety and legality of changing the place of holding the fairs to some more appropriate and convenient point, either at Marion or Cedar Rapids." In February, 1864, this committee reported to accept the proposition of the cit- izens of Marion, who offered $1,000 if the fair grounds were permanently located there. Sixteen acres of land were purchased on Scott's prairie, adjoin- ing the town plat, and the first fair held on the new grounds in September, 1864. This was probably the most successful fair the society ever had. The weather was good, the list of entries large, and the receipts very satisfactory.
From this time on, the history of the society alternated between good and bad luck-the latter probably predominating. Bad weather prevailed at many of the fairs, reducing the receipts and augmenting the debts. In 1865, it rained every day of the fair except one. In 1868, the society was $3,000 in debt, and the receipts during the fair of that year only about paid the expenses. At the fair of 1870, the record books says, "the elements were against us; loss, $350." In that year, a mortgage on the society's grounds of $1,885 was paid off by a subscription.
The location of the State Fair at Cedar Rapids in 1871 was a severe blow on the County society. The records of that year show that there was a good exhibition, but with small receipts. The last fair held by the society was in 1874, at which time the receipts were quite satisfactory. Commencing with 1871, six State fairs have been held in the county, including the present year (1878), destroying the interest in the county fairs. The society will, no doubt, be revived at an early day.
NATURAL PHENOMENA.
The study of meteorology is but just begun, although much advancement in this branch of science has been achieved during the past decade. There are important discoveries yet to be made before man is relieved of the constant peril of fierce storms in the Northwest. This beautiful region of Iowa lies within the range of sudden tempests, which sweep all before them when once their fury reaches its height. There is no likelihood of a visitation of this descrip- tion in one locality more than in another in the territory embraced in the limits of the tornado country, nor is there periodicity in the method of recurrence of storms. They break out, spend their fury and disappear at their own will and pleasure. Several disasters have occurred in this county since the date of its settlement, the most remarkable of which are herein recorded. Other storms of less force have undoubtedly swept over the country hereabouts, but none have left such marked impress as the ones referred to.
The normal meteorological condition of this region is delightful. The extremes of heat and cold are seldom reached, and then only when the temper- ature of the entire country is affected. The Summers are calculated to pro- duce the best and most abundant harvests, and the Winters are no more rigorous than must be expected in this latitude. The Winter of 1842-43 is still spoken of as a remarkably cold one, with snow some three feet deep on the level, while the mercury ranged below zero, perhaps thirty degrees or more. But the average temperature shows no special cause for regret that it is not different.
In July, 1846, there was a severe frost; and the Winters of 1856-57 and 1863-64 were unusually cold, as they were generally throughout the country.
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The climate is not adapted to the cultivation of tender fruits, nor, in fact, is it claimed that this is an apple-growing country. The census returns exhibit a large number of apple-trees, but the proportion in bearing is smaller than is profitable for extensive dealing in fruits. There are localities peculiarly favored and suited to such purposes, but this estimate is based upon actual returns from the entire county. The climatic influences are all favorable to the production of grasses for hay and green feed for horses and cattle, and also for the cultiva- tion and perfection of Spring wheat, oats, corn, rye, barley, and other small grains.
The crops at the present writing show a magnificent prospect for yield, and confirm the opinion here expressed and founded upon the judgment of intelli- gent farmers, as well as upon the census reports.
The extraordinary storms reported in this chapter are cited as more worthy of note in an historical sense than as an index of the atmospheric phenomena of the region.
THE TORNADO OF JUNE 3, 1860.
The "Great Tornado" which desolated a wide area of territory throughout Eastern Iowa and Northern Illinois, in June, 1860, having its origin far to the westward, passed through Linn County. In the section visited by the destruc- tive elements, the occurrence marks an epoch from which local events are dated. The arpalling phenomenon serves to fix in the minds of even the most careless thinkers or observers the time at which transactions of general interest took their place in the history of the county. "Before the tornado," and "after the tor- nado," are recognized expressions of speech.
Well may those who beheld the darkening heavens and witnessed the out- pourings of the powers of the air pray that they may never be called upon to view such another spectacle. The immensity of strength, the rapidity of move- ment, the irresistibility of progress, as compared with the pygmy might of man- kind, awakened at once in the minds of all beholders sentiments more profound than fear; awe took possession of mankind and held him spell-bound in the presence of a force which neither man's intelligence nor man's knowledge of science has yet succeeded in conquering and transforming into a faithful slave. The marvels which have been performed within the last half century produce a credulous belief that no natural force exists which will not, sooner or later, own allegiance to man's dominion ; that those occurrences which now are termed, through partial ignorance of their source and scope, natural phenomena, must abdicate in favor of man, and obey his bidding as implicitly as steam or elec- tricity does to-day. The suggestion of so vast an extension of human power as to include the regulation of the meteorological forces may meet with smiles from the skeptical ; but undoubtedly the historian who shall take up the thread of the record of Linn a century after we have laid it down, will recite the tragic story of the Great Tornado with a sense of mingled pity and contempt at the feebleness of those who lived in the years before the invention of the meteoro- logograph.
No matter what great changes the future has in store for this people, the facts of the disaster of June 3, 1860, will ever remain among the darkest records of the Northwest.
The origin of the tempest or the point where the whirlwind came in contact with the earth, in this county, was about six miles west of Marion. A Sunday evening's quiet reigned, as though nature had chosen to heighten the effect of the terrific display by breaking, with Olympic grandeur. a silence almost absolute.
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The storm appeared in the form of water-spouts, several of which were seen at the same time by persons outside the range of the tornado.
From the Linn County Register, published at Marion, copious extracts are made, the writer being assured of the general authenticity of the statements :
The storm passed through the southwestern part of Marion, but was evi- dently much spent in its force just there, and did but little damage. The railing of the long bridge at Indian Creek was torn down on the upper side, but other- wise that structure escaped injury. The storm passed in the direction of Mount Vernon, where much damage was done. The particulars are given below. The residence of Mr. Adam Lutz, some three miles southwest of Marion, on the North Cedar Rapids road, was a frame building, some forty by thirty feet, and, to all appearances, a very substantial one-story house. There was nothing left but a pile of rubbish to tell the tale that it was ever the habitation of a fam- ily. The sides, the roof, the furniture-in fact, all that goes to make up the thousand and one nameless comforts of a happy home-were scattered to the four winds. Everything was gone. The "angel of destruction " never appeared in a more terrible form than to this family on that fatal Sunday. The family consisted of the father, mother, a son about 17, two daughters, respect- ively 12 and 14, and a little child about 3 years old. In clearing the wreck, the family were all found together, except the daughter, upon whom the chimney seemed to have fallen. She was taken out terribly bruised and crushed, and died during the night, thus completing the first act in the tragedy of horrors in which the family were so unexpectedly called upon to participate. The eldest son, when the crash came, braced himself against the wall to hold it up, but was crushed down. The mother had her right arm broken, and the father, Mr. Lutz, was considerably bruised on the head and body, but the injuries were not dangerous. The girl, 14 years old, had her collar bone broken and some other slight wounds. The youngest child escaped without a bruise.
At the next farm, owned by James Reed, a new brick house was almost entirely destroyed. The upper story was blown off and the north wall fell out to the foundation. The family, consisting of fifteen persons, were all saved by the forethought of Mr. Reed, who, when he saw the storm coming, ordered all to repair to the cellar. They had barely reached the cellar when the house fell, but they were unhurt.
Another farm house near Mr. Reed's was entirely demolished, and the occu- pants injured some, but not dangerously.
The frame house of Mr. Furman escaped with loss of chimney tops. A cow, standing near the barn, had a large limb of a tree, four inches thick, driven completely through her body, killing her instantly.
The next place visited was that of Mr. Vaughn, one of the oldest and most respected citizens of the county. His house was completely wrecked. How the family could escape with but little injury was a miracle. Mrs. Vaughn was injured on the head, and one of the daughters received some severe wounds on the back. A young man who was in the house when the sides fell out was carried by the force of the wind into the yard, where the top of a tree fell on him, among the branches of which he remained until the storm was over, and he came out unhurt, being protected, no doubt, by them from the flying timbers and rubbish of the house. A large oak tree was torn from the ground, some thirty rods from the house, and carried bodily into the yard.
Mr. John G. McLeod's brick house was entirely destroyed. The family escaped without injury.
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Mr. Cooper's substantial frame house was entirely destroyed. The family were uninjured, with the exception of Mr. Cooper, who was considerably bruised about the face and shoulders. Mr. Cooper's barn, a large frame one, with shed attached, was taken up from its foundations and moved about twelve feet west and three feet south and set down again in perfect order, horses, granaries, etc., all in good shape.
Just before the storm burst upon the premises of Mr. Vaughn, his old and favorite house cat, which had been asleep up stairs, rushed down and went howling in the direction of the forest, and was not heard of for some time; subsequently, however, Thomas Grimalkin was found all right-and, as the Register has it, thus verifying the adage "that a cat has nine lives; " but cer- tain it was that the cat manifested, unmistakably, a premonition of the ter- rible visitation of the storm fiend.
A party of immigrants, from Indiana, were encamped near White Oak Grove, in Cedar County, during the great storm ; but not being directly in the track of it, escaped without material injury.
A little girl, 8 years old, had been sent to a neighboring farm house for a bucket of water, and upon her return was caught up by the wind and carried six miles. Her friends followed in the wake of the wind, expecting to find only her lifeless body ; but after going the above distance, they found her in the ruins of a house that had been torn down, killing several of the inmates. She was uninjured and sitting on a feather bed, just where the wind had left her. A child was found near De Witt, Clinton County, on the remains of a stack of hay, which had been thrown down by the storm. The child was, apparently, about 9 months old, and was stripped entirely naked by the wind, but was unhurt. A lady in Clinton took charge of the child.
The Valley Times gives another account of the storm, in a different portion of the county :
To begin with, the tornado first commenced about five miles north of Cedar Rapids. The dwelling of Mr. Parks was unroofed, and all the outbuildings destroyed. The course of the tornado was a little south of east, and took in the dwelling of Mr. Wooley, turning it over three times. Mr. Wooley, his wife and two daughters, were in the house. One daughter, aged 5 years, was killed. Every bone in Mr. Wooley's left hand was broken, between the wrist and first joints of the fingers. Mr. Wooley and little girl had taken refuge in the cellar; but after the house had been moved, the wind lifted them up and landed them in the brush about five rods from the house. The last thing Mr. Wooley remembered was his trying to insert the key into the key- hole of the door. When he came to, he was about fifty feet from where his house stood, clinging to a stump. He started to assist his wife, when the wind caught him up again, and landed him in the creek, about ten rods distant. The little girl that was killed was lying on the bed at the time, asleep.
From the Mt. Vernon News the following is taken :
When first seen, probably six or seven miles away, the storm had the appearance of a long black shaft or column, shaped like an upright hour-glass, extending from a tremendously threat- ening cloud, which, for some time, had been hanging over the west to the ground. Hundreds watched it as it swept on its course, seemingly directly toward Mt. Vernon. It was attended with a heavy roar, as of a hundred trains of cars. Branches of trees could be seen in the air, while its constant changing form and the flakes of clouds thrown from its sides showed its whirling motion. When within two miles of Mt. Vernon, while people were seeking refuge in cellars, or in some cases running wildly about the streets, it veered on its course, and passed the town in full sight-sublime, but fearful.
SEVERE STORM IN MARION.
July 20, 1860, at half past 8 A. M., a severe storm came over Marion, from the northwest, accompanied by heavy rain and severe lightning.
A stroke of lightning struck a house in the north part of town, in which school was taught by Miss Kellogg. As school had not yet " taken up," but seven
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pupils had arrived, and these, together with their teacher, were felled senseless to the floor. On recovering from the shock, Miss Kellogg found all of the children still on the floor, three of whom never arose.
The killed were: A son of Mr. Joseph Cooper, aged about 12; a son of Mr. Joshua Bennett, aged about 9, and a son of Mr. Pifer, aged about 7.
THE MANN DISASTER.
A notable freshet occurred July 5, 1851, on Big Creek. The day was hot and sultry, and the night threatening. During the hours of darkness, a storm of terrific violence and suddenness burst over a limited territory adjacent to the creek. There must have been an instantaneous falling of a water-spout to have accomplished so appalling a calamity. It was upon Big Creek that Jacob Mann, the first settler of the county, located in 1837. Subsequently, he erected a little mill upon the banks of the stream, for his claim was made solely for that purpose. He cared nothing for farming lands, and was too great a lover of ease to feel the need of industry or thrift. His mill was constructed after his own ideas of such things, which were neither correct nor ingenious enough to be worthy of special mention. The mill was built several years after his advent into the county.
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